The car ride to the mansion was quiet, the three of us sitting with our own thoughts. Simon hummed to himself as he drove. Lucas was scrolling through his phone, but Caspian was the one who caught my attention. He seemed withdrawn, almost like he was lost in thought, and every now and then, I’d catch him glancing my way, his brow furrowed, but he’d quickly look away if our eyes met. I wasn’t sure what to make of it. As we drove through the massive iron gates, to enter the property, Simon gave a quick nod to one of the guards. “The security’s new here,” he informed me, a small smile tugging at his lips. “After Harry had a little fight with one of the guards, he had your dad fire the entire company.” I raised an eyebrow. “Harry fired an entire security team over a fight with one guard?” Simon chuckled, though there was a hint of discomfort in it. “He does things like that often. Had the whole mansion redecorated too, almost everything changed to fit his… vision.” "Almost everyt
Dinner in the mansion was quieter than I’d expected, a steady, almost awkward calm settling over the table. Margaret had prepared a beautiful spread of roasted vegetables, grilled fish, and bowls of mashed potatoes that looked almost too fluffy to be real.The clink of silverware against plates filled the silence, and I focused on slicing into my food to keep from looking too much at anyone else. My mind kept drifting back to my dad, lying alone in a hospital room. Alone, except for Harry.After a while, Margaret’s warm voice broke through the quiet. “Harry mentioned he’d be staying at the hospital tonight,” she said, finishing off a final pour of wine before setting the bottle down. “He asked me to tell you, so that you won't worry about Robert for the night.”I felt a knot tighten in my stomach, my appetite instantly evaporating. “Why does he need to stay the night? It’s not like…” I trailed off, biting my lip to keep from saying too much. I glanced around the table, knowing my re
I woke up with a groan, feeling like I’d barely slept. The unfamiliar weight of the London morning settled over me, pressing down even more heavily than the first day in Spring Falls. I rubbed my eyes, blinking at the light peeking through the heavy curtains, and reached for my phone on the nightstand. A few missed calls from Mom flashed on the screen, each missed call only adding to the unease churning in my stomach. I knew she wanted to check in, probably just to make sure I was fine, but right now, I didn’t want to talk. I tossed the phone aside and dragged myself out of bed. The bathroom was sprawling, with high ceilings and intricate tiles that must have cost a fortune. However, it all felt hollow to the memories I had of the place. The house echoed with a silence that reminded me of our family, when we were happy, when my parents loved each other, or at least pretended to love each other. I pushed that thought away and turned on the shower, letting the water steam up the
I blinked at him in disbelief. “You’re leaving already? But I thought you’d be around for at least a few more days.”Lucas shrugged, his smile fading slightly. “Plans changed. Dad called, we need to take care of some business stuff in Washington. Besides, we didn’t want to overstay our welcome, especially with all the… drama.” He glanced at Margaret, who was now quietly sipping her coffee, a knowing look on her face. “Sorry for the poor choice of word.” “Right,” I said slowly, trying to process this sudden shift. “And here I was thinking I’d get to spend more time with you two.”“It won't be long,” Lucas assured me, trying to lighten the mood. “Your dad will be out of hospital in a few days. You can fly back after that.” My heart sank a little at the thought of leaving dad so soon, but I told him that I leave when he is out of hospital. “Yeah, I remember,” I replied, though the excitement didn’t quite reach my voice.Margaret sensed the shift and jumped in. “You boys should stay fo
As I walked down the hospital corridor, a sense of determination steadied my nerves. I didn’t want the visit to be one where I felt pushed aside by Harry’s constant presence, his critical gaze always lingering, silently disapproving. I was determined to see dad on my own terms. Carrying the bag of food I and Margaret had carefully prepared, I focused on keeping my smile bright and my emotions in check.As I approached dad’s room, however, my hope wavered. Through the small window in the door, I could see Harry seated by his bedside, leaning forward, speaking with him in that familiar, smug tone. And the moment he saw me walk in, his eyes darkened, and his face soured, the easy warmth he’d worn melting into a look of irritation.“Hey, sweetheart!” Dad greeted me with a wide smile, one that softened the lines of age on his face. For him, I pushed away the anger brewing inside my heart and plastered on my best happy face as I walked further into the room. But Harry’s gaze was relentles
The drive back from the hospital blurred together in a tapestry of passing cars and shops, the city an indifferent witness to my tangled emotions. I’d always craved peace, a quiet kind of calm that I could never seem to hold onto when Harry was around. Even as the familiar streets drifted by, I felt a distance growing—between me, the life I’d known, and the perfect family I had dreamt about for years. Leaving dad behind had been even harder than I’d imagined. But staying? Staying had felt impossible.Weirdly, the thoughts I started to have on my way back mirrored the ones from almost a decade ago when I was leaving London. The parallels in my thoughts were too obvious to forget or ignore. That day confirmed that dad was never going to leave Harry, no matter what he did. By the time Simon pulled up to the mansion, exhaustion draped over me like a shroud. The house was quiet, almost too quiet, as I unlocked the door and stepped inside. The usual comfort of my room, the familiar scen
