When His First Love Returned, I Married His Brother

After the crash, I lost my memory. The only thing I remembered was that I'd spent six years with my childhood sweetheart, Silas Voss. But Silas insisted that I had it all wrong. My real boyfriend was his illegitimate half-brother, Elias Voss. I refused to believe him and clung to Silas. Then Elias stopped me and pulled out a recording. Silas's voice was cold and casual. "Ione is coming home soon. She's the only one I love. Seraphina hurt her head in the crash. You know everything about us, so just tell her you're her boyfriend. You're my brother. You can do this for me, can't you?" That was when I learned the truth. Silas had been in love with another woman all along. I was just the childhood friend he'd settled for while she was gone. Furious, I ran a hand over Elias's abs, then traced the hard line of his Adam's apple. "In that case, I'll give Silas exactly what he wants. I'll take you instead. Don't worry. I'll take good care of his little brother." I only said that to get under Silas's skin and vent my anger. But Elias didn't laugh or pull away. He just stared at me, his gaze dark and intense. "Seraphina, nothing would make me happier." Chapter 1 What? His answer caught me completely off guard. I instinctively stepped back. "I was just messing with you." But Elias didn't crack a smile. His eyes narrowed as he looked at me. "My brother is older than me, but he's shorter. His waist isn't as lean, and his muscles aren't as hard. I beat him in every department. Trust me, Seraphina. You'll have a much better time with me." I gave him a wary look. "Why? Are you trying to get back at me?" Before the Voss family officially recognized Elias as one of their own, he was a poor kid who made money running errands for rich students. Back then, I was a spoiled, arrogant heiress. I'd bossed him around for years. Revenge seemed like the obvious reason. "No. I'm doing this because I like you." He leaned in until our faces were inches apart. "You grew up having everything you wanted. You'd hate being poor, wouldn't you? Date me, and you can have anything you want. Besides, my brother has always wanted what he can't have. He thinks no woman can resist him. If you really walk away from him, it'll drive him crazy. Don't you want a little revenge? Use me. I can be your boy toy. It wouldn't be the first time you've done that, would it?" His eyes held mine. Then he lowered his voice, each word drawing me in. For a second, the room tilted. Elias was nothing like the boy I remembered. Over the years, he had grown broader, calmer, and far more dangerous. He'd always been handsome, but the softness in his face was gone. Now he was unfairly good-looking. I swallowed and let my gaze drop to the solid chest beneath his dark shirt. Common sense told me to back off. The rest of me had other ideas. Silas and I had grown up together. He had been my best friend for as long as I could remember. My family went bankrupt after I graduated from high school. Even then, my father tearfully insisted on throwing me a graduation dinner. I was touched—until I sat down and realized it wasn't a graduation dinner at all. It was an engagement dinner. To save his failing company, my father planned to marry me off to a man old enough to be my father. I was seconds away from flipping the table when Silas burst in and dragged me out. Afterward, he dug up evidence of my father's embezzlement and bribery and made sure that bastard ended up behind bars. I had always known profit mattered more to my father than family. I just never thought he'd actually sell his own daughter. My whole life fell apart in a matter of days. I felt angry, betrayed, and lost. I didn't feel victorious at all. Silas held me from behind and promised he'd always take care of me. He paid my college tuition and supported me until I graduated. We started dating during my freshman year. Two years after graduation, I finally repaid every cent I owed him. I thought my life was finally back on track, only to learn the truth. He had been pining for another woman the entire time. The relationship I'd thought we'd built together through all those hard years had been a lie from the start. My stomach churned, and bile rose in my throat. Fine. Silas could go to hell. Once I'd made up my mind, I reached over and gave Elias's abs a playful pinch through his shirt. "Why not? This could actually be pretty exciting." Chapter 2 I texted Silas. "I finally remember. Elias is my boyfriend. Sorry I crossed the line before, Mr. Voss." Silas replied almost immediately, "Are you sure? What did you just call me?" Then he quickly unsent the message. "Never mind. Get some rest. I'll come