“Linden tea. It helps you relax,” she says, all smug, like she’s got me completely figured out. She crosses her arms under her chest, eyebrow raised, waiting for me to give in like I’m a toddler who won’t eat his vegetables. Lauren is one of those women who hasno ideahow attractive she is. When she stands there, all tilted hip and power stance like she owns the room, it drives me up the wall.
I look at the tea and then back at her. “What makes you think I need this shit?” I sneer, pointing at the cup. Honestly, if it wasn’t hot, I might’ve thrown it at her. Instead, I lean back in my chair, playing with my lower lip like I always do when I’m about to piss her off.
“If I can tell you’re nervous, your brothers will spot it a mile away, Silas,” she says, leaning over my desk. Her hands press down on it, and yeah, my eyes wander to her chest for a split second, but then she starts talking again, and I snap out of it. “Drink the tea. It’ll help. Your brothers are on their way.”
“What makes you think I’m nervous?” I ask, cocky as ever.
She shoots me a look like I’m an idiot. “It’s your energy. I can see you’re uncomfortable in your clothes. Your leg’s been bouncing under the desk, and in case you didn’t notice, your eyebrow’s twitching.”
Damn.
I let out a deep sigh and take a reluctant sip. It’s warm, but it feels like swallowing my pride. “This is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard,” I mutter, half to myself. “And my brothers don’t know me as well as you think.”
She knows me better than anyone, even if I’d never admit it. How else would she know I needed this ridiculous tea? Lauren sits down across from me, legs crossed, arms folded, her eyes glued to me like she's making sure I finish every drop.
“No one knows me better than my sister,” she says casually.
Wrong. I know you better, Bunny.
“Don’t be so sure,” I reply, taking another painful sip of the tea that’s probably some cruel inside joke she’s playing on me.
“Why are you nervous?” she asks, adjusting her glasses on the bridge of her nose. God, that move has somehow become my favorite lately, even more than watching the sway of her hips when she walks.
I shake my head, debating whether I want to let Lauren see beyond the whole New York magnate façade, but before I know it, my tongue betrays me, and the words spill out. “There’s this quarterly competition between me and my brothers to see who has the best earnings. I don’t need to spell it out—you’ve probably seen the numbers.” My leg starts bouncing again, and I keep sipping this horrible tea, wondering if it’s calming me down or if Lauren’s low-key poisoning me. Either option feels like an escape at this point.
“Why is there a competition when the markets are so different?” she asks, her tone laced with genuine confusion, almost offended.
That makes me smile into the cup. Finally, someone who uses their brain around here. I set the tea down. “My father thinks it’s ‘healthy’ to make us compete,” I say, throwing up air quotes.
“Well, that’s the most archaic thing I’ve ever heard. Besides, last time I checked, you’re the CEO,” she shoots back, her eyebrows raised.
I can’t help but smile again. “We all knew my father would never be able to let go of this empire, Lauren.”
She doesn’t respond right away, just gives me that look—half understanding, half pity. And damn, that gets under my skin.
“But you’re perfectly capable of running it,” she says, and suddenly her cheeks flush pink. She can’t seem to compliment me without turning awkward. It’s honestly kind of cute.
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” I reply, lifting the cup again. She watches me like a hawk, and when I take a sip, she gives this little satisfied smile. Damn. She’s only been here a few weeks, and already she’s got me wrapped around her finger. There’s something so effortlessly adorable about her.
“Do you think your brothers will remember me?” she asks out of the blue.
“Probably,” I say, eyebrow raised. “Why? You got your eye on one of the Walker brothers?”
“No.” She chuckles, shaking her head. “I just think it’ll be strange for them to see me here after so many years. The last time I saw them was when?—”
“Yes,” I cut her off, not wanting to dig up that night. “They’ll remember you.”
“How’s life treating them?” she asks, leaning back in her chair, looking curious.
I set the cup down, shifting in my seat. “They’re doing just fine. Successful, young, and filthy rich. They’re always making headlines as ‘America’s Most Eligible Bachelors,’ so yeah, you can imagine.”
She nods, and we both know it’s true. We’re not the most communicative bunch, and my father is to blame for this weird dynamic. He’s practically engineered our sibling rivalry—who’s got more money, the flashier house, the newest car. It’s all a competition, every damn thing.
Luca’s the one always trying to play peacemaker, but at the end of the day, it’s in our DNA to go after each other. There’s no escaping it.
“Strange,” Lauren says. “I’ve never seen them in the media.”
“That’s because you don’t read that garbage, Bunny,” I tease, grinning.
