1. Family

Brielle Clarke

~•~

I sighed as I took a step outside my bedroom. It was my haven, and I didn't dare leave unless it was mealtime.

It wasn't mealtime right now.

My hand was inside the pocket of my sweatpants as I clutched my cell phone tightly. Taking a deep breath, I went down the flight of stairs after checking to make sure no one was around.

I was hoping I wouldn't run into anyone. However, as soon as my leg left the last step, I bumped right into someone.

Avery shrieked at the surprise bump and pushed me back instinctively. I fell back on the staircase, groaning at the pain that sliced through my back.

Biting my lip, I tried to hold back the tears because it hurt like a bitch. I was sure it would leave bruises. "Watch where the fuck you are going, bitch." My sister barked out, and my face flamed in embarrassment as I wondered how they could cuss out loud.

"I'm sorry." I apologized, not bothering to stand up because she would just push me right back.

"Next time, I'll put a bullet between your eyes." She regarded me with a look of disgust before she resumed her walk to wherever the fuck she was going. Only then did I stand up, ignoring the sharp pain in my back.

"Little mouse, where do you think you're going?" I heard my brother's voice when my hand reached for the door.

I turned around slowly, facing him. Axel was the oldest of us and our only brother. He was thirty but still lived in the family house because he would take over my father soon.

He was clad in a business suit, and his blonde hair was slicked back with an insane amount of gel. His blue eyes were trained on me as he waited for my answer. Why did he have to be so damn nosey?

"Uh," I cleared my throat as I prepared to lie. "I'm just going to get a cup of coffee."

"We have coffee at home." He pointed out.

"Yeah, so?"

He raised an eyebrow at my sassiness, and I immediately muttered an apology. While he didn't treat me like my sisters did, it didn't mean he liked me.

"You know everyone can tell when you're lying, right?" When I didn't say anything else, he sighed. "Go. Be back before it's dark."

"Thanks." I rushed out before stepping out of the door. I faintly heard my mother's voice saying she didn't care if I came back or not, but I decided to ignore it.

I couldn't let her ruin my day before it started. My dad had gone on a business trip, and he wanted to meet up with me first before he came home. He texted me to meet him at a bookshop, and I was more than excited to go.

As I walked down to the gate, the eyes of all the men stationed around the house followed me. I never spoke to any of them, and they didn't speak to me either. There were a lot of men around our mansion. It was nerve-wracking, and I made sure to keep leaving my room to a minimum.

It wasn't because I was a snob, but I just couldn't hold conversations with strangers. I would start panicking whenever I tried, and they respected that, not talking to be except necessary.

A man opened the gate for me, and I stepped outside. I didn't have a car as I didn't know how to drive, and I didn't trust strangers to drive me.

The bookshop also wasn't far from the street my house was in.

I strolled through the quiet street, headphones over my ear as I listened to music. I was putting on a faded baggy sweatshirt and a pair of sweatpants. My father wouldn't approve, but I didn't have much in my closet anyway.

As I walked down, I wondered what kind of surprise my father had for me. He was a bipolar person. Sometimes, he loathed me, and other times, he treated me like I was his baby.

I was the baby of the family. I had three older siblings. Axel, Aubrey, and Avery. For some reason, their names all started with the letter A, while I was stuck with Brielle.

It made me feel like I was not a part of the family. It made me feel excluded, especially when they all went to places without me. I couldn't blame them, though. My anxiety was hard to deal with. They were better off going to gatherings and parties without the last Clarke trailing behind them like a lost puppy.

I puffed out a breath as I finally reached the street entrance to see the busy road. I took a left, heading for an alley. I wasn't very fit, and I'd rather use a shortcut whenever possible.

As soon as I entered the alley, I felt a presence behind me, making me tense up.

Not wanting to startle whoever was behind me, I didn't run as I would see the bookshop immediately after I got out of the alley. Besides, it could just be some of my father's men following me for safety. It wasn't like I knew all of them.

I turned off my music so that I could hear well and truly; there were footsteps following behind me. I started to take deep breaths, hoping to calm myself down.

My father had enemies, and this was not the time or place to have an anxiety attack. That didn't change the fact that I was anxious, though. In contrast to my siblings, I had minimal training because my father didn't think training me would do any good or benefit our family.

Hastening my footsteps, I was just about to get out of the alley when a man came in. I stopped walking immediately and turned around to see that I was closed in. I couldn't run, but I could definitely scream for help.

As soon as I opened my mouth to scream, the man in front of me spoke. "Hey, calm down. Are you Brielle Clarke?"

I eyed him warily. "Who's asking?"

He got his answer and locked eyes with the man behind me. Before I could realize what was happening, a cloth was pressed around my nose from behind.

It didn't take long for me to breathe in the substance in the material, and soon, I was falling into a black hole of unconsciousness.