Best not to kiss your brother’s best friend

Chapter 1

Leah Harris peered out the window, her gaze fixated on the dreary gray sky that seemed to be enveloping the world in a melancholic embrace. The raindrops cascaded down relentlessly, creating an impenetrable barrier that added to the gloomy atmosphere.

Startled by an anxious voice, Leah turned around to see a well-dressed woman gesturing urgently. The woman had stylish short hair, an earpiece in place, and a staff badge displayed prominently on her chest, indicating her role as a scheduling coordinator for the event.

A bit skeptical, Leah looked around before asking, "Are you referring to me?"

Taken aback by Leah's attractive appearance, the woman regained her composure and replied cheerfully, "Yes, I'm referring to you. Follow me, please."

In that moment, Leah realized the source of the confusion.

Today was the second day of the city's Investment and Economic Forum, and several prominent industry figures were expected to attend. Leah's roommate Isabelle had signed up to volunteer early on, securing a great opportunity to enhance her resume. Initially uninterested, Leah had been convinced by Brayden to join, hoping to gain some valuable insights.

Reluctantly attending as a curious observer, Leah hadn't anticipated running into Isabelle, who unfortunately fell ill and had to make a pit stop in the restroom. While waiting outside, Isabelle handed Leah the volunteer vest and work permit.

Now, the woman mistook Leah for Isabelle, assuming she was a lazy volunteer sitting in the corner.

A slight frown formed on Leah's face as she began to explain, "Well, actually-"

"Isabelle Sipes?" the woman interrupted, noticing the name on the work tag. "We're short-staffed at the moment. We can discuss breaks later. Put on your vest quickly and come with me."

With that, the woman turned and walked away, her heels making an eager and crisp tapping sound on the floor. Puzzled, Leah decided to send Isabelle a message on her cellphone.

Isabelle exclaimed, "That person must be in charge of coordinating the volunteers. She knows my name now, and I'm worried about leaving a bad impression. Leah, can you help me out? I'll come and take your place right away, and I'll treat you to dinner as a thank you! Please, please, please!"

A hint of concern crossed Leah's face as she asked, "Aren't you afraid she'll realize we're two different people?"

"It won't be a problem. She manages so many people that she usually only pays attention to a few key individuals. I don't know how she noticed me today. I must be really unlucky," Isabelle replied.

Unable to resist helping her roommate, Leah agreed to accompany the woman in front of her.

As they walked, the woman inquired, "Are you from State University Business School?"

"Yes," Leah confirmed.

The woman scrutinized Leah's appearance once more. "Didn't your supervisor mention during training that you should wear a light-colored top and dark-colored pants? You're here to volunteer, not socialize. Why are you wearing a skirt?"

Leah remained silent, knowing that there were always a few people each year who didn't pay attention to the dress code.

The woman looked away and continued, "Luckily, you have a great reputation, so you will be responsible for welcoming Mr. Gray and his group from Summer Capital later. I'll guide you to your designated area. Just serve the coffee when the guests arrive; we already went over the details in the previous training."

Leah's eyelids twitched at the mention of Summer Capital. "Can I assist with a different group instead?"

Furrowing her brows in annoyance, the woman's tone became sharp as she insisted, "Can I arrange for you to sit directly in the guest seat, then?"

Her authoritative tone, laced with superiority, would have intimidated most college students. However, Leah despised sarcastic remarks, especially when delivered in such a demeaning manner.

Halting abruptly, Leah let out a disdainful snort and made a motion to remove her vest and leave. But just as she was about to act, she remembered that she was assuming Isabelle's identity. She couldn't risk offending Isabelle or jeopardizing this rare volunteering opportunity.

Tentatively reaching into her pocket, her fingers brushed against her cell phone, but ultimately, she withdrew her hand, accepting that she had to compromise and follow the lead of the person ahead of her.

Chapter 2

Leah entered the inner court and immediately noticed a group of volunteers on the stage, busy adjusting the sound. The woman in charge led her to the center of the first row and gave her instructions, "Each seat has a name tag. When the guest arrives, a volunteer will bring them in. Once you're seated, remember to serve the coffee promptly. If it gets cold, make sure to pour a fresh cup and never let the guest drink it cold."