see you this afternoon." I rolled my eyes and left him on read. After I was discharged, Elias drove me back to his villa. Since his family took him in, Elias had worked hard to learn the family business. He joined his father's company straight out of college. By then, Elias owned as much stock as Silas did. It was clear their father favored Elias. "Your room is over there. Grab some clothes and take a shower while I make dinner." I caught his arm, and the words slipped out before I could stop myself. "I'm not hungry yet. Want to shower together?" I needed to inspect the goods. This was very important. His entire body went stiff. His voice was calm, but I caught a hint of nervousness. "Too fast." I watched the tips of his ears slowly turn red. I raised an eyebrow. "Are you blushing? You were pretty smooth back at the hospital. Or was all of that rehearsed? Were you just faking that confidence?" He'd always been easy to embarrass. A little teasing was enough to turn his ears bright red. He pulled his hand away without looking at me. "You talk too much." That only encouraged me. "Well, look at you, Elias. How long have you felt this way about me? A year? Two? Or since high school? Have you been secretly watching me all these years while I dated your brother? Did you ever lie awake wishing I'd open the door and find you instead of him? "Back when you were late bringing me bubble tea and I punished you with a whip, you acted like you hated every second of it, but secretly, you loved it, didn't you?" He seized my wrist and pinned me against the couch. His voice turned rough. "Yes. All of it. Happy, Your Highness?" His broad, warm palm wrapped around my waist. Desire burned in his dark eyes. "I was even late on purpose, just so Your Highness would look at me a little longer." "Pervert." I pressed a finger to his lips, then slowly traced it down his chest. With a laugh, I reached lower and wrapped my hand around his cock. "Such a pervert for someone so young." His entire body tensed beneath my touch, and a helpless groan slipped from his throat. "Mmm... "Don't... "Easy..." Whatever restraint Elias had left finally snapped. He grabbed me and kissed me hard. The kiss was deep and hungry, stealing both my teasing words and my breath. I clung to his back and let his burning heat surround me. He definitely didn't feel like anyone's little brother. The thought flashed through my mind as he kissed me senseless. Just as things were about to get serious, the doorbell rang. "Elias, did you bring Seraphina home? The hospital said she was discharged today." Elias froze above me. Some of the heat faded from his eyes. "Let me deal with him first." "Why stop? Isn't this more exciting?" I wrapped my arms and legs around him, refusing to let go. "He knows the code to this house, doesn't he? If we're trying to piss him off, we might as well do it right." I kissed him again, recklessly blurring the line between pretending and making it real. Elias had never been able to refuse me. When Silas opened the door, he found me curled up in his younger brother's arms. His face turned red on the spot. "What the hell are you doing?!" Chapter 3 I peeked out from behind Elias. "Sorry, Mr. Voss. We got carried away and didn't hear you come in." Elias played along, using his broad body to shield me as he fixed my clothes. "Go to your room." I quickly slipped away. Silas stiffened at being called Mr. Voss. I left my door slightly open and watched as he stormed over and grabbed Elias by the collar. He lowered his voice. "I asked you to pretend to be her boyfriend and make sure she doesn't cause trouble. I didn't give you permission to take advantage of her! Are you trying to steal your own brother's woman?" Elias barely reacted. He gave Silas a lazy look, no longer bothering to play along. "When you asked me for that favor, you should have known this could happen. Seraphina finally believes your story. Don't tell me you regret it now. Strictly speaking, you did this to yourself, didn't you?" The jab sent Silas over the edge. "Elias, are you turning against me?!" He raised his fist and swung at Elias. "Stop!" I rushed out and grabbed Silas's arm before the punch could land. Then I asked softly, "I thought I heard you talking about me. I don't know what's going on, but please don't fight over me." Silas's fury instantly gave way to a conflicted expression. While he was distracted, I pushed Elias toward the kitchen. All that shouting had made me hungry. For some reason, Silas shamelessly stayed for dinner. During the meal, I kept sneaking glances at his profile, making sure my eyes looked just shy and lovestruck enough. Silas noticed. He took his sweet time eating, a smug smile