Skarb Rodzina Monet 100 200

Machine Translated by Google
I'll run into Vincent there. Here, for one hour of class, I could enjoy
freedom.
I usually sat down to do my homework, wrote reviews on bookstagram
or looked for interesting books to borrow. Today I focused on this first
activity and sat down in my favorite place, at a bench hidden between a
row of tall shelves full of outdated, forgotten books. Most of them were
thick tomes with topics too complicated for high school students, so no
one bothered to read them, so I had peace of mind.
That day, however, someone came by and that's how the series of problems I got
into began.
In this particular alley where I was sitting alone, a boy appeared. I
recognized him from some classes, so I knew he was from my age. I
thought I might have had math with him, but I was also sure that we had
taken French classes together because I remembered the last time he
had been quizzed and, to make a long story short, he didn't shine.
I tried to focus on my task, but I couldn't stop myself from glancing at
the boy. I couldn't remember his name, and for some reason I really
wanted to remember. He was looking for something with great care on
the shelf, where there were some thick volumes that no one had ever
read. And he just ran his finger along the dusty spine of one of the
thickest books.
“Hmm,” he muttered to himself, and I became more and more
convinced that he wasn't here to choose what to read.
I decided to ignore him and focus on solving equations, but I was still
aware of his presence. Finally, he obviously got bored with his acting,
because suddenly I heard him say:
- Oh, hello.
I would have rolled my eyes, but I restrained myself because I was

too polite for such gestures, so I just glanced at him and smiled politely.
At least I could finally look at him openly.
- Hello.
He looked like an angel. And I know it sounds pathetically lofty, but I don't
mean that he was somehow preternaturally handsome. It's just that with his
light hair, arranged in charming curls, round eyes and dimples in his cheeks,
all he lacked was wings and a halo.
He must have been so sweet as a child. I imagined that adults' hearts always
melted at the sight of him. He probably always got what he wanted, and now,
as a teenager, he still didn't forget about his strengths.
– You're… Hailie, aren't you? – he asked, pointing at me with both index
fingers and closing one eyelid, as if these gestures would help him search for
my name in his memory.
I nodded.
- As I thought. We have French together. I'm Jason, maybe you know.
– I know.
“Great,” he said, clearly satisfied. – I was just looking for, you know, a book.
– Which one? Maybe I'll help, I offered, twirling the pen in my hand.
Jason waved his hand.
– She's not here.
I nodded again, resisting the urge to snort.
"But it's a good thing I ran into you." - He crossed his arms
chest and leaned sideways against the shelf. His loose tie irritated me.
- Why? – I asked, raising an eyebrow, but also smiling slightly, because the
boy even amused me a little with his talk. And he only turned his head twice to
check if someone, perhaps one of Monet's brothers, was lurking behind him.
Maybe. Or maybe that wasn't why he was looking back, it's hard to say. There
is a possibility that I was too sensitive.
My amusement seemed to make Jason bolder, because the corners of his

mouth turned up even higher.
– You recently received as many as three points for activity in one lesson,
right?
Yes, it's me.

– Hmm, maybe, so what?
- You're good.
– I guess not so much.
– I have no talent for foreign languages.
– Or to my mother? – I asked again sarcastically, remembering that in fact we
also took math classes together and, well, he didn't excel there either. However, I
quickly regained my composure when I saw his surprised face.
– I'm sorry, that was rude.
– But it's actually true. He shrugged, then perked up. – Listen, Hailie, the thing is
that Mrs. Dubois told me that I need to get organized and blah, blah, blah, not leave
everything to the last minute.
I nodded, not at all surprised.
– You know, my French is average. I can say that I like it
cheese, and that would be it.
Zachichotaÿam.
“Really,” he continued bolder as he saw me laugh and swallow his hook. – J'aime
le fromage. You see?
– Good, but you need to work on your accent.
– I know, that's why I need help. Will you help me, won't you, Hailie?
My expression immediately fell and my eyes widened a little, as if Jason had just
asked me to hide the body of Mrs. Dubois, whom he murdered for the cons he had
committed against him.
- What? Uh, no, I'm sorry, I don't…
– Well, please, please. Jason folded his hands as if in prayer.
– I can't, I…
- Please. He blinked pleadingly.
– And…
- Please! - he exclaimed, this time adding a slight smile to his pose, which
deepened those damn dimples in his damn cheeks.
And then he added: - You are my only hope, otherwise I will be lost.
I didn't analyze it that way at the time, but if I had refused, absolutely nothing would
have happened, because firstly, I was not his only hope, and secondly, there would be no
end for him. He just decided to add a bit of drama to his requests so that I would finally
agree, and I'm ashamed to admit it, but it actually worked.
– What do you need help with? – I asked, sighing and putting the pen down on the
counter.
Jason spread his arms with a triumphant smile playing on his lips.
- With everything.
– Okay, listen, we can make an appointment here for, say, Wednesday, unless
do you prefer future mon... What's up?
– I won't become a genius in one Wednesday.
You won't be one at all. I thought about it, but I didn't say those unpleasant words out
loud. Instead, I threw up my hands and then Jason started suggesting regular meetings,
and I don't know how it happened, but I ended up scheduling tutoring sessions with him
twice a week. Twice weekly! We deliberately chose days and times when Shane was at
training and the other Monet brothers were off school, and it was only then that I began to
wonder if the "no boys" rule my brothers seemed to so carefully adhere to applied here as
well. After all, my and Jason's meetings were supposed to be just friendly help. I had no
intention of falling into his arms, and yet I had the distinct impression that my siblings
would not like this arrangement.
Based on this feeling, I decided not to tell them anything. I didn't feel guilty because I
hadn't done anything wrong. I haven't even lied to anyone. I went to the library, as
arranged, and studied there. I was simply accompanied by a classmate...
It lasted about three weeks. During this time, I discovered that I began to enjoy my
meetings with Jason. So much so that I even secretly waited for them. For the first time in
my life, I became seriously friends with a boy. In my old life I was too shy to return
someone's attention, and even when it happened, I couldn't keep it. I

