Lila Carter's eyes snapped open, groggy as hell. Her gaze swept the room—sharp angles, pure luxury. She froze.



Shameful flashes from last night hit her like a freight train. She tried to move her legs... Ow! That stung like hell.



Oh, shit. Total disaster.



She'd slept with her best friend's dad—Ethan Weston.



Rewind three days. To a blind date.



She'd just gotten dumped.



Her ex—Caleb Hartford? Already engaged. Lightning fast.



So yeah, she had a total brain—fart and said yes to a blind date with Ethan.



Her best friend, Bella Weston, swore her dad was loaded, handsome, and built like a Greek god. No bad habits. And in that department? Supposedly, he was basically a monk.



Marrying him? Instant Northside socialite. A literal cheat code for life.



Lila hadn't agreed at first.



But then her ex's new fiancée started sniffing around, looking for drama. That's when Lila changed her mind.



So what if it was a blind date?



Just marrying an older guy, ten years her senior?



And if he wasn't great in bed? Even better. She had zero plans to "sacrifice" herself for anyone.



Anyway, the Hartfords wanted her married off fast—desperate to get her out of Caleb's hair, stop her from being a ticking time bomb. She owed them for raising her. This was her way of paying them back.



But Lila never imagined Bella's dad would not only still have it, but in a drunken fury, pin her down and go at it again and again.



It was like... he'd never touched a woman before.



Her best friend hadn't lied. Her dad—ten years older—was undeniably handsome, with this intense, powerful aura. He signed the marriage papers with a blank face. But when his Adam's apple bobbed... damn, it was hot.



Right after they tied the knot, he had a business dinner. He sent someone to move her stuff to Lethan Lakeside Cottage.



Bella was supposed to move back in with her. But she went back to school instead. Lila had no idea why.



Then Ethan came home.



Reeking of booze.



She tried to help him to the bathroom... but next thing she knew, he had her pinned against the vanity.



And then... everything snapped and the night went wild.



Lila pressed her hands to her burning cheeks, shaking her head hard.



She couldn't let her brain go there. Not again.



Her legs still felt weak. She practically wobbled into the bathroom and jumped into the shower, hoping the hot water could wash the chaos off her skin.



When she came out, she stared at the crumpled sheets.



At the bright red stain that hit her like a punch.



Her chest tightened. Her head spun. Everything inside her was a mess.



She'd loved Caleb for years. Finally worked up the nerve to confess.



He actually said yes.



And then, three months later, he dumped her like it meant nothing.



His excuse?



"We're not a good match."



Yeah. Sure.



Her parents died early, her uncle's family ate up the last scraps of her family business, and if the Hartfords hadn't stepped in, she would've ended up in an orphanage.



She and Caleb grew up together—childhood sweethearts all the way.



She honestly thought they'd make it.



Then he hit her with:



"I've always seen you as a sister."



A sister?



So what the hell did it mean when you said yes?



Dating me? Taking me out?



Was it some twisted joke to you?



Lila was proud. Too proud.



Once she entered college, she moved out of the Hartfords' place and lived on her own.



Now she was just months away from finishing her master's degree.



Half a month after the breakup, Caleb never reached out.



Not even once.



She told herself,"I hate him."



But she didn't have the right to hate him.



No ground to stand on.



All she could do was avoid him and swallow the breakup like poison.



Bella saw all of it—her heartbreak, her silence—and immediately came up with an insane idea:



A blind date.



With her own dad.



Ethan Weston, CEO of Weston Corporation.



"My dad's hot and loaded. Way better than your 'Lucky Guy.' And if you run into him? Even better—you'll blow him up with how good you look. You can't just date some rando and let Lucky Guy act like he's above you, right?"



Bella always called Caleb "Lucky Guy" because, to her, Lila was the best girl on the planet.



Caleb had her love for years.



Talk about hitting the damn jackpot.



"Don't worry. My dad's basically a monk. Super chill. He'd never try anything with you."



"My grandma's been on his case about getting married. Sure, he's been married before, but rich heiresses keep throwing themselves at him, and he won't even look their way. He keeps saying he wants someone gentle, mature, talented. And you? You're perfect!"



"Dad won't pull anything. Not with me right here! We'll cash out big, then you dump him! After that, it's just us, traveling the world!"



Lila stared at her best friend, wondering if Bella was actually a scam artist hiding in plain sight.



They were both at Northside University—Lila about to graduate, Bella just starting.



Twenty—five and seventeen. The weirdest best friend combo ever.



And now? Lila was about to become her best friend's stepmom.



Marrying her dad.



In a giant age—gap marriage.



Holy hell.



Bzzzt. Bzzzt.



Her phone vibrated.



Lila dug it out from under the bed and glanced at the screen.



\[Mr. Weston\]: Urgent business. Get some rest. Need anything? Tell Martha.



She typed back quietly: Okay.



Then she scrolled.



Bella had texted:



"Hey, we were supposed to celebrate you ditching single life, but my advisor blew up my phone last night, so I rushed back to school. It got late, so I didn't come home. Anyway... how'd things go with you and Dad?"



Lila's cheeks went hot.



Yeah, she could not text back:"Well, your dad and I totally ended up in bed."



Too embarrassing.



And Bella's info? Completely wrong.



Her dad "can't"?



Please. The man was built to ruin someone in bed.



Just as she tried to think of a reply, Bella called.



"Lils! You're up! Martha said you haven't even left your room yet."



"My dad didn't give you a hard time last night, right? I told him you're my best friend, so he better be good to you."



"Oh—my advisor said my paper is a disaster. I need a genius to save me. Library?"



Lila froze for a second.



So Martha didn't tell Bella she spent the night in her dad's room?



A maid who knows when to shut up.



Perfect. Give that woman a raise.



"Alright," Lila said."I'll grab a ride over."



"A ride? Girl, didn't you just get your license? Go pick a car from my dad's garage!"



"........."



"After we fix my paper, let's drive out to the suburbs. I got your wedding gift."



Lila sighed.



Guess she was driving today.



She went to the garage and chose the "most low—key" thing she could find—a blinding white, top—tier Mercedes.



For the Westons, this was basically a starter pack.



The Hartfords—big name in the Southside—still couldn't touch the Westons' insane wealth.



Bella was right. Her dad was hot and rich.



Premium "marriage material."



Lila drove like a ninety—year—old grandma, terrified to scratch even the paint. She'd never afford the repair bill.



At the library, Bella was already there, glued to her phone, chatting nonstop.



She spotted Lila and instantly hung up.



"Momma!"



That one word nearly sent Lila straight to the floor.





Marry My Bestie's Dad