Emily’s Dilemma: Seduced by Billionaire Brothers

Amanda Burke had never experienced the same amount of wealth most of her peers from high school had experienced. She wasn’t from a very rich home, living with a single mom and a special need younger sister, she had lived all her life in need envying the upper class and wishing that just for a tiny bit she could be them and she could experience the same amount of wealth they had.

So when she saw Jackson Hatton grace the four walls of the high fashion boutique she worked at, the memories had started rushing back.

Ethan Hatton Frank Weatherbee and that heart break that was too much for a 15 year old to bear.

She had frozen when he looked at her, almost recognized her but truly she wasn’t expecting him to remember her since she had no direct contact with him, but somehow her face had pulled on a memory and her pulse quickened at the thought.

“Do I know you?” she recalled his question, still pompous. They never changed the elites. They always carried with them the air of superiority, pride because they had all the money in the world to bend things to their will.

Suddenly, she pulled on her colleague Jennifer’s arm long after Jackson and the lady he came with had left.

“What do you know about them?” she asked, she was just back in New York City after some years and she knew she had to play her cards right.

“Who?” Jennifer gave her a weird look, her brows raised in confusion.

“That guy that just left with that lady” she pressed on, pushing away stray hairs from her face.

“Jackson Hatton?” Jennifer said and Amanda nodded, she didn’t want to let on the fact that she knew who he was and in fact they went to the same high school.

“He’s a billionaire’s son is what I’m sure of and the youngest brother to Ethan Hatton, they’re this big conglomerate family. They’re quite popular among the elites and he comes here often”

“That lady he was with? Are they together?” This particular one, Amanda wasn’t sure of, she was still new to New York’s gossip.

This time, Jennifer’s big blue eyes had a weird glint to it and she pulled Amanda aside away from listening ears that might be lurking around

“Apparently she’s Ethan’s wife but word on the street is that Jackson has the hots for her too, as you can see they’re even shopping together for the fundraising party”

“So where does that leave Ethan?” Amanda asked, feeling a surge of adrenaline shoot up her veins but Jennifer shrugged, stacking the hangers from the racks.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

“No idea, honestly it’s all gossip. Most of these blogs would carry anything doesn’t mean its true”

But still, Amanda was relentless. She needed a way in, maybe just to see Ethan one more time her first love.

“You said something about a fundraiser how can I get in?”

Suddenly, Jennifer burst out laughing, a joyless laugh that didn’t reach her eyes.

“You? Get into a fundraiser for the elites?”

“What’s so funny?” Amanda stared oddly, her rosy cheeks even growing rosier.

“You see Amanda, I know New York can be a city of dreams but you’re dreaming a little too big. Stack these hangers, will you?” Jennifer said, placing the hangers on Amanda’s palms and sauntering off.

“I grew up here” Amanda wanted to say but she held the words tightly within her lips. She was going to get into that fundraising party, and she knew exactly how she was going to go about it.

****

It had been a week already and Amanda and Ethan had spent every waking minute together, attached by the hip and unwilling to let each other go. But that very morning, Amanda stood by her locker with her heart beating in anticipation of Ethan passing by her locker. She bit her lips nervously, her slim fingers clutching her books tightly in fears that the previous day was just a dream that she could no longer hold on to, that she had long woken up from to the harsh realities that she in fact might not be up to Ethan’s standard. It was true that she wasn’t among the elites like the rest of her schoolmates, she was a scholarship student and she had to work extra hard at everything she did but all of the time it wasn’t enough, it was never enough when the rest of them got everything with the snap of their fingers.

Amanda closed her locker, about to leave when she felt a presence behind her, the familiar scent she had only started getting used to suddenly surrounding her, she felt the slow blush creep up her cheeks and she turned around to find Ethan smiling widely at her.

“Hey” she said shyly, her heart suddenly quickening but Ethan only moved closer to her, his hands snaking around her slender waist and her placed a soft kiss on her lips.

“Walk you to class?” he asked and she nodded. Ethan laced his fingers with hers, he saw the nervousness in her eyes and it was the stares of the onlookers, the whispers, it was hard not to listen

“What’s Ethan doing with miss scholarship student?”

“Are they dating?”

“She’s not even that pretty, if you actually look at her”

“Ethan can definitely do better than that”

“Don’t listen to them” Ethan said to her “I can only see you”

But the doubt stayed dancing in her eyes as she looked at him, her eyes searching his for sincerity and trying to fish out any hint of doubt but Ethan kept his eyes locked on hers.

“I have a surprise later for you Amanda”

Amanda had a coy look on her face now “Are you going to ask me out to junior prom now Ethan?”

“And you had to ruin it” Ethan laughed

“No really Ethan, if you’re going to ask me then my answer is yes but I don’t want the attention that comes with a proposal”

“Why not?” he asked but she shrugged in response, and he could see it in her eyes the reason but he understood it perfectly and he didn’t push any further. By then, they had reached her class and Ethan unwilling let go of her hand, a smile playing at his lips

“I’ll see you at lunch?” he asked and she nodded before she turned around to leave. When Ethan turned around, there was Frank Weatherbee just breathing down his neck, and Ethan side eyed him.

“Personal space, no?”

“I have a deal for you” Frank said immediately

“I don’t want to hear it” Ethan said dismissively attempting to walk away but Frank blocked his path, and because he was bigger than Ethan he seemed quite intimidating but Ethan locked eyes with him, his face darkening and unmoved.

“Move” he said quietly, but the venom laced in his voice didn’t go unnoticed, Frank didn’t budge, his foot stay rooted to the floor with their eyes still locked together.

“Don’t ask her out to prom” Frank finally said and Ethan gave a low chuckle that hinted at triumph

“Too late Weatherbee”

Suddenly Frank grabbed Ethan by his collar and nearly slamming him against the wall, the fury dancing in his eyes already

“I won’t ask again Hatton, next time I’ll do worse than pushing your little brother down the hill”