Chapter 1

In the open kitchen, Hector stood right behind me, trapping me against the counter.

One hand slipped toward my apron, while the other casually grabbed a blueberry and pushed it toward my mouth.

My face flushed.

He smirked, his voice full of teasing. “Sis, you’ve got quite the bite.”

From the dining area across the room, Mommy Jenny turned her head and looked at me, confused. “Jenny, are you cold? Why are you shivering?”

I never thought that the person I had a crush on for three years would end up becoming my stepbrother.

The day I moved into the Gayle family’s house with my mom, I stood by the front door, completely drenched, water dripping from my hair and clothes.

Hector slowly strolled up with an empty bucket in his hand, his eyes scanning me up and down with a wicked smile. “Oops, my bad, slipped.” He paused for a second, his tone mocking. “But with how little you’re wearing, maybe you wanted to cool off anyway.”

I looked down at my soaked white shirt, realizing you could faintly see my bra through the fabric. Panicked, I quickly covered myself with my arms.

Hector’s grin widened, even more shameless.

He definitely saw everything! The thought sent a wave of heat rushing to my face.

“Hector!” Samuel rushed over.

A jacket with a light scent of soap fell on my shoulders, and Samuel stood protectively in front of me. “Jenny, go change your clothes. I’ll deal with him in a bit.”

I was ushered into the downstairs bathroom, my heart still racing.

It was my first time seeing Hector since I’d developed feelings for him years ago. He was just as handsome as before, if not more. But he clearly wasn’t happy to see me.

I guess I couldn’t blame him. After all, my mom did disrupt his family.

Bam bam bam!

A loud knock on the door made me jump back several steps, startled.

“Hector?” I muttered nervously as his voice came from the other side. “Brought you some clothes.”

My heart, which had just started to calm down, went wild again.

I stared at myself in the mirror—drenched, disheveled—and didn’t dare open the door.

But Hector wasn’t giving up. He started twisting the doorknob, only to find it locked. “Open the door, or I’ll kick it down.”

I knew he meant it. When Hector made a threat, he always followed through. Scanning the room in a panic, I grabbed a towel and draped it over myself.

By the time he reached the count of three, I rushed to the door and swung it open.

Hector leaned casually against the doorframe, arms crossed, holding my clothes over his elbow.

He was tall, and with a slight tilt of his head, he looked down at me. His sharp features stood out—perfect eyebrows, a strong nose with a small mole on its tip.

His eyes flicked down to my chest, and his lips curled into a sneer. “What’s the point of covering up? Didn’t you want to show it off?”

“It’s not like that,” I whispered defensively, the hurt in my voice bubbling to the surface.

I never wanted to show off to anyone.

“Jenny, stop pretending. Your mom’s a homewrecker, and you’re just a little temptress. She seduced my dad, and now you’re here trying to seduce my brother.”

His brow furrowed in irritation. “Take off my brother’s jacket!”

I froze. If I took it off, he’d see everything.

But if I didn’t, he’d get mad.

“Take it off,” he repeated.

I clutched the towel tighter, my eyes shifting to the clothes he held. “Give me the dry clothes first.”

Hector lifted the bundle of clothes slightly, just out of reach.

I reached for them, but he jerked them back. “Want them? Beg me,” he said, tilting his head with a sly grin.

“Just give them to me!” I lunged for the clothes.

Hector quickly raised them higher. No matter how much I jumped, I couldn’t reach. How tall was he, exactly?!

I tried again, putting even more effort into the jump, but just as I reached for them, I lost my balance, falling forward, and crashed right into Hector’s chest.

“Tsk.”

I heard him chuckle.

“What, you trying to pull the same tricks as your mom? Think you can seduce me?” Hector’s voice dripped with sarcasm.

Suddenly aware of my position, I realized my whole body was pressed up against him, my upper half especially. And worse, the towel I’d draped around myself was slipping, barely covering anything.

I quickly pulled the towel back around me and turned away, hiding my face in shame.

“What’s the matter? Not going to keep going?” Hector mocked, his voice cold. “You’ll never seduce my brother with tricks like that.”

I wasn’t trying to seduce anyone.

But no matter what I said now, Hector wouldn’t believe me.

Tears welled up in my eyes, my heart aching with the weight of his misunderstanding.

I knew Hector hated me, and hated my mom too. His mom had just passed away when we moved in, and my mom had taken her place. Of course he hated me.

I understood that.

But I couldn’t stand being so unfairly accused.

“Hector!” Samuel’s voice cut through the tension. “What the hell are you doing? Standing outside a girl’s bathroom? What kind of manners are those?”

“Why are you always on her side, bro?”

“Jenny’s new here, you should be looking out for her. And by the way, she’s older than you, so show some respect. Hand her the clothes.”

Hector shot me a glare but finally tossed the clothes to me, gritting his teeth. “Here you go, sis. Make sure you take care of them.”

Samuel sighed, turning to me apologetically. “Sorry, Jenny. He’s always been a bit of a jerk. Go ahead and get changed.”

I took the clothes, whispering a quiet “thank you” before closing the door.

Once they were gone, I sat in the bathroom, clutching the dry clothes in my arms. Tears streamed down my face.

I’d had a crush on Hector for three years, only to end up his step-sister and the target of his resentment.