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
“I just wanted to come close to you.” His voice echoed in my ears, low and unexpected. For a moment, I thought he might be joking, but his warmth against my back told a different story. Even after he slid the bridle off the horse, he remained close, his chest pressed against me. I closed my eyes, breathing deeply, trying to steady the rush of emotions heating my skin and the fire burning in my chest. ‘I like Lucas,’ I reminded myself firmly, but as his hands moved slowly, settling on my waist, that reminder began to blur. The thoughts of Lucas drifted away, replaced by an undeniable pull toward the man behind me. I hesitated, letting the silence between us thicken. My fingers fumbled with the stall door, securing it. I watched it for a while, not responding to his hand on my waist. Harry waited behind me, not forcing me, giving me a choice. His touch lingered at the edge of tension, and I could feel the unspoken question at his fingertips: Will you let this happen? He wanted m
The house was buzzing with conversation as I slipped through the front door. The warmth from inside wrapped around me, a stark contrast to the cooling night air outside. The evening had settled in, casting a gentle glow across the walls from the lamps scattered around the room. Harry headed upstairs, muttering something about needing a shower, while I found myself drawn toward the faint sound of Dev’s voice coming from the family room. I knew others would be there too, so I fixed my hair and taking a steady breath, I followed his voice down the hallway. I let my fingers brush over the cool, polished wooden art piece on the wall, looking at the entertainment room. Ian was in there, watching Umbrella Academy and somehow it made sense that he would be watching a show like that. Sensing my presence he turned back and looked at me in confusion. “I was just passing and saw you inside. Don't mind me,” I said, trying not to make him uncomfortable. He shook his head and gave me a l
The house felt quieter after we moved to the kitchen, the evening's events trailing behind me like the whispers of an unfinished conversation. Caspian and I found ourselves side by side, bumping our shoulders playfully as we worked. The warm lights cast a golden glow over the countertops. Dev stood at the far end, arranging ingredients for some side dishes he was preparing. I focused on chopping vegetables, the rhythmic sound of the knife against the cutting board calming my mind, but every once in a while, my gaze flickered toward Caspian. There was something about the way he moved—his confident, fluid motions as he prepared the sauce, the ease with which he commanded the space—that sent a thrill through me. I tried to shake it off, focusing instead on the task at hand, but it was hard to ignore the tension that simmered just beneath the surface. “Stop looking at me and move your hand faster,” Caspian said, breaking the silence. His voice was casual, but there was a softne
The soft hum of the elevator echoed in the quiet, steady and rhythmic, but it did nothing to calm the storm swirling inside me. My heart pounded so loud in my chest that I was sure Caspian could hear it. The tension between us had built up all night, simmering just beneath the surface, and now, as the elevator descended, I couldn’t help but start to panic. ‘Am I ready for this?’ I shifted on my feet, glancing at Caspian beside me. He stood tall, his expression unreadable but calm, like he already knew what was going to happen. Like he knew me better than I knew myself. That thought sent a thrill through me, though I couldn't differentiate if it was out of excitement or fear. “If you're not ready, we can go back and forget this,” he had said, his voice softer than I expected. The offer hung in the air like a lifeline, but I had shaken my head. ‘There is no turning back. I am the one who told him that I would tonight.’ I reminded myself and kissed his upper arms for some rea
It had been more than a year since Caspian confessed his feelings to me, and life was finally finding a sense of normalcy. Derek was safe, though he remained permanently in hiding. The Salvatores had not only survived the disaster but had emerged stronger than before. The PR team had worked wonders in reshaping their image, and those who had attempted to bring them down for their own gain were now behind bars. The money laundering case was no longer casting shadows over their name, it was a thing of the past. The FBI cleared their name from any involvement in the money laundering—the world saw them as victims of their dad's actions. The business was doing good; Caspian joined the company, while on the other side, our relationship got pretty strong. We found a balance that allowed us to grow separately as well, because I moved into an apartment with my mom, helping her build a new life for herself. Meanwhile, Caspian remained at the mansion with his brothers. They asked me to stay,
I was always good at fixing things, maybe because I was broken from the inside and knew I couldn't be fixed. I became a lawyer to help my family, to help my brothers. I thought if I knew the ways of law and legal system, I could use it to my advantage, to protect them in any way needed. Yet, it had been more than a month and I was still fighting a battle with no end in sight. I gave up on too many things in my life, thinking I never deserved them. There was always a reason to hold myself back from being truly happy, about something or with someone. There were these little voices in my head that would make me question everything. For years, they had been silent, but ever since I learned the truth about Dad's involvement in the money laundering, they came back. ‘How could you let yourself be happy when your brothers are in trouble?’‘How could you be that selfish?’I couldn't rub my love for Kat on my brothers' faces, especially when most of them wanted her, too. It was not fair to
