A dozen years ago, when Sera was adopted by Reggie Blackwood—a wealthy ex-womanizer, she thought that was where her hard life would end. However, when Reggie reveals that he has four secret sons from different mothers, Sera knows it will lead to disaster. What's more, Reggie announces a will full of intrigue: whoever among the four men wins Sera's heart and marries her, will be the main heir to the Blackwood Group. Suddenly, Sera is caught up in an intoxicating game of love. Ace, the domineering ambitious lawyer; Beck, the romantic artist who sees her as a muse; Cal, the compassionate doctor who becomes her protector; and Damon, the mysterious man with a dark past. Tensions between them rise, blurring the line between true love and hidden ambitions. Amid rivalry, passion, and dark secrets, Sera must choose: give her heart to one of the Blackwood Brothers, or escape this dangerous game. But in a world where love and betrayal walk side by side, who can truly be trusted? *** “You're all acting like I'm a precious item that needs to be taken care of,” I protested, glaring at the four of them who probably just took my annoyance as a joke. Ace raised one eyebrow. “Wrong. You're a fire that needs to be tamed” “Or to be played with,” Damon interjected casually, his smile mocking. “Or to be celebrated.” Beck's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. “Or to be kept lit,” Cal finished, his voice low, without taking his eyes off the book he was reading. I clucked in annoyance. They were all incredibly frustrating.
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“If I die tomorrow, will you cry for me?”The question slipped from Reggie Blackwood's mouth, accompanied by a lopsided smile that did not reflect the weakness of his body. Even with a pale face and frequently interrupted breathing, the old man still carried an aura of power.
Sitting opposite him, I was transfixed. My hand holding the teacup suddenly felt too heavy, and silence crept into the room like fog.
“Of course I'll drink champagne with your corpse,” I said after sipping the tea, trying to cover up my anxiety with a joke.
A crisp laugh escaped the 66-year-old's lips. “Good idea,” he commented. “Who else are you going to drink with anyway?”
I finally let out a long sigh, feeling tired. “You're being overly dramatic, Reggie. Your health is already much better. The doctor said—”
“That pretentious man just wants me to survive longer.”
“That's what a doctor does, isn't it?” I did not expect there to be a tremor in my voice, even though I wanted to sound cynical.
“Sera, I'm serious. I didn't call you in between your busy schedule to talk about my health.”
I made no further comment, just looked at him silently. For some reason the turtleneck I was wearing began to feel so suffocating and itchy.
“Why didn't you ever ask me why I adopted you?” asked Reggie. The topic that we had not spoken about for years was suddenly brought up. And that meant, I knew that our conversation was really going to get serious. And this was about our relationship, not business or anything like that.
“Because I couldn't question your decision in the first place,” I replied, not entirely lying.
“But do you ever wonder?”
Yes, often. On certain nights over the past 16 years, I would think about it. And more often than not, it was in the form of my gratitude. “I told myself that it was because I'm pretty and the smartest one in that place.”
Reggie laughed. “Well, that's not wrong.” He took a deep breath, then leaned forward. “But another reason is that it's as my penance. On the other hand, I know you are indeed suitable for the Blackwood family.”
“Penance?” I never thought that would be the answer to my question from those few nights.
“There's so much I could forget but that four people.”
“You killed four people?” I snapped, which made Reggie laugh again.
“No, silly. I mean, there are four men out there who have my blood running through their bodies. Four men who don't even know each other—and have never met me until the past few days. They are my sons, Sera. The sons of four different women.”
“You're joking, right?”
“I don't even take million-dollar business decisions this seriously.” Reggie leaned back in his chair, exhaustion evident on his face. “And they're coming here. I've called them all, and you'll meet them at dinner tonight.”
There was a moment of silence. My mind was spinning wildly. Almost everyone in this town knew that Reggie in his younger days was an adventurer, a love adventurer to be more precise, a womanizer who captured the hearts of many women. But, four sons from four different mothers... I never imagined that. That's way too much!
“Why didn't you tell me earlier? This is too sudden.” I emphasized my voice, before finally remembering something important. “Wait, do they know that I …?”
