Standing just outside the main building, I glanced at my phone, trying to book a cab for the ride home. The afternoon sun was fading, leaving a soft glow that made everything seem quieter than usual. After a few taps, though, my screen flashed the dreaded ‘No drivers available in the area. Please refresh’ text. I sighed, wondering if I’d be stuck waiting longer than I’d planned. I turned my internet and once again opened the app, hoping for another result. “Katherine?” I heard someone call my name from behind. I turned to see Diego approaching, his easy smile softening the usual spark in his eyes. “Everything alright?” he asked, looking from me to my phone with mild concern. “Oh, yeah,” I replied, trying to sound nonchalant. “Just booking a cab to get home. It’s being a little stubborn.” He tilted his head, considering, before offering, “I could give you a ride if you’d like. My car’s just over in the lot.” His offer was generous, and I was grateful, but part of me hesitated. I
“Please, Kat, tell me if he likes guys.” “Why do you care?” I opened the main door and waited for him to come. “Aren't you with the golden boy of the town?” He stood in front of me instead of going inside. “No, Elias and me, we are more of friends. I like his company, and that guy was hot. I like hot guys.” “Wha... that's... I don't think you can say that.” I pushed him inside the house and walked behind him. “I can, it's not racist or anything,” he countered and I was at a loss of words. “I-I... you know what, forget it.” Leo laughed as we made our way through the entrance hall. The room was unexpectedly crowded—the whole family was gathered there rather than in the family room for the first time. Caspian and Dev were talking in low voices, their heads close together, clearly immersed in whatever Derek had recently told them about the upcoming party. “Welcome, you two; take a seat,” Dev said when his eyes landed on us. I nodded and went towards Neel who was l
I went to my room after that, not knowing how to feel about my mom coming back. It was such a relief to be with her family, still not be with her. I started to like the new living arrangement, but I knew after she's back it would start to go down. She had a tendency to control my life, to make me whatever version of her she had in her mind. I stopped questioning that a long time away and tried playing friendly whenever she visited me in Texas, which wasn't much, and I liked it that way. Grandma was an additional support to the whole thing, and she was always on my side, against Mom. She knew Mom, inside and out, and that was a huge plus point whenever there was an argument about me being moody or rebellious. Grandma would bring things from her past and that would shut her up. I missed her in moments like that. Stepping inside the room, I locked the door and pulled out the black pair of jeans I was wearing. They were too tight and made my thighs itch the whole day. I pulled a p
A flicker of vulnerability broke through Lucas's frustration and want, but soon they were replaced by something serious. I went forward and tried to grab his belt to unbuckle it and pull his pants down, but he grabbed my hand before I could do anything. His expression was different, and I should have stopped right there but I didn't. “Kat, please stop,” he said and there was a heaviness in his voice that went unnoticed to my ringing ears. I pushed forward and instead of his belt, I grabbed his zip and pulled them down, forcing my hand inside his pants, taking him by surprise. My finger brushed over his semi-erected dick and tugged behind his brief before Lucas threw my hand back and walked away. “WHAT THE FUCK!” he screamed at me, pulling his hair while he kept putting more and more distance between us. “WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU, KAT?” ‘What is indeed wrong with me?’ I thought, still kneeling on the floor. My hand was still suspended in the air, fingers trembling as the weight of
A gentle knock at the door brought me back to the present.I was laying on my bed, thinking about calling Camilia, but couldn't bring myself to do it. The reason was the same once again, I didn't want to bother her with my problems. Besides, judging from her Instagram pictures, I knew she was visiting Miami with Phineas. “Kat?” Dev’s voice came softly through the door. “Dinner’s ready, we will be serving soon, so come downstairs.” He didn’t come inside and I was thankful for that. I wasn't feeling like talking about what had happened. It was one of those things I never wanted to think about ever in my life again. I wanted to forget, to remove the memory for good, but I knew it wouldn't go away easily. I called out a quiet, “Thank you,” and heard his footsteps fading down the hall.I got up slowly, feeling the weight of my conversation with Lucas still lingering like a fog. I went to the bathroom, splashing water on my face, letting the cool liquid soothe the leftover heat from my
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
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 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
I didn’t want to talk about the Salvatore family with Cami. It was too depressing to have that conversation with her. I didn't want to talk to her about Alaric, or about my mother, not about Derek lying in the hospital while his sons tried to salvage the mess he unknowingly helped create.For once, I just wanted to talk about myself.And—more specifically—I wanted to talk about Caspian.“So, let me get this straight.” Cami’s voice was clear through the speaker, cutting through the quiet of my dimly lit bedroom. “You like Caspian?”I groaned, rolling onto my stomach and burying my face in my pillow for a second before lifting it again. “God, don’t say it like that. I didn't mean it like that. I meant there are things that have happened, and he has done things that made me feel weird.”“Like what? The true feeling you've been hiding for months?” She let out a breathless laugh. “Kat, this is huge. You’ve been dodging relationships for years, and now you’re telling me you have actual fee
Alaric knew something.That much was clear the moment he stepped into the dining room, his presence wrapped around the air like a noose, slowly tightening around all of us. His sharp, assessing gaze skimmed over the table, taking in our frozen postures and the lingering tension that none of us could shake off.Then, as if he hadn’t just walked into a room full of people on the brink of plotting his downfall, he smiled. A slow, knowing, chilling smile appeared to scare us. “Why does it look like someone just died?” he mused, his voice was light and easy, but there was something underneath it—something taunting, something dangerous.Nobody answered.I could feel the tension radiating from Caspian beside me, the way Lucas’s fingers tightened around his fork, and the barely restrained scoff from Dev.Alaric didn’t seem to mind the silence. He strolled forward with unhurried confidence, like a predator stepping into a den of prey. Pulling out the chair next to Leo, he sat down, completely
