“By the time we enter senior year, you’ll have it all.” I begin by setting his mind at ease with the financial aspects before getting into further details.
“I’ll get their family lawyer in our pocket and make sure a decent alimony arrangement is set up in Kresley’s parents prenuptial agreement. I want confidence in knowing her mother and brother have a way to survive this and be provided for should her father come back with unaccounted for funds per the liquidation process.” He’s fully aware of how wealthy businessmen like to hide money from the IRS. My gut tells me that Kresley’s father isn’t completely surface, and he has skeletons somewhere. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if he comes through this company devastation and gets back on his feet. I want to make it so his wife and son have access to funds he obtains in the future as well.
I continue. “Any stocks or assets will be legally transferred into the mother’s and son’s names. When everything is in place, we sweep the rug from under her father’s feet. I want him living in the gutter for what he’s put Kresley through. I know she won’t go for it right away, so I need time to get her to see reason. She’s understandably angry and hurt about everything that’s happened. We have to turn things around; that way, when her father falls, she’s with us and not against us.”
“That girl truly has no idea how fortunate she is in having you on her side. I would never bet against you; I know that much. Look, Axel, you’ve more than proven your business sense to me in the past. If you say it can be done, I’ll trust you on it. I still don’t like the idea of marrying Tristan off to her, but again, I’m old enough to sit back and watch it play out. As long as she doesn’t disgrace our name and the four of you stay on track for college, than she can move in and we can alter our plan.”
“Thanks, Dad, you won’t regret this. I promise.”
“Axel, you haven’t asked me for anything in years. If I can give you this, then I will.”
I nod, thankful he let me speak, rather than shutting me down like many other parents would’ve.
“Keep me updated.”
“I will.”
“Oh, and Ax?”
“Yes, Father?”
“If she ends up pregnant...” His face grows even more serious than before. “I’ll ship her ass to a remote island. None of you will see or speak to her. Are we understood?”
“Got the message loud and clear.”
He nods. “Talk to you soon.”
“Bye, Dad,” I reply, and we both hang up. The conversation went a lot better than I was expecting. Now that I have the plan under control again, we have to get through the hardest, but most important part. We have to make her love us again.
“He went for it.” Axel fills us in after he gets off his video call with our father. I exhale in relief; not that I doubted my brother in persuading him to our side, but still.
Tristan huffs. “Yeah, but are you certain he won’t go after the company like he was planning? This is our dad we’re talking about; money is his priority right after us.”
Axel shakes his head, reassuring Tris like he usually does. “We don’t have to worry about that. I told him the time frame would be pushed out a little. I know he doesn’t care to hear that, but he’s willing to wait.”
“But why?” Brent asks, with his face screwed up in worry and confusion.
Axels glances between the three of us. “Because, I asked him to.”
“If you say so, podna.” I shrug. Axel knows his shit better than any of us, so I have faith in him. “Now, for our beba?” I inquire, with Kresley at the forefront of my thoughts. She’s more important than any of these damn plans my brother likes to cook up for our father.
“It’s handled,” Brent rumbles. “She’ll show up, or I’ll drag her out of that house if I have to.”
Axel snorts, his eyes rolling behind his glasses. “Yeah, cause that’ll go over really well with her. We all witnessed how she reacted to Tristan’s stubbornness. I have a feeling you’ll be made worse for the wear.”
“Hey, don’t throw me under the bus,” Tris grumbles, and I copy Ax with my own eye-roll. Everyone thinks we have it all figured out all the time and we’re always on top, but that’s because they never see us like this—vulnerable and real. We come off untouchable on purpose, we were taught by our father and grandfather to be that way.
Axel’s hands rise in front of him. “I wasn’t. I’m simply being realistic. What I’m attempting to suggest, is that we have to be patient with her.”
I cut in. “Shorty ain’t a fragile bird, no matter what you may think. That kitten has claws, and she’s pissed.”
Brent rumbles. “No shit, Sherlock.”