Any remaining hope Leah had was shattered when she saw the name tag that read "Patrick Gray."

They were definitely not a good match.

Not only did she have to attend a gathering in the rain instead of relaxing at home over the weekend, but she also had to serve her archenemy, Patrick.

Serve coffee to Patrick? Was this some kind of joke? She had never even done that for her own brother, Brayden.

After the briefing, the woman handed Leah over to the infield supervisor, stressing the importance of not making any mistakes since all the attendees were significant figures. Then, she hurried away, struggling in her high heels.

The infield supervisor, a short boy with glasses, assessed Leah, adjusted his glasses, and asked with a smile, "Hey, are you also a student at State University? Are you an undergraduate or graduate student? I'm in my second year."

Feeling down, Leah replied casually, "I'm an undergraduate student, close to graduating. By the way, is there any chance I can switch?"

"Switch?" The boy seemed taken aback, shaking his head. "It's all predetermined, nothing I can do about it."

He noticed Leah's worried expression and smiled again, saying, "I thought you'd be happy. Mr. Gray is incredibly popular, and many female volunteers are eager to be around him."

This situation allowed some infield volunteers to engage in private buying and selling, hoping to make a profit. However, Allison Young, the recent supervisor, had caught wind of their activities and was extremely angry. She went out to the outfield and started arresting those involved, so Leah was lucky to not be caught up in it.

Leah managed to force a small smile, but she felt anything but lucky on this particular day.

In just twenty minutes, the guests began to arrive one by one. Despite the event not having started yet, familiar and unfamiliar faces engaged in conversations. A cluster of people dressed in suits gathered, sharing laughter and creating an appropriate and serious atmosphere.

Leah absentmindedly played with her cell phone, her head lowered. The girl sitting next to her gently patted her and said, "The guests have taken their seats; it's time for us to start working."

Reluctantly, Leah stood up, grabbed her water bottle, and made her way to the front row.

People were constantly moving around, and even in the dim lighting, Leah could spot a familiar figure at a glance.

This man wore a sleek black suit that fit him perfectly, accentuating his broad shoulders and long legs. He leaned back in a sofa chair with a composed posture, engrossed in flipping through some pre-prepared materials. The stage lights grazed past him, casting a clear illumination on his angular profile. With his dark eyes, straight nose, and lack of a smile, he always gave off an icy and aloof vibe that kept others at a distance.

Passing girls glanced at him silently, but he didn't react. He remained focused on the documents, as if nothing else mattered.

Leah always saw Patrick as someone who thought he was better than he truly was.

He and Brayden, Leah's brother, had been close friends since high school. While Brayden took over the family business, Patrick decided to start his own venture capital firm called Summer Capital. A few months ago, he helped the pharmaceutical company Star complete their IPO and took advantage of the situation to sell some of his shares, making a lot of money. As a result, Patrick's value skyrocketed, and he even made it onto the list of young billionaires in the city. Now, he was the most sought-after young man in the industry.

According to Leah, Patrick didn't have any redeeming qualities except for his good looks and job skills. In his personal life, he had a terrible attitude, was overly conservative, and had a mean-spirited nature. However, he was skilled at putting on a façade, so everyone except Leah admired him for his youthful appearance and impressive personality, considering him a rare and talented young individual.

Just the mere thought of it didn't exactly fill her with excitement.

She approached the man and filled her cup with coffee, showing no emotion on her face.

Patrick caught Leah looking at him absentmindedly, but his gaze suddenly shifted from her hand to her face.

Leah's fingers tightened around the kettle.

There was noise all around her, and it was only when she realized that the water was nearly overflowing that a calm, cold voice casually said, "Leah, are you stuck?"

Leah: ?

Patrick's assumption wasn't completely baseless. However, Leah took offense and asked, "Am I not allowed to offer my help?"

"Well, technically, yes," came the response.

But Leah wasn't satisfied with his answer and continued, "So if something goes wrong and my card gets suspended, will you take care of the consequences for me?"