preferred reading books and imagining that someone would be interested
in me just like that, by accident, as it was described in the plots of the most
banal, innocent romance novels for young people. But it was best for me
not to think about it at all. After all, books are much better than boys. I
never made a fool of myself in front of them, they were never mean to me
and they always made me feel better.
I was ready to change my mind because Jason was giving me
something I needed and didn't have much of: attention. So simple and
effortless. It couldn't compare to the shallow friendship that was slowly
emerging between me, Mona and Audrey. After all, the girls had known
each other and been friends for a long time, and even though they were
nice to me, I sometimes felt like a third wheel. I had nothing to say when
they mentioned past events in which I had no part. I also didn't feel ready
to meet them outside of school. This would require prior arrangements
with my brothers, and I still avoided unnecessary contact with them,
especially if I had to bother them with requests for rides, which, considering
we lived in the middle of the forest, would be necessary if I planned to go
out.
With Jason, however, everything was a bit simpler. He liked me, which
I knew because he was open about it, and I just blushed because deep
down I liked him too. It didn't even bother me that he was an extremely
reluctant student. I had to constantly fight for his concentration during my
French grammar lectures. He also didn't feel like learning vocabulary, and
I pretended to reproach him for it, but I didn't really mind when the topics
of our conversations moved from school to more private ones.
One day we were sitting squeezed into our favorite corner, surrounded
by books and the smell of paper. With a frown between my eyebrows, I
watched his test, which he got a paltry C on. With a minus.
I sighed.
– Did you learn anything at all with me?
– Sure, hey, I passed – he replied.
I looked carefully into his eyes to catch his insincerity, but he seemed to be telling
the truth. Moreover, he was completely uninterested in revisiting the material he had
barely passed.
He didn't even want to hear about the amendment. That's about when I realized that
Jason didn't care about grades at all.
– Do you think if we sat down for lunch together, your brothers would mind? – he
asked suddenly, mercilessly destroying his miserable test that I handed to him.
- My brothers? – I repeated stupidly, as if I had heard for the first time that I had
siblings.
– Well, Monet brothers.
“Uh, well…” I hesitated and bit my lip. - I don't know. Possible.

