The Third Floor Encounter

Audrey lingered in the margins of the expansive living room, creating as much distance as possible from the frenzy at the front doors. The Sterling relatives descended upon the entryway like a starved pack, scrambling over one another to surround Declan.

Gideon stood to the side, fighting to maintain a polished smile. "Welcome back, Declan."

The older uncles brushed right past Gideon, instantly sidelining the man they had just spent the last hour buttering up. They beamed with excessive enthusiasm as they stepped up to say hello.

"Declan, what brought on this sudden return?"

"I hear you are finalizing that domestic company acquisition. You are just getting more impressive by the day."

"Come on inside, take a seat. We have the top-shelf coffee waiting for you."

Gideon caught the stark contrast in the uncles' warmth. A brief flash of irritation bled through his expression before he wrestled it back into a mask of polite hospitality and led the way forward.

Audrey quietly eyed the tall, strikingly handsome Declan striding into the living room like the star of the show. She instinctively edged another step back to blend into the wallpaper, letting the trailing group pass.

Declan approached steadily. He commanded the space without effort. He possessed a brooding, aloof kind of handsomeness, a stark contrast to Gideon's flashy, outgoing vibe. He resembled a towering pine tree blanketed in snow, regal and intimidating.

Instead of basking in the endless stream of flattery, Declan offered only simple nods. His sweeping gaze moved over the crowd, casually yet subtly taking stock of everyone there with cold precision.

Then, his dark eyes found Audrey.

He came to an abrupt halt.

Gideon stopped off to the side, looking back in confusion. "Something wrong, Declan?"

Declan gave no response. His piercing steady gaze remained locked onto Audrey.

The intensity of his focus pinned her in place. A startling jolt shot to her core, making her feel oddly claimed and uninvited. She had crossed paths with this man perhaps twice in her life, yet his sudden scrutiny carried an unspoken, heavy weight.

Gideon followed the trajectory of his brother's stare, an eyebrow quirking up. "Audrey, come say hi to Big Declan."

Audrey forced her feet to move and started to step forward, but Declan beat her to it. He bypassed the eager crowd altogether and walked straight toward her.

Surprised glances rippled through the gathered relatives. So far, everyone had been approaching Declan. He had not initiated contact with a single soul.

He stopped inches away from her. His deep eyes gave nothing away. He murmured her name, his voice a low rumble. "Audrey?"

Her breath hitched in her throat as if a faint breeze had brushed her ear. She had not anticipated him coming over to chat, yet after all these years, he still remembered her.

Audrey offered a polite nod. "Declan, it has been ages—"

Before she could finish her greeting, Declan extended his right hand. The gesture was remarkably smooth and natural.

Out of pure reflex and politeness, Audrey reached out. Their palms connected.

In that brief clasp, she felt him squeeze gently. His thumb settled over her knuckles, grazing her fingers with a startling, warm intensity. The friction sent a flare of heat racing up her arm. The physical tension between them spiked, unspoken yet undeniable.

Declan released his grip after just a second.

Gideon sidled up abruptly. He slid an arm firmly around Audrey's waist and pulled her flush against his side. He grabbed her left hand, lacing his fingers possessively through hers, projecting a picture-perfect front of cozy domesticity.

Gideon sought to establish his territory. "How long are you in town this time, Declan? Audrey and I can take you out to dinner one of these days."

Declan took in their cozy pose. His glance dropped to their intertwined hands, noting the tight grip. "About a month."

The words had barely left his mouth when Grandfather Arthur came down the sweeping stairs, leaning heavily on the butler. Declan broke off to talk with him. Moments later, the kitchen staff announced the party was ready.

Audrey trailed Gideon into the dining room, finding their seats on the left side of the main table. The family filed in behind them. As the eldest branch, the two Sterling brothers took priority. Arthur claimed the head of the long table, with Miriam and Declan next in line. Audrey and Gideon landed further down the order, placing Audrey diagonally across from Declan.

The grand family feast commenced with a relentless barrage of questions directed at the guest of honor regarding his recent ventures.

Audrey kept her head down. She nibbled at her food while catching fragments of the conversation. Declan possessed mind-blowing credentials. He reigned as a titan of Vanguard. He held the majority stake in Pinnacle Group. He had built a massive financial exchange from the ground up and pioneered smart transportation AI. His credentials were endless.