"It's not out of the realm of possibility," Patrick replied calmly. "Considering that I have always been generous, it seems fair that I should receive compensation for assisting Miss Harris."

Leah grumbled, "Don't worry, even if I were on my deathbed, I wouldn't even touch your food."

"Is that so?" He replied with a monotone voice, glancing sideways. "The water overflowed." Leah suddenly realized that she had been so caught up in arguing with Patrick that she hadn't even noticed the water filling up and overflowing. The spilled water made a mess on the table, and she quickly grabbed a paper towel to clean it up. Amidst her clumsiness, she heard a gentle scolding from behind her, "How can you be so bad at pouring water?"

The sound of high heels approaching hastily caught her attention, and Young frowned, "You should stay out of here, call Lucas instead."

Lucas was the team leader, the guy who always wore glasses.

Saying that, Young turned to Patrick and gave him an apologetic smile, "Sorry about that, Mr. Gray. Our volunteer is a bit clumsy and accidentally got your information wet. I'll quickly bring you a fresh copy." Leah, who also didn't want to handle the task, sighed and tossed the damp paper towel into the garbage, trying to escape.

"Hold on." Patrick interjected from behind.

She came to a halt.

"It's really not a big deal, no need to be so tough about it," he said casually. "The volunteers are all students, it's normal for them to feel nervous when they encounter something like this for the first time."

Young understood that he was defending the volunteer and turned her gaze towards Leah, exerting pressure. "I'll give you another chance. Go and fetch a fresh copy of the information from here, but make sure you don't make any more mistakes this time."

Leah handed Patrick a new file while Young had already left. She tossed the file at him and muttered, "You think you're so superior, but don't expect any gratitude from me."

"No worries." Patrick glanced down at the file and nonchalantly flipped through it. "It just prevents you from causing chaos for everyone else."

At that moment, Leah strongly considered pouring water down the back of his shirt.

She knew she shouldn't have high expectations of this man. As someone happened to pass by behind her, she couldn't react angrily, so all she could do was smile and warn him with a forced smile, "Is that so? Well, be ready for me to unleash my wrath on you. I won't let you get away with it." She intentionally emphasized her threat, her cheeks turning slightly red from anger, yet her eyes remained full of depth and emotion. He looked up at her, his lips slightly curling into a barely noticeable smile, "I'll be waiting whenever you're ready."

Chapter 3

As Leah made her way back to the volunteer lounge, a group of people caught her attention. They were engrossed in animated conversation, exchanging knowing looks and nudging each other discreetly. Curiosity piqued, Leah approached them cautiously, unsure of what to expect.

To her surprise, a friendly and outgoing girl from the group approached her and asked, "Hi, are you Leah?"

Caught off guard while taking a sip of water, Leah looked up with a hint of confusion in her eyes and replied, "And you are?"

"We both go to State University, and you're quite the talk of the campus," the girl smiled warmly. "I never thought I'd see you here."

Ever since Leah started attending the university, she had become somewhat of a sensation due to a striking photo. People would discuss her on forums and share stories of their chance encounters with her. It was later revealed that she had some connection to the prestigious Harris Group, which only fueled her popularity among her peers. As a result, whenever she stepped into the cafeteria, she could feel the discreet gazes of her classmates on her. So it wasn't entirely surprising that these girls had heard about her.

Leah discreetly covered her work tag with her hand and gave a slight nod before greeting them. "Hello."

Wary of revealing that she was only volunteering temporarily for Isabelle, Leah remained reserved and refrained from engaging in lengthy conversation. The girl assumed Leah was naturally reserved, exchanged a few pleasantries, and returned to her own tasks amidst the lively chatter.

Taking a seat in a nearby chair, Leah decided to message Isabelle to check on her well-being.

Isabelle remained silent.

As Leah pondered whether she should make a phone call, her attention was suddenly drawn to familiar words being spoken nearby.

"Patrick looks even better in person than he does in his picture. I had the chance to guide him today, and when he left, he actually said 'Thank you' to me. It was at that moment that I realized something! I've dealt with many bosses before, and most of them don't even acknowledge people, especially volunteers like us."

