Violet barely heard from Noah all week after their card game. He seemed a little off when he left, but she attributed it to tiredness; it was late, after all. Days passed, and he didn't initiate a single text. He barely responded to her texts about his day during her work breaks. Something was clearly wrong. She would have to ask him about it on Sunday.

Aside from her worry about her best friend, her week had been fantastic. The casting announcement was made, and she landed the role of Clara! This was remarkable, especially since it was only her third Christmas season with the company.

That night, Violet excitedly told Jeremy about her casting, emphasizing how unusual it was. He seemed impressed and offered his congratulations. His complimenting look made her feel warm and fuzzy inside.

Despite what she'd told Noah, Violet's feelings for him deepened with each encounter. However, she perceived him as much more sophisticated than herself, fearing she couldn't be her whole self around him.

Noah had spoiled her. She didn't worry about her behavior around him because he always accepted her unconditionally. This wasn't the case with others—a lesson learned early in life. Kaleb disliked her for a time because she was too clingy, and middle school peers considered her a goody-two-shoes. It wasn't until high school that she learned to present a more carefully curated image to make friends.

Jeremy was a great conversationalist, but Violet doubted he'd enjoy playing games with her brothers. She decided to test the waters before getting more attached.

During dinner, she blurted out, "I know you've already planned dinners all week, but could Kaleb and maybe Nathan join us tomorrow?"

He smiled, leaning on one hand. "Sure. I'd love to meet your brothers. What about Oliver?"

"He's at MIT. Didn't I mention that? He'll be home for Thanksgiving in a few weeks."

"Oh, right. Keeping track of all your siblings must be tough. I don't know how your mom does it," Jeremy joked.

The easy part was over. Convincing her brothers to attend proved much harder.

Kaleb was stunned to learn she was dating someone, especially their dad's assistant. He'd assumed she and Noah were an item. Violet corrected him sharply.

Once he realized she was serious, he immediately became the overprotective brother, bombarding her and their dad with questions. This opened a whole new can of worms.

"You've been dating Jeremy?!" Aaron exclaimed, stunned, sinking back into the couch.

"Yes?" she replied, wishing it didn't sound so uncertain.

"How long? What have you been doing? He hasn't done anything inappropriate, has he? Because if he has, I'll kill him!"

It took over fifteen minutes to calm their father down after explaining the relationship's casual nature, especially after revealing her intention to introduce him to her brothers—a sign of things getting more serious.

By the time she persuaded Kaleb and Nathan (who acted like guard dogs) to attend and behave, she had a headache. Initially, they planned to grill Jeremy.

The next day, they took the subway to her studio and drove to the restaurant together. Kaleb had even shaved and combed his hair, abandoning his usual disheveled look.

They dressed up and adopted their most intimidating expressions. Those idiots! They always acted this way with her boyfriends. Oliver would likely be just as annoying when he returned home, provided Jeremy passed the brother test and they remained a couple. Violet worried she'd made a huge mistake.

"Behave yourselves, or you're dead," she hissed, pulling them down to her level. Why did they have to be so tall?

They nodded, rubbing their ears as they entered the restaurant. Jeremy was waiting.

"Hey, Violet," he greeted cheerfully.

He reached for a hug, but Kaleb stopped him with a hand and a glare. "Shouldn't you introduce yourself first?"

Jeremy stepped back, extending his hand. "Jeremy Ward, nice to meet you. I assume you're Kaleb?"

"How did you know?"

He shrugged. "Lucky guess. Fifty-fifty chance."

Kaleb scowled. "Fair enough. Then you must know this is my brother, Nathan."

Nathan waved silently. The tension was palpable. Violet plastered on a smile and ushered them inside.

Once the waitress took their drink orders, Kaleb began in a menacing tone, "Tell us about yourself, Jeremy."

Jeremy remained calm, ignoring the implicit threat. This impressed Violet. She hadn't warned him about the interrogation, and he was handling it well.

"I grew up in Washington, D.C., an only child. I studied economics and mathematics at Yale. In my free time, I enjoy reading and solving word and number puzzles."

Nathan's eyes narrowed. "What free time? Dad says you're always working."

Jeremy remained unfazed. He waved his hand casually. "I take pride in my work, but that's an exaggeration. If I were 'always working,' I wouldn't have time to see Violet, would I?"

Nathan grumbled, conceding the point. Violet was surprised; he was usually more argumentative. Another point for Jeremy.

(The final promotional sentences were removed as they were irrelevant to the text cleanup and seemed like an advertisement.)