Chapter 3
“See you soon.” Hunter winks at me.
I hug my best friend next, then pick up my belongings. They fit into a piece of luggage slightly larger than the one I arrived in London with.
There’s a chill in the September air. I wait outside for the car, standing upright with stiff shoulders. My hair falls down my back in light waves. My shoes are polished. Under my trench coat, my cream-colored dress with buttons running down my chest hangs perfectly, and my stockings add the final touch of elegance.
The driver opens the back passenger door, and Felix steps out. Two years have done little to change his appearance; a few more silver specks in his hair and slightly deeper lines are the only obvious concession to time. Perfectly dressed in a custom-made suit, he takes me in and gestures for me to approach.
I bite my cheek and reach him with a small smile.
“I don’t know how you did it, but I’m watching you,” he says, not sounding pleased.
“I’m ready to serve the Family.”
He eyes me intently for a second, then takes in the boarding school.
“The time apart must have been clarifying.”
You have no idea.
“I have my loyalties in check now,” I say, bowing my head slightly.
His inquisitive eyes meet mine again.
“Get in.”
We spend the drive to the airport in silence. Felix is on his phone. I have my hands tucked in my lap, eyes out the window. Leaves change colors into yellow and orange, creating a perfect autumn painting. Each passing mile reminds me I have a mission to accomplish.
Calm and collected.
As we take our seats on the Family’s private plane, Felix is typing furiously on his phone, with his eyebrows drawn together. Vigilance is paramount.
“Always observe without them noticing, Celine.”Cillian drilled this into my head until it became second nature.
When we land and disembark, my heart twists. A sudden bout of nostalgia holds me hostage.
A driver opens the door of a black Mercedes SUV for us, and we climb inside.
With every mile, the past slams into me. Memories, I thought I squashed, cram back into my head. I shut my eyes, my heart beating with an out-of-control cadence. Seeing Kaden again and being indifferent to him will be the test I need to pass.
Behind the thick wrought-iron gates, I see the six houses scattered around the foot of the hill. Grandmother’s mansion looks down, a virtual reminder of who holds the power. I pat my dress and then my hair with my hand so no strand is out of place.
Felix again eyes me with that displeased expression I want to smack off his face.
The driver rounds the car and opens the door. Felix steps out first, buttoning his suit jacket.
You have this.
I hate that I need to encourage myself. After all I have done to get to this moment, this should be the simple part, but I’m struggling to keep myself under control.
“Get her stuff to her house,” he orders the driver.
“Right away, sir.”
I hand him my trench coat; the weather in early September is far warmer in Greenville than in London. Thanking him, I follow Felix up the stairs.
Thomas opens the door, and the old butler’s eyes warm when he sees me.
“Miss Langley, a pleasure seeing you again.”
“It’s good to be home.” The bitter tasting words slip effortlessly from my tongue.
He steps aside and stretches out his arm, letting us in. For a moment, I revert to that young girl intimidated by Grandmother’s presence.
Down the long hallway, Thomas opens the door to a sitting room. I remember coming here on a few occasions. It’s her favorite room as it overlooks her coveted rose garden. I straighten my shoulders, inhaling deeply. Grandmother sits on a plush armchair, drinking from a cup of coffee, her sharp eyes taking me in. She gestures for me, and I approach her.
Always play into their hands. Act as if she’s the one in control.
“Grandmother.” Tears brim in my eyes on command. Those acting classes paid off. Her wrinkled mouth curls up a bit but never into a full, genuine smile.
She grips my chin and analyzes me like an exhibition object.
“How did she behave?” she asks Felix.
“Like she should have from the beginning.”
But her eyes are on me. Good luck seeing past my mask. I am the wolf dressed in sheep’s clothes.
“Sit.”
I take a seat in the armchair beside her. With a dismissive wave of her hand, she signals Felix to leave.
He dips his head and walks out of the room.
Silence stretches between us. I wonder if she’s waiting for me to slip so she can send me right back to London.