Dinner had never been that quiet. Not in the Salvatore house. The long dining table was filled with plates of steaming food—pasta, grilled chicken, and fresh bread—but no one seemed interested in eating. They were thinking about something, and while their hands moved mechanically I knew they wanted to know what was the important thing Caspian wanted to talk about. He told them that he had something important he wanted to share with them after the dinner. And I guess he shouldn't have shared that much information with the others before because the others were still thinking about it, trying to figure out what it might be. Ian already had a small idea, yet he could feel the tension in the room. As a result, he was very uncomfortable. I could see it in his eyes. The room was dimly lit, with the chandelier above us casting soft, golden light over the strained faces. Unlike other days, even Leo didn't fuss about the food or ask for dessert with the meal. And that's when I realise
I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dried and felt like sandpaper when I tried to swallow the lump forming in my throat. I wasn’t sure about my own emotions, about what to feel—relief, panic, guilt? Maybe all of them at once, or maybe none. Mom had looked at me when I was coming downstairs to help Dev with the dinner, her expression was unreadable. Yet, I knew what was going on inside her head. She must have been afraid of what kind of person wouldn't be in this situation. I asked her what happened or if she needed help with something, and she simply said, “I don’t care what happens to me. As long as you’re safe, I'm willing to do anything in the world. You might not trust me right now, but believe me, my words are true. And I'm going to show it tomorrow.” I hadn’t known how to respond when she was being that open with her thoughts. I should have said something, anything, but I didn't. I couldn't find the right words to say, and thinking about it now, I guess it wouldn't have ma
“So, when are we going to tell the other about what is going on in the family?” I asked the two brothers who still looked conflicted. “If mom confesses tomorrow, their life will be in danger too. If Alaric finds out, he will take it out on whoever he finds.” Caspian and Lucas shared a secret look but told us nothing about it. I was sitting at the kitchen island, my fingers were wrapped around the cool ceramic of my untouched water glass. While, my mind was elsewhere—spinning, twisting, trying to make sense of everything we were about to do. But worse were the fears associated with our every move. That was the reason I wasn't speaking much because I was afraid my fears and what-ifs would slip out mistakenly in normal conversations. And I knew it would only damper their mood, so I heard them instead and tried to be positive about our little mission. “She's right. At this point I think we need to tell the others,” Dev said, stirring a simmering pot of pasta sauce. “This morning t
The room was much quieter after my mom had left. It had been more than an hour since she was gone. Yet, the heavy air of her decision lingered in the room that surrounded us, entering my brain through my nostrils. I couldn't stop thinking about it because it felt like an invisible force that had a huge surprise for everyone in the house. I still wasn’t sure if I believed her—if I could afford to believe her. I didn't know where I stood with her; sometimes, I had been acting like the best daughter in the world, while other times I felt as if she was my biggest enemy. I couldn't figure out how to act around her. Even though she had agreed to confess and that was ‘something not to look over’ according to Caspian, I couldn't bring myself to trust her completely. I knew I could have trusted her more when she told Derek the truth, but I couldn't help but think it was one of her other elaborate plans. “A woman can get anything if she wants it enough... anything.” Her words from years
“My brothers are crazy,” Caspian followed after when my eyes found his. “They have done some of the wildest things on the planet, and don't even let me start with Leo. He's the definition of cringe and intrusive thoughts.” “Yeah, that I know,” I agreed with him about Leo, because he had done some of the wildest things. However, after Ian disappeared on his birthday, Leo got a little serious about the things around him. “There's a lot more.” The way he said that made me think about what he meant by it. There was an undertone of some sort that I couldn't place, but it wasn't anything positive. The way he said that, it felt darker and chilling. “Well, I'd love to know more about you brothers than,” I said, hoping he would get the hint and will talk about himself then. ‘What are you trying to do?’ My brain questioned and I stopped myself from continuing, realizing that I was flirting with him. “You got time,” he said taking a seat on my bed and looked at the famed picture of me with
The air outside was cold and comforting, just walking outside through the entrance made me feel much at loose than I had been the whole day. A soft breeze carried the faint scent of the forest that surrounded the Salvatores’ estate, and moisture that brought me relief. The sky was covered with dark clouds and looked like it was going to rain soon. I was almost waiting for the rain, hoping to see the forest come to live. I was walking beside Caspian. I could feel the tension from the meeting still sitting heavily on Caspian's shoulders. Lucas was following closely behind us, his brows were still furrowed in deep thought, while Dev walked a few steps in front of us with Matthew. As we reached the driveway, Matthew paused. His shiny black Mercedes was waiting for him, the driver was inside. Matthew turned to face us, his demeanour was as calm and professional as ever. He had the same aura around him that at the beginning, I saw around Caspian. “I’ll wait for your call,” he said, his
Caspian’s office had turned into the Salvatore family's war room over the past few weeks. It was a room that once felt intimidating—lined with tall bookshelves, mahogany furniture, dark leather chairs, and the history it contained of me and Caspian. Now, it was a place where heavy discussions were taking place, to reach decisions that could alter the family’s fate. I was sitting in the corner of the room, feeling like an intruder in their world of business and law. Yet, as I watched Lucas and Caspian argue over the papers spread across the desk, I realized I wasn’t exactly an outsider anymore. I was part of the mess, whether I liked it or not.Matthew, the Salvatores’ lawyer, sat across from me. He was calm and collected despite the storm brewing in the room, trying to hear both sides. His neatly pressed suit and calm demeanour gave him an air of professionalism that felt out of place amidst the storm of words. Dev was pacing near the window, his hands were shoved deep into his po