365 Nights, Two Stepbrothers, One Me.

I moaned out his name. "Damien, you are not trying hard to get me, yet .." He smirked and whispered to my ears. "I like being hard, Not "trying" hard." When Lila Sinclair's mother is sentenced to life in prison, her world collapses overnight. With nowhere else to go, she is taken in by Sebastian Blackwood, her mother's former lover. A powerful, reserved man who agrees to shelter her under strict conditions. Lila is placed in his household... and into a life she never asked for, sharing a roof with two stepbrothers who change everything. Damien is danger wrapped in charm...intense, controlling, and impossible to ignore. Ethan, on the other hand, is steady, kind, and grounding...the only place she feels safe when everything else feels like it's slipping away. But Lila's situation comes with a hidden clause: her stay in the country is temporary. Within 365 days, her legal protection expires. To remain, she must marry one of the Blackwood heirs. One house. Two brothers. Twelve months of blurred lines, buried secrets, and emotions she was never meant to feel. As desire clashes with safety and passion wars with peace, Lila is forced into a choice that could secure her future...or destroy it completely.

Chapters

Chapter 4

Lila Sinclair's POV

I stared at my reflection in the mirror, hardly recognizing the girl in front of me. The soft curls Ethan had fixed in my hair bounced over my shoulders, my dress hugged my body in all the right places, and the light makeup made me look like I belonged to this mansion, like I'd always been this polished.

Ethan leaned against the doorframe with that smug grin of his.

"Damn, Lila. If Damien doesn't thank my father for adopting you, I will."

I rolled my eyes, but heat rushed to my cheeks. "Stop flattering me."

"I'm not flattering," he said, stepping closer, his eyes scanning me slowly, deliberately. "I'm stating facts. Tonight, you're about to make one woman very jealous."

I raised my brow. "Stephanie?"

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Smart girl. You'll catch on quick."

I sighed. "So let me get this straight. You're dragging me to your ex's birthday party to... what? Parade me like some trophy?"

"Exactly." He smirked wider, his tone playful but sharp underneath. "Steph's the type who hates losing. She dumped me thinking she'd crawl back whenever she pleased. Tonight, you're going to help me prove she lost me for good."

I folded my arms. "And what do I get in return for being your little prop?"

"Fun," he said immediately, leaning in with a mischievous wink. "And maybe... a tiny crash course in surviving rich-people drama. Trust me, you'll need it."

I laughed despite myself. His energy was infectious...flirty, cocky, but so damn easy to be around.

***

The ride to the party felt like something out of a movie. The sleek black car, the city lights reflecting off tinted windows, Ethan in a perfectly tailored suit beside me. He was humming along to some playlist, relaxed, while I kept fiddling with my fingers.

"You nervous?" he asked, catching me.

"Of course I am," I muttered. "This is my first time walking into some glamorous party as... well, anything."

He reached over, brushing his fingers over mine in a casual but reassuring way. "Relax, Lil babyyy. All you gotta do is stand beside me, smile when I tell you to, laugh at my terrible jokes. Easy."

I smirked. "Your jokes are terrible already. That won't be acting."

"Exactly. You're perfect for this role." he smiled warmly and brushed my hair softly off my shoulders.

The mansion where the party was hosted was dripping in luxury, crystal chandeliers, waiters with champagne, the faint hum of a live band playing something jazzy in the background. And the people... God, everyone looked like they had been carved straight out of fashion magazines.

I froze for a second at the entrance, but Ethan pressed a hand to the small of my back.

"Breathe," he whispered, warm against my ear. "And remember, they wish they looked as good as you."

We entered, and heads turned. I swore I heard someone whisper, "Who's she?" The power of appearances was insane.

Then I saw her.

Stephanie.

She was tall, striking, with flawless red lips and a dress that clung to her like second skin. And the look on her face when her eyes landed on me and Ethan? pure venom dressed in a smile.

"Well, well," she purred as she walked over, champagne glass in hand. "Ethan. You finally learned how to accessorize."

I stiffened, but Ethan slipped his arm around my waist smoothly.

"Stephanie," he said warmly, almost mocking. "Meet Lila. My girl."

Her brows arched, lips twitching. "Your... girl?"

