Chapter One

"You look great," A deep but familiar voice complimented me from behind. Glancing up from my spot on my plump mattress, I saw Jacob standing looking at me with a smile and twinkling eyes. Even though the boy was my brother, I couldn't help but recognize his good looks.

"Thanks. Do you need something?" I asked when I saw a tie hanging limply from his long fingers.

"You know me too well, Soph," He said as an answer before walking over to me and handing me the light blue piece of cloth.

"Who would have guessed after knowing you for 16 years?" I replied sarcastically while expertly wrapping the tie and masterfully setting it up around his slender neck.

"No need to get mean. Hurry up, Marilyn and Dad wants us downstairs."

I nodded as an answer and walked over to my body-length mirror to examine my appearance. My normally straight black hair was curled to perfection thanks to my older sister while my make-up was applied to make me look like I stepped out of a magazine cover. The dress that adorned my petite form classily was light blue and matched my brother's tie.

"Soph, let's go. Marilyn's being even bitchier than usual," Carolyn, my older sister, said while poking her head in my room.

Immediately, I followed her clacking heels down the large stairs to where everyone was waiting patiently. My dad stood up when he saw me approaching and gave me a wide smile which only created a flash of red on my cheeks.

"Finally, you take so long," Marilyn complained in a snap. I glanced over at her and nearly tripped down the stairs but luckily David, Carolyn's fiancé, caught me before I made a fool of myself.

"Sorry," I apologized without sincerity while practically glaring at my step-mother.

"I would never have forgiven you if you made us late to this hotel opening. We are a family of class," She sneered at me with her head held up high in a ridiculous manner.

I rolled my eyes and replied, "I've been in this family longer than you, I would know."

Her face slowly gained a red shade of anger and I nearly laughed at how narrow her eyes became.

"We should get going. We wouldn't want to be late," Jacob finally said which slightly cut the tension of the room. Marilyn's eyes immediately softened at the voice of her step-son and I inwardly gagged.

"Yes, Jacob, you're right," She nodded her approval and looped her arm around her husband's before leading our family out our large front door.

"I hate her," I said without lowering my voice as I walked beside my brother behind the other two couples.

"You know, if you were nicer to her, she'd be nicer to you."

I raised my head to meet his brown eyes. "Oh puh-lease! She's hated me from the beginning and it has nothing to do with me being 'nice' or not to her. Plus, I doubt me faking would be any better. I would just accidentally push her down the stairs then pretend to beg for her forgiveness."

Jacob shook his head tiredly. We've had this argument many times before. "Soph, one of these days, your big mouth is going to get you in trouble."

"Well then, good thing that day isn't today," I winked at my older brother which he only chuckled to.

---

We arrived at the elegantly embellished hotel in fifteen minutes. As our limo driver, Miles, helped me out, I murmured a soft thanks. He nodded kindly at me and we shared a tiny grin.

There were long drapes hanging off the side of the building that emphasized its sophisticated theme along with nicely dressed staff at its entrance. The hotel had large lights flashing everywhere and even a few paparazzi lingering around in hopes of a famous celebrity showing up. When they realized there weren't any celebrities, they settled for us: the Liang heir and heiress.

"Jacob, look over here! Sophie!" The two of us stood next to each other while posing with our best sides towards the cameras. While Jacob smiled his perfected boyish grin that girls swooned over, I tilted my head downwards just slightly while twisting my lips in a sexy smirk that I knew the public loved.

"At last, the Liang siblings show up," A familiarly sultry voice teased beside me. Slowly turning my head towards the voice, I couldn't help but let the grin overcome my lips.

"Emma! You're back from France!" I yelped while stylishly giving her the cliché peck on both cheeks. Marilyn would kill me if I gave my best friend a bear hug in front of all these cameras.

"Oui mademoiselle," She answered with a faultless French accent. I giggled in excitement at being able to catch up with my best friend who spent nearly a month enjoying the sights, including boys, of Paris.

The two of us linked our pinky fingers and slowly walked towards the hotel entrance with our renowned smirks playing on our lips.

Once reaching the safety of the hotel lobby, we let go of each other's hand and immediately enveloped each other in a hug.

"I missed you so much! How was everything? Meet any cute boys? Have any steamy rendezvous?" I asked with a wide smile that showed only straight white teeth.

"It was so much fun but it would have been even better if you went," She whined with a pout.

"Yeah right, as if that bitch would let me. Apparently, even though we're millionaires, we can't afford a friggin' plane ticket to France." I rolled my eyes at the memory of Marilyn trying to explain to me why I couldn't go with Emma to Paris.

"Ugh, I hate her. Did your dad divorce her yet?"

"I wish! I don't get why he's with her."

We began walking towards the ballroom where the party was being held. I could feel the gazes of nearly everyone we walked past and reveled in the feeling.

"Must be good in the sack," Emma crudely suggested.

Immediately, I smacked her slender arm. "Ew Em! He's my dad!"

"Ow! You're acting as if your dad isn't totally hot," She argued while rolling her beautiful bright blue eyes.

"We're stopping this conversation right now," I stated as I looked around the largely built ballroom where there had to be over 200 people situated. We were still looking around when we heard a loud screech from our left.

"Sophie! Emma! Omigosh! I haven't seen you guys in forever!" I looked at the older girl with an eyebrow raised and I had a feeling Emma was doing the same.

"Amelia, I haven't seen you in a while," I greeted coolly with a tiny grin.

"Yeah, I went to Greece with Kyle but now I'm back! We're all over there," She said while pointing to the left where I saw many of our usual crowd standing. Emma and I began walking towards them without replying to Amelia. "Sophie!"

Sighing, I slightly twisted back to her. "Yeah?"

"I haven't seen Jacob yet… is he here?"

"Yeah." With that, I continued walking and eventually saw my boyfriend sitting in the midst of teenagers.

"Hey baby," I heard as I approached. I smiled slightly and sat on his lap while greeting him with my lips. I could hear a few chuckles from behind me but I could care less. Robert may not have been the smartest or funniest guy around, but he was definitely the cutest and the best kisser. It seemed like only seconds later when a loud announcement over the speakers told all the guests to return to their seats. I decided that Robert's lap was much more comfortable and didn't move from my position. There were looks from the adults surrounding our table and I knew this would piss off Marilyn but that only made me want to stay even more.

The night was filled with boring speeches from nearly everyone in the room and dozens of plates of food flooding our table. It seemed ironic to me that rich people got so much food but we were the ones who were most concerned about our appearances.

A few hours later, I was bored out of my mind and desperately wanted to leave but Jacob assured me over ten times that we couldn't leave until Marilyn said so.

What a suck-up.

When we were finally allowed to go home, I made sure Marilyn and all her little superficial friends saw me stick my tongue down Robert's mouth and even emitted a loud moan to piss her off even more. Jacob only laughed when he realized what I was doing.