
One for the Money
- Genre: LGBTQ+
- Author: Judit Guevara
- Chapters: 42
- Status: Ongoing
- Age Rating: 18+
- 👁 204
- ⭐ 9.4
- 💬 0
Annotation
Roselyn Hunt is the epitome of a college queen: gorgeous, cocky, mean, and irresistible; she’s also the adoptive daughter of the infamous Tyler Hunt, the city’s most ruthless business tycoon. Lisa Hernandez always deemed their worlds to be opposite and irreconcilable, until a shocking revelation changes everything: turns out she's actually the secret daughter of Mr. Hunt, therefore, Roselyn’s secret stepsister. Will she resist her new rival’s threats and her fatal attraction? Or are they fated to burn from the very start?
Chapter 1: Big Bad... Stepsis?
The bell finally shrieked, like a metallic banshee slicing through the busy lecture hall. I shoved my notebook into my backpack, the zipper catching on the fabric and refusing to cooperate. "Come on, come on," I hissed under my breath, my fingers fumbling. My mind was already a step ahead, envisioning a well-deserved lunch break, the aroma of sizzling fries, and most importantly, Lynn, grinning at me from across the table.
I rushed towards the cafeteria and found her on our regular spot, already digging on her plate. Judging by the look on her bubbly face, she knew exactly how I was feeling.
"Finals week, huh?" she sighed, as I dramatically collapsed onto the bench. "I'm pretty sure my brain's about to spontaneously combust."
"Tell me about it," I mumbled back, shoving a fistful of fries into my mouth. "Between studying, helping Mom at the store, and volunteering, I barely have time to breathe, let alone think."
Lynn snorted, shaking her head with usual ease. We had been best friends since elementary school, and having her by my side after so many years was a true blessing.
"You know, you really should go out more often, girl. This is college, it's supposed to be fun. Why don't you come to the Summer Blast next week? I heard everyone will be there."
"Yeah, no, thanks" I grumbled. "I heard Roselyn Hunt is organizing it anyway..."
Lynn can't help but chuckle, visibly amused by my annoyance. "You could just, you know, *avoid* her. She's pretty good at keeping to herself. Especially when she's busy being the queen of the college."
"Queen? Really? She's more like a designer-clad caricature of a princess. You know how I feel about her... Plus, her dad is…well, let's just say the whole 'Hunt Industries' thing doesn't exactly scream 'ethical business practices.'"
"Oh, come on, Lisa." Lynn teased. "Mr. Hunt is known for being one of the richest and most ruthless tycoons in the history of town... How did you expect his only daughter to be like? But anyway, that's not what I'm trying to say. You work too dang hard: charity work, math club... Can't you have fun for once?" Suddenly, her lips twisted into a smile "Now that I think about it... Your birthday is right around the corner! What are you gonna do to celebrate? You must be super excited"
"Yeah, eighteen on Friday. Big whoop..." I muttered, feeling a strange emptiness in my stomach.
"Well, it's a big deal. A big, life-changing, freedom-bringing, party-throwing, legal-adulting deal," she said, her cheerful tone growing a bit more serious.
I just shrugged and took another bite of fries, trying to ignore the knot of nervous anticipation forming in my gut. "Yay. I'm officially a grown up now. I guess I can have ice cream for lunch then..."
"Amen, sis!"
I stood up and made my way back to the center of the cafeteria, scrolling lazily through my phone as I walked. But suddenly, I found myself stumbling and almost falling flat on my face. The click of her heels on the polished floor was the first thing I noticed afterward. A sharp, rhythmic counterpoint to the hushed murmur of conversations. My gaze, once fixed on the screen, was now captivated by two piercing grey eyes, glaring at me.
"Unbelievable" she said, a haughty smirk playing on her lips. "Lost another shoe, Lisa? This is the third time this month, right?"
"Hey Roselyn... Yeah, I guess I'm clumsy like that," I replied, standing up and meeting her gaze with a steely calmness. “Not like I'm busy juggling a social life the size of a small country or anything."
She paused and laughed at me; her perfect eyebrow arched in a silent question. Her features were delicate, but her frown was naturally intimidating. Her dress, a deep emerald green, flowed around her legs like a silken river, highlighting the subtle curves of her figure. Her auburn hair seemed to absorb the light, all the way down her plump breasts and golden necklace. For a second, I found it hard to believe someone so beautiful could be such a pain in the *ss.
"Guess some people are just naturally awkward, huh?" She finally replied. I suppressed a sigh and walked past her then, leaving her standing behind, the air thick with unspoken tension.