I forced myself to meet her gaze, faking confidence I didn't feel. "Hi."

Her smile didn't reach her eyes. "Cute." She turned back to Ethan, her voice sugar-coated poison. "Didn't think you'd move on so fast."

"Didn't think you'd care," he shot back easily, then kissed my temple for good measure. My stomach flipped, though I reminded myself this was all for show.

Stephanie's laugh was sharp. "Enjoy the party, Ethan. Don't choke on your rebound." And with that, she sauntered off, hips swaying like she owned the floor.

I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. "She hates me."

"She hates losing," Ethan corrected, grinning. "And thanks to you, she's losing big time tonight."

I couldn't help but laugh. The rest of the evening blurred into music, laughter, and Ethan keeping me close, introducing me to his friends, making me laugh so much my cheeks hurt. For a moment, I forgot I was the outsider.

But somewhere between the toasts and the endless glasses of champagne, Ethan started to slip. His jokes got louder, his arm heavier around me. His laughter, looser.

By midnight, he was leaning against the bar, glass in hand, eyes half-lidded. "Lil babyy... you're the best fake girlfriend ever."

I frowned. "You're drunk."

"And you're... so pretty," he slurred with a lazy grin.

I sighed. "Great. Just great."

"Catch ya later, imma go hook up with some ass." he rose as he walked off

"Great! Time up, Lila." I muttered, and suddenly I felt out of place again. Alone, despite the crowd. Ethan was lost in his drunken haze, his friends laughing around him. Nobody noticed me slip away.

***

The night air was sharp as I walked down the driveway, heels clicking on pavement. I tried to call an Uber, but the app kept glitching. Figures.

Frustration bubbled in my chest. My first night out in this world, and of course, I end up stranded. I started walking, hugging myself, when headlights flashed across me. A car screeched to a halt inches away.

I gasped, stumbling back. My heart pounded as the tinted window lowered slightly.

"What the hell?!" I yelled, anger and nerves spilling out. "Do you not know how to drive? You almost killed me, you idiot!"

No answer. Just silence. My hands trembled as I stepped closer, glaring.

"Whoever you are, you need to open your damn eyes instead of speeding like a maniac..." I cursed.

Yes. This was me, whenever I get frustrated and confused.

"Move away!" I barked.

Then my gaze fell on the license plate.

My breath caught.

I knew that number. I knew the name written on the top of the plate.

My lips parted in shock, the words dying in my throat.

The car's engine revved, and before I could say anything else, it sped off into the night, leaving me standing frozen in the middle of the street.

Damien Blackwood.

It had been Damien.

The realization hit me like ice water, and my knees almost buckled. He'd seen me. Heard me. And the way I had screamed at him...God.

If looks could kill, I was sure I had just signed my death sentence.

Continue to next part

Eliana Rivera is the firstborn daughter of business tycoon Cassian Rivera. When her father's company falls into debt, he marries her off to the arrogant and ruthless billionaire, Alexander Grayson, as part of a business contract and under the threat of blackmail. Alexander, the billionaire CEO, never planned to marry, but the pressure of blackmail forces him into a union with a woman he barely knows. Although Eliana doesn't see Alexander as her ideal partner, she agrees to the marriage out of a sense of duty. Once engaged, however, he barely acknowledges her presence and harbours disdain for her because of her father's actions and their relationship. But as they navigate their newfound relationship, the unexpected desire for each other's touch ignites-a twist neither of them planned, leading them toward an unforeseen love.

Billionaire Modern Romance

8.2

Mafia Princess's Vengeance for Lost Heir

8.2

At my ten-week ultrasound, I was supposed to be celebrating the future of the Falcone family. I was Isabella Falcone, wife to the most powerful Don in the south. But when the nurse called my name, the man who stood up beside his pregnant mistress was my husband. In the sterile silence of that waiting room, he chose her. He later confessed he was being blackmailed by her family-a weakness that was a death sentence in our world. That night, he moved his mistress into our home, into my bedroom, and locked me away like a prisoner in the staff quarters. He wasn't imprisoning his wife; he was guarding an asset. He needed the legitimate heir I carried to save his crumbling empire. His betrayal was absolute when his own mother and my adoptive parents arrived while he was away. They forced me to sign divorce papers, then told me they were taking me to a clinic. His mother pulled out a gun and pointed not at my head, but at my stomach. "We're terminating this complication," she said coldly. As they dragged me from the house, my world went dark. But through the haze, I saw a fleet of black cars blocking the gate. An army of men poured out, led by a face I had only ever seen in a photograph. Days earlier, locked in my room, I made a single phone call to the only man more powerful than my husband: my biological father, the head of the Chicago Outfit. And he had come to collect his daughter.

