A knock on my door interrupts my browsing. I open it to find Casey carrying a tray of potato chips, French fries, and two bottles of orange juice.
“May I come in?” she asks with a grin.
“Sure.” I step aside to let her in.
“Whoa, you have a nice room!” She walks toward my study desk and places the tray down. Casey settles in front of my computer, picks up a potato chip, and pops it into her mouth. “We used to visit this mansion when we were little. This was our grandmother’s before it became Brandon’s. I kind of missed it, but don’t you think it’s too lonely now?”
“A little, but really?” It’s the first time I’ve heard that. “I thought this was—”
“Brandon’s house? Sure is, but this house was only given to him when he turned eighteen. But oh, I’m sure you already know what’s going on with his life.”
“Not anything... besides his condition. Brandon isn’t very open.” I slump at the edge of my bed, and Casey swivels the chair around and rocks forward. She offers me a snack.
“Would you like some?”
“Thank you.” I slide my hand into the chip bag and grab a couple.
“I don’t know many things as well,” she continues. “But there’s something.”
“All right, so tell me why you want to speak with me.”
“Hmm. That.Talking about myself isn’t always a good idea. There are details I’d like to remain undisclosed. I am just a simple girl from Kansas with a mother and twelve siblings to people. “I think you already know about me, so I’ll skip mine. Tell me more about you? Oliver did mention a sister.”
“They are nice, my brothers, aren’t they?” She grins.
I agree. “Well, they are.”
“Yes, even though I’m adopted, I feel like I’m a princess.”
Whoa, what an introduction! “I know that it’s not something to brag about,” she continues. “Mom always wanted to have a daughter after she gave birth to Cassius, but she wasn’t able to bear another child. She almost died giving birth to him. They adopted me when I was three.”
“Then, that’s probably why you’re not blonde?” I mumble unintentionally. I didn’t mean to sound nosy.
“You noticed?” She touches her wavy chocolate-brown hair. “I always wanted to dye my hair blonde, but it would be fake, no?”
“I think your hair is beautiful as it is,” I say in all honesty. It matched her ash-colored eyes.
“Thanks.”
“And at what age did you learn that you’re adopted?”
“I knew my whole life. But I didn’t get along with them at first. I remember Ollie and I didn’t get along very well when we were kids. He was kind of hard-headed when he was young.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Oliver was like that?”
“Yeah!” She chortled. “Cassius, on the other hand, was very thoughtful. We were close, and he’s very kind. I’m sure you find him charming too.” She winks.
I force a smile. “I guess.”
She puts the bag of potato chips aside and grabs the bottle of juice. “But you’re in love with Brandon,” she concludes.
My head shoots up. My chin almost drops at her frankness. “I don’t want to put it like that for now. I mean, that’s strong speculation. I like him, but I’m still figuring myself out... and things about him.”
“It’s because you are confused.” She smiles kindly. “But don’t worry, I actually understand you. Brandon is very complicated.”
“I’m trying to understand him, but I’m not giving up.”
“That’s the spirit.” She chugs the bottle of orange juice straight and heaves a sigh of relief.
“So... are you close to Brandon?” I ask.
“Very. We all used to hang out together. My brothers and Elga as well.”
“I hadn’t heard that before.”
“Brandon and his family always lived here in Manhattan. They used to have a small house in Queens, and we moved there too for a brief time. But then we all moved back to Athens when Aunt Grethe and Elga passed away. Since Brandon needed someone at his side, Oliver and Cassius stayed with him here. Then he inherited this mansion.”
I nod. “Is it all right if I ask you something else?”
“Shoot.”
“I heard of this rule, that women in the family should only marry someone from these other two families—I’ve forgotten the names.”
She nodded. “Stavros and Dragoumis. I’m surprised you know this. That could be my fate too, even though I’m adopted. What about them, anyway?”
“Did Brandon’s mother marry someone else?”
“You are very perceptive, Alayna. Well, yes, our family has always been complicated. Our grandfather cut his ties with Aunt Grethe when she married Brandon’s dad. She was exiled from the family, and they moved away and lived a modest life.”
“That rule is bullshit, to be honest,” I say.
