Serena
I reached for my drink, fingers cool against the glass, and glanced back at the table.
Gigi was animated, as usual, her voice a high pitch that barely registered in my mind. Noelle was nodding along, both already deciding baby shower themes for Laurene.
But my thoughts…well, my thoughts were far from this brunch.
The pressure from King’s Developments was overwhelming. It fucking hurt to admit that. I didn’t fail. I never failed. That wasn’t what a King did—and I wouldn’t start now.
My mind swirled with numbers, strategies, and risks. I could hear Mama’s voice in the back of my mind, sharp and commanding, reminding me that success came at a price, that there was no room for weakness, no room for anything but perfection .
And somehow, despite all the years of trying to break free from her shadow, I was still that little soldier my siblings thought I was.
I hated it.
I hated that I was always the one holding it all together, the one who had to shoulder the burden of it all while the others went off and did their own thing, blissfully unaware .
But me? No one asked if I was okay. I was the one who kept everything in line.
And damn it, I was tired.
Even now, I could feel the anxiety twisting in my gut, the fear that it was all unraveling faster than I could control.
And then he walked into my line of sight.
Miles Whitmore.
It was like the universe was laughing at me, testing how much longer I could hold on before I fucking snapped.
I averted my gaze before I slowly glanced back over, watching him as he swaggered across the patio. My pulse quickened despite myself, my chest tightening. We had a history, one I couldn’t escape, no matter how many years had passed. No matter how much I told myself I was over it.
I took a slow sip from my glass, forcing my eyes to stay down, to focus on the foam in my drink. I didn’t need to look at him. Not now. Not ever.
But damn it, I wanted to.
I wanted to tell him that it never got better, that my feelings for him never truly went away, that I could never let go. I wanted to scream at him, to tell him how I resented everything that happened between us, how much I hated him for making me feel like I couldn’t move forward without him.
I couldn’t.
He was my brother’s ex–best friend. He didn’t belong in my life anymore. I had to play this cool. I didn’t get emotional like my siblings. Emotions had no place in my life.
There was only success, and that was my only compass.
“.” Noelle’s voice broke through my thoughts, and I forced my gaze back to her, a tight smile pulling at my lips. “You okay?”
I nodded, my traitorous gaze shifting back over to Miles again. He was talking to someone, but his eyes flicked over to me, that damn smirk on his face, the one that made my heart twist and my stomach tighten .
Without thinking, I stood up abruptly, the chair scraping against the stone floor behind me, loud enough to make everyone pause.
“I have to go.”
Before either of them could protest, I turned on my heel.
“!”
I didn’t look back, didn’t slow down. I needed to be away from here, away from the place where everything felt out of control, where every thought seemed to lead back to him.
“— Goddamn it, Sunny !”
Not that name.
I felt his hand on my arm, and he spun me around. My heart slammed against my ribs as I came face-to-face with him, breathless, furious, too close.
“Let go of me,” I hissed, but my body already betraying me, too tangled in the pull between us. “Don’t call me that. I told you never to call me that again!”
“You’re running again,” he said, his voice rough. “You think that’s gonna fix anything?”
I shoved at his chest, but he didn’t move. He just stood there, holding me captive with that maddening stare, like he knew me better than I knew myself.
He probably did.
“I’m not running,” I bit out. “I’m leaving because I don’t have time for this. For you. ”
For a second, I thought he was going to pull me back into him. Instead, he pushed me against the wall of a nearby building, trapping me between him and the cold stone. The rough texture of the wall scraped against my skin, but it barely registered as he leaned in, his breath hot against my ear.
What would people say if they saw me, King, speaking with the Miles Whitmore ? The scandalous Whitmores. Our ex-friends.
“Stop lying to me, Sunny,” he growled, his voice thick with frustration. “You want me to stay away, but you keep popping up everywhere I go. Coincidence?”
I shoved harder, trying to push him off, but it only made him press closer, his body like a furnace against mine mixed with the already scorching heat.
“No,” I gasped, fighting to break free. “I told you if it’s not about business, we don’t speak, and even that’s limited.”
He jerked his head back, looking down at me with disbelief and something else—something dangerous I couldn’t quite name.
“You’re the one who won’t let it go, . Why the fuck were you at my house last week, then?”
I didn’t want to hear it. That had been a mistake. A moment of weakness. I didn’t give myself that often, and I wouldn’t again.
“I’m not here to help you or your company or whatever game you’re trying to play.”
His expression flickered. “Last time I checked, your company’s got a hell of a lot more to lose than mine, or was that little visit just attempted sabotage?”
I laughed, but it wasn’t a real laugh. It was sharp, biting. “Your company is already on the brink of bankruptcy. You aren’t a threat. It’s called playing with your meal.”
The words hit their mark. I saw the muscle in his jaw tense, his fists clenching at his sides. I couldn’t help the twisted satisfaction that rose in my chest.
“Then tell me,” he said quietly, his eyes locking with mine. “Tell me you don’t feel anything for me anymore. Let’s have full-blown war, Sunny. Tell me what you want. When I leave this time, I won’t have mercy on you, your family, or King’s Developments.”
The words hung between us like a challenge, and I knew— I knew —that I couldn’t lie to him. Not this time. Not when he was so close, and the heat of his breath mingled with mine, drawing me into a place I could no longer ignore .
So I didn’t.
Instead, I stared up at him, my heart racing in a way that terrified me more than anything.
“I don’t feel anything for you, Miles.” Fire raced through my veins. “I will destroy you. Every. Single. Bit. Of you. You’ll wish you took Erik’s warning and left town.”
And that was the most honest answer I’d given anyone in years.
The King Family Saga Continues…