I guess... they probably wouldn't be happy.
“Damn, that's kind of fucked up… that if I wanted to spend more time with you, I
couldn't.
My heart skipped a beat at his words. For a moment I wanted to tighten my
fingers on his jacket and promise that it wasn't a problem and that we could arrange
some additional meetings, but common sense prevailed.
I knew that if I didn't feel comfortable enough to ask my brothers for a ride to meet
two of my friends from school, there was no way I could get time with a friend that
my automatic brothers would probably consider a date.
“It's better they don't know we're seeing each other,” I ordered
definitely. – For my good, and yours.
On this note, I ended the conversation about my siblings.
Then I wondered what would actually happen if someone caught us. We didn't see
each other often, only twice a week for less than a month. The library seemed like a
safe territory, naturally shrouded in an aura of discretion. That's what it seemed like
to me then.
Disappointed, but also understanding how difficult our situation was, Jason was
satisfied with frequent exchanges of messages. So frequent that, out of caution, I
added him to my contact list as "Jenny from French" so that none of my brothers
would accidentally suspect that I was texting with a boy.
I don't even think I knew any Jenny, but that doesn't matter. What was more important
was the smile on my face and the warmth in my heart caused by every word this boy
typed out. And how many times I had to hide my amused snorts at the memes he sent
me! I quickly became addicted to this state of affairs, even though we usually talked
only about stupid things, because I didn't open up to him about more serious topics for
a long time.
The change occurred after an event that took place on one of the late evenings of
the week. It must have been Tuesday, because the next day was definitely one of my
meetings with Jason, where I finally revealed to him what had been the tip of the iceberg
of my fears.
I was going to the kitchen to get a glass of water for the night. Usually I made sure
to have a bottle with a filter with me, but this time I had to leave it in my locker or car,
so I went out into the gloomy, dimly lit corridor and, taking silent steps, made my way
towards the stairs. Then I saw him.
Tony was walking at a fast pace from the opposite direction, from the workers' wing.
His eyebrows were furrowed and his hands were clenched into fists. He looked
menacing and irritated. You could say that a threatening and irritated Tony is nothing
new. This time, however, my attention was caught by his red cheekbone and shirt. A
light, unbuttoned shirt revealing his muscular belly and more tattoos. The shirt was
smeared with something burgundy in places.
I wished I was living in a cartoon, then I could have easily assumed it was dried
ketchup, but instead, shivers of horror spread throughout my body. As he got closer, I
saw that his shirt was half unbuttoned and half torn. However, apart from the inflamed
cheek and visible anger, his face showed no signs of a fight. I didn't see any serious
wound on him at all, apart from a few scratches and, as it turned out, bruised knuckles.
For a moment I felt like I should ask him what happened. Maybe something serious
and he needed help. However, the closer the distance between us became, the more I
felt the resentment he radiated from me, so in the end I didn't say a word.
I climbed the stairs, praying that Tony was heading straight for his
bedroom. I squeezed my eyes shut in despair when I heard his loud
footsteps right behind me. But he was going down. He was following me.
I instinctively sped up, even though in my head I was screaming at myself
to act naturally. Well, I guess I couldn't help it, because a clearly angry,
big guy with a probably bloody shirt was hot on my heels. I had the right
to panic a little.
When he was right behind me, my foot slipped off the step. I lost my
balance, didn't have time to catch the railing and fell down. My heart was
in my throat and I just waited for the impact to hit the floor and the pain,
but it didn't come. Instead, I felt a strong grip on my shoulder.
One that would probably leave a bruise, but nothing compared to what I
would get if I fell down the stairs. Tony held me down with the hand that
bore his ghastly tattoo, and for a split second, my heart pounding madly
in my chest, I stared into the empty eye sockets of the ink skull. But
before I could raise my eyes and look my brother in the face, he had
already let go of me and passed me by.
“Watch your step,” he growled, then disappeared into the kitchen.
I was almost hanging on the railing now, gripping it so desperately as

if I were standing over a precipice. I was scared of the fall and of Tony,
and it was too much for me, so after taking a deep breath to calm myself
down, I decided that I didn't really need the water at all for the night.
I won't be dry until tomorrow.
I nodded to myself, as if applauding my decision, and then slowly, still
holding onto the railing faithfully, I turned around and climbed back up. As
I closed the bedroom door behind me, I fell softly onto the floor next to
the bed and tangled my fingers in my hair.
I felt like screaming.
===Lx4tHikcKxtoWmxZa11sBjADZ1Y3BmMFY1RiW25WMgVhAzMFY1c0Bg==
Imperium
Tony didn't say a word to me to explain the situation

from the previous evening. Not that it surprised me, because it had already
become a tradition that he avoided making any contact with me. This time,
however, he might decide that I deserve at least the most careful explanation.
So I wouldn't have to worry about living under the same roof as a psychopath.
Or with five psychopaths.
Such thoughts began to weigh heavily on me and I'm sure they were
responsible for at least a few migraines that had been bothering me lately.
So I decided it was finally time to talk to someone about it, complain and get
some relief. Unfortunately, when I conducted a small mental casting for the
most suitable listener, no one won.
My brothers were eliminated in the first round. Dylan and Tony didn't even
make it to take off. Mona and Audrey are just friends. If I started telling them
about the bloody shirts, they might not take it well.
They would probably get scared and repeat it to their parents, and I would end
up in a foster family. My brothers' house may not have been cozy and family-like
the atmosphere is as advertised, but I don't know if I would survive moving

