My Roommate's Billionaire Brother

I was driving my roommate home in my beat-up used Chevya piece of junk where everything rattled except the hornwhen a sleek black Maybach slammed hard into my rear bumper.

Elodie, my freshly dumped and heavily intoxicated roommate, stared at the luxury license plate. You short on cash lately? she slurred.

Before I could even process the crash, she dropped stiffly onto the asphalt. "I'm making you rich today," she muttered from the ground. "Get ready to call a personal injury lawyer. We're going to bankrupt this rich bastard."

Extort a billionaire? Us? We had lost our minds.

The heavy car door popped open. A strikingly gorgeous guy in a sharp, tailored suit stepped out, his eyes locking dead onto mine.

Chapter 1

Right before graduation, my gorgeous roommate Elodie got dumped out of nowhere. She got trashed and called me to drag her home.

While I navigated my beat-up used Chevy down the dark streets, she slurred directions from the passenger seat, slamming her fist against the dashboard as she cursed that jerk's name. I kept one eye on the road, nodding along.

Got to admit, for someone completely wasted, she picked a pretty scenic route.

I squinted through the windshield at the massive tree-lined estates passing by. "Hey, Elodie, isn't this the rich-people neighborhood ahead? Are you sure we're going the right way?"

Elodie slumped against the window, her breath fogging the glass. "You know what?" she whispered. "I was the rose he watered. How am I supposed to survive without him?"

Right. Okay, Rose Queen. You just keep grieving.

She passed out a second later. Realizing I couldn't rely on her, I pulled the junker over to the curb, pulled out my phone, and opened Google Maps to figure out where the hell we were.

Suddenly, a massive jolt slammed into the rear bumper of my Chevy.

The impact jerked me forward, and my phone flew right out of my hand, smashing against the dashboard.

My phone!

The cracked screen shattered, pouring salt right onto the gaping wound of my empty bank account.

I whipped my head around, my hands gripping the steering wheel tight, and spotted a sleek, entirely black Maybach kissing my rear bumper.

I shoved my door open, ready to check the damage and give this rich bastard a piece of my mind.

Beside me, Elodie shot up in the passenger seat like she was coming back from the dead. She stared out the window at the luxury license plate, blinked hard, and suddenly asked, "You short on cash lately?"

Are you kidding me?

You've been eating discounted mac and cheese and near-expired pizza with me for a year, don't you know I can't even afford next month's rent?

"Always," I answered bluntly.

Elodie nodded. She unbuckled her seatbelt, kicked her door open, and stumbled out. Before I could grab her, she dropped stiffly right onto the asphalt next to the Maybach.

"I'm making you rich today," she muttered from the ground. "Touched?"

Touched?

Do I look like I can even move right now?

What the hell was this?

If we were going to fake an injury for an insurance scam, we really should have rehearsed!

My acting skills were garbage!

I scrambled out of my car and stood next to her body on the pavement, freezing up, not knowing what to do with my hands. Then, the heavy door of the Maybach popped open.

A pair of long legs stepped firmly onto the pavement. A man in a sharp, tailored suit stepped out.

He brought a freezing drop in the air pressure with him. His face was devoid of warmth. Between his razor-sharp jawline and his towering height, he radiated an intense, suffocating aura.

I swallowed hard. I crouched down and desperately shook Elodie's shoulder.

Get up, Elodie, you picked the wrong mark!

If you don't get up right now, this guy is going to bury me.

A massive shadow fell over me. I tilted my head up, my eyes crashing right into his icy, downward stare.

"Get up. Don't make me say it twice."

That deep, gravelly voice vibrated against my eardrums with absolute control. Driving a Maybach, oozing an oppressive aura of male testosteronehe was an untouchable apex predator.

My heart hammered against my ribs. Even though this guy clearly rear-ended my car first, I felt like the one about to be executed.

Chapter 2

But Elodie trying to run an injury scam on him was a terrible idea!

Seeing her just lying there playing dead, I braced myself and admitted, "Look, man, we aren't trying to scam you. She's just completely wasted"

Before I could finish, his sharp brows pulled together. He crouched down, catching the scent of the alcohol, and let out a low scoff. The muscles in his jaw ticked.

"Look at you, Elodie. Learning how to drink now?"

What the hell?

He knew her?

He looked at my slightly parted lips. The man, radiating an icy chill, turned his head. He spoke in a flat, deadpan tone.