"I have friends from school who work at Summer, and they told me that Patrick has an amazing personality and treats everyone with respect, regardless of their position. It's quite impressive how polite he is, even though he may seem distant and reserved."

Good character? Good manners? Did Leah hear it correctly?

"Working at Summer seems like a dream come true. Not only is the boss attractive, but the company also has a promising future and offers a high salary. I'm seriously considering trying to get a job there next year, although I'm not sure if I'll have the opportunity."

"It's not as easy as it seems though. Getting hired at Summer is becoming increasingly difficult each year, and Patrick has very high expectations when it comes to work."

"Well, that's normal... I mean, they've managed to build such a successful business in such a short time. And I've heard that he's still single too."

"He's probably just too busy with work to even think about relationships."

"Or maybe he's just waiting for the right person and being picky about it."

Leah couldn't bear listening any longer and felt compelled to join the conversation. She interjected, "Have any of you considered that maybe the reason he's single is because-"

The attention of everyone around her immediately shifted towards Leah.

"Perhaps he's just not very likable in person?"

Suddenly, Isabelle appeared at the back of the gathering.

Chapter 4

As soon as Leah spotted Isabelle, she made her way over and apologized, "I'm really sorry, I didn't expect this to happen. I shouldn't have gone out with them last night for the barbecue. I'm causing you trouble today."

Leah glanced at Isabelle's pale face and asked, "Feeling better?"

Isabelle furrowed her brows and replied, "Much better."

Leah nodded, took off her vest, and hung her work permit around her neck again. "Go back and rest."

Isabelle was about to say something and cautiously asked, "Do you want to come with us? The volunteers have a bus to take them to the school, and no one will notice if you join the crowd and get on the bus."

"I'll just take a taxi. I'm going home tonight, not to school."

Leah took out her phone and checked a text message from Patrick, which only said: "Elevator down at Gate 3, parking lot."

She responded with a question mark.

Shortly after, the other person replied, "It's pouring outside. If you can find a taxi, I'll leave first."

Leah wanted to decline firmly, but when she checked Uber, she realized that the convention center was far away and it was raining heavily. After waiting for ten minutes, no cars had accepted her request.

She hesitated for a while, feeling embarrassed and frustrated, and finally typed, "Wait for me."

Leah took the elevator down to the parking lot, spotted Patrick's car in the distance, and walked over to the passenger seat where she sat down.

The man who had just been the center of attention now occupied the driver's seat, talking on the phone.

He had one hand on the steering wheel, his fingers were long and skeletal, and the expensive watch on his wrist gleamed with a beautiful shine.

She glanced at the watch, feeling a sense of familiarity, although she couldn't pinpoint exactly where. Patrick quickly ended the call when he saw Leah get into the car, saying, "Well, that's all for now."

Leah's focus shifted back from his wrist as she asked, "How did you know I couldn't find a taxi? What if I drove myself here?"

Patrick put his phone aside and casually replied, "I assumed you could afford the gas after Brayden suspended your card."

She was tempted to gag him for his lack of kindness, but instead responded nonchalantly, "Brayden didn't suspend my card."

"I know."

He also knew that the reason Leah wasn't driving today was because she had been in an accident before. Although she hadn't been injured, it had shaken her up enough to avoid driving in the rain.

However, he didn't vocalize it, opting instead for a casual inquiry, "So, what's on your mind for dinner tonight?"

"Are you joining me for dinner?"

"It was difficult for you to assist me today."

Leah was taken aback by his sudden change in behavior, as it seemed so ordinary. However, she often didn't dwell on it and simply brushed it off.

She pulled out her phone and began searching through various restaurants, aiming to select a pricey one.

"This particular restaurant appears to be quite impressive. Ying Lyric and others have dined there before and even recommended it to me. The only drawback is that you need to make a reservation in advance, and I'm unsure if I can secure one at this moment."

She was reciting, unaware that Patrick wasn't even listening. He buckled his seatbelt and glanced at her from the corner of his eye, "Huh?"

She repeated, "I mean, this restaurant is going to-"

Her words were cut short as Patrick abruptly leaned in.