again and meeting new legal guardians.
So I ended up telling Jason what happened.
He wasn't the best candidate either, but he was the last one to lose, so I
chose him and just decided not to go into too much detail. I'll just outline the
situation for him...
“I don't know if he had a fight with someone again or what,” I said, looking
at my hands. – Maybe it's normal for him to walk around the house in bloody
clothes...
– Maybe it was paint? You know, maybe he was painting something? Jason chuckled.
He reacted to my story with much less concern than I expected. - Come on?
Apparently he's good at this... artistic stuff.
I heard he designed those badass tattoos himself.
– This shirt was torn! – I emphasized, then frowned.
– Wait, he actually designed them himself?
- Yeah! He did quite well. Jason nodded. – As for the torn shirt, maybe a
girl posed for him and then he ended up in bed with her, what do you think?
I gave him a sour look. On the one hand, Jason's stupid ideas irritated
me because they downplayed the seriousness of the situation, which was a
really real problem for me, but on the other hand, his relaxed approach
calmed me down a bit.
“He looked angry,” I added.
– Maybe the sex was bad.
I looked at Jason for a long moment, then burst out laughing.
Maybe I needed it. Laughter. I was also glad that there was some explanation
for Tony's behavior. Even if it was hopeless, senseless and unlikely, I
preferred to believe in it rather than in the version with blood and another
fight.
Once I started talking to Jason about my brothers, it was hard to stop. I
desperately needed to vent to someone, talk about life with my five new,
shady siblings, and – oh, God – it was a relief to just chat with them.
“Mona and Audrey once told me there were rumors about my brothers,” I said.
– Do you know… which ones?
"Am I supposed to believe you didn't pull their tongue then?"
– I didn't want to admit that I had to gain knowledge about my siblings from
random people – I confessed, wrapping my arms around myself. – It's a bit
humiliating, especially since the whole school knows that I just met them anyway.
Jason nodded and even moved closer and hugged me, which was such a nice
gesture that I relaxed and realized how tense I had been all this time.
“I'm sorry, this is a really crappy situation,” he admitted and cleared his throat.
– The thing about Coins is that you don't know what to believe and what not to
believe. It always looks like this: a rumor appears, people inflate it to an unknown
extent, and then they laugh in their faces, neither confirming nor denying it. That's
why everything about them is so... mysterious. They had it set up quite well.
“Yeah, not bad,” I sighed and clung to my companion's side for a moment. I
might have had the courage to put my head on his shoulder if it weren't for the
repulsive smell of cigarettes that permeated the collar of his shirt.
– Have you tried to do some research? Google them or something?

“Uh… well, no,” I hesitated before remembering why I didn't do it. – I don't want
them to find out.
I still remembered how, early in my stay at the Monets, Vince had discovered
that same day that I had been scouring the Internet for information about gun
rights. Since the phone I was currently using was also given to me by him, I was
afraid that he might have somehow had access to the content I was searching for,
even if I wasn't using Wi-Fi at home.
“They probably won't check my cell phone,” Jason laughed, fishing out his
phone from his pocket with a mischievous twinkle in his eye and waving it in my
face. Then he unlocked it and opened the Internet search engine, his finger
hovering over the keyboard. – So what should I enter first?
I swallowed and tensed again. Full of fears - both real and false - I looked
around, but no one seemed to be watching us. We were in a perfectly hidden
corner of the library, and the nest we had made there was so cozy that I
couldn't have chosen a better place to conduct this online investigation.
“Vincent Monet,” I whispered with a mixture of excitement and fear. I felt

goosebumps appear on my arms.
Jason's fingers obediently typed my brother's name.
I don't know what I expected to find, but what we saw was a list of articles.
Single articles, mostly business ones, from which the only thing I understood
was that Vincent's influence was constantly and successively growing. One
of them even included a photo of my brother in a black suit and with his
typical emotionless face, shaking the hand of a balding, blond-haired man
who looked to be a good three decades older than him. The guy was wearing
a gray plaid suit, which looked extravagant next to Vince's elegant suit.
“Empire,” I muttered to myself. This word caught my attention as it was