“Of course.” The old man smiled faintly, shrugging casually. “They know you're my adopted daughter. That you have an important role in Blackwood.”
“You know I love you, but this is crazy, Reggie.” I leaned closer, looking at him sharply. “They must think I'm just an appendage. Or worse, a hindrance!”
“Ah, they won't dare.” He chuckled, but a cough followed, forcing him to stop.
“You can't be serious about this. It's a matter of blood and legacy. Money and power. They'll be battling each other before you have a chance to introduce them properly!”
“And that's where you come in,” Reggie commented calmly.
The large window in Reggie's study suddenly caught my attention, as if calling me to jump out of there and leave this nonsense behind. “I'm not a martyr, Reggie. And what if I fail?”
“You won’t, I believe in your abilities. You've been a Blackwood longer than any of them, and you know what that means.”
I swallowed. My breathing was getting heavy. “So, what do you want from me tonight?”
“It's simple. Don't let them kill each other at the dinner table.”
“That's madness.”
“All great things start with madness, my dear. Now, prepare yourself. They'll be here in a few hours, and I don't want this first dinner to turn into a battlefield. You are my strength here.”
I closed my eyes, trying to digest everything. When I opened my eyes again, Reggie was leaning back casually in his chair, with a small smile indicating that this conversation was over.
I had no idea where Reggie's plans would take me this time. However, one thing I was sure of was that after tonight, my life would never be the same again.
***
Dinner time had come. Grant, the majordomo of the Blackwood family said that the “guests” were waiting at the dining table.
I stepped up to the table, feeling the attention on me. The first man seated directly in front of me, with a firm jaw and a serious face, was dressed perfectly in a suit like a CEO. His dark blonde hair was neatly combed back, while his sharp blue eyes stared at me with slightly raised eyebrows, as if judging, but then he covered it with a faint smile.
To his left, the second man smiled in a softer, more open manner. Although his slightly glazed eyes revealed a hesitation that he could not hide, as if he was unsure of how to behave. He was wearing a slightly rumpled casual jeans jacket, with his blonde hair looking a little messy.
Shifting to the left again, the third man smiled in a warm way. His broody gray-brown eyes were full of serenity, as if he was a counterbalance in the midst of this tension. He was wearing a plain white shirt with the top two buttons undone. His eyes looked at me softly, as if he wanted to talk, but preferred to remain silent and respectful of my presence.
And finally, the fourth man sat in a more relaxed manner, but there was tension all around him. His smile was slightly lopsided, with a slightly more intense gaze than the others. There was a mixture of anxiety and tension that was hard to explain there, but I felt like there was a part of him that wanted to fight, while another part just wanted to give up. His black outfit, which seemed like a spontaneous choice, even gave me a slightly interesting impression.
After meeting the Blackwood Brothers—I decided to call them that from now on—there was one thing that immediately intrigued me. I was curious—curious to death—about Reggie's appearance when he was younger. Because, gosh, just look at his four sons: they're all incredibly handsome with their own distinctive features. I no longer doubted that Reggie was a lady-killer back in the day.
