CASPIAN

“You guys know each other?” Leo questioned, looking between the two of us, unaware of the storm raging in my heart.

The moment Lucas' eyes met mine, something unspoken passed between us—a flicker of recognition that sent a jolt through my entire body. The memory of that night came rushing back, the way he had made me feel both exhilarated and terrified at the same time. I never imagined I’d see him again, much less in my new home, as my stepbrother.

For a few agonizing seconds, we just stared at each other, both too stunned to speak. His expression shifted from confusion to something darker, his gaze narrowing as if he were trying to piece together the situation.

“What happened? Are you guys going to answer me?” Leo's voice cut through the tension, oblivious to the atmosphere between us. He tilted his head, eyes darting between Lucas and me.

Lucas recovered first, masking whatever thoughts were running through his mind with a charming smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Yeah, we've met before,” he said smoothly, his voice carrying that same confidence I remembered all too well.

I forced a weak smile, my heart pounding in my chest.

“Y-yeah, we have met… briefly, back in Texas,” I managed to say, my voice sounding too small for the weight of the moment.

My mind was racing, trying to figure out what to do. The last thing I needed was for Leo or any of the brothers to find out about our past, especially not when everything was already so overwhelming. Luckily, Leo didn't press further and turned to smile at me.

“Well, that’s great. I wish I could have met you before.” He nudged me playfully, completely missing the undercurrent of tension.

Lucas’ smile faltered for a split second before he plastered it back on.

“It’s good to see you again, Katherine,” he said, his tone carrying an edge that sent a chill down my spine. His gaze lingered on me for a few seconds too long, as if daring me to reveal our secret.

“Y-yeah, you too,” I replied, my voice shaky. I couldn't help but wonder what was going on in his head. Did he plan on saying something? Exposing our past? I couldn’t read him, and that uncertainty gnawed at me.

“Well, let’s get inside. Caspian is probably waiting to lecture someone about house rules or whatever.” Leo pushed Lucas aside and gestured for me to come after him. He had a little jump in his walk and that made me smile.

He was really cute.

I was following behind him, all the while feeling Lucas’ gaze burning into the back of my head. As we entered the house and the door was closed behind me, I tried to focus on anything but him, but it was impossible to ignore the sinking feeling in my stomach.

How was I supposed to live under the same roof as Lucas after everything that had happened between us?

As we walked through the grand hallway, passing by the entrance hall, I felt Lucas close behind me, his presence unsettling. I tried to speed up when Leo took a turn and disappeared in the hallway, but Lucas grabbed me by the waist and had me pinned against the wall.

“What are you doing?”

He pressed himself against me, “We need to talk, alone. Wait for me in your room tonight.”

“Guys?” We heard Leo and he pulled away.

I jogged, trying not to dwell on what Lucas said; things were very confusing already. Leo was waiting for me in the hallway, and together we walked to the living room where Dev was on the phone, his brow furrowed with worry.

The moment he saw me, relief washed over his features.

“Katherine! Where were you? I was worried sick,” Dev said, hurrying over to me. His concern was genuine, but I couldn’t shake the anxiety clawing at me from within. “Yeah, she’s back,” he said to the person he was on call with. I

“Did you call Dad for that?” Leo questioned, glaring at Dev.

“Yeah, I’ll call you later, Dad.” Dev scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, not being able to look me in the eyes. “Yeah, good night.”

“Dude?!”

“I didn’t know what else to do.” Dev sat on the couch, ruffling his hair in frustration. “Caspian was way too angry and almost called the cops. I needed to tell Dad first.”

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled, looking down at my feet. “I just needed some air. I didn’t mean to cause you any problems.”

Dev sighed. “It’s okay. Just… let someone know next time, alright? We don’t even have your number. We thought you ran away.”

Leo, sensing the heavy atmosphere, quickly jumped in to lighten the mood. “Relax, Dev. She’s fine, and Caspian can go suck himself.”

Just then I heard someone clear their throat from my left and turned to see a man standing near the hallway with his arms crossed. He was glaring at Leo, who jumped and went to hug the man like he was seeing him after years. Leo wrapped his arms around the other man’s shoulders and legs around his waist.

“Leo!”

“What?! I missed you.” Leo hugged him tightly, hiding his face in the other man's neck. “I’m seeing you after like two days.”

The man carried Leo to the couch and sat down, Leo still wrapped around him.

I smiled politely as he looked at me, drawing circles with his fingers on Leo’s back. He looked intimidating in his formal attire—a pair of blue trousers and a white shirt. He had medium brown hair that was brushed neatly and a pair of beautiful light green eyes. This family was gifted with good genetics.

“You must be Katherine. I’m Caspian, the oldest in the house,” he introduced himself in a deep voice. “Where were you?”

“I-I…”

“She was in the gazebo,” Leo said when I started faltering. “I saw her leave from my balcony.”

“What?” Dev questioned, clenching his jaw. “Why didn’t you tell us when you saw him screaming at me for no reason?”

“I already apologized for that, Dev.” Caspian turned his head, and Dev looked away, mumbling under his breath. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

“Because I wasn’t sure she would be there. So, I went to check that place first before making any claims,” Leo said like he was explaining to a child. “And I brought her back, and also because it was quite funny.”

“You’re weird, Leo.” Lucas sat down on the loveseat and patted the place next to him. I contemplated whether I should take the offer or not in my head, but in the end, decided to sit because I thought it would look weird if I didn’t.

“I’m the weird one?” Leo questioned, glaring at Lucas. “You’re the one who went to meet her but didn’t tell us anything. That’s so strange and creepy if you ask me, and I’m pretty sure we need to buy Katherine pepper spray to keep him away.”

“Very mature.” Lucas sighed.

“You went to see her?” Caspian questioned, turning his attention to Lucas. “You two have met before?”

He was staring at me, and I felt very uncomfortable because of the way everyone’s eyes were fixated on us. There was no way I was going to confess what happened back in Austin between me and Lucas. So, I planned to lie, following Camilia’s advice of planting the lie on the foundation of truth to make it more believable.

“In a club three days ago. I didn’t know he was… one of you.” I managed to speak, leaning on the couch. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I didn’t know you either. I thought you were just a random girl in the club, dancing and drinking with her friends.” He carried on with his story, looking just as annoyed as me.

“Did he flirt with you?” Leo questioned, and my heartbeat sped up.