~Brandon~ The tension in the room was high, and since Lord Orlov did not interrupt me, I continued to speak. "It may seem impossible to you, but Winter wasn't the only person to whom the goddess smiled. She smiled at me, too, leading me to meet Lillian. She is my second chance," I confessed, and they all gasped. Lady Linda looked at Lillian in shock, and Lillian nodded. "He is telling the truth. We are fated," She said, and Lord Theodore did not know what to say. There was a silence in the living room, and then Lord Theodore spoke. "Why didn't you reject her? If you love her and are a good person, you won't put her through what she is going through right now. People are calling her a home wrecker. How can you have that on your conscience?" he asked me, and his words stung. "Maybe I am not a good person," I responded, and he growled at me. Rejecting Lilly wasn't an option, and he needed to know it. "I won't have accepted it, father. So don't even bother asking him that," Lillian
~Lilly~ I anticipated some friction with my parents, and they lived up to my expectations. However, having Uncle Leo present diffused the tension, for which I was grateful. I couldn't help but commend my parents for coming around quicker than I had anticipated. While I knew it would take time for them to fully accept Brandon, their willingness to engage in conversation and listen to our perspective was a promising start. My heart softened towards my father despite the harsh words he had initially directed at Brandon. I understood that change wouldn't happen overnight, and it would take more than just telling them we were fated for them to embrace him wholeheartedly. Despite the initial tension, we had made some progress, and for that, I silently thanked the universe—or perhaps the goddess, as I often did—for making this first step a little easier than anticipated. After breakfast, we bid farewell to Uncle Leo and made our way back to Noah and Sebastien's house. While I yearned to
~Lilly~ Minutes later, I got dressed, knowing that Gemma and the Jewels had either already arrived or were about to arrive. Heading out of the room, I went to the living room; I met only Luis there. "Where is Anthony?" I asked him, wondering why he was playing the game alone. "Said he was heading to the orphanage to hang out with Winter and Summer," he said, laughing, and I wondered what was funny. "What's funny about that, and when did he become such good friends with Winter and Summer?" I asked, and Luis chuckled. "That is because he is going to see a seventeen-year-old girl called Chelsea. Both he and Ethan compete for her, but it seems Ethan has already beaten him to it. Poor guy doesn't know when to give up," He said, and I felt a bit bad for Anthony. He deserved to have someone by now. I just hoped he wouldn't have to wait like me. Gemma and Eleanor, too. I hope they can find their mates soon. "Gemma and Eleanor are in Ethan's room. They came in a few minutes ago, but I tol
~Anthony~ Everything had gone crazy, and we were all finding it hard to find our footing. I knew I should be on my way to Greenville, but I also knew my cousins needed my help. I knew Noah and Sebastien were tough, and their mates seemed up to the task, but I knew the heat was definitely going to be high, and if we did not help each other out, we would all get burnt. I could see the resignation in the faces of Noah and Sebastien. I could see their determination to walk away if all should fail. I couldn't let it come to that. Whatever was happening was targeted at all of us, and if we did not take care, it would ruin us all. Luis and I remained in the living room playing video games while the rest went about their business. Summer, Winter and Ethan went to the orphanage. I didn't need to guess why Ethan had gone to the orphanage. I knew it was to see Chelsea. The fact that the guy had a head start before me meant the only way I could get Chelsea was if we were fated. Added to the
~Anthony~ Aspen was elated and led me to the kitchen. I hoped she wasn't up to anything dubious. With the press trying to nail everyone, no one outside our circle could be trusted. "How old are you, again?" I asked, and she smiled. "I'll be eighteen next month," She said, beaming at me, and I nodded. "In other words, you are seventeen," I said, sounding uninterested, and she nodded. "Good to know," I said and planned to maintain my distance. I wouldn't want a scandal. We entered the kitchen, and she moved to make the tea. She brought out some muffins from the oven, and they smelled fresh and delicious. "Fresh muffins?" I said, sniffing the air. The flavours were divine. She nodded with a smile and then bit into one of them. She closed her eyes and savoured the taste. I reached for my cup of tea and took a sip. It was herbal tea. I appreciated the fact that she didn't decide to serve me caffeine. She brought me two flavours, a banana and a Blueberry muffin. "Who made them?" I a
~Lilly~ The drive to Hayland made most of us nervous. I didn't know what awaited me there, but I knew it wouldn't be easy. I noticed Brandon's unease, and twice on our way, he told me that I was free to change my mind whenever I wanted. Eleanor chuckled a few times. She found his actions cute. "Honestly, Brandon, you should be more worried for Lesley than us. Why do you think we are following Lilly? Lesley might have been able to bully Winter out of your life, but karma is a bitch, and we are her karma," Eleanor said, making all of us laugh. We arrived at Hayland eventually, and I was shocked to see the state of the place. It was clear that the place was a beautiful settlement and developed, but it was also obvious that it needed renovations and repairs. It seemed like a booming city that suddenly ran out of money and now couldn't keep up. I noticed some renovations and construction going on, but I also could not ignore the glum that was in the air. There were people laugh
~Lilly~ I was surprised to hear that Winter was the one that decorated the place. Indeed, she and Brandon were looking forward to building a home together, but the fate that had brought them together had also set them apart by giving them different destinies. Unlike Winter, I will fight for this one. It's not like I blame her because I knew her hands were tied, and she wasn't even given a fighting chance. If she had to fight, she would have done it alone, and there was no way she would have succeeded. Her case was different from mine. I had all the cards in my favour. I had the heart and the might to push back. I was formidable. I didn't only plan to get rid of Lesley, but I planned to make her pay for what she dared to do to Winter. She was downright cruel, and it was time she got a dose of her medicine. We eventually left the living room and retired to the bedrooms allocated to us. I noticed I wasn't placed in the master's, and I frowned. Was Brandon planning to sleep in a separa
~Anthony~I returned to the house a bit underwhelmed. Luis was around and busy on the computer. I knew he'd be busy. The guy couldn't stay away from work for a day. I know I should follow his example, but other than the press release that we planned on giving, there was nothing for me to do. Instead of languishing in the house, I decided to check on Noah and Sebastien at their office. My interaction with Aspen was a bit off, and I just wanted to have some clarity on the matter. The truth was, she piqued my interest when she indicated I should not discuss the matter with her Alphas. She really did not want Noah and Sebastien to know her plans or what she had discussed with me. She either had something up her sleeves that my cousins needed to look into, or she was afraid of something. Either way, it was important they know, especially with all that was going on at the moment."Heading out?" Luis asked me, looking up from the laptop."Yes, going to the Alpha's office," I said, and he no