repeated several times in different places.
Coin Empire. My brothers had an empire. It sounded so sublime that it gave
me chills again.
– Maybe it's better to write something like this? – Jason picked up,
obviously tired of digging through repeated articles about the young
businessman's success. – Coin Empire.
I adjusted my position to sit more comfortably and licked my lips, probably
even more stressed about our little investigation than my conversations with
Vince and Tony combined.
– Show this one, show this one! – I whispered frantically when one of the
subsequent similar articles appeared, informing about the death of the head
of the Monet family.
It was written briefly and concisely. It contained absolutely no details. He
reported on a car accident as a result of which Camden Monet died on the
spot. The photo showed a crushed car, one of those sports cars. A note was
also written stating that due to the tragedy, control over all business was
taken care of
the deceased will be taken over by his eldest son, Vincent Monet, and Camden's younger
brother and partner, Montague "Monty", will lend a helping hand.
Coins. At the bottom there was some platitude written like "He will remain in our hearts
forever." They probably carved a similar inscription on his tombstone.
And then Jason scrolled further down the page, where there was a black and white photo of
the man who was my father.
I unconsciously took the phone out of the boy's hands, and he allowed me to do so,
remaining silent. I held the phone with both hands, staring closely at the photo. I looked at
the face, already a bit wrinkled, typical of middle age, and absorbed every detail.
My father had everything dark - hair, facial hair and eyes. He smiled slightly, lifting one
corner of his mouth. Sometimes my brothers smiled similarly, and there was something
about this man that reminded me of each of them. Or maybe not at all, but that's just what
my mind told me, it's hard to say.
Camden Monet, despite the obvious mockery on his face, also had a certain severity in his
features. Something that made my stomach clench painfully.
“Hailie,” Jason whispered and abruptly slid his arm out from behind me.
I looked up, immediately disappointed because I really needed this closeness, but I
quickly understood why he suddenly decided to take it away from me and move away from
me. All I had to do was look higher and I saw Shane standing about ten feet away, staring
straight at us.
I immediately handed the phone back to its owner and started to get up awkwardly,
instantly forgetting about the photo of my father that had moved me so much.
-Shane! – I called out too high, swallowing saliva at the same time. – Already finished
training?
The murderous glare my brother was giving Jason transferred to me.
– I dislocated my wrist.
One of his hands was clenched furiously into a fist, and the other was actually wrapped
in a bandage. His hair was disheveled and damp, probably
still wet with sweat, and he threw his black autumn jacket over his sports outfit.
– Oh. It's nothing serious, right?

– What the hell are you doing? - He asked.
“Uh, I'm helping Jason with French,” I explained way too much
quickly to sound credible.
– With French, huh?
Shane grimaced and his strained hand twitched.
– I know, I know what you're thinking, but it's really just science, a word...
– Hailie helps me a lot. Since we've been dating, I've been passing with no problem,"
Jason interjected, and I could have sworn beads of sweat glistened on his forehead as
he added more quietly, "I'm passing the tests, sort of."
Shane's eyes were now thin slits and he even took a step forward.
– So this isn't the first time, right?

– What was the first time? – Jason swallowed, realizing by my eye that
that he was completely immersed. - Meaning…
Shane lunged forward, and without a second thought, I ran towards him. Fortunately,
we both had enough control over ourselves that our two sudden outbursts cooled down
our mutual emotions. We stopped facing each other, my body ready to press against
my brother to stop him if necessary, and he pointed at Jason somewhere over my
shoulder.
– One more word, piston, and I'll break your face.
– Shane, he doesn't care about any…
“And you, be silent, little girl,” he hissed at me, tilting his chin down to silence me, if
not with words, then with the solemnity of his gaze.
I obediently shut up, not wanting to make the situation worse. I heard shuffling as
Jason started packing, and soon, after first making sure Shane was keeping his anger
in check, I stepped back to gather my things. Jason and I both had our heads down
and I just stole his glance. He opened his mouth for a moment and I did
I strained my ears, but I didn't hear what he was trying to whisper to me,
because my brother
immediately growled, "Don't you dare talk to her."
I clenched my jaw, especially when Jason got a hard punch from my
brother as he was leaving. I felt like crying and started multiplying some
horrendous numbers quickly in my head. I once read that this helps you stop
crying because another side of your brain wakes up during calculations or
something like that. It worked somewhat, although I felt my chin quiver as I
walked wordlessly across the parking lot with my brother hot on my heels.
I didn't speak the entire ride home, not wanting to add fuel to the fire. Shane
wasn't in the mood to chat either because he had some rap playlist on Spotify,
so I took that as a green light to drift off. I wondered if Shane would tell Vincent
everything.
I shuddered at the thought. Who am I kidding, of course she'll tell him.
At home, I reluctantly went to the kitchen to eat dinner, but I couldn't
swallow a single bite. Shane had disappeared somewhere, so it turned out
that I was sitting alone at a large table and wondering what would happen to
me next. At least I didn't have to wait long for my fate to be resolved, because
after about ten minutes Vincent entered the room.
Perfect as always. The average observer might notice that Vince always looks the same -
serious and elegant. In fact, only the colors of his shirts changed and they were not shocking
with their extravagance. Most often he wore white, sometimes gray, several times I saw him in
blue or navy blue, rarely in burgundy, and today, like a dark judge arriving with a death sentence
for me, he chose black.
I shuddered and stared at the plate of torn food, not daring to look him in
the face. I knew he already knew. Only now did I realize that I had actually
broken one of his rules. I was dating a guy, and during his welcome speech
he made it clear that he didn't want it. To top it off, Shane saw us hug!
Vince walked over to the chair across from me. First, slowly rolling up the
cuffs of his shirt, he pushed them aside and sat down on the couch
him, with his straight hand, the one on which he wore the signet, holding his tie at the
height of his breastbone. At first I didn't even notice he was wearing it because it blended
in completely with the black of his shirt. He moved closer to the table so that he could sit
up straight and place his hands comfortably on the table in front of him. Then he cleared
his throat and finally lifted his chin before torturing me with the cold stare of his blue eyes.
God, please let him just yell at me.