tugging at his lips. "Why did you keep sneaking looks at me? Keep it up and Elias might get jealous." Ugh. What a narcissist. I glanced at Elias, whose expression had darkened, and smiled. "I always thought your profile looked a lot like Elias's. From this angle, you two really do look alike. Actually, it's not just your faces. You look alike from behind too. When we went to that hot spring resort last year, I almost mistook Elias for you." I bit my lip and lowered my eyes, pretending to be embarrassed by the memory. "Luckily, it was only almost. Elias works out all the time. All it took was one good look to realize my mistake. There's no way a body that hot could belong to you." I let my smile turn dreamy. "Looking back, that was quite a night." Elias cleared his throat. Well, something like that had actually happened. The previous year, my company had sent me away on a three-month business trip. When I got back, Silas took me to a hot spring resort to relax. I accidentally walked into the wrong pool and found Elias there. Through the steam, I mistook him for Silas and thought he'd secretly gotten into incredible shape. I whistled, dropped my robe, slipped into the water, and hugged him from behind. The instant our bare skin touched, heat surged through both of us. I still remembered the teasing look in Elias's eyes. His eyes crinkled with amusement, and his full lips lifted into a wicked smile. He looked dangerously beautiful. "What is this, Your Highness? Are you planning to cheat on my brother with me?" I ran from the pool, mortified. Of course, retelling it now made that innocent mistake sound completely different. Silas's expression changed. He grabbed my wrist. "What are you implying? What did you two do behind my back? When you looked at me, who were you really seeing?!" Clearly, he remembered that day too. I'd come rushing back with flushed cheeks and my towel wrapped tightly around me, looking guilty as hell. When he questioned me, I made up some excuse and brushed him off. Now that little accident sounded a lot more suspicious. I winced. "Why are you being so rough? Elias and I have been together for six years. What we do together is none of your business." Elias pried Silas's hand off my wrist. "Let go, Silas. You've crossed a line." I immediately threw myself into Elias's arms and grumbled, "Has your brother been single for so long that he's lost his mind? What's wrong with him? Honey, please make him leave." Elias looked up, his voice cold. "You've frightened my girlfriend. Dinner is over, Silas. Leave. And learn to respect our boundaries." Silas shot to his feet and slammed his palm against the table, his face red with rage. "Seraphina! Did that crash knock every bit of sense out of you? Open your eyes and look at me. I'm your boyfriend!" "Enough!" I stood and slapped him. Then I snapped, "I'm not into threesomes. If you want a girlfriend, go find your own instead of trying to steal your brother's girlfriend." I pointed at the door. "Get out. You aren't welcome here." Silas looked ready to explode. "Fine! You win, Seraphina! Don't come crying and begging me to take you back when your memory comes back!" He stormed out with a string of curses and slammed the door behind him. The second the door shut, I dropped the act and doubled over laughing. Chapter 4 An arm slipped around my waist from behind. Elias tugged me back onto his lap. I turned and found him staring at me. "Back when you mistook me for Silas, did you really think my body looked that good?" I looped my arms around his neck and grinned. "Oh, yes. You're much better built than your brother. I don't look too bad myself. Want to see how well we fit together in bed?" His gaze darkened. His arm tightened around my waist as his thumb slowly brushed over my skin. Before I could react, he leaned in and kissed me. Heat rushed between us, sending a shiver down my spine. The sound of our kisses filled the room. I secretly hoped we were about to put the dining table to good use. But just when things were getting interesting, Elias pulled away and stood up. "Next time. I need to shower now. Enjoy your dinner." Seriously? I was so annoyed I laughed. Can this man even perform in bed? My gaze drifted downward. Then my eyes widened. Oh. Apparently, that wasn't the problem. His erection was impossible to miss. Elias disappeared into the bathroom, leaving me frustrated, confused, and suddenly too annoyed to finish dinner. I forced down a few bites. It was getting late, so I decided to shower too. There were plenty of bathrooms in the villa. That was when I noticed the nightgown I'd left on my bed was missing. After searching everywhere, I knocked on Elias's bathroom door. "Have