“Whatever, you get what I’m sayin’.”
He carries on passionately. “I’m not standing back and allowing someone else to hurt her. I don’t care if it’s the snobby bitches at Harvard Academy that have sticks up their asses; I’m done watching her get stepped on by anyone.”
Agreeing with the burly bastard, I nod.
Tristan stands and begins pacing. It’s nothing new; he does it a lot when we’re discussing anything important. He runs down the list, repeating everything. “So, we’re patient and protect her from outside sources. What else?”
Ax thrums his fingers on the counter. We’ve all converged in the vast kitchen after Kresley left with her father to pack her belongings. We’re spread out around the marble island while Axel feeds us details. “We cultivate her plans for the future. Either we can bring it up at some point or she can.”
He takes a drink of his coffee and tells us, “Whenever it happens, we have to make sure to hear her thoughts on it. Also, make sure she believes you value her goals and support her. Now, if she comes up with something outlandish, attempt to steer her away from it. Whatever you do, don’t turn her thoughts down completely.”
“She likes when I listen and comfort her,” I admit and Axel meets my gaze agreeing.
“Exactly. She has to see that we care about her, and we’re open to her opinions. She has to realize at some point she’s a part of us and she’s included. It goes for the future as well, hers and ours.”
Tristan sighs. “And this’ll make her love us again? You’re sure?”
Brent shrugs. “We should’ve admitted our intentions and what the deal was when we started to have feelings for her. We could’ve avoided all of this if she knew we never planned to let her go under, and we were only tanking her father’s company.”
Ax cuts his hand across. “None of those details matter now. What’s done is done. She believes we’re her number one enemy. We have to make her understand she’s wrong, and we’re on her side.”
Tristan folds his powerful arms across his chest, coming to a standstill. He rationalizes. “So, in other words, we act normal. We torment her a little, so she doesn’t realize what we’re up to. When the time persists, then we’re patient. We protect her, we listen and comfort her, and finally, we encourage her. I’d like to add when given the opportunity, we stop holding back. It’s time we let her know our intimate feelings for her as well.”
Brent’s brow furrows. “We don’t want to scare her off by coming on too strong. You didn’t see her on that balcony like I did. She’s one step in the direction of bolting, of disappearing for good.”
“He’s absolutely right,” Axel agrees. “Open up to Kresley. Show her you’re invested, but don’t overdo it.”
Groaning, I rake my hand through my hair, “Jesus, why does this sound so difficult? I don’t remember any past chicks being so damn confusing.”
Tristan smiles wide. “That’s because none of them were worth our time. We didn’t love them. Kresley is special enough to warrant all four of us, let alone a challenge to claim her.”
I nod while my brothers agree with him too. It looks like we have our work cut out for us. Now, we pray it’s enough and that we end up getting the girl. At this rate, I’m pretty sure we’d do anything to make her
fall in love with us again. Axel was sure she was moving in that direction before we completely screwed up and she overheard a conversation she never should’ve been a part of.
Regardless of what it takes, count me in.
I
can’t believe this is really happening, and Father easily rolled over and agreed to let me move in with the quads. He’s pathetically desperate to do whatever he can to be in their good graces. It’s despicable that he’d so easily surrender me up to wolves just for the possibility alone that he may line his pockets with more cash and elevate his social standing. Poor people mock the rich, but they don’t have any idea of the pressures and sacrifices we pawns have to make in the midst of the wealthy. When it comes down to it, there’s always someone richer, someone more powerful, controlling your life. It’s that way no matter what amount is in your bank account. I don’t know if I should envy the one percent or weep for them.
Glancing around, I take in the five-piece luggage set mother insisted I use for the things I couldn’t live without. She’d bought them last year for her and Daddy’s trip to Prague. She says they’re last season’s, so I can have them now. It’s so nice of her to put herself out on account of me.
At that ridiculous thought, I snort and laugh to myself. There’s nothing funny about it, though.
