AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Panic flared inside me at the mention of my stepbrothers. Brian rarely talked about them. I didn’t even know their names. Until recently, he’d kept his family life very private.
The new dress and the ride in this opulent car made me feel like I never really knew Brian. Mom seemed perfectly comfortable though, like she’d known who he was for a long time.
Nothing about his wealth surprised her.
I was the only one who’d been kept in the dark. Glancing at her, I wondered what other secrets she was keeping from me.
Mom tried to make small talk on the way but I couldn’t get into it. Everything was happening too fast.
I was still trying to come to terms with what she told me that morning. How could she expect me to go to brunch with three strangers after knowing she was dying from cancer?
It wouldn’t be too bad if it was just Brian. He was kind, gentle, and considerate. He’d known me since I was a kid and if I got upset before him, I knew he wouldn’t mind.
The prospect of meeting my stepbrothers scared me. They were strangers. Something told me they didn’t know much about me or Mom. Would they be able to accept us into their family?
“Look over there,” Mom called out, breaking me out of my thoughts. “You can see the house from here.”
I looked ahead and spotted the tops of a vast mansion in the distance. A glimpse of the gothic structure was enough to tell me the architecture was from the late nineteenth century.
“That’s Brian’s home?” I gasped, staring with wide eyes as the mammoth structure came closer.
“Yes, honey. Impressive, huh?”
The structure was impressive enough to drive me speechless. I had no idea the cheerful, easygoing man she was dating lived in a place like this.
“It’s unreal,” I breathed as the car drove through a pair of tall metal-wrought gates. Armed guards patrolled the area. Further ahead, the car drove through a tree-lined avenue leading toward the manor.
My chest seized with panic. What the hell were we doing in a place like this?
All too soon, the car came to a stop in front of a well-manicured lawn. Even though it was early March, the grass was a vibrant green. An ostentatious marble fountain decorated the front entrance of the manor.
“Come on,” said Mom, climbing out of the car like it was no big deal for her. Had she always known Brian lived in a house like this with nothing but acres of green valleys and hills all around?
I got out of the car and instinctively grabbed my mother’s hand.
“Don’t be nervous, honey,” she said in a soothing voice. “Just be yourself and your brothers will love you.”
The mere idea of calling three strangers ‘brothers’ felt a bit too much. As far as I knew, they were my age and attending Silverlake as well. There was no way someone as old as us could accept a new family member with ease.
A neatly dressed elderly woman came out to greet us. She introduced herself as Gretchen and ushered us inside the entrance hall.
I tried to keep my gaze straight ahead and not stare at the extravagance surrounding me. There were ornate bronze vases of fresh, exotic flowers, ancient paintings and portraits, and a lavish crystal chandelier glowing overhead.
The place could’ve passed off as a lobby in one of those luxury hotels in the city.Or maybe a museum with all those paintings, I thought, following Gretchen and Mom.
We were led inside a vast well-lit room. A moment later, I realized most of the light came from the glass-covered windows that were as high as the ceiling.
In the corner, a familiar figure stood up.
“Eva, Milla...” Brian came forward with a smile on his face. He was dressed handsomely in a dark navy suit and glistening black loafers. I’d never seen him in such formal attire. He was impressive and looked like the master of this incredible mansion.
My gaze shifted toward the three figures standing behind him. My eyes widened as I recognized each one of them.
Noah, Corey, and Caleb stared back at me.
“Welcome to your new home,” Brian said, wrapping his bear-like arms around me in a warm hug. My astonishment rendered me speechless. “She’s beautiful in the dress we chose.” Stepping back, he beamed at my mom.
“Yeah, she is,” said Mom. She looked toward the three young men. “I’m excited to meet your sons.” Moving forward, she intertwined her arm with his. “Introduce us, darling.”
