ALAYNAThree weeks of vacation in the place where I was born seemed like a short time, so naturally, I wished I could stay. I’ve missed my family terribly—my mother and my twelve siblings. If I go back to New York, I’m only going to remember the hell I’ve been through with Brandon, and it’s a reality I can’t avoid. Nonetheless, it’s impossible for me to move on. Brandon and I never really had a long time to get to know each other, but it still hurts so much that I’m afraid it’d take long to finally let go of my feelings for him. To heal.
Cassius believes that this is for the best. I’ve tried hard to put the negativity away and give myself more time to adjust. He wants me to enjoy myself with my family, but it’s not that easy. I know everything is temporary.
Mom thinks Cassius is my boyfriend—and my boss’s cousin. I told her we’re only friends, but she wouldn’t believe me. Who would? Every day he’s in our house, and he only returns to the hotel after dinner.
I don’t give much thought to our odd relationship either. We are only holding hands, often we are hugging, but Cassius is too much of a gentleman to make a move. He never mentioned anything and respects my decisions. He is very patient with me, and he’s polite to Mom. My siblings like him too.
I like being with him. Other than Oliver and Casey, Cassius has given me the attention and care.
Why didn’t I fall in love with a man like him?
I’m in the kitchen experimenting with new recipes, and Cassius is sitting by the island, an iPad in his hand, tasting everything I serve him.
“It’s Casey’s birthday in three days,” he suddenly says, looking up at me. “What’s your plan?”
“Your sister is into parties. I remember she said it once. But what sort of party?” I carefully spill the apple nectar on the cooked rice, followed by sliced vegetables, and mix everything.
“She likes to dance.” Cassius shrugs. “Don’t you think it’s time for us to return?”
After mixing the rice, I place a portion on a plate and put two slices of bacon on top before giving it to Cassius. “This smells nice. What is it?”
“It’s from a Chinese recipe, but I tweaked it a bit. Try it.”
He shrugs again and picks up the spoon, then tastes a mouthful. “I can taste the lemon, but it’s complementing the rice.”
“Eat it with bacon. I cured that myself.” I grin. When cooking, I miss Oliver. He’s always the one who tries my cooking. God, I really do miss him a lot! In the past year, he and Casey have been the only people listening to me. I feel I can tell Oliver about everything. He stayed by my side during Brandon’s absence, making sure I wouldn’t break down.
Cassius eats another spoonful, and his eyes widen. “Hmm! It’s delicious.” He grins.
“Right?” I giggle. “The secret is in the lemon juice and the bacon marinade.”
“Great, because I can’t stop eating.” He laughs and eats more.
“Um, about coming home,” I say, going back to his question. “I like it here, Cassius. I wish we could spend more time here.”
“I want that too. I love spending time with your family. They are all so like you. But Casey would love you to be there on her birthday.”
I put down the bowl I’m holding and perch on the barstool next to him. “I feel so relaxed here. Maybe I can just stay.” I laugh.
“What about me?” he jokes, smiling.
I smile back. “You can come here whenever you like.”
“You know that’s impossible, right?” he whispers, searching for my eyes. “Everything we have now is temporary.”
I bite my lip as the awkward silence stretches between us. “Why do you have to be Brandon’s cousin?”
I gaze at his face and start to realize things. He lets out a soft laugh but doesn’t answer.
Cassius is here to help me, guide me, and make me forget the pain of losing Brandon. I don’t want this to appear like he’s a rebound, but his embraces are real—he comforts me. I know it’s selfish, but I like the affection he’s giving me. I know he has feelings for me, but I couldn’t give him the same affection.
“Do you think if we didn’t meet the way we met, we could have a chance?” he asks.
“I don’t know.”
“But do you know what I think?”
“What?”
“I believe that this is the only way. Are you worried about me now?” He smiles sweetly again, but there’s sadness in his eyes. “Don’t be. I wanted this.”
“I’m sorry, I’m a burden.”
“You’re not a burden, Alayna. I had every chance to go back to Manhattan when you told me to, but it’s my choice to stay because I like being with you. I can even marry you if you want to,” he jokes again, chuckling.
“Are you proposing to me?” I tease.
“No, but a lucky girl must be out there somewhere.”
“I didn’t even say no yet. I guess you can tell Casey we’re coming back.”
“Are you sure about that?”
I nod. “We’re going back anyway.”
“Laynie!” A loud, high-pitched voice suddenly echoes in the kitchen. “Laynie, we want some food! We want some!” Three more kids storm in the kitchen and run around me; then the youngest, Mirabelle, shows me her empty bowl.
“Gimmie some, Laynie,” she says in her cute little voice.