"Sorry. My driver accidentally clipped your car. I'm Elodie's older brother."

"Declan." His voice remained flat.

What?!

This untouchable apex predator was my roommate's brother!

Which meant my broke roommate was actually

You're a billionaire and you never told me?!

I sucked in a breath and looked back at her brother. "It's fine, really. She got drunk and asked me to drive her home."

Declan gave a stiff nod. He muttered a quick thanks and bent down to scoop her off the asphalt. Suddenly, my broke roommateno, my dear billionaire bestiesnapped back to life. Her fingers clamped down on my wrist in a death grip, refusing to let me go.

She started slurring, "You don't want me anymore! You're abandoning me while I'm drunk! I bought you that car!"

No, I didn't!

Stop talking!

I bought that piece of junk Chevy by starving myself on cheap ramen for months!

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Declan's piercing stare drilling into the side of my head.

Crap.

I opened my mouth, the words about her ex-boyfriend sitting right on my tongue, but my throat locked up tight. But I had no idea if she even told her brother she was dating anyone. I couldn't say a damn word.

The three of us froze in a bizarre, twisted knot. Declan was holding her, she was gripping me, and I I just wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole.

But Declan was clearly a guy used to handling messes. His jaw tightened for a second before he smoothly loaded both of us into his car.

He even had a tow truck haul away my piece of junk car. Stepping through the front doors, the vaulted ceilings, wall-to-wall floor-to-ceiling windows, and pure black luxury marble floors slammed against my nerves with the sheer weight of absolute wealth.

Was this how the one percent lived?

Holy crap.

But despite the massive space, the estate felt freezing and hollow. I quickly scanned the room, realizing there wasn't a single housekeeper or staff member in sight.

"Thanks for bringing Elodie back." Declan dropped her onto the massive bed. He straightened his cuffs, turning back to me, and held out a large hand. "I didn't get your name."

I hesitated for a second before sliding my hand into his for a quick, firm shake. "Piper. I'm her roommate."

Declan nodded. He was so tall, and with us standing this close, my line of sight hit right at the sharp, clean cut of his jawline.

"It's too late for you to go back. Stay here tonight, Piper. As for the car and the phone."

Declan's eyes dropped to the shattered screen clamped in my hand, his face a perfect, unreadable mask. "I'll have my people handle it."

He meant my ruined Chevy and the dead phone.

I nodded. Declan turned on his heel to leave. He just stepped through the doorway when Elodie suddenly let out a broken, tearful whimper.

"Mom" She mumbled something else, drowning in her drunken sleep.

Declan's boots locked onto the floor. He froze right outside the door, his broad back blocking the hallway light. He didn't make a single sound.

The sharp lighting stretched his shadow long across the marble floor. Staring at the rigid set of his wide shoulders, the air around him felt freezing and hollow.

Chapter 3

Declan stood there for a long time. Then, without turning around, he walked out, his long strides eating up the distance. The heavy door clicked shut, leaving just me and the blacked-out Elodie in the massive room.

Why did the rigid set of his shoulders look so heavy?

I shook off the thought. I dragged Elodie into the bathroom, wiped the makeup off her face, and collapsed onto the massive king-sized bed. Even staring up at the vaulted ceiling, my brain spun like I was stuck in a fever dream.

My roommate, who practically survived on cheap cereal and discounted sandwiches with me every day, was suddenly a billionaire.

And she had tried to run an insurance scam on her own brother.

This was out of control.

I eventually passed out.

When I woke up again, it was to Elodie screaming at the top of her lungs, "Holy shit, Piper! Why the hell am I at my house?"

I groaned, shoving my face deeper into the expensive silk pillows. My brain felt like mush. "Your brother brought you back," I mumbled into the mattress.

Elodie let out a strangled wail. "Holy shit, my brother?! No wonder that license plate looked familiar."

Wait a minute.

So she knew it was his car before she threw herself on the ground?

I thought she was just a ruthless criminal.

She frantically tore her hands through her messy hair. "Tell me I didn't say anything embarrassing."

The moment she said that, the image of Declan standing rigidly in the dark hallway flashed into my mind. I was instantly wide awake.

I pushed myself up against the headboard, biting the inside of my cheek to stop myself from laughing at her panic. "Like what?"

Elodie shoved her face into her hands, letting out a long, muffled groan. "Like begging for my trash ex-boyfriend back. That's so humiliating."