The next morning, I made my way downstairs, dreading every step I took because I could hear my grandma from the living room, yelling at Margaret because the tea was too hot. I didn't get enough time to think about leaving because I woke up to a text from Simon saying they decided to come earlier and he was on his way to pick them up from the airport. By the time I brushed my teeth and took a bath, they were home. I had no other choice but to face them. As I reached the living room, I spotted my grandparents seated stiffly on the couch, sipping tea in silence, their faces set in the usual stern expressions they wore like armour. Margaret was by the window, hands folded in front of her, watching the scene unfold with the air of someone hoping to keep peace but knowing it was a lost cause. “Good morning, Katherine,” my grandmother said crisply, glancing at her watch before giving me a long, disapproving look as I entered the room. “We were beginning to think you’d never join u
Two days had passed since I landed in the States, and my mind was still spinning from the whirlwind of changes surrounding me. Thoughts of my dad floated through my mind like leaves caught in a gentle breeze. The brothers tried to talk to me about it, but I shut them down nicely, telling them that I didn't want to talk about it. Lucas was the only one who insisted I tell him what happened multiple times, but stopped when he realised I wasn't ready to share it yet. For the most part of it ,things were back to normal. We are together while discussing some random topics. Dev was extra kind and warm, always taking care of me, while Caspian once again started to put distance between us. I tried talking to him, but it didn't work. He always had something important to be taken care of when I tried to talk to him. Others noticed that and told me not to think about it much because it was common for him to act like that sometimes. They told me that he would be back to his normal self i
“She wouldn't play with Dad like that, would she?” His question made me uncomfortable because Mom was doing exactly that. She was with Derek because of his money and she claimed he knew that too and was fine with it, but I didn't know if I could pass that information to Leo or not. Whatever agreement they had was between them, and I believed it wasn't my place to share that with his sons. Thus, I hid the truth but didn't tell him lies about Mom either. “I don't know her enough to comment about that. She hasn't been around much and you know she dated a lot of men between my Dad and yours.” “Still, she's your mother,” Leo tried to pull out any information, it was understandable that he was worried about Derek. “You must know something.” “I know that she's not the most responsible person on the planet, and didn't care about her daughter for years,” I said, remembering how I wanted to leave with her when Dad and her divorced. “Apart from that, she's just a stranger to me. I guarant
“Leo likes Kat's friend, and we just had a little disagreement about it,” Derek explained to Mom while she came to stand behind him. He was still sitting on the stool idly tracing a pattern on the marble top while trying to gather his thoughts. He looked older that morning, weighed down by the events that took place the night before. His brows were furrowed, lips pressed into a thin line, and his eyes were fixed somewhere far beyond the kitchen. “Oh! you didn't tell me about him?” Mom turned to look at Leo with curled lips. “Wait, is he the guy you've been texting recently.” Leo looked away, embarrassed. “And you told me it was someone from the class.”“You knew about it, yet didn't tell me anything?” Derek said suddenly and his voice carried that heavy, parental mix of frustration and concern. Though he didn't sound angry. “You should have told me earlier.”“I wasn't sure about it myself. Besides, I thought he was someone Kat was interested in,” she said, turning to look at me. “I
“Actually, Dad, I like Diego.” “No, you don't!” Derek almost laughed as he said those words. “You are too young to understand love.” “I'm an adult, and I'm talking about liking him and not being in love with him.” Leo walked to give Caspian a side hug and stood by his side instead of looking at Derek while he spoke. “I can do what I want.”“You don't have my permission to date some random guy you picked from the roads.” The kitchen felt like a pressure cooker, the air around us suddenly became too thick for comfort. I could feel it—the tension that hung between everyone, and how each breath sounded heavier than the last.I was standing by the island, pretending to look at the coffee mugs lined up on the shelf, but my mind was a swirl of thoughts. I could feel the shift, the quiet unease. Something was wrong, and it wasn’t just the way Derek responded to Leo, but something else was going on. I didn't know what it was, but I could feel it in my bones. The moment had been creeping u
