“We need to talk, sweetheart.” “Talk about what?” I questioned, staring at Caspian to figure out what he told dad. “What were you guys talking about?” “Your dad will tell you that,” Caspian said standing up. “It's important you listen to your dad and try to understand.” “Understand what?” Lucas questioned, a little harsher and a little louder than anyone should speak in a hospital. “Calm down, Lucas.” Caspian walked towards us, and I turned to face dad. He pulled a pillow from the side to put it behind his back. “I need to talk to Kat, alone. So, if you two don't mind.” “Yeah, of course,” Caspian agreed but Lucas didn't. He groaned and added. “No, we can't leave her alone with him.” “Leave,” She said, keeping her eyes fixed on the man on the bed. “He is my dad; I will be fine.” “Come on,” Caspian took the reluctant Lucas out of the room and that made me question what happened before I came to the room. The quiet hum of the hospital room settled around us after
The sting of the slap still tingled on my hand, a pulse of heat that almost matched the rapid beat of my heart. I watched Harry stumble back, his face twisted in shock, and for the first time, I felt an ounce of power over him—a rare satisfaction that made me want to do it all over again. He straightened, his gaze flickering between me and my father, and I knew he was scrambling to regain control. His face shifted from shock to anger, a bitter sneer forming on his lips. “You are not going to tell her anything, Robert? You need to control her,” he hissed, his eyes sharp and accusatory as they darted back to my father.Dad looked at him, his expression softening with something I hadn’t seen from him in a long time—a quiet but determined resolve. “Harry, please leave us. I told her.” As those words left his mouth, I could see the change in Harry's expression. “She knows that it was you who made me send those texts.” Harry’s face twisted, and for a moment, I thought he might argue. Bu
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 He seemed withdrawn, almost like he was lost in thought, and every now and then, I’d catch him glancing my way, his brow furrowed, but he’d quickly look away if our eyes met.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
“Kat? What’s wrong?”I stared at him without saying anything. He looked hot without his glasses and perfectly combed hair. He was in a T-shirt and a pair of joggers. His hair was ruffled and I almost felt sorry for waking him up just because I was feeling hot. I wasn't even sure if he would fuck me, but I had no other option. I couldn't go to Lucas or Harry in that condition; Dev was the only one I felt would understand the condition I was in and wouldn't judge me for it. “Can I come inside?” I questioned and he nodded his head, pulling the door all the way. “Come in...” He stopped when he noticed I was only wearing the top, and nothing else. It was one of those oversized tops, so he didn't notice much when I was in the darkness of the hallway, but in his room, under the bright lights, he saw it, and his cheeks turned red. He looked at me in confusion, like a deer caught in the headlight. “Thank you,” I said, biting my lips seductively. “And sorry for waking you up.” “What is go
“One...” I was able to speak it out, raising my ass due to the sting that I felt afterwards. It hurt! It really did hurt! “Good! You remembered the rules.” He sounded almost impressed, and for some reason, that brought a smile to my face. “Not many remember the rules on their first time. I guess the internet articles did teach you a few things.” I was about to respond when without warning he spanked my other butt with the same force, if not more. I felt the vibration of the impact travelling up to my heart, and down to my crotch. I moaned. “Ah… two!” I remembered to count, clenching my jaw to hold back the cry. I wanted to turn back and finger myself because the sexual tension in my core was rising to a new height. “I thought you would forget about the rule, and I will get to hit you double the amount,” he said mockingly, and I braced myself for the next impact. “Not my day, I guess. Well, in that case, I've to make these forty spanks worthwhile.” The next hit didn't come
Caspian was sitting on my bed, leaning back a little with his strong arms at his sides. His legs were spread to give me a good look at his package. His features were sharp and flawless. He was truly God's sexiest creation and the most handsome among all the brothers. His forest-like dark green eyes undoubtedly beckoned me to be drawn into them since the first day I saw him. I couldn't wait to run my hand through his dishevelled, dark-brown hair, but somehow I felt like he was planning something else. I felt butterflies in my stomach seeing the first few buttons on his white shirt undone, revealing his bare chest. Just a glimpse of the muscular chest behind the fabric made me feel hot. I felt the urge to run my tongue down his body. He glanced at his wristwatch and then up at me, causing me to close my eyes in anticipation. He knew what he was doing to me, coming dressed up in his work clothes instead of the jeans and T-shirt he was wearing during dinner. “I-I… I don't know wha