“All right, all right. Give me your bowl.” Mirabelle hands me the bowl and I give her a small serving of rice. “Tracy, don’t run! Elman, can you take a look at Martin? He’s picking the rug again!” I shout so he can hear me in the living room.
I have a rather huge, happy family. Never in any day has our house felt empty. Mom and Dad loved adopting kids from the children’s home my father used to work at. All my siblings are adopted, yes, but we don’t mention it in the house, even if they all know I’m not their sister by blood. They are my siblings, that’s all there is to it.
Elman is sixteen; he’s the eldest among twelve, and he’s really tall. He’s their big brother whenever I am away. I was in fifth grade when Elman was adopted. Next is Rosy, the second in command—as Elman calls her—and she’s fifteen. Then Spencer, he’s thirteen and the biological brother of Jenny, who is eleven years old. Jenny is followed by Jim, the smartest one at the age of ten. Then Clay and Michelle: they’re both nine. The younger ones are Kurt, Tracy, Kit, Martin, and Mirabelle, with a year gap between each. I can still remember the times when each of them came into our house...
Seconds later, I hear the other kids’ footsteps coming from upstairs. Their giggles and whispers fill the house.
“Hey! I told you not to run on the stairs,” I scold.
“Yes, Laynie!”Cassius chuckles. “I just love hearing your nickname, Laynie.”
“Ugh! Don’t call me that. It’s childish.”
“Why not? I like it.”
“Laynie, can you feed me?” Mirabelle looks up at me.
I grin. “Of course. Come up here,” I say, offering her the seat next to me.
“Come here, Mira. Do you want big brother Cassius to feed you instead?” Cassius asks, and Mira blinks her big round eyes at him. “Come here, then.”
Still a little hesitant, Mira walks to him, and Cassius puts her on his lap. “What is this?” she pokes Cassius’s dimple.
Cassius laughs. “Those are my dimples.”
“Can I have those?”
“I’ll give them to you later, but you should eat your rice first.”
“Okay!” She smiles and kisses his cheek. Cassius lifts the spoon of apple rice and feeds it to her. Mirabelle munches the food heartily and contently.
“I told you I hold a special charm for little girls.” He winks at me.
“Shh! Stop boasting.”
“I’ll check your mother’s blood pressure after this, and I’ll give her something for her back pain. Do you mind getting my things ready?”
I can’t help but smile fondly at him. “Now, that’s what I call charm.”
BRANDON“Come in,” I call, hearing the swift knock on my door. Oliver and Casey stride inside and place a tray of food on my desk.
I check the clock, and it’s almost seven in the evening. I realize I’ve already been in front of my computer for six hours straight in a meeting with Grethe and Elga Enterprises executives. I ended the meeting after the last executive’s speech, but it pretty much gave me a damn headache. As chairman and founder, all of them answer to me. I didn’t do much of this in the past, given my previous situation. Oliver used to do these things for me. I can’t lie: This fucking tires me.
“Brandon.” Casey greets me first. “Here’s your dinner. I squeezed you some fresh lemon juice. Is there anything else you want to eat?”
“That’s fine, Case. Thanks.”
“Hey, can I speak with you?” she asks, but I ignore her. I have more pressing matters to cover with Oliver. “Ollie? Any news?”
“I searched everywhere, and I can’t find any Katrakis named Marcus—”
I hold up a hand. I need to speak to him alone. “Casey, can you leave us, please?”
“Why? I was the one who asked first,” she complains, her voice irritated.
“Not tonight, please. I have a lot on my mind right now.”
“Fine! Just don’t get mad if you find out from someone else. This is important.”
I exhale. “Okay. What is this about?”
Oliver whispers to her and gives her a warning look, but she only glares back at him and points her finger to the door.
“Listen, Case... I’m busy with—”
“Shut up, Brandon!” she snaps. “I’m swamped, too, with working in the kitchen alone while doing my thesis. Just hear me out before you freaking open your mouth.”
I’m stunned.
“Ollie, just a moment, please.” Oliver takes a chair to the side. “You can’t just do this anytime you want, Casey.”
“It’s going to be my birthday soon,” she reminds me.
Of course, I remember. How can I forget? She’s the only sister I have left.
“All right, what do you want for your birthday?” I stretch my back.
She crosses her arms over her chest. “I don’t want or need anything, and I’m not going to ask you about something. All I want is a simple celebration, but I just have one wish. Only wish.”
“Let’s hear it.”
“I’m turning twenty-five, and I know that I’m not young enough to ask for wishes.” She holds her head high. “I wish Pauline to be removed from the house. Find her another place to stay.”
“I thought we were done talking about this?”
“You might be, but I’m not. If you don’t want Pauline to stay in hotels, you can rent a suite, house, mansion, or palace for all I care. Just get her out of here, please. I’m not comfortable with having her here. If I want to celebrate my birthday, I will celebrate it without her.”
