A Brother's Warning

As Adam stepped out of Sofia’s room, the hallway felt colder, quieter. He shut the door softly behind him, leaning against the wall for a brief moment. His pulse was steady, his exterior calm, but something about the encounter had unsettled him in a way he couldn’t quite articulate.

It wasn’t unusual for him to find himself in moments of moral dilemma, he had been raised to see the world as a chessboard, where emotions only complicated the game. And yet tonight, against his better judgment, he had intervened.

He began walking back toward his own room, his long strides deliberate, the clicking of his polished shoes the only sound in the hushed corridor. As he reached his door and stepped inside, he paused, his sharp blue eyes catching his reflection in the large mirror that adorned the wall.

What had compelled him to stop? Why couldn’t he simply walk past, as he usually would when people acted foolishly at events like this? Sofia Montero was a Montero. Her name alone was reason enough to steer clear, let alone the tension their families had harbored for generations.

“Unnecessary,” he muttered to himself, shrugging off his jacket and tossing it onto the back of a chair.

But no matter how much he tried to brush it off, the image of her, the mix of vulnerability and strength in her gaze, her defiant attempt to keep standing even when she clearly needed help, kept returning to his mind. She wasn’t weak, even in her vulnerable state. There was a stubbornness about her that seemed familiar, almost infuriatingly so.

Running a hand through his hair, Adam poured himself a glass of whiskey from the crystal decanter on the sideboard, his fingers tightening around the glass as if it could anchor his swirling thoughts. He took a slow sip, the warmth of the liquid doing little to ease the tension in his chest.

He thought of the way the pot-bellied CEO had looked at her, like an opportunist spotting weakness. The very idea made his jaw tighten. He wasn’t one to play savior, but something about that scene had hit too close to something primal.

“Get it together, Adam,” he muttered, setting the glass down with a clink.

There was no room for complications, especially not one wrapped up in the form of Sofia Montero. His life was about control, power, and keeping the Kavanaugh name firmly at the top. Whatever had happened tonight would remain a one-off act of impulsiveness, nothing more.Or so he told himself.

As he sat down at his desk, pulling a sleek laptop in front of him, the numbers and graphs on the screen should have brought him back to focus.he needed to prepare for his keynote speech tomorrow. But the faint scent of her perfume still lingered in his senses, and despite his best efforts, the memory of her haunted the edges of his thoughts.

That night, sleep came slowly for Adam Kavanaugh. And even when it did, it was not peaceful.

*********

Sofia’s room

The moment Adam left, the room felt impossibly quiet. Sofia sat on the edge of her bed, the haze of alcohol still dulling her mind but not enough to stop her thoughts from racing. She pressed her fingers to her temples, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

Adam Kavanaugh. Of all people.

She barely remembered the man beyond his reputation, the arrogant and unapproachable CEO of the Kavanaugh empire, a family that her own had battled for decades. And yet tonight, he had stepped in when she had been at her most vulnerable.

It frustrated her, the thought of owing anything to someone from that family, let alone Adam himself. What frustrated her more was the fleeting moment of safety she’d felt under his piercing gaze.

“I don’t need anyone,” she muttered to herself, rising unsteadily to her feet. Her reflection stared back at her from the tall mirror across the room, her makeup smudged and her usually poised appearance disheveled. This wasn’t the Sofia Montero the world was meant to see.

Gripping the vanity table for balance, she let out a long, shaky breath. Tonight had been a mistake, allowing herself to drink so much, thinking for even a second that she could afford to lower her guard. She had been alone for so long, fighting her battles silently, proving her worth in an industry dominated by men who saw her as little more than an ornament.

Her phone buzzed on the bedside table, pulling her from her spiraling thoughts. She grabbed it, half-expecting to see a text from Mateo checking on her, but the screen was blank except for the time.1:32 AM.

Sofia sighed and placed the phone back down, running a hand through her hair. Her thoughts drifted to her family….how she’d grown up alone, learning to navigate a world that often looked down on her for being young, female, and ambitious.

