Chapter 1The Art Of Breaking A Toxic Quartet

Jax had his crew. Three guys, one girl. And that girl was the axis their whole world spun around.

My roommates had warned me countless times to steer clear of that tight-knit quartet.

I ignored them. It took a solid year of strategic pursuit, but I finally landed Jax.

Before he brought me into their inner circle for the first time, Jax gave me a severe warning. “Stella is the cornerstone of this group, the one we all protect. If you do anything to make her feel uncomfortable, we’re done. You and me.”

I nodded obediently, but on the inside, I was ecstatic. People like me thrive on subtly displacing the existing center of attention.

* * *

“You might be my girlfriend, Sasha, but Stella’s place in my life is the highest.”

“If you want to be with me, you have to respect her. You have to love her.”

My roommates nearly leaped across the room to curse him out after Jax finished his utterly ridiculous declaration.

I clapped a hand over my closest roommate’s mouth, my eyes crinkling in a sweet, placating smile. “Of course. Your friends are my friends. I’m sure Stella and I will be best friends.”

Seeing me act like a total doormat, my roommates sputtered with exasperation.

“You’re a gorgeous girl, Sasha! An absolute catch! Why are you chasing after a guy who comes with that toxic group? You’ll regret this, I promise!”

My friends left in a huff, but I paid them no mind, already linked intimately with Jax’s arm.

“Come on,” I said, tugging him lightly. “We shouldn’t keep your friends waiting.”

The moment the private room door swung open, my eyes zeroed in on the girl seated perfectly in the center.

She wore a simple, white sundress. She was the quintessential girl-next-door archetype, the kind of pure, sweet beauty that guys universally label as ‘the goddess.’

Two handsome guys were perched on either side of her, their body language undeniably proprietary and close.

I had expected this legendary "group sweetheart" to be spoiled or bratty.

I was wrong. The second she saw me, she sprang up, rushing over to take my hands in hers with a rush of warmth.

“You must be Jax’s new girlfriend! Wow, you’re gorgeous.”

She turned, directing the other two men. “This is Kian and Spencer. Why are you two just standing there? Welcome the new member!”

She introduced the other two guys in the group. Kian was the aggressive, short-haired type; Spencer was the one with glasses, the thoughtful-looking one. But beneath the surface of their polite greetings, I detected an unmistakable, vague hostility.

Spencer offered a tight, forced smile, his hand leaving mine the second our palms touched. Kian, the buzzcut guy, simply crossed his arms, making zero effort to hide his disdain.

I licked my lips, letting my smile deepen slightly.

Stella kept chattering, holding my hands. “A beautiful girl like you—how did you fall for that jerk Jax? He’s such a handful!”

Jax simply smiled, ruffling Stella’s hair with a familiar, easy affection. He then meticulously folded his jacket and placed it on her seat. “You’re on your period, Stell. Use this as a cushion. It’ll keep you a little warmer.”

Stella glanced at me self-consciously. “Jax, stop. Sasha will get mad. Are you trying to stir up trouble between us?”

The room went quiet for a beat. Jax’s brow immediately furrowed.

I simply raised an eyebrow in faux-surprise, completely unbothered.

“I would never get mad,” I chirped. “Jax already told me you’re the group’s sweetheart. Now that I’ve met you, I completely understand why. Such a pretty, sweet girl. It makes sense that the guys dote on you like a little sister.”

The tension in the three guys’ faces instantly eased.

Stella’s expression, however, stiffened almost imperceptibly. She quickly covered it up with a look of delighted surprise.

“You’re so different from the other girls! Jax’s exes always ended up creating girl-on-girl drama with me. I always wanted to be friends with them, but they just… hated me.”

She paused, looking down bashfully. “To keep me from getting hurt, the three of them actually stopped dating for a while.”