you seen my nightgown?" He'd been in there for at least half an hour. Over the sound of running water, I heard a low, muffled groan. A second later, the rush of water suddenly grew louder. "No." I had no choice but to wear something else. The smell of breakfast woke me the next morning. I wandered into the living room yawning and found the table already set. Elias came out of the kitchen shirtless, wearing only pants and an apron. He carried the last plate of sandwiches to the table. My eyes lit up as I openly admired his chest and lean waist. His Adam's apple bobbed, and he quickly looked away. "Sit down and eat." He's obviously trying to tempt me, yet he won't let me have him. What game is he playing? Fine. I'll wait him out. I'm not getting worked up again just for him to leave me hanging halfway through. The familiar food brought back memories of all the meals I'd made him bring me years ago. I had actually missed his cooking. To show my approval, I ate everything. When I turned all my attention to breakfast, disappointment flashed across Elias's face. He quickly finished his food and got up to change. I called him back. "You really didn't see my nightgown or my panties?" That morning, I'd also noticed that the panties I'd hung by the door were gone. He went still. "One of the seams came loose, so I threw it away." "You did what? That was my favorite! Who gave you the right to throw away my clothes? And what about my panties?" They were brand-new. There was no way anything had come loose. He wouldn't look at me, and his ears turned redder by the second. Suddenly, it all clicked. "Those were ruined too? Did you do something to them?" He looked exactly like a guilty man waiting to be sentenced. "I'll buy you more. If you don't like the other styles, I'll replace them with the exact same ones." I gave him a knowing smile. "What did you use them for? Target practice?" His face turned bright red. He grabbed his shirt and jacket from the couch and hurriedly put them on. "I'm running late. I have to get to the office." Tsk. Who was he trying to fool? He'd strutted around half-naked all morning, then stolen my clothes to do God knows what with them. Men really did love playing hard to get. That afternoon, the order I'd placed arrived. The box contained every piece in the latest collection, along with dozens of extras Elias had picked out himself. I went through them one by one. His taste was surprisingly good. I picked the two sheerest ones, took a photo, and sent it to him. Elias replied almost immediately. "What's wrong? Don't you like them?" "Nothing's wrong. I want your opinion. Which one looks better?" The typing indicator stayed on the screen for a full minute. I could practically see Elias squirming at his desk. I burst out laughing. "The one in your left hand." So he liked lace. I called him on video and held up the skimpy men's costume that had come with the order. I put on my sweetest voice. "I'll wear the one you picked tonight. You can wear this and entertain me. It's been a long time. I've missed the view." He immediately hung up and went offline, snapping me out of both my fantasy and my memories. Excuse me? What kind of attitude is that?! Now I'm pissed. My thoughts drifted back to high school. When Elias's foster mother fell ill, he couldn't afford her medical bills. I happened to pass by and offered him a loan. But I wasn't running a charity. In return, he had to do whatever I asked. By my senior year, I was already an adult and under a lot of stress. I took our arrangement further and stopped making him run trivial errands. Instead, I made him come to my house, take off his shirt, and put on a collar and chain for me. I held the other end of the chain and watched pain break through his calm expression as the chain tightened around his throat. With a soft laugh, I asked, "Do you hate me? Do you regret taking the loan?" His lips parted. "No. I... endure it gladly." I slapped him across the face. "Did you forget what I taught you? No more fancy words." He blinked hard. "Thank you for the reward, my queen." "Good boy." Damn... I pressed a hand to my forehead in frustration. When I'd first seen him again after all those years, I'd been shocked and, admittedly, a little nervous. But then I remembered the shy, beautiful boy he'd once been and how tempting I'd found him. Still, I had principles. I was dating Silas, so I'd pushed those thoughts aside and left them there. I slapped my palm against the table. Enough. I'm done waiting. Tonight, I'm making Elias mine! "Entertain you? You two certainly know how to have fun." A familiar voice suddenly cut into my thoughts. I turned. Silas stood in the doorway, his expression icy.