Chapter 2

On our very first date, I warned Tristan. "I have a drop-dead gorgeous, very sophisticated cousin named Sophia. She loves adding my boyfriends on Snapchat. If she adds you, do not accept."

Tristan smirked. "Afraid I’ll fall for her?"

I gave him a sweet smile. "Afraid you’ll lose your mind and end up dead. Honestly, every single one of my exes died that way."

He pulled me into his arms and spent the next hour reassuring me. "That would never happen. You’re the only one for me, Chloe."

Thanks to my warning, when Sophia first tried to add him, Tristan ignored her.

He even complained to me a few times. "Your cousin Sophia is relentless. She’s tried adding me from ten different throwaway accounts already."

I kissed his cheek to reward him. "Good boy. Keep holding the line. Don’t let her wild reputation tempt you."

He swiped to decline another request without missing a beat, then looked up at me.

"My parents want to have dinner with you," he said. "We’ve been dating for six months, and you still haven't met them. They’re dying to meet you based on what I’ve told them."

I paused, then ruffled his hair. "Let’s wait a bit. I’m swamped with work this quarter. Once the quarterly review is over, dinner is on me."

"No way you're paying," he laughed. "If you just show up, my parents will be thrilled. We’ll eat at one of our family’s hotels!"

Maybe because she was getting nowhere on Snapchat, Sophia grew impatient. She suddenly announced she was going to crash at my apartment for a while.

I flatly refused, but my mom—who was desperate to show off the luxury condo Tristan had rented for me—eagerly gave Sophia my address.

So when I got home from work, Tristan and Sophia were sitting on opposite ends of the couch, both staring at their phones.

Tristan pulled me into the bedroom, looking annoyed. "I swear I didn't talk to her. Why is she even here?"

I acted nonchalant. "My mom probably gave her the address. She’s always like this. Just ignore her."

He swore to God he was innocent, but a small seed of unease was planted in my chest. I couldn't stop thinking about how they looked sitting on the couch together.

Would Tristan really break? It took me six grueling months of chasing to get him. He wouldn't throw it all away in a single night, would he?

I felt anxious. Part of it was my own insecurity, but another part was simply not knowing how long Tristan could actually hold out.