Chapter 6

I climbed the steps, my vision blurred by tears. Each detail of his face came into focus, the sharp jawline, the intensity in his dark eyes, the subtle creases at their corners. My brother had transformed from the young man I'd left behind into someone who commanded attention with his mere presence.

"Liam?" My fingers trembled as I reached up to touch his face, making sure he was real.

"How are you, little sister?" His voice was deeper than I remembered, but held that same warmth.

The dam broke. I collapsed against his chest, my tears soaking into his expensive suit. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I left you behind. I was young and scared and-"

"Shh." His arms wrapped around me, solid and secure. "It's fine, Ava. Don't cry."

But I couldn't stop. Nine years of guilt and longing poured out as I clung to him. He smelled of cedar and something distinctly expensive,so different from the drugstore cologne he used to wear.

He clapped twice, the sound echoing across the marble entrance. Two maids appeared at his side as if by magic, their uniforms pristine.

"Take care of my sister," he instructed. "Make sure she has everything she needs."

As they gently guided me away, I turned back. "Liam, what is all this? This mansion... what do you do now?"

His only response was that same subtle smile, mysterious and unrevealing. The maids steered me through towering double doors, leaving my questions hanging in the air between us.

The maids led me to a large suite. Crystal chandeliers cast dancing light across silk wallpaper. The bed could have fit five people comfortably.

"Your bath is ready, Miss Ava," one maid said, gesturing to a marble bathroom with gold fixtures.

I wandered to the floor to ceiling windows, my fingers trailing across the velvet curtains. In the courtyard below, Liam stood with Nathan, their heads bent in conversation. Nathan glanced up, catching my eye. His smile was warm, genuine. Liam followed his gaze and his expression softened when he saw me. I stepped back, my heart racing. Who were these men really? What had my brother become in these nine years?

After soaking in a tub filled with rose petals, I dressed in the clothes laid out for me,a black cocktail dress that fit perfectly. The marble stairs curved elegantly down to the first floor. My heels clicked against each step as I descended for dinner.

Lost in thought, I crashed into someone. A man in a black suit stumbled back, his face contorting with rage.

"How dare a mere maid touch me?" He raised his hand, fingers curled into a fist. "Know your place!"

The gunshot cracked through the air like thunder. Blood sprayed across the white marble as the man crumpled, a neat hole in his temple.

My scream caught in my throat as I turned toward the sound. Nathan stood at the top of the stairs, gun still raised, smoke curling from the barrel. His eyes were cold, focused, nothing like the warm smile he'd given me minutes ago.

I tried to form words, but my throat constricted. The man's lifeless body sprawled across the pristine marble, blood pooling beneath his head. My legs turned to jelly as the metallic scent hit my nostrils.

Nathan's footsteps echoed through the hall as he descended. His presence radiated power with each step, the gun still gripped loosely in his hand. The warm, charming man from earlier had vanished, replaced by someone dangerous and lethal.

The main doors swung open. Liam strode in, his gaze sweeping from the corpse to me, then to Nathan. No shock registered on his face. No horror. Just calm assessment, as if finding dead bodies in his foyer was an everyday occurrence.

"What did he do?" Liam's voice carried the same casual tone one might use to ask about the weather.

"Called her a maid. Tried to hit her." Nathan's response was clipped, professional.

Liam gave a single nod. "The gun."

Nathan passed the weapon over without hesitation. The sound of another shot ripped through the air as Liam fired into the already-dead body. I flinched, a strangled noise escaping my throat.

Liam tucked the gun into his jacket. "Clean this up," he called out.

Several men in black suits materialized from the shadows, moving with practiced efficiency toward the body. I stood frozen, unable to process how my brother, my protective but gentle brother, had just shot a dead man with such cold indifference.

The marble floor sparkled with blood droplets under the chandelier light. My world tilted sideways as reality crashed in: this wasn't just wealth and success. This was something darker, more dangerous. And my brother stood at its center.