He was the boy next door—cocky, playful, always flirting just to see her blush. But the moment he found out her ex was still haunting her, the teasing stopped. His carefree smirk was replaced with a sharp edge, his touch no longer just teasing but claiming. “She’s mine,” he warned, his voice low, dangerous. And in that moment, she saw it—he wasn’t just the charming boy next door. He was the man who would do anything to protect what was his.