– What do you want to tell me, dear Hailie? – he asked for ages
then in a low, steely voice.
I was hopeless because I couldn't bear his gaze, so I hid my own in the plate of food
and, unable to even utter a word, I used a fork to dig at it even more.
Although Vincent generally seemed patient, he didn't take being ignored very well, so he
quickly became irritated. At one point, he leaned over the table and, with a sudden move
for someone who is usually an oasis of peace, moved the plate from under my nose. I got
scared and dropped the fork from my hand. It landed on the counter with a loud clang.
Anyway, Vincent had the desired effect, because I finally raised my head and returned
his gaze.
– When I ask a question, I expect an answer – he said.
I think what bothered me most about him was how well he could control his anger. He
did not act spontaneously, but rather calculated everything coldly. Even moving my plate
away was a deliberately abrupt action. When I realized this, my hair stood on end,
although a small voice whispered in my ear that it was better to deal with such a perfectly
composed person than with an ordinary lunatic.
“Nothing,” I replied in a hoarse voice. I cleared my throat. – I don't want anything

talk to you.
It was probably the most honest thing I've ever shared with him.
- All right. Vincent nodded. – Let me rephrase that then.
Please tell me which of the rules I presented to you after your arrival have you broken
recently?
I knew he was going to try to get me to admit to seeing Jason one way or
another, so with a slight sigh of frustration, I replied, "I'm sure you already
know."
– I want to hear it from you.

At that moment the twins entered the kitchen. On the one hand, I was glad
that Will didn't join us, but on the other, I missed his presence, because of all
the brothers, I could count on him for the greatest support and for standing
up for me. However, I was definitely glad that Dylan wasn't here with us. He
certainly wouldn't help me in any way - except to bring me down.
The boys put mountains of pasta on their plates and sat down at the table
as if nothing had happened, and I tried to take a deep breath, but what came
out was a ragged, spasmodic intake of breath.
– Some time ago, Jason, a regular French classmate – I started,
emphasizing the word “ordinary” – asked me to help him catch up on the
material. He might have failed the course, so I had to agree to help him.
“Forget it, Hailie, I saw your lessons,” he interjected
Shane from above his plate.
"She taught him French... kissing," Tony said mockingly and stuffed his mouth with pasta.
Since I didn't have the courage to look at Vincent, I gave an irritated look
looking towards the twins.
– But we didn't kiss at all!
– Mhm, let's get this straight. You were secretly seeing some… boy…” my
oldest brother began.
– I see this sucker smoking a pipe sometimes. He doesn't seem very bright.
Tony kind of seemed to enjoy tormenting me.
– It's actually fine! – I protested.

- Seriously? "No, give it up, Hailie..." Shane repeated, looking at me almost
with pity, which only incited my anger.
and it made me bang my fist on the table so hard that it shook.
– Give it up, Shane, damn it! It was easy

to throw me off balance, too easy.
The moment those words came out of my mouth, I already regretted it.
I knew that this would not help me get out of the situation, but would
actually make it worse. That's what happened, because after my answer
there was silence. Shane fell silent, raised his eyebrows and looked
down, but decided to concentrate on dinner, Tony stared at me with a
nasty smile, and Vincent... got up and very slowly moved towards me.
At the sight of his figure towering over me, I stiffened and repeated
only one word in my mind. Stupid!
Why am I tiptoeing around them, why, or is it just to get carried away
pointlessly by my emotions and deprive myself of any possible leniency
with which Vincent might have treated me? Instead of placating him,
convincing him, reassuring him, I really had to follow the path of least
resistance and start putting out the fire... with fire? I rarely talked to my
mother or grandmother because I knew there was simply no way it would
turn out well. And I certainly couldn't win anything with such behavior
towards my brothers, who from the very beginning seemed to not tolerate
such barking.
Well, you've found a great time to test them, Hailie.
The chair next to me scraped. I didn't look up, but I knew Vincent had
just sat on it. He moved so he was right next to me, definitely invading
my safe space. He was so close that I could smell his strong toilet water.
It smelled like ice, or maybe it was just my imagination running wild.
“Let's get something straight, Hailie,” he began ominously, and with