Oh, that. Yeah, you said a hell of a lot more than just a little, Rose Queen.

She grabbed my shoulders and started shaking me. I threw my hands up in surrender. "No, no, nothing. I practically kept my hand over your mouth the whole time."

She pressed her palms together like she was praying to me. "You are literally my savior. I owe you my life."

I grabbed the edge of her blanket and ripped it off her. "You liar. Didn't you tell me your brother went straight to work after high school?"

Elodie blinked at me, her eyes wide and innocent. "He did. He started his own company right out of high school."

She rubbed the back of her neck and muttered, "He's doing pretty okay for himself right now."

Pretty okay?

He drove a Maybach and lived in a mansion that looked like a modern art museum!

I gave her a slow, sarcastic thumbs-up. "Right. Well, since you're alive, I'm heading back to campus."

Elodie lunged forward and grabbed my wrist. "Wait! Didn't you say you couldn't find a place to crash for the summer? Why don't you just stay here with me?"

I stared at her. God, I loved my roommate. We were totally on the same wavelength. I was actually planning to ask her if she wanted to split a cheap apartment for the summer, since our internship spots were super close.

But staying here? That was a whole different ballgame. Her brother lived here. It would be beyond awkward.

Elodie instantly read my hesitation. "Don't worry, my brother is literally never home. If you don't stay, I'll be stuck in this massive house all by myself. It's miserable."

Oh, boo hoo, the poor billionaire is lonely in her mansion.

Elodie started pouting, pulling her best puppy-dog eyes. "Come on, Piper. You know I get scared in the dark. It's just me."

I chewed on my lower lip, thinking it over. "Is there really no one else here? Like a housekeeper or a chef?" The estate was way too big to be this dead quiet.

Elodie tilted her head, looking genuinely confused. "No? When I'm staying in the dorms, it's just my brother here. He hates having staff around."

That freezing, isolated shadow standing in the hallway flashed through my brain again. I quickly shook my head, scrubbing the image away. "I mean, I'm down. But you definitely have to clear it with your brother first."

Chapter 4

Before I could even finish my sentence, she dragged me out the door and sprinted down the hallway. "We gotta hurry. My brother's leaving for the office any second."

I stumbled after her. When we hit the ground floor, I saw Declan already sitting at the massive dining table. Who knew how long he'd been waiting.

Elodie yanked me down into the chair next to her. Declan's freezing gaze swept over us.

His gravelly voice carried a faint, dangerous edge. "Explain. You're drinking now?"

Elodie let out a nervous laugh. "Well, it's graduation season. The sadness of parting"

Declan scoffed, his jaw tight with pure skepticism. "You graduate this year?"

Elodie shot me a desperate look, blinking frantically like her life depended on it.

Holy crap.

Why does this girl never give me a heads-up before these impromptu performances?

I cleared my throat and flattened my lips into a polite line. "Yeah, we went to a frat house graduation party. The vibe got way too intense, and we just accidentally drank a little too much."

Declan's dark, bottomless eyes locked onto mine, drilling in like he was trying to rip the truth straight out of my skull. I held a steady smile on my face, but my stomach clamped tight. He was a thousand times more terrifying than the worst high school principal I ever had.

I braced myself for the interrogation, but he simply looked away. "Eat," he ordered flatly. It was as if the terrifying, authoritative dictator from three seconds ago had vanished.

I slowly let out the breath I was holding. Under the table, Elodie flashed me a subtle thumbs-up.

I barely took two bites of the ridiculously expensive breakfast spread when Elodie casually dropped the bomb. "Declan, Piper isn't going home for the summer. Can she crash here with me?"

The moment the words left her mouth, Declan's heavy gaze pinned me down again. He tapped his fork against the porcelain plate once. "Fine."

He picked up his coffee cup, taking a slow sip. "I won't be coming back for a while then. Call me if you need anything."

Elodie openly threw up a peace sign at me. Then she immediately started bragging to her brother. "Did you know Piper is a total genius? She's the only real brain in our dorm."

"She's been obsessed with astrophysics since we were kids and actually enjoys studying it." She paused, widening her eyes for emphasis. "Astrophysics, Declan!"

That was just because we were in a mixed-major dorm. My major was different from hers, but honestly, everyone was killing it in their own fields.

Declan suddenly seemed interested. He set his coffee down. "Always loved it that much?"

I chewed on the inside of my cheek for a second before speaking. "Not exactly. There was a period where studying it felt like absolute torture."

