Chapter 1

Josie's POV

"Amelia, please take a look at this data set!" I called out, frantically organizing my workstation while transferring files to a flash drive. My watch read 6:45 PM—Connor's graduation party would start in 15 minutes. I could feel anxiety bubbling in my stomach.

Amelia Blake, the senior student who always worked with me on the same research project, took the flash drive with an amused smile. "Rushing off to see your boyfriend?"

My cheeks warmed instantly. "He's just... a family friend. Tonight's important to him." I carefully placed a gift box—containing a custom Rolex watch that had cost three months of my research stipend—into my backpack. The thought of Connor's reaction made my heart flutter, especially since I'd deliberately told him that I couldn't make it to his party. It was a surprise.

"Don't worry about the data," Amelia said, her voice softening. "Dr. Henderson won't need the report until tomorrow. Go have fun for once, Josie."

Through the lab windows, I could see Manhattan's skyline gradually disappearing behind sheets of rain. Perfect. I quickly gathered my things, slipped off my lab coat, and hurried toward the door.

"Thanks, Amelia! I owe you one!"

I sprinted across campus, mentally calculating travel times as raindrops began to soak through my dress. By the time I reached the shuttle stop, my heart sank. The taillights of the last campus bus were already disappearing into the rainy darkness.

"Damn it!" I stood helplessly as rain pelted down, gradually soaking my carefully chosen outfit. My Uber app showed a fifteen-minute wait time, and Starlight was in Midtown—at least thirty minutes away even with a car.

I stared at my phone, debating whether to call my bestie Olivia Reed for a ride. But then I remembered that she didn't have class this afternoon. It wouldn't be any faster if she picked me up and then drove to the club.

"It's okay to be a little late. Connor will understand," I muttered, my spirits sinking along with my ruined hairstyle. I'd planned to arrive before the party started, but now my perfect plan was falling apart right from the beginning.

"Josie?"

A deep, resonant voice cut through the rain. I turned to find a sleek black Bentley pulled up to the curb, its passenger window lowered to reveal Dylan Brooks' handsome, composed face.

"Uncle Dylan?" I blinked in surprise. The Brooks family's business mastermind had been in Europe for nearly a year, managing his company there. His unexpected appearance felt surreal.

Dylan nodded slightly, his piercing blue eyes assessing my bedraggled state. "Get in. You'll catch a cold standing in the rain like that."

I hesitated momentarily before hurrying to the passenger side. The car's interior was warm and smelled of expensive leather.

"Where are you headed?" he asked, his voice calm and measured.

"Starlight... Connor's graduation party," I replied, suddenly self-conscious about my damp dress and frizzing hair.

"That's on my way," he said simply, pulling the car smoothly into traffic.

Sitting rigidly in the passenger seat, I tried to relax but couldn't. In the ten years I'd lived with the Brooks family after my parents' plane crash, Dylan had been more myth than reality—the brilliant uncle who'd built a sustainable technology empire in Europe, rarely returning to New York. Even Connor barely knew this uncle of his.

"How are things with Connor?" Dylan asked casually, breaking the silence.

"Fine," I answered automatically.

"Why didn't he come pick you up?"

"He... he didn't know..." I stammered, feeling awkward that he'd caught on to my little scheme.

He just nodded. Then I quickly changed the subject. "When did you get back, Uncle Dylan?"

"This morning. Something to take care of."

The terse answer ended that conversational thread, and we rode in silence until the Bentley pulled up to Starlight's entrance. I gathered my things, preparing to dash through the rain with a quick thank-you, when Dylan surprised me again.

"I'll walk you in," he said, already reaching for an umbrella. "It's not safe for you going alone."

Before I could protest, he was out of the car, opening my door and sheltering me from the downpour. His unexpected gallantry left me momentarily speechless as we approached the VIP entrance.

Maybe he had a point. Starlight might be an upscale club for the wealthy, but it still attracted all sorts of characters looking for a good time. He was probably just being protective, treating me as a family member.

When we reached the elevator, he turned to me. "Do you know which room he's in?"

"Yeah, I heard him mention to a friend that he's hosting a party in 1202," I replied, looking up to meet his intense blue eyes.

He took me up in the VIP elevator, which arrived quickly. Once we found the room, he stopped near the door, giving me a slight nod to indicate I should go in alone. I looked away from him and was about to knock when I heard Connor's voice drifting clearly through the partially open door.

"The Brooks family arranged marriage? Please! Who wants to marry a boring lab rat who never leaves her experiments?" Connor's dismissive tone cut through me like a knife.

A chorus of laughter followed, then Sofia Morales' sugary voice: "Date interesting girls instead, like me~"

I stood paralyzed, suddenly feeling myself ridiculous and naive. Then Dylan approached me, his expression hardening instantly, but he simply placed a steadying hand on my shoulder and wordlessly guided me back toward the exit.

In the car, I sat motionless, fighting back tears as rain pounded the windows. The humiliation burned worse than the heartbreak.

For years, I'd believed our families' arrangement might eventually become something real. Connor had been my first crush, my friend through the darkest days after losing my parents. But apparently, I was just a boring obligation to him—one he openly mocked.

Twelve years old, standing in the rain at my parents' funeral, Connor holding my hand, promising to protect me. Ten years of shared family dinners, holiday celebrations, inside jokes. The dark nights that weren't scary with his company. All of it—what was it worth? Were those all pretense?

"Connor is young and foolish," Dylan's measured voice broke through my thoughts. "Some people only recognize value after they've lost it."

His eyes flicked to the gift in my lap. "I hope that isn't for him."

"Guess I'm the foolish one," I managed a bitter smile.

"No," Dylan replied softly. "You're simply sincere."

The warm car interior contrasted sharply with the cold reality outside. Somehow, Dylan's quiet presence felt unexpectedly comforting.

My phone rang, breaking the moment. Olivia's frantic voice filled the car as I answered.

"Jo! Emergency! You're at Starlight for Connor's party, right? You have to grab something for me! Please!"