Kelvin’s voice followed behind me, quieter now. “Be careful, Emily. With him, the stakes alwayse high.”


    I didn’t look back.


    I just followed Liam out into the golden morning light, my stomach twisting with something I couldn’t name. My thoughts were loud, my pulse louder.


    It wasn’t fear.


    It wasn’t guilt.


    It was the feeling of being pulled in two very different directions, by two men who hadn’t even begun to y fair.


    And the game hadn’t even started.


    The car slowed as we approached the main estate, and suddenly the ocean breeze felt heavier. It was like it carried expectations instead of salt. Through the tinted window, I caught my first glimpse of the ce Sophia had referred to as “the real ckpound.”


    This wasn’t just apound. It was a pce.


    The estate rose from the cliffside like it had been carved out of light and old money. White stone walls, clean–cut terraces, endless balconies draped in bougainvillea, and ss windows that reflected every inch of paradise. Security gates slid open as our convoy rolled in, and staff in crisp white linen waited at the entrance like we were royalty returning home.


    When I stepped out, my sandals touched cool marble. I adjusted my sunsses, pretending not to gawk, but the way the estate shimmered in the sun made it impossible not to stare.


    Sophia leaned in. “Don’t let it scare you,” she whispered. “All bark, all noise. That’s this family’s specialty.”


    “But they still bite?”


    She smirked. “Oh, absolutely.”


    0.00%


    15:40


    We climbed the steps, the group slowly spreading out as attendants offered refreshments and warm towels. Liam walked a few paces ahead, calm and self–assured. Kelvin lingered just behind, casually charming a staff member with a crooked smile.


    Then the front doors swung open, and with them, the entire mood transformed.


    “Emily!”


    A woman with sun–kissed skin and warm chestnut curls came gliding out like joy in motion, arms wide, a smile even wider.


    I blinked. “Oh..”


    Before I could fully react, she pulled me into a hug that smelled like jasmine and lemon


    blossoms.


    “I’m so thrilled to finally meet you!” she gushed, holding me at arm’s length to take a good look. “You’re even more gorgeous than Sophia said. And she usually undersells.”


    “Thank you… Mrs. ck?” I managed, cheeks warming. “You’re incredibly beautiful, truly.”


    “Oh, no. Please. Laura.” She waved a hand. “Calling me Mrs. ck makes it sound like we‘ re at a shareholders meeting. We’re on vacation, sweetheart!”


    Liam stepped forward, visibly ufortable. “Mom…”


    “What?” she said, feigning innocence. “You won’t answer a single question a1 ut her, and now I’m not allowed to be excited?” <fn4b02> Th?s chapter is updated by find?novel</fn4b02>


    Heat rushed to my face.


    Sophia covered her mouth, barely holding back augh.


    Jay muttered, “This is the best day of my life.”


    Laura linked her arm through mine. “Come on, sweetheart. You’re one of us now. You can’t feed this zoo for ten days and not be inducted.”


    I let her guide me through a grand foyer, past impossibly tall ceilings and corridors that belonged in design magazines. The house smelled like orchids, citrus, and polished wood.


    The sunroom had been transformed into a brunch haven. Towers of fresh fruit, chef–manned omelet stations, rows of golden pastries, and champagne chilled in crystal flutes. Soft piano


    31.41%


    15:40


    music floated through the room. Everything glittered.


    Everything felt surreal.


    Kelvin was already there, casually pulling out the seat beside me before I could choose one.


    “Hope you don’t mind,” he said smoothly. “Figured you could use a familiar face.”


    I sat, trying to y it cool. “Thanks.”


    Sophia took a seat across from us, amusement all over her face. Liam sat diagonally across, his expression unreadable. His eyes rarely left me, 1 felt them more than I saw them.


    Family members trickled in one by one, each introduction more dazzling than thest. Liam’s father, Henry, sat at the head of the table–quiet, sharp–eyed, and still as a storm before rain. Then came Uncle Oliver,manding and charming, the man who ran the family’s international investments. His handshake felt like a deal being made.


    Kelvin’s brothers followed. Four in total. One carried a camera, one read a newspaper like we were background noise, one gave me a once–over like I was wall art, and one nodded politely and said, “Wee.”


    I liked that one.


    The conversation was warm on the surface butced with questions. I could feel it. The subtle curiosity, the assessments. I was being sorted, weighed, filed away.


    Except by Laura, who never stopped gushing.


    “She’s a delight,” she said cheerfully to the table. “And she makes chocteva cakes from scratch. I’ve decided we’re keeping her.”


    Liam nced down at his te.


    Kelvin chuckled. “Guess we’re not the only ones under her spell.”


    68.94%