Elodie looked at me like I was an alien. "Piper can push through the torture until she actually likes it. If I study something torturous, I just fail the class."

Her dramatic groan made me laugh. Elodie balled up her hand like a microphone and shoved it in my face. "Come on, tell the audience. How did you overcome the struggle and fall in love with astrophysics?"

It wasn't really a huge secret. I organized my thoughts, keeping it simple. "It's pretty clich, honestly."

"I ran into this absolute legend online. He taught me a lot, and it just slowly brought the passion back."

Declan gave a slight nod. His long fingers drummed lightly on the table. "And now?"

"It's my life's ambition," I said without missing a beat.

Elodie nodded excitedly. She reached over, grabbed my keys off the table, and dangled them in the air. "She's obsessed. Her keychain is literally a custom model of Pluto."

The second the keychain caught the light, Declan froze.

His entire body went dead still. His dark eyes locked onto the small metal planet. A muscle jumped in his jaw, and his sharp brows pulled together tightly.

I shot Elodie a confused look. She just waved her hand dismissively, casually explaining that her brother's latest corporate project involved some aerospace tech, so he geeked out over stuff like this.

Ah, got it. No wonder the ice king suddenly had so many questions about my major.

Chapter 5

"This keychain was it a gift from that legend you mentioned?" Declan suddenly spoke up. His gravelly voice hitched slightly, carrying a faint, undeniable tension.

I blurted out in pure surprise, "Wait, how did you know?"

During freshman year, I'd constantly vent my frustrations on this niche physics forum like a pathetic loser. That legend from the forum drew this for me to keep me going. I eventually printed the design and turned it into a keychain to remember it.

Elodie immediately perked up at the topic. She jabbed her elbow into my ribs, teasing, "Oh yeah. She treats that thing like her most prized possession."

Damn it.

Ever since I told her about it, she never stopped roasting me, calling that anonymous legend my 'unattainable physics crush'.

Heat rushed to my cheeks. I glanced up and accidentally collided with Declan's intense, unreadable gaze. His face remained a perfectly sculpted mask of ice, but for some inexplicable reason, the freezing tension in his dark eyes seemed to be thawing.

My gut feeling was proven right a second later when Elodie asked, her brows pulling together in a tight knot, "Declan? Why are you suddenly in a good mood?"

Declan lowered his thick eyelashes. His long fingers pulled a wet wipe from the dispenser, and he methodically wiped away the moisture from his knuckles. His sharp jawline tightened.

His deep voice cut through the quiet dining room. "Nothing. Just guessed right." The harsh edge in his tone had noticeably softened.

He had to mean guessing the keychain was a gift from the legend. But I was genuinely baffledhow did he spot that in one glance? Was he a mind reader?

Elodie frowned. "But how did you even guess that?" God bless my roommate. She literally read my mind.

Declan considered it for a second. Then, he looked up at us and stated with absolute, deadpan seriousness, "Context clues."

Wow. So profound. Such brilliant observation skills

Elodie rolled her eyes. "Whatever, keep your secrets," she muttered. She leaned in and whispered to me, "He just loves acting mysterious. Total brooding control freak."

Declan finished his coffee. He stood up, his long strides taking him toward the foyer.

Just as he reached the front door, he paused like he suddenly remembered something and glanced back over his broad shoulder. "By the way. I just remembered. I'll be staying here for the summer too."

What?!

Didn't he literally just say he wouldn't be coming back?

Why the sudden change of plans?

Elodie echoed my exact thoughts. "Why? You just said you were staying away."

Declan stood perfectly still, his body turned slightly away. I couldn't see his eyes, but I caught the slow, deliberate smirk curving the corner of his mouth. After a long pause, he finally said, "Because something important came up."

Even though Declan claimed he'd be staying at the estate, for the first few weeks, the massive house was completely empty except for me and Elodie. Maybe he was deliberately avoiding the place so I wouldn't feel awkward. Aside from occasionally having his assistant deliver insane gourmet meals to us, he was practically a ghost.

That was, until my commute back from my internship. I wiped out hard on a rental bike, messing up my leg so badly I had to call in sick for a few days to stay on the couch and rest.

Elodie still had to go to her internship, leaving me alone in this giant, echoing mansion. I finally understood that suffocating, isolated feeling she had complained about.

