Chapter 1

The billionaire CEO's brother just threw a card at me.

"Five million. Leave my brother and be with me."

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I sat on the plush sofa in the luxurious estate, gazing at the man before me. He had deep-set eyes, handsome features, and an extraordinary aura.

The unexpected bank card left me utterly bewildered.

"Five minutes are up. What's your decision?"

The man across from me glanced at the million-dollar watch on his wrist, his intense eyes fixed on mine.

This whole mess started three days ago.

I was sitting in a high-end luxury car, facing a CEO worth hundreds of millions.

He was impeccably dressed in a suit, not a single cheap item on him. He looked every bit the successful businessman.

But the moment he spoke, he sounded like every cringey, old-school romance novel CEO combined: "Man, you're playing with fire."

My toes curled so hard, I swear they were trying to dig a tunnel straight to the core of the earth.

After rejecting him for the hundred-and-fifth time, I finally gave in.

That's because I found out his brother was Julian Thorne—the very man I'd once glimpsed and couldn't stop thinking about. He was my long-standing crush.

Then, Leo took me home, and I became his 'fake' boyfriend, just to deal with his family.

And the powerful man in front of me was my 'boyfriend's' brother, Julian Thorne.

My silence made Julian's brows furrow.

"If two million a month isn't enough for your allowance, I can add another two million."

The man casually dropped another shocking number, just like that.

What he said next, however, was surprisingly respectful and comforting.

"We'll be in a normal relationship, not a sugar daddy situation. You'll have plenty of personal space. Work if you want, or don't work at all; I can take care of you."

Every word Julian said was like a temptation, and they crashed down on me, one after another.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Thorne, but I'm already your brother's boyfriend. Please don't overstep."

At my words, his eyes turned cold, and the air around us seemed to drop several degrees.

"I told you, you're breaking up with him."

His sudden oppressive aura startled me, but I quickly regained my composure.

"I won't break up with Leo. We're even planning to get married in the future. I hope you can give us your blessing, Julian."

My polite, yet distant smile seemed to sting his eyes.

A vein throbbed on his forehead, as if he was holding something back.

I nervously swallowed.

Just then, the front door clicked open. It was Leo returning.

"Ugh, I'm boiling! What kind of crazy weather is this? Is it trying to steam people alive?"

I secretly let out a sigh of relief, smiling as I walked over to take his jacket.

As soon as I took his blue casual jacket, Leo shivered.

"Why is it so cold in here? What's the AC set to?"

Neither Julian nor I spoke.

He looked between us, then put his jacket back on.

"So, Julian, how was your chat with Cicada?"

Cicada was my nickname. I was born in the summer, and cicadas always buzzed at night, so that's how I got it.

Julian raised an eyebrow. "Cicada?" Then he gave me a meaningful look.

Before I could say anything, Leo, being the chatterbox he was, started rambling. "Yeah, Alex's nickname is Cicada. Cute, right?"

To show off how close and sweet we were, he even deliberately added 'cute.'

He also gave me a loving glance.

"Cicada and I had a great chat. She really likes having me as a brother."

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