Page 79 of The Secret Heir Next Door

I grit my teeth, trying to ignore the sting of his words, but it’s hard. He’s doing everything he can to make me feel small, and it’s working.

Logan stands, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. "Chaz, I said enough."

The restaurant falls silent, all eyes turning toward us. I can feel the crowd's stares and the judgment in their gazes. I want to disappear, to melt into the floor, and be anywhere but here.

The woman on Chaz’s arm giggles, a high-pitched, grating sound that makes me cringe. "Oh, Logan, don’t be so serious. We’re just having a little fun."

"Is that what this is to you?"

Chaz shrugs, completely unfazed. "Lighten up, little brother. You’re taking this way too personally."

"That’s because it is personal," Logan says, his hands clenched into fists.

"If you say so. But don’t say I didn’t warn you when this all blows up in your face."

Logan doesn’t respond, his eyes locked on Chaz’s. The tension between them is palpable, like a coiled spring ready to snap.

Finally, Chaz sighs, as if this is all too tedious for him. "Well, I’ll leave you to your… dinner. But don’t forget what I said, Logan. It’s only a matter of time."

With that, he turns and walks away, the woman trailing behind him, throwing me one last condescending look before they disappear into the crowd.

Logan remains standing, his breathing heavy, his fists still clenched. I reach out, touching his arm gently. "Logan…"

He turns to me, his eyes softening at my concern. "I’m sorry you had to see that."

"It’s not your fault," I say, though my heart still races from the encounter.

"Yes, it is," he says, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "I should have known he’d pull something like this."

I stand, moving closer to him, and place my hand on his cheek, forcing him to look at me. "Logan, none of this changes anything. I’m here because I want to be, not because of what your family thinks."

His gaze locks on mine. "Serena…"

He leans in, his lips brushing against mine in a soft, almost hesitant kiss. It’s gentle at first, a question rather than a statement, but when I respond, wrapping my arms around his neck, the kiss deepens.

The world around us fades away, leaving just the two of us in this moment, connected by more than just physical attraction. It’s a kiss filled with everything we haven’t said and all the feelings we’ve kept hidden.

When we finally pull apart, we’re both breathing heavily, our foreheads resting against each other’s.

"I don’t care what they say," Logan murmurs huskily. "I want this. I want you."

I smile, my heart swelling. "Good. Because you’re stuck with me now."

He laughs softly, the tension easing from his body as he pulls me closer. "I wouldn’t have it any other way."

We stand there for a moment, wrapped in each other’s arms before the noise of the restaurant slowly filters back in. Logan sighs, glancing around before looking back at me.

"Do you want to get out of here?" he asks.

I nod, more than ready to leave this place behind. "Yeah, let’s go."

He grabs my hand, leading me through the restaurant and out into the cool night air. The tension from earlier fades, and we just lean into each other—soaking each other up.

We may have a lot to face, but for now, we have each other, and that’s enough.

18

LOGAN