My eyes fluttered open slowly, and I saw the sunlight streaming through the balcony in my bedroom. I groaned tiredly, my whole body was heavy with exhaustion from the previous night. For a brief, disoriented moment, I wondered if it had all been a dream—the party, the argument, the fight, the tension hanging so thick in the air it almost made me feel suffocation. My heart lurched as a thought shot through my mind. Caspian. ‘Is he still here?’ I questioned myself and turned my head quickly, scanning the room for any sign of him. The bed beside me was empty. No lingering warmth, no trace of his presence anywhere. I once again melted under the covers as a wave of relief washed over me. Though it mingled with a strange, inexplicable disappointment. I wasn’t sure which emotion was stronger; the relief of not being caught with him or the disappointment of not waking up in his arms. I touched my lips, remembering the way he kissed me in the tree house. His hands tenderly played with my
Caspian’s hand was warm as he took mine in his own and led me through the creeping shadows of the forest. The branches of the trees above us whispered secrets to each other. And our only companion in that dark night was the faint glow of moonlight filtering through the branches that swayed under the spell of the wind. The sounds of the birthday party faded behind us; the hum of voices and the music became a distant murmur that we couldn't hear anymore. I felt a strange sense of anticipation, like we were sneaking away to a place that existed just for the two of us. He stopped in front of a large oak that stood tall near their house. Its branches stretched in all directions, and the trunk was so wide that it would require at least seven people standing hand in hand to fully encircle it. The bark of the tree was rough and weathered, telling stories of countless seasons that had passed. A ladder was nailed into it, and it disappeared into the darkness above. Caspian’s lips curled
The music from the sound system thumped gently in the background, blending with the laughter and chatter that floated through the cool, soothing air of Lake Willow.The fairy lights strung along the trees cast a warm, golden glow across the boathouse and the surrounding clearing. Everything was perfect, in a way I hadn’t expected it to be. But then again, it wasn’t the beautiful decorations or the tasty cake that made the night special. It was the people—my brothers, my family—finally feeling like they had a place to just be.I watched Harry moving through the dance floor, surrounded by his friends, with joy in his eyes. He was laughing; his arms were flailing in a carefree rhythm that made me smile despite the fear of what Dad might do tomorrow, eating away my brain cells. If he decided to throw us out, I had to take care of my brothers and provide them with necessities. To most of their cards, Dad still had access, and he could freeze their account whenever he wanted; thankfully,
I already knew about the surprise party; Harry did too. The way Kat, Dev and others had tried to be subtle, sneaking around and exchanging knowing glances, was almost comical. Leo couldn't be sneaky, even if it cost him his life. I heard him speaking about the surprise on the phone more than once, while Harry guessed it seeing the way others interacted with each other. Both me and Harry figured it out days ago, but neither of us said a word to anyone. Pretending not to know felt easier than watching their faces fall, realizing all their hard work would go to waste. They wanted the day to be special—for us. Despite everything—the strained dinner conversations and the silences that cut sharper than words—we didn’t want to ruin it for them. We didn’t want to ruin their mood and take away the one thing they thought would make our day special. They were already going against Dad by planning the surprise. As we walked toward the boathouse, the air was still dense due to the argument
“A surprise?” I nodded my head, forcing a small smile. “Yeah, a surprise for you and Harry. Come with us and I promise you, it will be better than this.” He laughed, “Anything in this world is going to be better than this.” Dev looked down to lock eyes with Ian and, in a soft, love-filled voice, said, “I am sorry for not doing anything and letting you go through all of this; let me and the others show how much we love you.” “Y-you don't have to show me anything, I know,” Ian took a shaky breath and nodded before wrapping his arms around Dev. Just then, Caspian and Lucas appeared with Harry in tow. They were laughing about something, but when they noticed Dev and Ian, they stopped. A veil of confusion covered their faces as they tried to figure out what happened. “What’s going on?” Harry’s brow furrowed, and his eyes flickered between us. “Are you okay?” “Yeah, it was Alaric, forget about him,” Ian said, pulling away from Dev and then turned towards the others. “Did they
I saw Diego standing near the entrance with a small bag in his hand as I tried not to look at the people checking me out. He had a tense smile on his lips and looked lost, I almost laughed seeing him looking for me. He pulled his phone out and stepped to the side, hiding away from the stolen glances he received from ladies near him. He looked sharp in the blue suit he was wearing and had his hair slicked back. My phone started to ring and I realised he was calling me. I was about to pick up the call when he looked in my direction, and our eyes met, I waved my hand, and with a faint smile, he walked towards me. He had a little jump in his steps that he was trying to hide, but when he looked at me completely, his jaw was on the grass. All the nervousness due to being in an event like that and the unease from before was gone. His eyes sparkled and I felt Caspian turning towards him. “Wow,” he said, mesmerized as he looked up and down. Weirdly, with Diego, I didn't feel creeped out li