two slender fingers he lifted my chin, this time forcing me to make eye
contact again. – You are not in a good position to speak, so please
watch your words. And for gestures. All right?
Not okay at all, but once I stared into his intensely shining irises, I
couldn't look away. As if they had led me into a trap. That's why I nodded.
“Okay,” he said and removed his hand. But my neck froze, stretched
out at the angle Vincent had imposed, as if he had charmed it with his
touch. – Now tell me what you will do to ensure that you no longer violate
the rule you previously decided to ignore.
I tried to return my brother's gaze and not get lost at the same time
in my own thoughts as I searched for the right answer.
“No…” I started, but the contrast between Vincent's strong and
commanding voice and my whining was so embarrassing that I cleared
my throat first. – I won't date Jason anymore?
- Exactly. I really don't like it when my words are downplayed.
Remember this for future reference.
Then he stood up slowly and politely pulled his chair behind him, not
sparing me another look down.
“Since this is the first time you've made such a mistake, let's consider it
a warning,” he said, and then turned to the twins, who were still leaning
over their plates, watching the show we had given them for free. – And
you will keep an eye on her at school.
The twins nodded, both equally lazily. They knew that too
discussions with the eldest brother make no sense at all.
“And no more sessions in the library,” he added, turning back to me. –
On days when Shane has training, you can wait for him in the gym. Where
he can see you clearly. Or go straight home with Dylan and Tony.
I looked at him with silent opposition. After all, I liked this library so
much. I felt sad that I wouldn't be able to go there anymore. This is what
I've been looking forward to this week for some time now.
Vincent finally left the kitchen, still looking at her coldly as he left, and I
was left with the twins, not having the courage to even move from my spot.
This conversation cost me so much nerves that now hot tears, maybe
anger, or maybe just sadness, started flowing down my cheeks, and even
though I kept wiping them away, their torrent stubbornly refused to end.
“Eat your dinner,” Shane muttered to me. His tone was not commanding,
but rather gentle. He even rose slightly from his chair and leaned over the
table to push the plate back under my nose.
By the time I had gathered myself enough to swallow more than two
mouthfuls, enough time had passed for the boys to finish eating and for Tony
to leave as well. Until then, no one had spoken to me, although after Vincent
left, a casual conversation began between the twins.
I had planned not to speak to Shane, well, ever again, after it was his fault
that Vincent found out about the tutoring I was giving to Jason. Unfortunately,
when we were alone, he started talking to me. I regretted that he didn't leave,
because I still had a whole load of food in front of me that I wanted to get rid
of as quickly as possible.
I found eating any food after crying disgusting. But he was a glutton and
helped himself to a double helping.
“Don't worry, Hailie,” he said, stroking the handle of the silver fork with his
thumb. – I know Vince can be scary. It scares me too sometimes, seriously.
But he's like this for you because he cares about your safety. - He was silent
for a moment, then added more quietly: - We all care about him. Try to
understand it.
I shook my head, holding back a contemptuous snort in case it was heard
by anyone else in the house and taken as a mouthful.
“I don't feel like talking,” I muttered.

– Jason... he's not suitable to be your friend.
This time I looked at him in disbelief.
– And you're supposed to be the one who decides who is suitable and who isn't?
With that said, I stood up. I quickly cleaned up the half-eaten portion and
left the kitchen, not allowing Shane to continue this discussion. Shaking my
hands furiously, I climbed the stairs, but my agitation quickly passed. Sadness
took its place and I shed a few tears again before I even closed the bedroom
door behind me.
I thought Shane was okay and thought of him as the better twin. But now I thought that all
the Monet brothers were worth each other.
It's darkest under the lamp
Usually during French class, Jason would wink at me from across the room,
as soon as he caught my eye. I liked the subtle relationship we had. I always smiled
then and looked away to Mrs. Dubois who was explaining something, so that no one
would have a chance to accuse me of anything, but inside I felt this pleasant warmth.
Now this feeling was taken away from me and its absence was downright painful.
I glanced at the boy every now and then, but he was taking note of the teacher's
words as carefully as ever. His eyes wandered from the blackboard to his notebook
and never once tried to squint furtively at me. First, I accumulated all the negative
emotions that his indifferent reaction aroused in me and directed them at my brothers,
for whom I felt sincere hatred at that particular moment. Then Jason got hit and I
mentally called him a coward. Then I took it out on my brothers again, and when the
bell rang, I felt that harmful energy wearing me down. My eyelids even started to feel
heavy, but when I saw Jason rushing to leave the room, I immediately woke up. Oh
no, no way.
“What, you won't even look me in the eye now?”