“You knew he was watching us?” I didn't know what to think anymore. Caspian’s confession hit me like a blow to the chest. My trust in him, the way I defended him against Lucas, suddenly felt like a mistake. That familiar nagging voice, the ‘what if’ in the back of my mind, screamed louder than ever. I couldn't completely let go of the doubts, and Caspian saying he knew Lucas was watching us in the backyard brought back the fear. I took a deep breath and turned toward him. Caspian, who usually carried an air of confidence and control, now looked almost… remorseful. His head was down, and his eyes downcast as if he could already read my thoughts. “Don’t,” he whispered, his voice breaking as he continued. “Please, Kat. Don’t go there.” “W-why?” My voice was barely steady when I questioned, because my emotions were in a chaotic swirl. “Why didn’t you stop when you saw him? Why didn’t you tell me then?” He exhaled slowly, running a hand through his dark hair before sitting dow
The dining room was alive with chatter, the brothers bouncing between casual banter and stories while Mom and Derek listened with amused smiles. The long table was set with a spread that smelled heavenly—roast chicken, fried rice, creamy mashed potatoes, spicy crabs and grilled vegetables. Normally, the warm, lively atmosphere would have made me feel comfortable, but things were different that night. While I was extra cautious with Ian sitting beside me, nervously scratching his knuckles, I also had to deal with Caspian, who was directly across from me. He wore a dangerous smirk, and every so often, he would run his toes along the length of my legs. On the other hand, since the start Lucas had been quiet. He wasn’t talking like the others. Even Ian made a few comments when Derek addressed him, but Lucas just shrugged whenever someone asked him something. Instead, he’d been watching me. More specifically, he’d been watching Caspian, whose occasional glances my way seemed to int
Harry’s eyes looked for answers when he stepped into Ian’s room. His gaze was bouncing between the two of us like he’d stumbled upon something scandalous. “What’s going on here?” he asked his tone light but carrying the curiosity of someone who definitely knew something was brewing between them but wasn't sure. “Is everything alright? Ian?” I glanced at Ian, who had stiffened at the question. His fingers were fidgeting with the edge of his shirt, and the nervous energy radiating off him was almost visible. He didn’t want to talk about what had just happened, and I couldn’t blame him.I knew I couldn't leave it to him to answer because if he was socially awkward, there was also a huge possibility that he had trouble lying. I never had that difficulty, maybe because I was born to two of the biggest liars in the world. “It’s nothing important,” I said quickly, offering Harry a small smile. I stood, brushing imaginary dust off my jeans. “I was just asking him if there was something he
The moment I stepped back into the house, I felt a sense of relief. The cool air brushed against my heated skin, and I felt the shift in energy. My earlier interaction with Caspian still lingered in my thoughts, but as I walked toward the kitchen, I noticed Ian standing near the counter. He was pouring a glass of water, his shoulders stiff and his movements looked almost robotic. His silver hair was slightly dishevelled, and when he turned briefly to glance at me, I caught the telltale redness in his puffy eyes. My heart tightened. Ian rarely showed any vulnerability, preferring to stay quiet and blend into the background. Seeing him like this sent alarm bells ringing in my head. I forgot about Caspian almost instantly and walked towards him. “Ian,” I called gently, trying to understand what must have happened. He froze, his glass of water clutched tightly in his hand. He didn’t meet my eyes. Instead, he turned to stare at the counter as though it might give him an escape. “I
Mom was talking animatedly to Dev, her laughter light and carefree, while Derek engaged Caspian in a conversation about work. I sat there, feeling like an outsider, as Mom and Dev talked about the places she visited with Derek. It hurt me to see that Dev knew more about her than I did, and the way she talked with him showed how strong their relationship was. However, she read my mind because her eyes lit up all of a sudden as she forced the conversation towards me. It was a hollow try, but I let her, to see what she had for me. Just ten minutes ago, she commented about us making plans for the day, but she already forgot about it and made plans with Leo to check out a local spa and then cook dinner with Dev and Derek. “Kat,” her voice drew attention, her manicured hand on my arm. “Do you need anything, sweetheart? You’ve been awfully quiet.” I shook my head, managing a small smile. “No, I’m fine. Just a little tired, that's all.” Derek glanced over, his brows furrowing. “Y
The morning light stirred me awake, and I yawned, blinking at the warm haze filling my room. It was a Saturday, meaning no classes. Thus, I was planning to sleep till the afternoon, or at least stay in bed. But, that changed when I heard muffled sounds coming from below—voices, laughter, and some shuffling. I sat up, listened closely, and felt a slight tug of curiosity gnawing at the edges of my sleepy mind.After brushing my teeth and splashing some cold water on my face to wake up, I quietly made my way down the hallway, the gentle hum of conversation growing louder with each step. As I descended the staircase, I slowed, catching a glimpse of the scene unfolding in the entrance hall.There, sitting together on the long couch, were Derek and… my mother.I stopped short, taking in the sight of her. It felt like ages since I’d last seen her. She looked different, almost like a stranger wearing my mother’s face. She seemed… lighter somehow, more carefree. Her features were softened b