“Why do you think it took me two years to answer your letters?”
Ah, we’re going this route. Maybe because you get your rocks off on the fact I mean nothing to you.
“Before I answer, and with the risk of repeating myself, I’m sorry, Grandmother.”
She takes another sip. Her wrist is covered with pearl bracelets.
“You raised me, made sure I had a home, and I didn’t appreciate it. I was ungrateful.”
“You said that already.”
“I’m sorry.”
I bow my head further, swallowing hard to keep the act up. She taps my knee. “I see you learned the most important lesson: humility. They don’t say it for nothing: distance truly makes the heart grow fonder.”
Or rather filled with poison and how I will enjoy serving it to you, one drop at a time.
“I betrayed you.”
“You did.”
But I didn’t. I betrayed myself by loving and trusting that cunning bastard. When I am done with Kaden, he’ll regret the day he used my feelings and manipulated me.
“And I’m here to prove to you I’ll never do that again.” I clasp my hands on my lap and look at her for a fraction of a second. This time, she smiles. Good. Buy the lies I tell you while I wrap them around your neck until I can strangle you with them.
“Kaden, Abigail, Blake, and Bailey are already an established team. Kaden leads them as it should be.”
I feel her gaze on me, yet my heart could be tearing and still, no sign would betray me to the untrained eye.
“Every one of them has a certain role to fulfill. Their futures are already set in stone. But you… what am I going to do with you?”
She places the cup down. Sighing, she tilts her head to the side. A pensive expression stretches the corners of her eyes.
“Please give me a chance to prove myself. That’s all I yearn for, Grandmother. Whatever you decide, I will accept.”
“And I will test that.”
Good, because I need access, and I can’t do that if I am not on the inside.
“You look just like him.”
Hatred spills from her. I take it as a compliment.
“I wonder if Cassandra would have been okay with how I raised you.” Is she going soft?
“But then again, she should thank me for taking care of the person responsible for her death.”
There’s no point in telling her I had nothing to do with my parents’ accident. It doesn’t help that I have no memory of that day.
I’ve tried so hard to remember what happened back then, but in vain. I’ve carried the guilt of my parents’ deaths for years, and not even my father’s assurances of my innocence could lighten the burden. This time, an actual tear slips from my eye. For my parents. Even though my hopes that my mother is alive are minimal. But if she is, I’ll find her.
I watch Grandmother, deep in thought, lips downcast. She’s still grieving. That doesn’t seem right… or it’s a very good con.
“Kaden, Abigail, Blake, and Bailey are coming to dinner. Be ready.”
I nod. She lifts her hand, and I kiss it.
“Thank you for this chance. I won’t disappoint you.”
“The reason I’m giving you this second chance is because you’re the daughter of my daughter. You will be my eyes and inform me about the other heirs’ behavior.”
“It will be my honor.”
I am not a professional actor. Even with my extensive training, I need to collect myself after every test when the adrenaline crashes.
She calls for Thomas, who swiftly appears, and informs him to drive me to my old house. What an honor.
As I leave the house, the staff’s reaction varies from hushed whispers to outright gaping.
Thomas’s eyes seek mine in the rearview.
“Celine.” Warmth mixed with concern fills his baritone voice. “You could have had a life outside of all this.”
That’s not possible for me.
“Thank you for your concern, but I’m right where I belong.”
“You’ve changed.” A sigh heaves his chest, making his disapproval clear.
A flash of anger strikes me.
“I did what I had to do.”
He’s silent for the remainder of the drive until he pulls up outside the two-story mansion.
“We’re here.”
Thomas opens the door for me, but my eyes trail toward the neighboring house as I step out.
“Kaden has changed as well,” Thomas says.
“I don’t care.”
“You consider only your perspective. You’re still young.”
Young? I don’t know many nineteen-year-olds who can do what I can. I have become what circumstances forced me to be, but what I will never regret is getting rid of that pathetic girl in love.
