Chapter 2

When did I first realize Austin was acting strange?

It started when he suddenly began using condoms with me.

In the past, that was completely out of the question.

At first, I was just suspicious. But what made it stranger was that our usually smooth intimate life suddenly left me in pain afterward.

I had a huge fight with him over this.

To make matters worse, the next day, I woke up with a severe red rash.

Convinced he had done something weird, I stormed into his office to demand answers.

Only later did I find out that I was allergic to latex.

After that, Austin didn't touch me for a whole week. Instead, he took care of me with utmost devotion, personally applying my medication.

The usually spoiled Austin even went into the kitchen to cook for me.

God knows how shocked I was to see him cook.

After all, in all our years together, Austin had never stepped foot in the kitchen, let alone made soup from scratch!

At the time, I thought it was a sign of a bad boy turning over a new leaf. I never imagined that even my boyfriend had been swapped out.

Once the allergy cleared up, Asher switched to a non-latex brand.

I still had a mild reaction, but it was much lighter.

Seeing the red marks on my skin, his face darkened with frustration. I thought he was going to lose his temper, but instead, he whispered, "I'm sorry. I'll be more careful next time."

I fell silent.

In my daily life of being neglected by Austin, I had never once heard an apology.

"It's... it's okay..."

Asher hugged me tightly, full of tenderness, and kissed me. The kiss left my cheeks burning and my knees weak.

At the same time, I couldn't help but wonder how Austin's kissing skills had suddenly gotten so good.

It wasn't that his technique had changed; he was just incredibly gentle.

Before, Austin would only bite me.

Especially on my collarbone. It hurt like hell.

As the days went by, every single one of his gestures became inexplicably attractive to me.

On his days off, he stopped running to clubs with random girls. Instead, he held me in his arms and taught me how to sketch with charcoal.

He would nibble on my ear, guiding my hand stroke by stroke.

His deep, raspy voice made my heart race.

No! If this kept up, I was really going to fall for him.

Playing the game of love with Austin would only end in disaster. It was safer to just enjoy his money and his face.

Yet, this man seemed determined to make me fall. When I worked, he massaged my shoulders.

When I wanted entertainment, he held me close and watched with me.

Even in bed, he never forced me. Afterward, he would carefully clean me up, no matter how late it was.

Overwhelmed by his affection, I decided to analyze this with my best friend.

In the end, she concluded:

"He's in love with you! He wants to marry you!"

To be honest, hearing that made me happy.

But thinking about it logically, was that even possible?

Would a playboy who constantly emotionally cheated really settle down?

Now I knew the answer. No. Not only would he not settle down, but he had even traded his own girlfriend away.

The man who had been so gentle to me was Asher all along.

Austin's twin brother.

A bitter feeling rose in my chest.

But since this was their choice, why shouldn't I enjoy it?