She sat quietly, marveling at his ruthless ascent. Years ago, she had snagged a Vanguard party invite list that placed his name near the very top, while she languished at the bottom. Right after her wedding to Gideon, this mysterious older brother had appeared for exactly ten minutes to drop off a gift before vanishing. In the span of a few short years, Declan had climbed to the pinnacle of Vanguard's power players.

As the dinner progressed into dessert, a wave of lingering disgust twisted Audrey's stomach. The memory of Gideon's betrayal gnawed at her insides. He sat next to her, acting the part of the devoted husband, just as he had while secretly carrying on with Lila.

She could not endure another second of playing the happy wife.

Still hung up on the marriage license upstairs, Audrey set her napkin down. She formulated a quick excuse. "I am heading upstairs for a coat change."

Gideon's attention remained fixed squarely on Declan, itching for an opening to chat with him. He muttered distractedly. "Yeah, go on up."

Audrey slipped out of the dining room unnoticed and wasted no time hustling up the sprawling stairs. She navigated the quiet halls, making her way to the third floor of the villa, and nudged open Gideon's heavy bedroom door.

There it was.

The framed marriage license sat on top of the nightstand cabinet, placed right next to their sprawling wedding portrait. It seemed to mock her from its high perch. The glaring document seared her eyes, a brutal reminder of her own gullibility. Caving in and giving Gideon a second shot was a colossal mistake. People's hearts always circled back for seconds.

Disgust flickered in her eyes. Audrey hauled the heavy computer chair over from the desk. The seat swiveled on a set of shaky wheels. She hiked up the hem of her pearl-white knee-length dress and climbed onto the cushion.

She planted one foot firmly on the edge of the adjacent bed for extra stability. Balancing precariously on the teetering chair, she stretched her arms slowly upward.

Her fingers extended to the max, but she was still a couple of inches shy. She rose onto her tiptoes, straining her calves. No dice. The wheels underneath squeaked ominously in protest. Frowning from her perch, she scanned the area and grabbed a thick book beside the cabinet to use as an extra step.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed in the silent hallway outside the bedroom door.

They were fast but measured. A man's, for sure.

Panic spiked hot in Audrey's chest. Discovering her sneaking around on a shaky chair would demand an exhausting explanation.

She clutched the edge of the table and scrambled to hop down. The chair swiveled sharply. Just at the worst possible timing, the delicate lace sleeve of her dress snagged hard on the sharp hinge of the cabinet door.

She yanked her arm frantically to break free, but it was too late to descend.

The heavy bedroom door flew open out of nowhere.

Audrey went rigid. Her knees gave out, buckling under her as she toppled backward off the chair.

A quick yelp escaped her throat. She braced for a brutal impact with the hardwood floor, but the expected crash never hit.

A man stepped seamlessly into her path and caught her out of the air.

A firm hand latched precisely onto her bare thigh. Another strong arm banded tightly around her waist, catching her weight and planting her feet securely onto the floor.

She slammed into a solid, toned chest. The crisp, grounding scent of sandalwood wrapped around her, intense and distinctly masculine. It was definitely not Gideon's scent.

Audrey looked up in shock, her head tilting back. She nearly clipped the sharp line of the man's chin.

It was Declan.

He released her immediately, pulling his hands away and taking a deliberate step back to give her space.

Audrey stumbled forward. Her cheeks burned with fierce mortification. The patch of skin on her thigh that he had just gripped felt like it was on fire.

She froze in place, thoroughly mortified. "Th-thanks."

Declan remained perfectly composed. He stood tall in his dark suit, showing no sign of the frantic rescue he had just executed. However, his Adam's apple dipped subtly as he swallowed. His dark eyes skimmed over her flushed face, then drifted briefly down to the pinkened skin on her thigh from his hold.

His deep voice resonated in the quiet room. "Didn't realize you were in here. My bad."

Audrey shook her head vigorously, feeling even more flustered. She was the one imposing on him, creating this chaotic scene.

Declan fell silent for a heartbeat. He flicked a calm glance upward, his gaze locking onto the glaring marriage license she had been straining to reach.

"Need some help?"