I Chased My Brother’s Friend for a Month, Then Walked Into Work and Found Out He Owns the Company Chapter 01

I Chased My Brother’s Friend for a Month, Then Walked Into Work and Found Out He Owns the Company Chapter 01

At my brother’s wedding, I fell head over heels for the best man at first sight.

I spent two thousand dollars chasing him over the course of a month.

When I confessed, he said yes.

I thought I’d hit the jackpot, and I bragged about him to anyone who would listen.

Until I started my internship at my brother’s company.

I saw my brother hand him a file with the utmost respect.

He walked over with his coffee, raised an eyebrow, and asked me.

“Intern, should this month’s salary be wired to your card, or mine?”

I froze on the spot.

On my brother’s wedding day, I was in charge of greeting guests at the hotel entrance.

A black car pulled up, and a guy got out from the back seat.

He was wearing a black best man’s suit, with his hair slicked back, showing a clean forehead.

As he stepped through the threshold, he glanced back at me.

Just one glance.

My phone slipped right out of my hand and hit the floor.

My mom smacked the back of my head. “Pick it up. Don’t embarrass me.”

I crouched down to grab my phone, my heart pounding like crazy.

Before the ceremony started, I cornered my brother. “That best man of yours, what’s his name?”

My brother glanced at me in the mirror. “Which one?”

“The one in the black suit, with the slicked-back hair.”

“Declan Sterling.”

“What does he do?”

My brother paused. “He’s a colleague of mine.”

“Does he have a girlfriend?”

My brother turned to look at me, and I still remember that look to this day.

It wasn’t the way a brother looks at his sister.

It was more like the way you’d look at someone who had no idea what they were getting into.

But he didn’t say anything, just tossed out. “No idea. Ask him yourself.”

During the ceremony, I barely glanced at the altar.

I was sitting in the third row, two tables away, staring at Declan at the best man’s table.

He sat up straight, barely touched his silverware, and only occasionally took a sip from his glass.

When someone next to him said something, he’d smile politely but wouldn’t engage.

My mom poked my arm. “Eat something.”

“Not hungry.”

“If you’re not hungry, why are your eyes glued over there?”

I ignored her.

During the toasts, I carried my glass around half the ballroom, making a beeline for the best man’s table.

I raised my glass. “Hey, guys. I’m the groom’s sister. Thanks for coming today.”

The other groomsmen smiled and clinked glasses with me.

Declan was the last to raise his.

He looked at me, his glass pausing at his lips. “Your brother looks pretty sharp today.”

“He looks sharp every day.”

He let out a low chuckle, didn’t say anything else, and downed his drink.

My heart slammed against my ribs.

As the wedding was winding down, I cornered him in the hotel hallway.

Declan came out in a change of clothes, white shirt, black pants.

I blocked his path. “Add me on iMessage?”

He stopped and looked at me.

“How old are you?”

“Twenty-two. Senior in college.”

“I’m older.”

“By how much?”

“Guess.”

“Twenty-four?”

He didn’t answer, just pulled out his phone, opened his QR code, and held it out.

After I scanned it, he put his phone away and walked past me.

As he passed, he said. “Put your real name in the notes. I don’t add strangers.”

I stood in the hallway, watching his back disappear into the elevator.

My phone buzzed. He’d accepted my friend request.

I sent my first message. I’m the one who toasted you today. The groom’s sister, Erin Harper.

He replied with three words. Got it.

I stared at those three words for five solid minutes.

My mom came up from behind. “Let’s go. Your dad’s had too much. Come help me get him.”

I shoved my phone in my pocket and went with her to get my dad.

On the way, my dad slung an arm around my shoulder, slurring his words. “Your brother’s married now. You’re next.”

I said. “Soon.”

My dad froze. My mom froze too.

I didn’t explain myself to anyone.

That night, lying in bed, I scrolled through his feed obsessively.

Only three posts, all landscape photos. No selfies, no location tags.

Clean as a whistle. Not like any normal guy’s social media.

Back then, I thought he was just cool.

Looking back now, that wasn’t cool.

That was someone who didn’t need to curate an image online.

Because his image wasn’t online.

It was somewhere else.