Winter in New York had a way of cutting through a man, leaving him raw. William Greyson, the eldest of the Greyson brothers, knew that better than anyone. He had always been superior—smarter, stronger, the one who succeeded where others failed. And yet, even he hadn’t seen the betrayal coming.

His wife, Evelyn, had cheated. With Nicholas, his younger brother. Nicholas, who had always lived in William’s shadow, who had stolen what wasn’t his. And worse—he had done it while keeping another woman in the dark. A woman William never expected to cross paths with.

He first saw her when she crashed into him, slipping on the ice during a winter morning walk with his trained police dogs. A brief glimpse—wide eyes, a hurried apology, and then she was gone.

Until she wasn’t.

Days later, she was in his office. His new architect. Working under him, unknowingly stepping into the chaos of his life. He should have kept his distance. Instead, a company party, too much alcohol, and one night changed everything.

Now, Italy. Their parents had forced them all on this trip—family bonding, they called it. William wasn’t interested. But skiing? That was different. And he wasn’t skiing alone.

He smirked at the woman beside him as they stood at the top of the slope. “Try to keep up.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’d like to see you try.”

No one had ever seen this side of him. Not Evelyn. Not anyone. But with her, something was different—he teased, he flirted, he helped, even when he didn’t have to.

They took off down the mountain, carving through the snow. Until Nicholas forced himself between them, his expression tight.

“We need to talk,” Nicholas said.

William exhaled sharply. “We don’t.”

“Yes, we do,” Nicholas insisted, glaring. “You’re just with her to piss me off.”

William’s jaw clenched. “You think everything is about you? You lost her, just like you lost everything else.”

Nicholas scoffed. “She was mine first.”

William let out a cold laugh. “And yet, you’re still chasing after someone who wants nothing to do with you.”