And tonight proved nothing had changed, she thought bitterly. Even now, as she stood on the cusp of reclaiming her place in the Montero legacy, she was still underestimated, still preyed upon by men who saw her as vulnerable.

A knock at the door jolted her from her musings. For a brief, irrational moment, she thought it might be Adam, but when she opened the door, it was a staff member delivering a glass of water.

“Thank you,” she said softly, closing the door behind her.

Sofia sank onto the sofa, cradling the glass between her hands. Adam’s face flickered in her mind again, the calm, cold authority with which he’d sent that man scurrying, the brief flash of something unreadable in his eyes when he looked at her.

She shook her head, setting the glass down. “It doesn’t matter,” she told herself firmly. “He doesn’t matter.”

But no matter how hard she tried to convince herself, sleep did not come easily. When it finally did, her dreams were restless and filled with fragments of piercing blue eyes, lingering shadows, and the echo of footsteps walking away.

•••••••

The elevator doors slid open with a soft ding as Mateo Montero stepped out into the quiet, carpeted hallway, Just as he reached his door, the faint sound of approaching footsteps drew his attention. Mateo turned, his gaze narrowing as none other than Ryan Kavanaugh strolled down the hallway, his usual air of smugness intact.

"Montero," Ryan said, a small smirk tugging at his lips as he slowed to a stop. “Late night, I see. Planning your family’s next big move?”

Mateo didn’t waste time with pleasantries. He stepped closer, his face hard and unyielding.”Let me save you the trouble of playing your usual games. Tell your brother to stop ogling my sister. I’ve caught him more than once.”

Ryan arched an eyebrow, his amusement evident. “Ogling? Strong choice of words, Mateo. You've been keeping the close watch, haven't you?”

Mateo stepped forward, his voice a growl. “Don’t twist this, Ryan. We both know Adam doesn’t make casual moves. Everything he does is calculated, a means to an end. If he thinks dragging Sofia into your sick power games will help him, I’m telling you now…..don’t even try.”

Ryan chuckled softly, leaning against the wall with mock nonchalance. “Mateo, you wound me. Adam doesn’t need games to get what he wants. And as for Sofia... maybe your sister’s just more fascinating than you give her credit for.”

Mateo’s jaw tightened, his hands curling into fists at his sides. “I’m not going to warn you twice. Stay out of Sofia’s way. She’s worked too hard to be dragged into this mess. If either of you so much as look at her wrong…”

“You’ve got quite the mouth, Montero, for someone whose sister has been paraded around like some secret weapon” Ryan teased

The jab was too much. Mateo closed the distance between them in two strides, his hand jerking forward to grab Ryan’s collar. The movement was quick, vicious, a clear warning. “Watch yourself,” Mateo hissed, his voice low and menacing. “Say one more word, and you’ll regret it.”

Ryan didn’t flinch, though his smirk faded into something sharper, more dangerous. “Careful,” he drawled. “We wouldn’t want to escalate things, would we? Think of your precious reputation, Mateo.”

A door creaked open from down the hallway, and a guest peeked out, startled by the scene. Mateo released Ryan abruptly, shoving him back but keeping his glare fixed.

Ryan straightened his jacket and adjusted his collar with exaggerated movements, his smirk returning like armor. “You’ve made your point,” he said mockingly. “I’ll be sure to pass along your little warning to Adam. Though... I wouldn’t hold my breath. But, for what it worth, Adam doesn't take orders….He’s not exactly the obedient type.”

Mateo stood rooted in place, watching as Ryan disappeared around the corner. His chest heaved with restrained anger, but he forced himself to calm down. If the Kavanaughs thought they could involve Sofia in their family rivalry, they were sorely mistaken.

Turning back to his suite, Mateo clenched his jaw, his resolve steeling. Protecting Sofia was his priority, no matter what it took. And the Kavanaughs……they where crossing the line.