“Yeah, right? Who wants to marry a distant relative? Gross.” She grimaces. “My father hates that too. However, when Aunt Grethe gave birth to three children, our grandfather miraculously changed. He didn’t care about those rules anymore. He was willing to welcome them back, except, of course, for Brandon’s dad. Aunt Grethe was his favorite, after all, but she didn’t want to leave her husband.”
I shake my head in slight disappointment. “But Brandon’s dad did abandon them for his mistress.”
“And much worse, Brandon’s dad is a son of a servant—one of the Katrakis’ oldest servants who also has a drop of French blood. So much for the movie-like drama, right?”
I didn’t think that dumping your own family because of rules was right, but in this case, I couldn’t blame their grandfather. Brandon’s mother married an irresponsible man. His son was suffering here alone, and the grandfather was his only family left but still chose to abandon Brandon.
“But despite being poor, Brandon has always been the smart one,” Casey continues while munching on a chip. “Look at what he achieved. He owns the world, but he just can’t see his own worth. Cassius became a doctor to help him, and Oliver spent his whole life building the company. Honestly, for my brothers’ sake, I hope Brandon escapes all this. He deserves to live a normal life. Thanks to you, he’s beginning to see the light now.”
I smile a little. “I didn’t do anything. Honestly, it’s all him. He decided to finally go out.”
She grins back. “That’s also true.”
“Hey, I don’t want to ask this, but it keeps bothering me...”
“Go on, Alayna.”
“Do you perhaps know how his family was killed? Does he know the culprit?”
There was disgust in her eyes. “Honestly, Brandon doesn’t tell us a lot about what happened that day’“But Brandon made all his wealth by himself, right?” I point out. “I’m sure they are all going to leave him alone now.”
They should. He suffered all alone. His family was murdered because of it, and he almost lost his own life because of it.
She shakes her head, her expression hardening. “The Katrakises possess unimaginable wealth. We are talking about billions here, Alayna. The family has three heads, and we usually call them ‘the elders.’ It’s a very long story, but my grandfather alone owns one of the biggest banks, shopping malls, and automotive manufacturing industries in Greece, as well as private airlines. Now, can you imagine all their wealth combined?”
I cover my mouth. Brandon’s family is that“And Brandon is still going to have this wealth?”
“I don’t know, but I’ve heard he would.”
“So that’s where the problem lies,” I conclude.
“Since Brandon is the son of a prodigal daughter that fell from grace, the elders believe he didn’t deserve to receive anything at all, so they were kind of protesting,” she explains, disgust never leaving her eyes.
I scowl hard. “And they wanted to eliminate him and his family, is that it?”
“Brandon had already rejected his rights to the fortune, but they felt and still feel threatened.”
Things are more apparent to me now. I understand why he couldn’t say a word. His blood—his own family—betrayed and literally killed him inside and out. It’s hard to believe some people can actually kill a family member.
Mypoor Brandon. My poor, poor man.How hard it must be for him. I suddenly want to hold him and tell him that we are still here for him—that I “But how about this thing with Lucia—um, I mean Annette? Do you know anything about her?” I ask, suddenly remembering. “She’s the reason Brandon hired me. I know her and I know where to find her, but she doesn’t seem like a person who could hurt anyone.”
She looks at me with a deep frown. “I can’t believe you’re involved in this, Alayna. I’m really sorry,” she says, her face expressing regret. “Annette was the reason why his father left. I don’t know what else is the deal with her, but Brandon might know something we don’t. She could be a part of his misery.”
I fall back on the bed, my knees weak. “I even looked up to her. I was so clueless.” I bury my face in my palms, already on the verge of tears.
“It is hard to know everything, Alayna.”
I lift my head. Earlier, I remember she said something about three children. She said Brandon’s mother gave birth to three children. Who’s the other one? Does Brandon have another sibling?
I want to ask Casey that, but I keep the thought in my mind since I probably misheard something. At this point, my head is spinning.
I wipe my face of tears. “There’s a lot more I want to ask, but my head is going to explode just by thinking about it.”
“I think I’ve told you enough for one day,” she says. “But would you like it if we watched Netflix? I really wanted to watch this new show with someone...”