Later that day, back at home, I sat at the dinner table, the aroma of my mom’s pasta sauce filling the air.
“So, how was school?" Mom asked, her face alight with a tired but warm smile.
“The usual," I replied, pushing the pasta around my plate. "Finals are coming up, so everyone's freaking out."
"Don't worry, honey, you got this. You've always been passionate about business and marketing. And I'm sure all this effort will take you far one day" She assured, pouring more hot tea in my cup.
I can't help but smile then, knowing how much Mom has struggled in the past. Raising a child as a working, single mother is no easy job. I've seen her pull double shifts, juggle multiple jobs, and still come home with a smile on her face. Despite all the hardships, she never let her problems affect my education. She always encouraged me to excel in school, especially in math. It wasn't always my strongest subject, but she never gave up on me.
“Thanks, Mom. You're the greatest role model I could ever think of. You know I don't play when it comes to my future, and I'm happy to be doing what I love. I just wish some of my classmates weren't such a drag... And by *some of my classmates* I mean Roselyn Hunt"
I let out a laugh, but the word “Roselyn” hung in the air like an unwelcome fragrance. My mom’s face instantly turned pale, and her hand went to her forehead, almost as if she were trying to hold back a headache. Still, I decided to go on with our conversation.
"She's gorgeous, witty, everyone is obsessed with her... She was adopted by the most powerful man in town. I mean, her life is just picture-perfect, why does she have to be so mean all the time?"
The tension in the room thickened even more. My mother’s smile seemed strained, her eyes flitting away from me, almost like she was trying to avoid my gaze. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.
“Well, the Hunt family has a complicated background, darling, and she went through a lot in the past. Maybe you shouldn't judge her so harshly...” She said, her voice barely a whisper.
I stared at her, confused. “What? Do you know even her?”
“Not personally,” she assured, clearing her throat. “But I've heard things, and..." She hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath, her eyes locked on mine. "Lisa, there's something I need to tell you. You are a grown woman now, so I guess you deserve the truth..."
I looked at her, intrigued. I knew my mother was a woman of secrets, but I'd never really known what those secrets were. And now, Roselyn, with her flawless facade and the rumors swirling around her, was somehow connected to her. What could be the link?
She took a deep breath. "It's about your father…"
"What do you mean?" I asked, my heart skipping a beat. "Mom, please stop. I know that man abandoned us and left town long ago. I don't want to know anything about him, especially if it brings you pain. The only fatherly figure I've ever known, and that I care about, is Grandpa"
My mother took my hands in hers, her voice trembling. "He raised you with so much love, and you have every right to call him your father. But the truth is, your actual father is…” She paused, her voice a mere whisper. "Mr. Tyler Hunt."
My jaw dropped, my heart pounding like a drum in my chest. Roselyn’s adoptive father. That heartless tycoon. That man was my real father? How was it even possible?
“Are you serious, Mom? But why? I heard he's a monster, everyone hates him! How could you..."
“It’s a long story,” she interrupted, her voice tight. “But I’ll tell you everything. Like I said, you're an adult now. It's time for you to know the truth..."
And then she added something that made my mind race: “Roselyn is your secret stepsister, Lisa. She doesn't know that, of course. The whole Hunt family would freak out if they ever knew about you"
I just stared at her, stunned. This wasn’t the “life-changing, freedom-bringing, party-throwing, legal-adulting deal" Lynn had been talking about. This was something else entirely. This was a bomb that had just exploded in my life, leaving me reeling in the fallout.
My eighteenth birthday, a day I’d never considered a big deal, now seemed like a turning point, a doorway to a new reality. And this reality was stranger, more complicated, and far more tangled than I could have ever imagined. It was a world filled with secrets, hidden identities, and a family I never knew existed. And, now, my mother was finally ready to let me in.
Chapter 2: The Revelation
"It all started about twenty years ago, when I was your age" My mother began, almost gasping halfway through her memories. "I had just graduated high school, and your grandad was struggling with money, so I had to find a job right away. Obviously, working for Mr. Hunt didn't seem like the best idea, but it would help me pay the bills at home"
Mom’s words hung in the air, heavy and charged. "Tyler Hunt was...complicated," she continued, a faint tremor in her voice. "He was a brilliant businessman, but his tactics were shady, to say the least. He had a lot of powerful friends, and they helped him get away with many financial crimes. Fortunately, that had nothing to do with me. I was just a servant at his house."
"And you had an affair with him" The words almost spilled out of my mouth. "Mom, how could you?"
She sighed, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. "It was wrong, I know. But I don't regret it, Lisa. Not for a second. You are the most beautiful gift he ever g