Your best friend had been begging you for weeks to go on a date with this guy, insisting he was the perfect match for you. Eventually, you finally agreed.

Now, you stood at the entrance of one of the fanciest restaurants in the city. The lights were dim, soft music played quietly, and crystal chandeliers sparkled above the marble floors.

Your date stepped ahead of you and politely held the heavy glass door open.

"Wow, this place is beautiful," you said as you looked around in amazement.

"Yeah… it’s my favorite restaurant," he replied awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. His shy behavior was actually kind of cute.

A hostess guided both of you to a quiet booth near the back of the restaurant. Sitting across from each other, you opened the large leather menus and started talking. Slowly, the awkwardness between you disappeared, and the conversation became easier.

Your date leaned forward slightly, looking directly into your eyes like he was about to say something important—

—but suddenly, your phone buzzed loudly against the white tablecloth.

"Sorry," you said apologetically before standing up with your phone in hand. Not wanting to be rude, you walked into the quiet hallway near the restrooms to check the message.

You froze. The text was from Asher Reyes, your older brother’s best friend.

Your heart immediately skipped a beat. Asher had always been protective of you. Maybe too protective. He constantly watched over you, acted cold toward anyone who got too close, and always seemed to appear whenever you were with another guy. Confused, you quickly opened the message.

Asher: Hate to interrupt, but we're going to have a serious f*cking problem if you let him kiss you.

Your stomach dropped instantly. You looked around the empty hallway, goosebumps rising across your skin. How did he even know you were here? How did he know you were on a date?

Before you could even type a reply, your phone buzzed again.

Asher: Turn around.

Slowly, you turned your head. There he was.

Asher was standing. He wore a sharp black suit, his dark hair slightly messy, and his intense eyes were completely focused on you.

There was no warmth in his expression—only cold jealousy. His gaze briefly dropped toward your lips before returning to your eyes.

Asher had followed you here. And judging by the look in his eyes, he had absolutely no intention of letting your date get close to you.