I step inside. Nothing has changed. The same blueish paint, mine and my mom’s obsession with blue, is presented by this museum-like house. Strangely, it stopped feeling like home the moment I returned as an orphan.
Inside my old bedroom, I unpack. I stick my knife under the nightstand and all my other weapons under the mattress, and then I take out my camera and microphone detector. For the next two hours, I search every corner of the house.
When my father calls me, I drop down on the couch.
“How did it go?”
“Checking in on me?”
“You’re my daughter.” And I wish, at times, he’d behave more like a father.
“Grandmother said to be her eyes.”
“She puts you at odds with the others, then.”
“I’ll deal with that.”
“Cillian, Mia, and Hunter are on the plane. Don’t get distracted. Never forget the end goal.”
How could I?
“I won’t”
After showering, I glide my hand down the mirror, erasing the condensation.
You can do this. No one and nothing will stop you.
I blow my hair into big curls that fall down my back, add a touch of makeup, and put on an A-line, knee-length blue dress with matching silver sandals. Elegant, prim, and proper.
One last glance in the mirror to check everything sits perfectly, and I walk down the stairs. Outside, the driver picks me up.
Four cars are already parked outside Grandmother’s mansion when the driver opens the door for me. I look at my silver watch. I am right on time.
She said seven o’clock, well it’s five till.
Squaring my shoulders, I step out.
“This way.” Thomas leads me down the hallway toward the dining room.
I calm my nerves. I can’t fail this. The doors open and I walk inside. All sound vanishes. Blake blinks at me and downs half a glass of wine. Abigail snaps her head from me to her right. I know he’s sitting next to her without even looking. Every atom in me is hyperaware of him. Only Bailey jumps from her chair, ignoring the disapproving looks from Grandmother.
“You’re back. I missed you.” She hugs me, and I do the same. She was more like a sibling than a friend. They all were.
“Bailey.” Kaden’s voice lowers with disapproval, blowing my heart to shreds. He’s an expert at that.
Our gazes lock, his eyes a magnificent fury of deep blue and gray––a bottomless ocean and a cloudy sky clashing together. That’s all. Nothing else would reveal that I affect him. I guess I am not the only one who has worked on their reactions.
“I just wanted to welcome her back.” Bailey’s aquamarine eyes shine with sincerity. She’s the youngest of us. With her strawberry hair and slim figure, she’s like a delicate fairy.
“This is quite the surprise,” Abigail says. I look at her. Her straight, long blond hair flows down her back, and her perfect features are covered with expertly applied makeup. She’s beautiful, like a doll. Abigail and Bailey are in elegant dresses, the guys in crisp slacks and button-down shirts.
“Great, indeed.” Blake pours himself another glass. He’s gained more muscles, oozing physical strength.
“Blake.” Grandmother points her gaze to him. He puts the empty glass down only after he downed it.
Like always, not caring about consequences.
Bailey steals glances at the other three. Abigail looks at me with sharp disappointment while Kaden looks straight ahead. Blake leans back, shaking his head at me.
Welcome home.
My childhood and teenage years flash before my eyes. All four were an integral part of that. Now, all dressed up and polished to perfection, they look like strangers. Hurt surfaces, but I stomp on that quickly.
“I don’t want her here.”
That voice that used to warm even the most numb corners of my being drops so low the room temperature plummets. Like my heart.
I look from Kaden to Grandmother and catch the satisfaction gleaming in her eyes. I might not be under his spell, but I will never get near to being her brainless little loyal soldier, either.
“That’s not for you to decide. Celine has been welcomed home, and as such, she will be moving in with you.”
His fingers grip the knife, and a muscle in his jaw thickens. You fool, that’s exactly what she wants, to get a reaction.
“But—” Abigail gives.
Grandmother shoots a disapproving look at her. Oh, Abi. She doesn’t tolerate weakness, and you reek of having him as a weakness. Blake has his alcohol, and Bailey is starved for any love at all.
