Page 12 of Claimed By The Other Brother

"Scarlett Anne Bradford. We've known you for almost ten years. Try again."

I sigh, taking another sip of champagne.

"I'm fine. Just a little stressed. Normal pre-wedding jitters."

"And how's Miles doing with the jitters?" Jane asks.

"He's... stressed too. Work is crazy for him right now. And I think he's nervous about the wedding."

Sarah frowns. "Nervous how?"

"Just the normal stuff. Big commitment, life changing, all of that."

"You two are solid though, right?" Jane's expressionis concerned.

"I mean, you've been together three years. You're ready for this."

Am I? The question I've been avoiding all day resurfaces.

"We're solid," I say, hoping I sound convincing.

"We love each other. We're building a life together. It's going to be great."

"Damn right it is." Sarah grabs a cupcake.

"You two are perfect together."

Jane leans forward, eyes sparkling.

"Okay, so let's talk about later this week. You're finally going to meet the infamous Dax Blackwell."

I laugh. "Why do you say it like that?"

Jane’s eyes are now bulging out of her head.

"Because Miles barely talks about his brother, and from what I've heard, the guy is like a legend in the media industry."

Jane works in publishing, so she keeps tabs on major players in media and entertainment.

"Blackwell Media Corp is massive. They own networks, newspapers, digital platforms. Dax built most of that empire himself after taking over from his father."

"I didn't realize it was that big of a deal," I admit.

"Are you kidding?" Jane pulls out her phone, typing rapidly.

"Look."

She shows me a search result for Dax Blackwell. There are photos—professional headshots, images from galas and industry events. My breath catches slightly. He's striking. Tall, commanding presence even in photos.Salt and pepper hair, sharp jawline, piercing eyes that seem to look right through the camera.

"He's hot," Sarah observes over Jane's shoulder.

"Like, intimidatingly hot."

"He's Miles's brother," I say, pushing the phone away.

"So? You can acknowledge objectively attractive humans even when you're engaged." Jane grins.

"Besides, I want to meet him. It's fascinating that Miles comes from this huge media dynasty family and he's just... Miles. Working at a journalism outlet, living a normal life. You'd never know he had that kind of background."