She’d never be caught dead in something last season or feeling guilty about anything that doesn’t directly affect herself. Not that I can blame her. She’s lived with Dad for far too long to not be a product of her environment. Though, wouldn’t that make me one as well? It’s ironic what an individual’s determination, along with a touch of humbleness, can do for a person.
I love Mom, truly, but she’s always got a motive. Something can never just be about someone else without personal gain. Take this instance, for example; she didn’t even attempt to conjure up a reason why I needed to stay. In her defense, she probably perceives this as a way to please Father, and in the end, she’ll reap the benefits of his decent mood.
After living here my entire life, I can’t blame her for looking out for herself. If anything, it’s taught me that I have to do the same. Nobody is out there in the world waiting around to save me, hence the reason I’m in this mess in the first place. I have no knight in shining armor, and as far as I’m concerned, there are no heroes waiting to save damsels in distress. This isn’t a fairy tale where no one gets hurt; I’m the one whose been damaged in it.
“I’ll have your bags brought over.” Mom flashes me an excited smile. This is just one big adventure to her.
I don’t return it or her happiness. I can’t. I’ve stalled and prolonged leaving my room long enough. I’ve been sitting on my bed, just glancing around my personal sanctuary for the last hour. I guess it’s not mine anymore. I have a sinking feeling I’ll never be coming back here. While I’m grateful to be out from under Father’s thumb, there’s comfort in familiarity. My room has been my safe haven over the years, and now that’s being stripped away from me.
I’ll be living with the enemy, and the only thing to offer me a sense of peace will be five bags of random things I’ve brought with me. Things have never had much value to me before, but I need to change that. If I’m going to be forced to live with the quads, then they better be prepared to deal with a spoiled brat. I plan to shop as soon as I arrive, as that’ll be the last thing they’re expecting from me. I want them to be as confused and off-kilter as I feel.
“Try to have fun, precious. Many girls would kill to fill your shoes and be surrounded by prominent de Lacharrieres. Don’t forget that, Kresley Ann.”
Exactly. It’s partially why I don’t understand why the guys have chosen me to torment. They could have anyone. Why waste their time on me?
“Bye, Mom,” I whisper, holding her close. I squeeze her tighter than normal. She’s clueless, and I have to forgive her for it. I’ll only have one mother for my lifetime, and I refuse to leave here hating both of my parents. At least I’ll see my brother around the academy until I graduate, but I’m not sure if or when I’ll see Mom. I imagine only when it involves wedding stuff, and it saddens me to realize I’m so alone and unlovable in the world.
Ugh, I was foolishly under the impression I’d be moving across the street into the guys’ smaller home. That thought quickly changed when I’d barely pulled into the driveway. Tristan had pushed me over and hopped into the driver’s seat of the Porsche without skipping a beat. He’d driven us out of Country Trails and right over to the massive mansion that I can’t seem to escape. Overwhelmed is an understatement when coming to terms that this is my new home. At least, it is for the next year and a half until I graduate and leave Harvard Academy. I doubt there’s a chance of me suddenly becoming a genius and being allowed to graduate early.
Previously I’d seen the massive, stunning ballroom and had briefly gone through the kitchen. I’d passed and also powdered my nose in a few of the bathrooms and had dinner with my family as well as Tristan’s in the main dining room. I’d sat in the sitting room and visited various others, all within the last few times I’d been here. Yet, adding in all the new twists and turns of the rooms they’d ignored before, has me feeling lost. Eventually, we pause, and I turn to Tristan, waiting for him to tell me this is where the fifth pool is located or something else just as outlandish. I really don’t care where we are as long as he keeps me away from the library and the painful memories that accompany the beautiful space.
“And this is our wing.” Tristan smiles broadly as he opens the door and steps inside. He comes to a standstill, waiting for me to look about the apartment in this section of the elaborate mansion.
“I don’t understand...” I respond, confused.
