Loving The Better Brother novel Chapter 3

WILLOW

Tristan Hale wasn’t someone I knew well.

I had met him in passing at family dinners and brief introductions. He was the original heir to the Hale enterprise, the first son, the one their father had trusted without question. He was also the man Marcus resented the most.

Tristan was everything Marcus wanted to be and couldn’t quite reach. He was smart and capable. He was handsome in a way that didn’t feel curated for magazines, though they still chased him relentlessly. He was single, untouchable, and currently the most wanted bachelor in every business column.

Even the front desk assistant wanted him.

I saw it in the way her posture shifted and how her voice softened when she said his name.

“Willow,” Tristan said calmly.

I pursed my lips. Hearing my name from his mouth felt… strange. He said it evenly, without judgment or surprise.

“I just wanted to return this,” I said, lifting my hand slightly to show the necklace. “But she won’t let me.”

I didn’t look at the front desk assistant as I said it. I felt her stiffen.

Tristan’s gaze flicked briefly in her direction.

“Please,” he said, already turning toward the elevator. “Come with me.”

I hesitated for a second before nodding and following after him. The click of his shoes against the floor was unhurried. Behind us, I could feel the assistant still frozen.

The elevator doors closed softly.

Neither of us spoke.

The ride up felt longer than it should have, filled with silence that was strangely not awkward. Tristan stood beside me, hands loosely at his sides.

His office was nothing like Marcus’s.

There were no gaudy displays of wealth. The moment I stepped inside, the first thing that struck me was the scent.

It smelled like fresh paper and polished wood, with a faint undertone of bergamot. Whatever it was, it smelled like him.

Tristan moved behind his desk and took his seat, motioning for me to sit across from him. I remained standing instead.

I placed the necklace on the smooth surface of the table between us. The diamonds caught the light, glittering faintly.

His gaze dropped to it.

“This necklace,” he said slowly. “Marcus gave it to you?”

“Yes.”

He hummed softly, leaning back in his chair. “Interesting.”

“Why?” I asked.

He studied the necklace for another moment before lifting his eyes to meet mine.

“I specifically remember him asking me to buy him this,” Tristan said.

The words hit me immediately.

I stared at the necklace, heat rising to my cheeks—not from embarrassment, but from anger. I pursed my lips hard.

“Cheapskate,” I muttered before I could stop myself.

Tristan’s mouth twitched.

“He wanted it returned,” I added flatly. “Apparently, it was expensive.”

His brow lifted. “Yet it wasn’t even his.”

I shifted my legs, suddenly aware of how tired I felt.

“Is he here?” I asked after a moment.

Tristan shook his head. “No.”

“He’s with Serena,” he continued evenly. “Our business partner.”

I pressed my lips together again.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify