Chapter 0003

Sebastian's POV

I stretch out as the midday sun beats down on my back. The warmth is familiar, and the sounds of the beach echo in my ears. That’s typically where my thoughts would end, but not after what happened last night.

She’d never even given me her name, yet she so confidently stated I’d never see her again. Funny. Why was that? What gave her such a cheeky sense of assurance?

Lucas lifts his head up to the sun, shielding his eyes as he watches over the sandy sight.

“Dude, weren’t you supposed to pick up your new family?”

I turn lazily. “Hm?” I’m barely listening as I think of those thick curls cascading down her shoulders.

“Your stepmother and stepsister?”

Those words genuinely do get my attention, and like a bubble being popped in front of me, I come back down to earth. My best friend watches me with intrigue.

“I met an interesting girl.”

“And that means?”

I shrug. “That I met someone. I’ll see them in a few days.”

“Must be nice,” Lucas murmurs, but I don’t press. A group of girls waves at us not far off, and Lucas stands up, flexes his ‘muscles,’ and approaches them.

Such a charmer.

I slide my sunglasses down my nose to watch the interaction when I hear a chime come from the other beach chair. My eyes wander over to see his phone, and against my better judgment, I can’t help but feel compelled to swipe it for only a moment.

On Lucas’ phone's front screen, there’s a text message from a woman I instantly recognize. The contact reads “Evelyn Walters,” and she took a selfie while I slept on the bed in the background. I hadn’t realized she’d had a chance to sneak a picture.

“Your best friend is so much better than you are :)” reads the text accompanying the words. I would recognize those green eyes anywhere.

This girl…she is with Lucas? How had I never met her before? What bullshit had my idiot best friend pulled?

Evelyn had approached me because of him.

Furthermore, this beautiful, sexy, intriguing Hawaiian girl had used me as a tool for revenge?

Lucas has a lot of questions to answer if I have my say.

Instead, a smile reaches my lips, curling as an idea floats into my brain. Lucas may have done something fucking stupid to hurt Evelyn, but I was about to learn just a bit more myself.

One thing is for certain: I’ve found an incredibly important clue.

Returning to our spot, Lucas seems dejected. He plops back down in his seat and groans out a long sigh. “They were looking for you, not me.”

I let my gaze flicker around the beach, landing on jet skis not too far off. Hmm, curious.

“How about a race?” I question him. I point out the large objects, this plan formulating faster than I can control it. “You against me?”

Excited, Lucas sits up immediately, the rejection from a moment ago dissipating. “What’re the stakes? What’s the wager?”

“Well,” I start slowly, pushing some hair back on my head to wipe at the sweat accumulating there. “How about this? If I lose, I’ll invest in your band. Not just a few hundred bucks, I’m talking about a life-changing investment.”

Lucas’s eyes widen at the possibility. He looks hyped up and ready to win until I finish.

“If I win, I will take your most important, prized possession.”

If that’s even how he sees the beautiful Evelyn.

“Vague,” Lucas counters. “But, I’m open to it.” His puzzled expression doesn’t entirely disappear, but I refuse to explain any further.

“Do we have a deal?” I stand up from my chair, holding out a hand to shake to Lucas. I’ve always been a reasonably confident man, so I stand there with a smile.

There is no poker face to depict on my watch.

The other man stands and takes my hand. “You’re on. Get ready to lose.”

I chuckle to myself as we head for the ski rentals. Clearly, the man is too cocky for his own good.

No matter. That is, after all, why we’ll be racing for her.

It’s not so much a race as it is an annihilation, as Lucas finishes our race almost a minute after I do. I hear the screaming girls on the shore, but I don’t care about them as my friend rides up beside me.

“Alright, you win. Now, what do you want, man?” Lucas asks, slicking his hair back from the ocean spray.

I pull out Lucas’ phone, which I’d purposely kept on my person, put in a bag, and hit the home screen to reveal Evelyn’s text and picture to the man.

“Her number.”

Lucas’ eyes widen as he takes back his phone. “What the fuck?” he demands.

I wait for more; I have nothing to say just yet. Let Lucas get it out of his system before I remind him how he ended up in this situation in the first place.

“Are you for real? You want my girlfriend’s number? What kind of sick fucking joke is this?”

I sit there, rocking back and forth from the water’s mini waves.