SERAThe moment we stepped through the grand glass doors of the ballroom, the world inside greeted us with golden light and soft orchestra music. Crystal chandeliers hung high from the arched ceiling, scattering warm reflections across silk gowns and tailored tuxedos that moved gracefully through the room. The air was a blend of expensive wine, fresh peonies, and perfectly curated luxury.I felt heads turn in our direction. Camera flashes began to click, one by one finally catching the elusive Ace Vance, the oldest Blackwood son who’d always existed as little more than a whisper. But tonight, he wasn’t just a rumor. He was the spotlight.Ace barely reacted. His shoulders stayed firm, his jaw was set, and his smile flickered for maybe half a second, just enough to make people wonder if it was a smile or a warning.Gia reached us fast. Her dress was pretty, but still practical enough for someone always five seconds away from running a crisis. “Mr. Ace needs to join the others,” she sai
ACEThe sky was already dark outside. Beck, Cal, and Damon had left earlier. The house felt quiet, like a museum before the storm. I sat on the main floor sofa, legs crossed. My black suit jacket was still open, tie loose and undone. In my left hand, a glass of scotch untouched. My watch kept ticking, but time felt like it slowed down on purpose. Maybe because I knew this moment was the most important part of the night. Before the gala, before the flashing cameras, before the empty speeches … I wanted a small certainty about who held the reins.Then I heard her. The sound of the door closing. Her heels hitting the stairs with that unmistakable rhythm. And when I looked up—damn.Sera was wearing red.The dress fit her like sin. Too well, really. The slit ran high, brushing her thigh with every subtle move. Her hair was pinned low, exposing her pale, bare neck like a silent invitation.“I thought you’d go with black,” I said casually, sipping my scotch just to stop my left hand from re
ACE (9 Years Old)At my age, reading law books was considered “normal.” That’s what Mama said. But this evening, I didn’t want to read about jurisprudence or European court systems. I wanted to read about the other Atticus. The one who wasn’t me.My little fingers flipped the pages slowly, almost silently. I was reading the part about Scout and Jem walking home in the dark. I liked how the writing made the world feel slower, like it had its own heartbeat. Not like this house, which always sounded like a giant clock ticking way too fast.Then I heard high heels clicking. I knew those steps. I slammed the book shut and slipped it under the cushion of the chair. I straightened up and swapped it on the table for The Federalist Papers. My heart was pounding so loud, like I’d been caught stealing time.The door opened. “Ace? What are you reading?”Mama stood in the doorway, tall and lean, dressed in a formal gray suit even though it was already evening. Her blonde hair was neatly done, an
ACEWe had just stepped into my room when my eyes caught three foreign objects on the desk by the bookshelf. Three gift boxes, each one painfully easy to guess.One was wrapped in pitch-black paper with no ribbon. Damon. Obviously.The second was in clean white linen, tied in a Japanese-style furoshiki knot. Had to be Cal.And the last one, cartoon dogs on the paper, with a handwritten note: “Don’t open this in front of Sera.”Beck. That bastard.Sera scoffed when she read it. “So Beck.”“I haven’t even opened it yet and I already know it’s something stupid,” I muttered.She chuckled and wandered over to the small bookcase I installed low on the wall. Her fingers ran along the spines of old law books and paused on a worn-out volume.“Did you actually read all of these?” she asked.“By the time I was ten, I could quote Marbury v. Madison.”“Constitutional Law, Volume Two …,” she murmured. “God, I miss reading something heavy.”I snorted, unbuttoning my coat and tossing it over the back
ACEI didn’t ask where she was driving. I figured today I could loosen the reins a bit.After everything that happened earlier, I knew I had to reel myself in before I lost all control. But there was a part of me that didn't want to let go just yet.And when she said she wanted to take me on a date, I didn’t say no.I don’t get asked out often. Usually, I’m the one planning the whole damn thing.After brunch and a few blocks of aimless driving, Sera glanced at me from behind the wheel, one brow raised. “So,” she said casually, “aside from this morning’s drama and the flower-bomb from your mother that you treated like an active grenade—what do you actually want today?”I leaned my head against the window, watching the city blur past. “Hm?”“It’s your birthday. I want to get you something.”I looked at her. “You know I don’t need anything, right?”“It’s not about need,” she replied, throwing me a quick look before turning back to the road. “I just want to. And for once, I want you to sa
SERAAfter we parked on a quiet street, I turned to Ace sitting calmly in the driver’s seat. “I won’t be long,” I said, unbuckling my seatbelt. “You can wait here.”“You always say that, but somehow I age ten years every time I wait.”I gave him a faint smile. “You’re already old.”He just looked at me with that mock-threatening stare before turning his face toward the window.Edward Hayes was waiting for me on the second floor, in one of the unused office units. He looked the same as always—crisp suit, classic watch, and that polished smile that never quite earned your full trust. But Reggie trusted him, so do I.Next to him stood a younger woman—straight posture, neatly styled brown hair, and a gaze that told you she was used to being in charge. Her skin was a warm olive tone, her eyes sharp, and she wore a black blazer and perfectly tailored pencil skirt.“This is our firm’s new partner, Savannah Brucio,” Edward introduced. “She specializes in properties like this.”I gave a polite
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