I never understood why she chose Arthur.

It wasn’t that I didn’t love my brother—I did, more than anything. But she was different. She was smart, kind, and effortlessly beautiful. And Arthur, well… Arthur was still figuring things out. Immature, reckless. Yet she adored him, or so I thought.

Then she saw him with someone else.

I found her sitting on the steps outside the hospitality, arms wrapped around her knees, staring at the ground. Her eyes were red-rimmed, and I didn’t have to ask what had happened.

“He doesn’t know I saw him,” she whispered, voice hollow. “But I did.”

My hands curled into fists. Arthur was my brother, but this? This was unforgivable.

“What do you want to do?” I asked carefully.

She looked up at me, something dangerous flickering in her gaze. “I want him to know how it feels.”

A beat of silence passed between us before I spoke again.

“Then let’s make sure he does.”

I don’t know what I was thinking when I suggested it. Maybe it was the anger at my brother’s stupidity. Maybe it was the way she looked at me—like I was the only person in the world who understood her. Or maybe it was something else entirely, something I wasn’t ready to admit.

We found Arthur in the paddock later that evening, laughing with some friends, blissfully unaware of what was coming. As we approached, I caught his gaze. Confusion crossed his face as he took in the way I stood close to her, the way my hand rested on her waist.

Then, before I could second-guess myself, I leaned in and kissed her.

She didn’t hesitate. Her fingers tangled in my hair, pulling me deeper into it. She tasted like adrenaline and something sweet, something forbidden. My heart pounded against my ribs as the world faded away, leaving only the two of us.

When we finally pulled apart, I glanced at Arthur. His expression was unreadable—shock, anger, betrayal all flickering across his face in an instant.

Good. He deserved it.

But as I looked back at her, I realized something terrifying.

That kiss? It wasn’t just for revenge.