Falling for the CEO's brother

Elise's pov

I have loved Marcus Grey for as long as I can remember.

It started off small when we were kids, the way he'd defend me from other kids, the way he'd look back to see if I was catching up when we were running, when he'd over me his ice cream when mine melted away.

All those little things started piling up until I fell so deep that I didn't know how to live without him so I stuck by his side ever since.

But, he would never find out how I felt. Our friendship meant more to me than my feelings so I would never do anything to ruin that.

Right now I sat in his room as he excitedly told me about the many things he was going to do at Grey tech once he takes over next week. His father had just handed over the company to him, three years after graduating from college

"This all feels so surreal, Lise!" He said happily, calling me by the nickname he had given me since we were kids which still made my heart flutter.

I smiled seeing the happiness in his eyes. As long as Marcus was happy then so was I.

"Of course I believe it. You've worked so hard for this, remember? You've earned it." I told him calmly.

His face turned from happy to boastful. "I know right? I'm simply so good at whatever I do."

"Shut up." I said, giggling and tossing a pillow in his direction making him erupt in a fit of laughter.

I loved this.

I loved us.

When we had gotten into college he had turned into the college superstar. Marcus Grey, son of Lucien Grey, one of New York's most influential billionaires.

His background plus his looks turned him to a fuck boy in no time. While I was Elise Bennet, last daughter of the Bennet family who owned the largest mine in the country and yet, I was a ghost. Just a shadow in their spotlight.

But I didn't mind because I had Marcus.

Although it had hurt to see him sleep with so many girls and come home drunk sometimes, I would still care for him, telling myself that it was all temporary. They were all temporary while I wiped his sweat.

I was brought back to the present as I noticed a serious expression on his face now.

"What's on your mind, pookie?" I asked.

He nervously rubbed the back of his neck, it wasn't like him to be so nervous so this made me sit up straighter as my mind started running countless thoughts as to what was bothering him.

"Well, you see lise." He stopped, ran a han down his face and blurted out. "I know this is too much for me to ask and I know that you have been wanting that position at your father's company but I cannot do this without you and I need you by my side. I know I'm being selfish but can you leave your father's offer and come work for me, I promise to give you a high position- maybe an executive. I'll give you anything! Just please say you'll be by my side."

I blinked in surprise because he had said all this in one breath and I needed a moment to process it.

He was right, I had wanted this position all my life so I worked hard for it despite it being my birthright and now he was asking me to leave it and come be by his side instead.

It was a lot to take on.

I bit my lips in thought as I looked at his pleading face.

He had never begged me for something like this and a position by his side sounded promising. Maybe if I was by his side in the real world then he might start to see me differently.

I knew it was a bit far fetched but when it came to Marcus, I would do anything. So before I could talk myself out of it, I looked at him and said, "okay."

****

I nervously smothered out non-existent wrinkles on my dress as I stared at myself in the mirror. It has been exactly a week since he asked me to come work for him. A week since I broke the news to my father who was disappointed but supported my decision.

I spent the night before laying out my outfit. It was a beautiful purple work dress that he had gotten for me a year ago and I had never worn.

I added our friendship necklace and a simple diamond bracelet for jewelry.

I sighed. "You've got this, Elise."

I didn't know why I was so nervous. Nothing was new besides work.

I walked out and got into the car with my driver who took me down the busy roads of New York until we arrived at Grey tech. The building stood tall and intimidating in front of me but I didn't let it phase me aside, squared my shoulders and walked in.

I nodded at a few staff on my way to the private elevator that led to his floor. I smiled imagining the look on his face once he noticed the dress I was wearing. He would love it.

I pushed the button for the top floor and began to ascend. My reflection from the elevator walls stared back at me and I could say that I looked prepared and unshakable for whatever lay ahead.

The doors opened with a soft ding and I walked out towards his door, heels echoing in the empty hallway.

I thought I was prepared. I thought my life was going to change.

It did. But not the way I had planned.

The moment I shoved those double doors open, I wish I had never stepped foot in this building because tell me why my eyes landed on Marcus with his lip locked on another woman.

Whatever confidence I had dropped to the bottom of my ass alongside my heart

She was a tall, stunning brunette perched on his desk, his hands tangled in her hair like she was his whole world. Their kiss was so intense and intimate, that for a moment it felt like I couldn't breathe.

I watched in shock until he finally pulled back once he noticed me standing there.

He didn't look guilty or embarrassed.

He didn't see anything wrong.

Of course he didn't.

He just... smiled, as if nothing was wrong. As if my world hadn't just been flipped.

"Elise!" His voice was warm and excited. "You're here! Perfect timing. I want you to meet someone."

I blinked, trying to calm myself and not to let the pain of betrayal show on my face.

"This is Victoria," he said proudly, wrapping an arm around the woman. The way he held her made me know that she wasn't like the girls from the past, she wasn't temporary.