“Casey, enough of this. I’m tired of explaining myself. My decision is final. This is my house. My“How can you put a stranger inside your house?” she retorts, raising her voice. “Take her out of here or I will, Brandon.”
“She’s not a stranger. She’s Pauline. You know her from Athens. You used to see her on family occasions. What’s the matter? No one is leaving this house. Now get back to whatever it is you are doing, and let me and your brother finish our business.”
“Alayna is coming back,” she says angrily. “Stop being a jerk. I’m beginning to hate you for doing this.”
Goddammit!“If she’s coming here, it’s because she signed a contract. So, for the last time, I don’t want to tell you again. Now, leave this room while I’m still asking nicely.”
“Casey,” Ollie says softly. “You don’t want to fight Brandon over this again. We will discuss your birthday later, okay?”
Casey shakes her head in disapproval, and tears are already rising in her eyes. “Fine, but don’t ever think I will approve of her, Brandon. I know that I don’t have any right to tell you what to do, but doing this isn’t the right thing. I see that you don’t really care anymore for anything, but that woman...” She glares at me once more before she marches out of my room and slams the door.
I groan. Clearly, I got misinterpreted again. Casey will not understand now, but afterward, she will understand. Besides, I don’t want to hear any more about Alayna and Cassius because I might lose my head again.
“You know Casey,” Ollie says. “But I think you should talk to her. She’s hurt.”
“You know that I can’t take Pauline out of here, right?”
“Relax. Casey is Casey. She gets mad when she doesn’t get what she wants, but you cannot blame her. She’s very fond of Alayna.”
“God, this is insane.” I grit my teeth.
“Tell me honestly, and remember you cannot lie to me, Brandon. I know you too well. The whole setup affects you. Alayna and Cassius in her hometown together with her family? It’s almost like a serious thing. Doesn’t it bother you?”
“Of course, it fucking bothers me,” I hiss, clenching my fist. “But what can I do? She’s hurting because of me. Her family and her life are on the line.”
“I know, and I understand what’s going on with you,” he answers calmly. “But this can’t go on for too long, or you might lose her again. This time, it’s going to be for good, now that Cassius has an advantage. I just don’t know what she would think about Pauline being here.”
“Do you think I don’t know that? She’s out there living the life I wouldn’t be able to give her. I need to bring my enemies down, and if I don’t do that, we can never have a normal relationship. This is a war between families, Ollie. I can’t involve her in that until I resolve this issue.”
“Then why don’t you just tell her what’s going on, Brandon?”
“I can’t. Not when my plans include Pauline. You know that it’s not going to be good.”
“You wanted her family’s allegiance because you needed more power. I get it.” Ollie nods.
“I have to look more convincing if I have to do that.”
“Because if Damianos finds out about your relationship with a woman other than his daughter, he’ll turn against you.”
“Yes, that’s exactly who he is. I don’t want more enemies. The alliances with these families have been broken for a long time without our knowing. The Dragoumises are already siding with Alfio.”
“But in the end, this will hurt both you and Alayna. You’re willing to sacrifice your relationship for this alliance? Is there no other way? This is too much.”
“Either my enemies or Damianos targets her, it doesn’t make a difference. I have no other choice. The Stavros are as powerful as our family—”
“Or maybe because you just don’t want Alayna to assume you’re choosing Pauline over your relationship? You are already doing that now,” he says tersely. I can understand his concern for Alayna. They’ve become very close.
“I’m not choosing Pauline, Ollie. You know that. At the right time, I’ll tell Alayna about this. I just need to tell Pauline my plans first.”
“This will hurt Pauline too.” Another fact, and I can’t deny it.
“Her family will benefit from this too. Pauline’s father wants my technology. But anyway, Cassius will take care of Alayna more than I can. At least for now,” I say, mostly to convince myself. But I know inside that I’m losing her to Cassius. “Ollie, what about the investigation? About Marcus?”
He hurls out a frustrated breath. “No record of Marcus Katrakis. There was no person with that name in our family. Are you sure you heard it correctly?”
“Look at me. Do I look like I’m unsure?”
“All right.” He raises his hands. “I’m going to ask the detective to continue the search.”
“Do that, please,” I mutter. “I still have work to do.”
“Why don’t you eat first? You need a rest too, Brandon,” he advises.
“Well, I don’t think I would be able to get a rest. Every fucking thing is haunting me.”
The unknown man lurking around Alayna’s hometown. He’s probably Alfio’s man, or maybe Marcus.
The murder of my family.
Annette.
Pauline. Her family. Silvanus.
The pain still in my chest.
Alayna and Cassius in her hometown together.
I just fucking hate all of it.