The sky was cloudless, the bright light of the moon covered the Salvatore property. We just had dinner, and it wasn't like the regular Salvatore family dinner. It hasn't been so ever since we returned to the mansion. Lucas was in Chicago, meeting with some of the investors whereas Caspian had himself locked in his room. Mom was back in Texas, and the twins went to their grandparents (mother's parents). We were all scattered, and the frustration over the situation was torturing us. The news about the Salvatores reached my dad in London and he had been calling and texting me constantly. He wanted me to leave them and come back to London. I almost laughed when he suggested that, but I controlled myself and told him that I would pay a visit soon.He wasn't satisfied with the answer, so I reminded him that I was an adult and he couldn't force me to leave. That shut him up for the moment, and I hung up the phone soon after. He had been texting me ever since, apologizing and asking me if
The Salvatore mansion didn't feel like home anymore. As I walked through the mansion once again, I felt the same way I did the first time—cold and out of place. The strange environment loomed around me, and with each step I took inside, I sensed a profound emptiness, the lingering ghosts of everything that had happened. Perhaps we changed while we were in the safe house, or maybe it was the mansion that had endured too much destruction in a very short period of time. The mansion was still recovering from the nightmares, and the gloom was maybe its way of narrating the pain. Not long ago secrets had been unraveled, trusts were shattered between the family members, and blood was spilled in the very entrance hall I was standing inside. In just a month, it was just a house again—not a home like it used to be. The brothers felt the changes, too; it was apparent on their faces. They could hear the silence everywhere inside the house, and the winds of winter that seemed to fill every c
Caspian barely slept in a week and it was showing. None of us really got any sleep, but it was a little different with Caspian. The lack of sleep wasn't the only reason for the permanent exhaustion in his eyes like us, it was the weight of everything he was letting press down on him—crushing him, consuming his thoughts. It had been a whole week since the news about Derek's involvement in the money laundering was aired all across the country. Everything had only gotten worse after that. The Salvatore name was plastered across every news outlet—big or small. Everyone had their own take on the case, be it the editors of the Washington Post or The New York Times, anchors from CNN or Fox News, and even the social media influencers who were reporting the controversy in the hope of getting views and likes.In no time it became one of the biggest scandals in recent times. And Caspian being the oldest, took it all upon himself. Although we knew it was the politicians and businessmen whose
The main purpose of us getting a safe house was to be safe, but the FBI made it feel anything but safe for us. The air inside the house felt suffocating to me, thick with an unspoken fear that we all felt, but none of us dared to voice. In the last three days, the FBI has visited us five times. The first day they took statements from us and collected evidence—the standard protocol—nothing more than that. We thought it was all, but Caspian warned us that it was just the beginning, and just like he said, they came back once again. This time they took our individual statements and cross-examined us. Since we were already prepared with our answers, nothing felt out of the ordinary. However, I noticed the way some of the officers were looking at us. They knew we were hiding something, but they had no proof. Caspian made sure that everything in the house was how it was supposed to be after Derek left. It was their sixth visit that day. The FBI agents sat across from us in the living ro
They weren’t kissing, but they were about to, I was sure of that. Matthew called just a few seconds ago, to update on the situation. It wasn't looking good for us and we needed to plan our next move. I went into the room Dev was staying to call them both so that we could discuss the problem and try to come up with a solution together. However, I didn't expect to catch them just as they were about to kiss. I saw the way Dev hesitated and pulled away from Kat when I pushed the door open, the way Kat looked utterly lost as if she didn’t know how to process what had just happened between them. I was heartbroken by that but hid my feelings because it wasn't the right time to have that conversation. Instead, I focused on my brother and noticed the slight flush on his face. His fingers were twitching at his sides like he was debating whether to reach for her again or not. And Kat… she was frozen. It looked like she hadn’t yet decided if what happened was a mistake or not.And for a secon
Kat was never mine to fall for, to hold, to kiss, or to even dream about. She was in love with Caspian even if she didn't realize it herself, or was too afraid to accept the truth. Everyone in the house knew it, and I tried to convince myself the same thing a thousand times, that she wasn’t mine to love, that she had never been mine. The moments that we shared together were the prize for the good deeds I'd done in my life. There couldn't be any other reason for someone as beautiful as her to be interested in someone like me. Someone who is predictable, obsessed with things that don't matter, and lacks any social skills. I had nothing to offer her and I knew I was just another fool caught in her gravity, nothing more. It wasn't her fault or mine, it's just the universe forcing the likes of me to orbit around her. Each one of us was attracted by her warmth and kindness at first but couldn't break free after because leaving her meant spending eons in darkness. In her heart, there ha
Silence filled the room as Lucas finally exhaled and nodded in agreement with Caspian. “I don’t like this plan,” he admitted truthfully, rubbing his temples. I knew it was a hard decision for him because he did blame Derek for the things that were happening to the family. And neither of us could disagree with him. We knew he was right, but the actual issue was Derek's safety. “But… I don’t want Dad in prison with Alaric either. You are right, Alaric would make friends inside if he didn't already have one.”“Not just Alaric, the politicians and businessmen whose names are on the list would also try to have Dad killed,” Harry added, scratching his head. “You know the legal system of our country, one can pay to get anything done. We have to find a solution for them too.”“True, they are going to be troublesome in the future,” Neel agreed with Harry, bringing another pressing matter in front of our eyes. They made many new enemies in order to get rid of Alaric from their lives. “We have