She was permanent.

This had never happened.

No, no, no. I chanted in my head.

Time seemed to slow as his lips formed the next words that I had dreaded all my life. "My girlfriend."

Girlfriend.

The word stabbed deeper than I thought possible. "Gir-girlfriend?"

"Yes, we met a while back..."

His voice faded as all I could hear was the pounding of my heart in my ears. "Excuse me." I said softly, turning on shaky legs and heading out.

I wanted to hate her. But how could I? It wasn't her fault. She hadn't been the one to make promises to me under the night skies or to whisper "forever" in a little girl's ear. That had been Marcus. My Marcus.

And yet, he wasn't mine. Maybe he never had been.

As I walked out of that office that day with my spine straight and my chest hollow, repeating the same words over and over in my head because I refused to give up.

"Someday, it'll be me."

Even if it killed me, someday, it would be me.

Because my love for Marcus wasn't the kind you gave up on. It wasn't the kind that faded with time. It was stubborn, pure, maybe even foolish. But it was mine.

And for Marcus I would wait.

Elise's pov

I ignored his calls after that.

I know he didn't do anything wrong but I just needed space, so I lied that I was sick whilst I buried myself in my bed and cried my hearts out in the dark.

It was all going well until he showed up.

I heard my front door unlock. Living in a luxurious neighborhood has its perks, so I wasn't even scared that someone was breaking in to rob me. However I was scared that he was going to see me at my all time low.

I cursed the day I gave him a key to my house.

As his footsteps approached my bedroom door I squeezed my eyes shut hoping that it would somehow make him go away.

I heard him pause, probably to collect himself and then my door opened and he walked in. I kept my back turned to the door because I couldn't bear to look at him.

After a moment the room fell into silence. I waited for a minute, then a few more and it seemed like he had gone so I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding and then rolled to face the door and that was the worst decision I had ever made in my life because there he was, face right in front of mine, staring.

"Ah!" I screamed so loud I was sure it would be heard from the moon. My heart raced too fast . I thought it would burst out of my chest and all the idiot did was laugh.

"Glad to see you're alive."

"Don't ever scare me like that you idiot!" I screamed clutching my chest.

His shoulders shook with barely contained laughter which burst out when I shot him a glare. "oh my God." He said in between breath. "Yo-you should have seen the look on your face."

"Shut up." I threw a pillow at him which he effortlessly caught then moved my leg aside and sat on my bed with a sad expression.

"Why have you been avoiding me, lise?"

That looks... It crushed my heart. He had been so happy to introduce her to me and I ruined it.

"I..." what do I say? "I was honestly sick and didn't want to ruin your new couple's honeymoon."

He gave me a deadpan look.

With a sigh I said, "look, I was surprised. You never told me you were seeing anyone and it hurt you know. As your best friend, you hid that from me."

That was somewhat the truth.

"Oh, Lise." He pulled me into a bone crushing hug. "I understand now. I'm sorry about that, I just... I don't know. I was an idiot. I'm sorry."

"It's fine." My voice was muffled against his chest as I tried my best not to melt into him.

"I promise this will never happen again."

"Pinky?" I held up my pinky.

"Pinky."

Like that, another promise was made.

"Now tell me about her." Saying those words was equivalent to me swallowing class but I knew I had to be his friend first before my feelings.

His eyes lit up. "She's the one, Lise. She's the best thing that has ever happened to me. I know we're going to last."

****

Well... they didn't last.

I guess there really was a big guy up in the sky listening to my prayers. Victoria turned out to be the worst thing to ever happen to him. Their relationship was toxic and on and off for years until they finally broke up.

While he was heart broken and crying, I comforted him and celebrated every night when I got home.

Who said miracles didn't happen?

Three months after they broke up things were finally coming back to normal and I had Marcus all to myself. I was slowly working towards the thought of telling him how I felt.

"Stop daydreaming, you're at work." He said, voice cutting through my thoughts as he walked ahead of me.

We had come to LA for a business trip and he seemed awfully excited ever since we arrived. The way he looked at me and spoke to me, it was different.

"Care to share what has got you in a good mood lately?" I tried to pry.

He simply smiled, shaking his head. "Well... you'll find out tonight. Come to the penthouse by 8, dress beautifully. You wouldn't want to miss it."

Before I could ask more, he got into his car and waved at me as he drove away.

Dress beautifully? What's going on?

****

At exactly 8, I walked into the Royal hotel dressed in the most beautiful crimson dress I owned. Make up perfectly done as well as my hair. I was ready for whatever he was planning.

I stepped out of the private elevator and it felt like deja vu. I shook off the weird feeling and took a step forward, straight into someone's chest.

"Oh!" I stumbled back, my purse slipping from my hand.

A deep voice spoke, fine filled with low amusement. "Easy there."