I was bored out of my mind, binge-watching Netflix on the couch, when I heard heavy footsteps right outside my door. The person kept pacing back and forth, hesitating to turn the knob. From my spot on the cushions, I could practically feel the tension rolling under the door.

I didn't even have to guess. It was definitely my idiot roommate coming home from work, trying to jump-scare me. She pulled this crap all the time.

I hobbled awkwardly off the couch, dragging my injured leg, and practically crawled to the door like a horror movie villain. I grabbed the handle and yanked the door open with a loud roar, fully prepared to scare the living hell out of her.

Instead, I slammed face-first into a solid wall of muscle.

Declan.

He had his fist raised, literally mid-knock. For the first time ever, the untouchable billionaire froze, his jaw dropping a fraction of an inch. Combined with me hunched over the floorboards looking like a deranged goblin, the standoff was absolutely horrifying.

Fuck!

Why the hell was it Declan?!

Chapter 6

How was I supposed to explain this? He probably thought I was a psychopath. The silence between us was deafening.

I scrambled to my feet, my brain short-circuiting as a million excuses rushed through my head. Finally, I managed to choke out, "G-Good afternoon."

Declan froze. A flicker of amusement cracked his icy facade. His deep, gravelly voice vibrated right above my head, sounding like he was holding back a laugh.

The freezing edge in his tone was completely gone. "Yeah. Good afternoon."

My face instantly burned red hot. My fingers gripped the hem of my shirt in a death grip. I wanted to dig a hole right through his expensive hardwood floor and bury myself in it.

Declan broke the tension. "Elodie mentioned you got hurt. I came back to drop off some meds."

Huh? My eyes dropped. He was holding a pharmacy bag. He looked like he just stepped straight out of a boardroomhis tailored suit was absolutely flawless from head to toe, but there was a subtle, rushed tension in his broad shoulders.

He held the bag out to me. I quickly reached for it, stammering out a string of thank yous.

But my brain was so fried by the sudden scare that I completely forgot I was currently half-crippled.

The second I put weight on my bad leg, my knee buckled, and my body pitched forward.

Seriously, humiliating myself twice in one day. I was on a roll. One more time and I was going to just launch myself off the planet.

I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for the hard impact against the floorboards. Instead, a low, masculine grunt vibrated right against my ear. I hit something solid and warm.

I snapped my eyes open and crashed straight into Declan's dark, intense gaze. His sharp brows were pulled tight. For the first time, those freezing, unreadable eyes actually held a trace of shock.

Holy shit!

I had face-planted straight into his chest.

"Are you okay?" Declan's deep voice rumbled against me.

His chest was as hard as a solid brick wall. I could smell the faint scent of cedarwood mixed with freezing mint clinging to his expensive suita heavily aggressive, intoxicating hit of pure male testosterone.

I scrambled to push myself off him, spitting out frantic apologies. But between my busted leg, the wrist I just crushed trying to brace my fall, and my fried nerves, I had zero strength left. I just clumsily floundered against his solid muscles, barely managing to put an inch of space between us. I wanted to cry from my own sheer stupidity.

Just as I tried to shove myself back again, a low sigh hit the top of my head. "Excuse me," he muttered.

Before my brain could even process the warning, his massive arms swept under my knees and my back, lifting me completely off the ground. He carried me toward the living room couch with long, effortless strides. He held me like I weighed nothing. Pressed against his chest, I realized his breathing hadn't even hitched.

All the blood in my body rushed straight to my face. My stiff fingers dug desperately into the expensive fabric of his suit lapel. I stuttered, blindly pointing at the couch. "Y-You can just put me down right there."

"Hmm," he grunted, not saying another word. I risked a quick glance up at his face. The very tips of Declan's ears were flushed red. It was subtle, but seeing that kind of physical reaction on a guy who constantly radiated such an untouchable, freezing aura felt like a total glitch in reality.

"Holy shit"

A third voice shattered the silence. I flinched so hard I almost slipped out of his grip. Feeling my sudden panic, the massive arms holding me tightened instinctively, pulling me flush against his hard chest.

Still holding me, he turned around, and we both stared at the doorway.

It was the most bizarre, incriminating scene possible. A towering billionaire holding a mortified girl in his arms, staring down a girl holding a bag of groceries by the door, whose jaw was practically on the floor.

Oh my god.

Why did Elodie have to come home right now?!

Perfect. Three complete humiliations in a single day. I was fully ready to leave this beautiful world behind