His presence in the car blocked the light coming in through the windshield, causing Leah's eyes to momentarily darken.

He had a pleasant scent, though she couldn't quite identify it. It was light and fresh, gently filling her nose in a satisfying way, like a delicate net that surrounded her.

The bright, white light from the parking lot spilled onto his shoulder, giving his silhouette a soft glow. She could even see his slightly spread eyelashes and the faint mole beneath the corner of his right eye.

Despite her intense dislike for Patrick, Leah had to begrudgingly admit that he looked attractive.

Chapter 5

Their first encounter took place while Leah was still in high school. It happened on a day when Brayden and Patrick decided to shoot some hoops together. Uninspired by the thought of doing her homework, Leah boldly stuck close to Brayden and trailed behind him. And that's when she caught sight of Patrick, waiting patiently by the basketball court.

He wore a sleek black T-shirt that accentuated his slim and fit physique. Engrossed in his cell phone, he stood with slightly bent arms, revealing hints of hidden muscles. The summer sunlight filtered through the overhead leaves, casting a mesmerizing play of light and shadow around his well-defined profile. It illuminated the back of his neck, partially covered by his black hair, and cascaded down his straight waist and back.

Despite the scorching heat, Patrick remained cool and unaffected, as if the chaos around him didn't matter.

Brayden called out to him, causing Patrick to turn his head.

By chance, a gentle breeze swept through, causing the leaves to rustle and creating a dance of light and shadow upon his eyebrows.

Leah was only 17 at the time, while Patrick was 22.

From the moment they met, Leah felt an undeniable attraction towards him. His handsome face stirred up a sense of youthful excitement within her.

Unfortunately, as their relationship progressed, it became evident that their personalities were completely incompatible. Now, at 27 years old, Patrick appears more mature. His eyebrows and eyes have lost some of their youthful vibrancy, replaced by a stronger sense of control. There is a coldness to his overall demeanor, like the sharp, cold glint of a metal knife. When he gazes at people, his eyes lack emotion and instead exude a chilling sense of oppression.

In this moment, he looked at her with his eyes cast downward. The air grew heavy with silence, and there was an undeniable ambiguity hanging in the atmosphere.

The proximity between them was incredibly close, so much so that if he tilted his head even slightly, their lips would touch.

Leah frowned and instinctively pressed her lips together, anxiously holding her breath.

After what felt like a long, tense standoff, but actually only lasted a few seconds, Patrick averted his gaze, tilted his head slightly, and reached across her to grab the seatbelt from her side and buckle it.

"What did you think was going to happen just now?" he asked.

Leah snapped back to reality, feeling ashamed and annoyed as she realized she had foolishly assumed he was about to kiss her. She glared at him intensely from the corner of her eye, trying to conceal her embarrassment. "Patrick-"

She unconsciously tried to stand up, but her sudden movement caused the seatbelt to tighten around her, forcing her back into the soft backrest of the chair and preventing the words she had been about to ask him from escaping.

Patrick handed her the suit jacket and instructed her to put it on.

Early spring weather brought a chilly breeze with a hint of warmth. After the rain, it became even damper and colder. Leah, dressed in a thin and beautiful outfit, felt the coldness seep into her fingertips.

For a moment, she felt overwhelmed and angrily threw the jacket back at him, exclaiming, "Who wants to wear your clothes?"

Noticing her discomfort, he remarked, "Seems like you're feeling hot. I'll turn on the air conditioning then," as he reached for the control panel.

Leah had no doubt that Patrick could actually do what he said, so she reluctantly took off her own jacket and put on his, gritting her teeth as she mentally vented her frustration towards him.

Patrick observed her getting dressed, looked away, and pressed on the gas pedal as the car slowly exited the parking lot. As the night grew darker, the streetlights flickered on, casting a hazy glow that blurred as the car sped by, creating a colorful reflection on the rain-streaked windows. Leah, feeling the embarrassment of her recent mishap, glanced out the window with flushed ears and tightly gripping his jacket.

Patrick was such a pain.

But she wasn't going to let him off the hook easily; she was determined to seek revenge for today's embarrassing blunder.

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