“What don’t you understand, princess?” Surprisingly he doesn’t mock me but asks kindly. I’m not used to the term princess either. It’d rarely slip from my father’s lips when I was a child, and now I have men who are practically royalty, adopting me with it.
“The last time I was here, you each had your own wing. I distinctly remember taking the obnoxious tour and seeing each of your living quarters. You had formal sitting and gaming areas, refrigerators, you name it, but it was in all different directions.”
Their father had also boasted at one of our several dinners how it was important that each of his prized sons have plenty of space. Gag me. I guess they have houses all over the world, and the quads are used to having their personal wings rather than a measly ol’ room. It must be such a hard life with them being reduced to rooms at the house by my parents while they waited for this one to be finished.
He chuckles. “Oh, right. We decided this would be less confusing for you. We toned it down a bit.”
“Oh, give me a break! You toned it down?” I ask in outrage, and he interrupts my tantrum.
“Plus, we all wanted to be near you,” he admits, and I don’t know whether to feel special or offended. “The best way to end that argument before it kicked off was to share one wing. We have a communal living space and what not, surrounded by our individual bedrooms. We’ll be living apart soon enough.”
“You’re used to your own wings, your dad said so. God forbid you have anything less.”
“And we grew comfortable being closer at the last house.”
“B-but I was looking forward to my own space.” I need it.
He smirks, his stare calculating. “I’m sure you were. You’ll have your personal room, multiple closets, and bed when needed, but I don’t anticipate you being alone often.”
“This is absurd. Of course, I’ll need my own bed.”
“We’ll see.”
“You guys aren’t going to let me avoid any of you, are you?” I won’t be able to breathe, damn it!
He shakes his head. “Not on your life.”
A scowl mars my face at his admission. They’re going to make this situation even harder than the move alone. Don’t they understand that each time I have to see one of their faces, it’s like a knif
e is being driven into my heart? They shattered me. I’m damaged when it comes to them, and they want to throw it all in my face that not only do they get away with whatever they want, that they can have their cake and eat it too. It makes me sick that they can get away with so much and not suffer any consequences to their actions. At least, in my case, they won’t profit off me, no, it’ll be the complete opposite. I’m going to become obnoxiously needy.
“Fine. You know what? I hope I like that bed you’ve picked for me or else I’ll take one of yours.”
His smirk morphs into a cocky grin. “You’re welcome to sleep with us anytime you’d like.”
My look turns feral. “Oh no. None of you will ever be welcome in a bed with me. If I don’t like my room or bed, I’ll simply choose one of the others. If someone’s belongings are in my way, I’ll throw them outside. I may even burn them.”
His chuckle’s dark. “Burn it all, darling, I have enough money to buy you the fucking world. Be careful when you challenge me, and you light that fire. You should’ve learned by now. You may get burned.”
Rolling my eyes, I huff out, “Whatever. I need to unpack. I assume you have staff to assist me? I will also need access to funds to fix the room you’ve put me in. I’m sure it’s not my color choice or to my standards.”
I would never treat their staff badly, but maybe they can come in and take a break or something. Lord knows I’m more than capable to unpack my own belongings. Besides, it’s not like the quads’ father can’t afford for me to give his staff some paid time to relax. In fact, I’ll call Sam. She’ll know what to do as far as shopping goes. I’d feel entirely too guilty spending a boatload of money, though I know I shouldn’t. I’ll tell her to order us both whatever she wants. I want to know what their limit is.
Tristan’s smile is patronizing as he digs out his wallet. I have to hold my mouth closed when he whips out a platinum card. As he hands it over, his index finger lifts my chin until our gazes collide. Leaning in, he catches me off guard, and I’m struck still as a statute. His smoky gaze twinkles lightheartedly as he whispers against my lips, and I taste his sweet, minty breath. “Here you go, my fiancée. Do your worst.” His nose playfully nudges mine before he pulls back. He winks and spins around, stalking away in the opposite direction.
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