“Let’s eat,” Grandmother says.
There is one seat left next to Kaden. When I sit down, goose bumps erupt on the side next to him. His heady scent of sandalwood and bergamot, his cologne mixed with his natural smell, dizzies my senses. My hands tremble, and I hide them under the table. From the outside, it’s as if I am a proper lady—perfectly composed.
Heat and anger emanate from him, but when I steal a glance at him, he has himself under control. But being attuned to him, the connection between us sizzles, making it impossible to ignore. An unbreakable bond binds us. I wish I could shred it with my bare hands and scatter the pieces in the ocean for the waves to carry them all away, far away from me. I sense his breath galloping, his muscles straining, tearing at my composure.
After the first course is served, Bailey looks at me with eyes brimming with curiosity. “How was it in England?”
My heart breaks for her. I don’t know how, but I will ensure the things I unleash do not affect her. I can be her friend as long as she doesn’t expect me to be honest.
“Bailey, behave,” Grandmother chastises her. We all return to our truffle soup. I spoon the succulent broth, the foie gras melting on my tongue.
Her head drops, and Blake puts one elbow on the table and snickers. “I’m curious too.”
“Enough.” At Kaden’s rough tone, they all still.
Grandmother’s bleary eyes have stayed on us the entire time, observing what remains of our love. Nothing but betrayal. Treason ruined our love, turning it from a magnificent building into rubble.
She indulges their curiosity because right after dessert, she says, “Celine, you may tell them about your stay abroad.”
They shoot questions. I don’t miss that Kaden doesn’t ask; instead, he is on his damn phone. What could be more important than this?
“How was it at Preston?” Bailey asks.
“Intense. The school has a tough learning program, but there were a few recreational activities. And once in a while, I could visit London, which was the highlight of my stay abroad.”
“Did you make friends?” Abigail asks.
“Yes, actually. Mia… and Hunter.” Kaden’s fingers freeze over the keyboard. I didn’t do it to get a reaction from him but to gain her interest. Yes, sure.
“Hunter?”
“Hunter Lockwood. His father founded the school.” Actually, it’s Hunter Prescott, the heir of the sixth family, but we’ll keep that little secret for now. Who knew when Grandmother sent me away, she would send me straight to the man who plots her downfall.
Her eyes shine with the possibility of connections. “Lockwood… Yes. They’ve done very well for themselves in England. They’re well respected and are quite influential. Are you close with the Lockwoods?” she asks.
I nod. “Very.” Silence descends like the seconds after thunder, the ripples still echoing in your ears. “Hunter and his twin sister, Mia, have been accepted to study at Eagleton College. They’ll be staying on campus.”
Grandmother hums thoughtfully. “I’d like to meet them soon.”
“Of course, Grandmother.”
“But for now, I am tired. I believe it is time to retire.” With that, she waves us away. They all stand and go to kiss her hand. When it’s my turn, she even pats my hand. “You’ve done well while you were away, Celine.”
I curtsy, leaving. When I am outside, the wind allows me to let my frantic breaths out.
Kaden leans on his black BMW sports car, his arms crossed. I feel his gaze on me, unnerving, undressing, too much. Navy blue is his color. It makes him appear lethal in his beauty. Blake speeds away, with Bailey next and then Abigail.
I gulp as he gets in the car, leaving me breathless, leaving me again.
The butler gives me a set of keys, and a Mercedes coupe’s lights flash when I press the remote. It doesn’t go unnoticed that I didn’t get to choose my car, but it’s black like all the others.
I slip into the leather seat and drive to my childhood home.
Letting myself in, I remove my shoes, groaning and massaging my feet, then stop, sensing someone else in the room.
Kaden steps out of the shadows and prowls toward me. My every sense heightens, but I can’t react. He keeps me prisoner with his gaze. Those blue eyes have been impossible to say no to. He cages me between his chest and wall, his palms flat on each side of my head.
“You shouldn’t have fucking come back.”