“Dude, this is crossing every line possible! You think you can take her away after a measly little race? That’s disgusting!”

I hold up a hand. “Yet here I am. Let’s not forget that you, Lucas, pushed her away by cheating.”

“I didn’t cheat on her!” He insists, but I don’t believe him.

“She thinks you did. And that’s why she found me. She chose to sleep with me because of your actions.”

His stunned silence causes me to raise an eyebrow at him. Lucas looks like he’s fighting an entire war in his head as we sit on the still jet skis.

“She’s already moved to New York! Do you think we can be together after this? No, we can’t, so good luck finding her yourself.”

A warmth rides through my bloodstream. New York, huh? Hmm, very interesting.

After I leave an angry Lucas, I prepare to fly back to New York immediately.

Another piece of the puzzle to solve, but no matter.

The game is still afoot, Evelyn.

Evelyn's POV

I can’t help but appear slack-jawed at my new home. Luxurious, extravagant, picture perfect, all these lavish words that I never imagined could be my own.

I walk into the living room, where pictures are set up on the walls and mantle. I see a boy in the pictures, no older than ten, wearing a race suit with a helmet on his arm.

As I continue to follow the framed images, I see the boy holding trophies, exuding charm that I’ve never imagined a child could exhibit.

The sight, however, mixed with those broad shoulders, makes my mind wander to another man. A man who oozes style and charm.

I shake my head at the ridiculousness of that thought.

“No, Evelyn, don’t think of him anymore. That’s it.”

“Ah, I see you’ve discovered my son.”

My new stepfather, Gregory, steps into the room. I’m pretty sure Mom told me he’s over six foot tall, and I’m inclined to believe she’s right as I crane my neck.

“Y-your son?” I stammer though I understand his words.

A sigh comes from the tall man. “Your new brother, yes. He’s a…racecar driver.” Is that a tone of disapproval coming from my stepfather? But why? If he’s as good as the pictures and trophies suggest, what’s so wrong with a different profession?

“That’s pretty cool,” I admit, touching the frame closest to me as I gaze at the young boy.

But his father's disapproval worries me, and I smile at Gregory as I leave the room to keep exploring.

I’m not even in the next room before my phone rings, Lucas’ name appearing on my screen. I groan, rolling my eyes as I reluctantly pick up the phone.

“What?” I snap. I don’t have patience for Lucas and his bullshit anymore.

“Why the hell did you sleep with him?!” Lucas screams from his end of the phone. He’s on speaker, but that doesn’t stop me from pulling the device away from my ear. “That’s my best friend, Evelyn!”

“Oh, forgive me; next time you cheat on me, I’ll make sure to grovel at your feet, Lucas! Why I do anything no longer concerns you!”

“Evelyn, Sebastian Cain is incredibly wealthy. He comes from a top-tier family, where any amount of money you could show is laughable. You won’t be with him because you don’t fit into his world!”

“I think you’ve lost the right to tell me anything,” I snap back into the receiver. “What do you care about Sebastian, or even me?”

“You’re not like him. You’ll never be with him.”

I sneer, even though I know my pathetic boyfriend can’t see it. “The fact you had to call me about this means Sebastian is incredibly interested in me, and you can’t fucking stand that, can you, Lucas?”

He can’t speak, flustered at my words that have pinned him in his tracks—pathetic, horrid boys.

“Maybe you’ll learn to give a damn about someone other than yourself. Goodbye, Lucas.”

I hear the man screaming from the other end of the phone, angry and empty threats. But I don’t bother to listen as I hang up the phone, satisfied.

The next night, after a day of unpacking and hanging around the massive mansion, Mom appears at my door to tell me we’ll be having a family dinner this evening. It turns out my new stepbrother has returned to New York, so we’ll all be celebrating.

“Wear something nice, okay?” Madelyn asks with a gentle smile.

I nod, getting to work on an outfit to make a good impression. After all, we’re about to become stepsiblings. The least I can do is my best for Mom.

After achieving the look with a baby blue short dress and black heels, I exit my new room to see someone standing downstairs, his back to me. This must be him.

Showtime.

I slowly descend the stairs, though the man doesn’t look at me while I walk. No bother.

I reach the bottom of the stairs, and that’s when the man starts to turn. The tall, sexy figure and I lock eyes as recognition slaps me across the face.

No fucking way. Hell no.

Sebastian?!