I looked up and my breath hitched.

He was... gorgeous. Not polished and pristine like Marcus. He was rough and jagged. His dark hair was a little too long, falling over his stormy grey eyes. He had tattoos covering his entire left arm and disappearing into his dark shirt.

He looked out of place here, like he belonged in an alleyway with a cigarette between his lips, not outside the penthouse of the city's most powerful CEO.

I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. "Excuse me, but what are you doing up here? This floor is private."

His lips twitched like he was fighting back a smile. "And who might you be? The security guard?"

Heat flares in my cheeks. "No, but I know you're not supposed to be here. If Marcus catches you sneaking around the higher-ups' residences, you'll be lucky if all you get is escorted out. You could be arrested."

"Arrested?" he let out a smirk, and something about the way he said it sent a shiver down my spine. "That's a little too much, don't you think?"

"Not when it comes to people like you sneaking where you don't belong." I made my room harsher to hide the way he was unsettling me.

He paused for a moment, just studying me. There was this intensity in his eyes that made me shiver. Then finally, he extended his hand. "Sebastian."

I hesitated then placed mine in his. "Elise."

There was a flicker of recognition in his eyes but that was impossible because we had never met. Before I could allow myself to think much about it, I pulled my head back. "Well, Sebastian, I'd advise you to leave before you get caught. Consider this your warning."

"Consider it taken," he said softly, though the glint in his eyes suggested the opposite.

I stepped around him, determined not to give him another second of my time. He was probably a lower staff member who got curious or worse, a trespasser who thought he was smart.

Either way, he was none of my concern. The guards would take care of him.

I opened the door to Marcus's penthouse and froze.

At my feet lay... a path of roses.

A path of roses usually meant one thing, a proposal.

Was he... proposing to me?

Elise's pov

The room was lit by soft light to set the mood, the trail of petals led further into the house but I couldn't move. My heart was in my throat and at that moment all I could do was stare.

It was all how I had dreamed.

We had once had a conversation before about proposals and I was so surprised he remembered.

My hands came up to my mouth to stop the son that broke through. I knew my perfect makeup was ruined by the involuntary tears spilling down my face but I could care less.

The candles, the scent of the roses. Everything was all too overwhelming but I loved it.

This is it. This has to be it.

The giddiness bubbling inside me nearly spilled out as I continued to try and convince myself that it wasn't a dream but real.

He was waiting.

"Okay, you've got this Elise." a little pep talk to get over the nerves because I knew that at the end of the trial Marcus was waiting for me and it was best I didn't keep him waiting any longer.

Slowly and shakily, I took the first step. Then another.

That's it, one foot in front of the other.

The trail led me further into the house and my heart swelled with each step.

As I got closer to the main part of the house, I noticed that my family was present and they were smiling. I also say his family.

Oh my God, oh my God. I panicked internally not being able to believe that he got everyone here to witness such a beautiful moment.

He was really thoughtful.

Finally the path gave way and there he was.

He was dressed in a beautiful black, perfectly tailored suit with a bouquet in his hand and the most handsome smile on his face.

A little band behind him started to play a slow love song that added to the atmosphere and made me start to tear up again.

My eyes drifted to the neon sign behind him which said "Will you marry me?"

This was real. I couldn't believe it.

"Marcus..." was all I could say.

"Elise." He said my name for the first time in years, he only said it when he was very serious. "Today is about to be the happiest day of my life. I can hardly believe it!" He laughed.

"I know, I know." More tears kept pouring out and my throat bobbed as I swallowed down a sob. I can't believe it too. This is all... so beautiful."

"I took everything you said about a proposal back when we were in college. I noted it down and made sure to do everything perfectly just to impress you."

A chorus of "awnn" could be heard from his family and mine.

But he wasn't done. "All this wouldn't have been possible without you, Elise. I would have been so lost but I'm glad I had you by my side every step of the way."

"I'm glad I had you too."

"Elise-"

"Just skip the proposal and pop out the question."

My rush made everyone laugh, him as well.

"Okay, okay." He laughed slowly, lowering himself on one knee.

"She said the long speech isn't necessary so here goes."

Time slowed as I watched my dream finally become a reality.

"Will you marry me?"

I opened my mouth to say it.

"Yes."

That was it. That word to seal it all but...

It hadn't come from me.

I stood frozen as Victoria stepped out from behind me, running into his arms. He lifted her, spinning and laughing.

Everything replayed in my head.

I had been so delusional that I didn't see that his eyes kept flickering behind me. He wasn't thanking me for giving him tips for my proposal.

He was thanking me for giving him tips to plan this proposal... for her.

I felt a presence come up behind me, the person leaned close to my ear and said, "The only crime you committed was loving my brother?"

Brother?

Marcus didn't have any siblings.

Turning, my eyes landed on the person who spoke and it was someone I had never expected.