Mafia Modern Romance

8.5

Married a Billionaire, My True Heiress Identity Revealed

8.5

Alexandrea woke up with a splitting headache in a strange hotel bed, terrified to find a brutally handsome, half-naked stranger beside her. Before she could even scream, the door burst open. Her adoptive mother, Ivette, stormed in with a swarm of reporters and flashing cameras. "How could you disgrace our family name like this?" Ivette sobbed, putting on a theatrical performance of a heartbroken mother. It was a setup to completely ruin Alexandrea's reputation in front of New York's elite. For ten years, Alexandrea had lived in a house of horrors. Her back and arms were covered in silvery scars and puckered cigarette burns left by Ivette's vicious abuse. Yet to the public, Ivette had carefully crafted Alexandrea's image as a wild, ungrateful, and manipulative liar. Trapped under the duvet, Alexandrea was drowning in shame, her voice lost in the storm of accusations. She didn't understand why her adoptive family hated her so much, treating her worse than a stray dog while using her brother's future to keep her chained. But what she understood even less was the stranger beside her. Instead of panicking, the man slowly sat up, his presence alone silencing the frantic room. He was Ace Griffith, the billionaire heir who owned half of Manhattan. He wrapped his suit jacket around her trembling shoulders, looked Ivette dead in the eye, and dropped a bomb. "I will be marrying her." Then, he carried Alexandrea away from her ten-year prison, ordering his men to dig up the Terry family's darkest secrets and her true identity.

Billionaire Modern Romance

7.5

My Twin Is a Void Lord? I Still Pinched Him Into Submission

7.5

I was the supreme architect of reality. Now I'm trapped in a womb with my twin brother Jaden, and he's already trying to kill me. Born with a Void Lord core, Jaden is a gluttonous black hole that started draining my life force before I even had eyelids. Unfortunately for him, my ancient soul came with me. I crushed his consciousness, chained his dark power, and established the only rule that matters: Sister is God. Three years later, he's a whimpering, chocolate-donut-obsessed mess who cries when I threaten to cancel snack time. I've got a demonic shadow bird enforcing my orders and a mother who has no idea her adorable daughter is secretly terrifying. But when assassins hunting my family corner us in the forest, I have to stop playing cute. They see a toddler in pink overalls. I show them what an architect of reality looks like. My twin is a Void Lord destined to consume worlds. He still flinches when I raise an eyebrow. Some hierarchies are eternal.

Modern Romance

8.8

One Night Stand with the Love Struct Billionaire

8.8

Bella Danvers aka Isabella Powell is a 20-year-old college student who encountered the hot and ruthless CEO of the Rinaldi Corporation, Gabriel Rinaldi. They had a forgetful one-night stand that took a turn for the worst. Will he be able to find her before he is forced into an arranged marriage? Will she be able to tell him the news? Or will they be forced apart?

Billionaire Modern Romance

7.4

Our Affairs

7.4

For three long years, my husband Richard has refused to touch me. All because of one tragic accident that stole our three-month-old baby... an accident that wasn't even my fault. I tried everything to win him back. I begged, I cried, I seduced. Nothing worked. Desperate and burning with unmet desire, I found myself drawn to my new boss, Teddy. With one smoldering look, he awakens the fire I thought had died inside me. I crave him. I need him. But I'm still married... and I still love Richard with all my heart. Then came the business trip that shattered everything. In a single night, I discovered Richard's secret-he's been cheating on me all along. Rage and years of pent-up hunger collided. That night, I finally unleashed. But after the trip what becomes of me, my husband and my boss, even his lover.

Modern Romance

365 Nights, Two Stepbrothers, One Me.

Chapter 4

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