Chapter 6

Chapter 6 - The Crimson Present and a Brother's Unsettling Claim

"Mom, I don't want to intern at Sterling Dynamics." I sighed, watching my mother bustle around the kitchen, seemingly oblivious to my distress. "I can't bear to be around Sterling more than I already am."

She barely glanced at me as she arranged fresh flowers in a vase. "Aurora, honey, this is a wonderful opportunity. Your brother runs one of the most prestigious tech companies in the country. Do you know how many students would kill for this position?"

"He's not my brother," I muttered under my breath. "Not the way he acts."

"What was that?" Mom asked, finally looking up.

"Nothing." I forced a smile. "Just... wondering why he couldn't pull strings to get me into any other company."

Mom shook her head. "Don't be ungrateful. Sterling wants to keep an eye on you, that's all. He's always been protective."

That was the understatement of the century. His "protection" had turned into something dark and suffocating. Something that made my skin crawl whenever he looked at me with those hungry eyes.

The doorbell rang, interrupting my thoughts.

"That must be Chloe," I said, grateful for the distraction. "We're going over some class notes."

I hurried to the front door and pulled it open. Chloe stood there beaming, clutching her laptop bag.

"Guess what?" she squealed, not bothering with a greeting. "I got reposted to Sterling Dynamics! We'll be working together!"

My stomach dropped. "What? How?"

Chloe bounced past me into the house. "I don't know! My application was originally rejected, but yesterday I got an email saying they'd reconsidered and wanted me for the summer intern program. Isn't that amazing?"

I forced a smile as we headed toward my room. Amazing wasn't the word I'd use. Sterling's fingerprints were all over this, I was sure of it. He knew Chloe was my best friend – and more importantly, that she had a massive crush on him. The perfect spy to keep tabs on me.

"That's... great," I managed. "We'll be together then."

Chloe nudged me playfully. "And I'll get to see your hot brother every day. God, Aurora, how do you live with him and not spontaneously combust? He's like walking sin."

I cringed internally. If only she knew the truth about Sterling. "Trust me, living with him isn't all you imagine."

"Still," she sighed dreamily. "Those green eyes. Those shoulders. That jawline. I'd let him—"

"Please don't finish that sentence," I cut her off, feeling nauseated. "He's engaged, remember?"

Chloe pouted. "To that skinny blonde robot. I don't understand what he sees in her."

I didn't have the heart to tell her Sterling saw nothing in Clara besides a convenient business alliance. I'd overheard enough conversations to know their engagement was purely strategic – something about combining pack resources and expanding territories.

"I thought we were studying," I said, desperate to change the subject.

Before Chloe could respond, heavy footsteps sounded in the hallway. My pulse quickened. I knew those footsteps.

Sterling appeared in the doorway, filling the frame with his imposing height and broad shoulders. He was dressed in one of his custom suits, the dark fabric accentuating every muscle. His presence immediately made the room feel smaller, the air thinner.

"Aurora," he said, his deep voice sending an involuntary shiver down my spine. His gaze flicked briefly to Chloe before dismissing her entirely. "I have something for you."

He extended a glossy shopping bag toward me. The crimson tissue paper peeking out matched the color of the store's distinctive logo – an exclusive boutique downtown that specialized in high-end women's wear.

"Open it when you're alone," he instructed, his tone making it clear this wasn't a suggestion.

Chloe practically vibrated beside me, working up her courage. "Hi, Sterling," she finally blurted. "I'm so excited to be interning at your company this summer!"

Sterling barely spared her a glance. "Ms. Thorne, isn't it? HR handles the interns. Direct any questions to them."

The casual cruelty of his dismissal made me wince. Chloe's face fell, and I felt a stab of pity for her. She had no idea that her unrequited crush was wasting her time – Sterling had eyes for no one but...

I pushed the thought away, refusing to complete it.

"Thank you," I said stiffly, taking the bag from him.

Sterling's fingers brushed against mine in the exchange, lingering a moment too long. His eyes locked with mine, communicating something possessive and hungry that made my breath catch.

"Later," he murmured, the single word carrying a weight that only I understood.

After he left, Chloe collapsed dramatically onto my bed. "He knows my name! Did you hear that? He called me Ms. Thorne!"

I didn't have the heart to tell her that Sterling probably knew everything about her – her address, her class schedule, her family history. He made it his business to know everyone in my orbit.

"Yeah, great," I said absently, setting the shopping bag in my closet. Whatever was inside, I wasn't eager to discover it with Chloe present.

Hours later, after Chloe had left and the house had fallen quiet, curiosity finally got the better of me. I retrieved the bag from my closet and sat cross-legged on my bed, pulling out the crimson tissue paper with trepidation.

Inside were three sets of lingerie – if you could even call them that. They were barely scraps of lace and silk in black, crimson, and emerald green. The kind of intimate apparel no brother should ever buy for his sister, step or otherwise.

My hands trembled as I held up the black set – a delicate lace bralette with matching panties that would cover almost nothing. The emerald set was even more revealing, with strategic cutouts that made me blush just looking at it. The crimson one featured silk ties that were clearly meant to...

I dropped them as if they'd burned me, feeling sick to my stomach.

A prickling sensation at the back of my neck made me look up. Through my bedroom window, I could see Sterling's office in the separate wing of the mansion. He stood at his window, watching me intently, his gaze burning even across the distance.

Anger surged through me, momentarily overriding my fear. I snatched up the bag and stormed through the house to his office, not bothering to knock before barging in.

"What is this?" I demanded, holding up the bag.

Sterling sat behind his massive desk, looking completely unfazed by my outburst. "I believe they're called lingerie, Aurora. Surely you're familiar with the concept."

"Why would you buy these for me?" I shook the bag. "Shouldn't you be buying things like this for Clara instead? You know, your fiancée?"

A muscle twitched in his jaw. "Clara doesn't concern you."

"These," I said, pulling out the crimson set with its suggestive ties, "shouldn't concern me either! What brother buys this for his sister?"

Sterling rose from his chair with fluid grace, moving around the desk toward me. "Step-sister," he corrected softly. "And why can't I buy nice things for you?"

Each step he took forward, I took one backward until my spine pressed against the door.

"You know why," I whispered, my voice failing me. "This isn't normal, Sterling. These aren't... appropriate."

He was directly in front of me now, so close I could smell his expensive cologne and feel the heat radiating from his body. He lifted a hand, and I flinched, but he only tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, his fingertips grazing my cheek.

"They're just lingerie, Aurora," he murmured, his voice dropping to a register that made my stomach flip. "Not sex toys. Though if that's what you'd prefer..."

My eyes widened in shock. "Sterling!"

His gaze bore into mine, intense and unreadable. "Mine," he whispered, the single word carrying a weight that made me tremble.

The moment stretched between us, charged with something dangerous and forbidden. I couldn't breathe, couldn't move, trapped between the door and Sterling's overwhelming presence.

The door handle suddenly turned behind me, pushing against my back. I stumbled forward into Sterling's chest just as the door opened to reveal Clara Beaumont, her perfect blonde hair framing her surprised expression.

Her gaze moved from my flushed face to Sterling's intense expression, then down to the lingerie still clutched in my hand.