He already had one foot in the hall, but when he heard me growl, he
hesitated, looked around, and stepped back into the classroom. He sighed
heavily as he pushed through the students crowding into the corridor. He
moved aside with me and shot a sharp glance at the two girls, who slowed
down on purpose and visibly pricked up their ears, excited by the prospect
of drama, especially one involving Monet's sister.
“I can't look at you, Hailie, let alone talk to you,” Jason whispered, leaning
over me.
I raised one eyebrow, and when he didn't say anything else, tears started
to well up in my eyes. Hearing such words from the mouth of the boy whose
company had given me joy and solace for the past few weeks was a truly
terrible feeling. I turned my head to the side to hide the first signs of crying
from him, but he must have noticed them because he licked his lips, looked
around, and raised his eyes in panic, as if out of desperation he was looking
for a solution to our problem, even on the ceiling.
– Okay, okay, meet me in the bathroom. The one next to the locker room, he suggested
and brushed his curls as he reluctantly added, “Women's.”
And he left, and I closed my eyes in relief, trying to stop my body from
shaking. It was terrible how afraid I was of losing Jason, the only person
who could hug me for no reason and to whom I had the courage to confess
my fears about my brothers.
Wiping my tears, mentally prepared for this important conversation, I marched out into
the hall, heading to the bathroom Jason had indicated. Women's, probably to minimize the
possibility of my brothers appearing there, and next to the locker rooms, because they were
visited the least often.
I expected Jason to be waiting for me, but when I went inside, there
wasn't a soul there. Only after a few seconds did the door open and the boy
fell inside as if someone had thrown him there by force.
He looked back, fearing being caught not only by the Monet brothers but by
anyone else who might be interested in his trip to the girls' bathroom.
“Listen, Hailie, I'm sorry it turned out this way…” he began, once he had
calmed down. He leaned against the wall, but kept near the door to
just in case, no one blocked his escape route.

– No, I'm sorry – I replied quickly, using the formula I had already prepared in my head.
– To Shane. He acted like an idiot, he didn't know anything about our relationship.
– If I were to point the finger at anyone, it would be Tony who was more out of line.
-Tony? What did Tony do to you?
– Nothing yet, but he accosted me this morning and told me that if I spoke to you
again, or even looked at you, he would break something. Jaw most likely, but if he's in a
good mood he'll let me choose.
I grabbed the white, angular sink until my knees went weak.
- What? How can you even say such things to someone! I... I need to talk to them. I
need to explain this...
I had no strength for these brothers. They can't just threaten each other like that
my friends or people in general! What's wrong with them?
– Hailie, think! Jason exclaimed. He panicked when he saw my reaction. – If you go to
them with this, they will know that we talked again...
I'll be screwed, and you'll probably be screwed too.
He was right. After all, the last thing I wanted to do was risk another conversation with
Vincent. I sighed deeply, trying to calm down. Jason, seeing me let go, leaned back
against the wall and relaxed a little.
“It's really bad that it turned out this way,” he muttered after a moment of silence.
I now placed both hands on the edge of the sink and stared into the mirror. I didn't like
the emotional expression on the face of the girl I saw in front of me. Even her gaze was
somehow blank.
– Well, not very well.
– Honestly, no matter how it sounds, I didn't expect it from Monet's sister, but you're
really cool.
– Thanks… I guess. – I smiled sadly at my reflection. - I
I also unexpectedly liked you...
Jason moved, moving away from the wall and taking a few steps towards me.
At the same moment, I took my hands off the cold sink and turned around. He
looked at me with those round eyes of his, set in a face framed by curls. I didn't
want to lose the attention those eyes could and wanted to give me. The attraction
I felt for this boy at that moment was stronger than ever. I knew that it was
probably fueled by the awareness of how much of a forbidden fruit he turned out
to be for me.
By hanging out with Jason, I was going against Vincent's wishes. My oldest
brother's approval was something I may have secretly desired, but I also wanted
to prove to myself that I didn't care about it.
The most interesting thing was that Jason clearly had a soft spot for me.
Otherwise, seconds later, we wouldn't be standing in that women's bathroom,
wrapping our arms around each other so tightly as if our lives depended on it.
Of course, in the back of my mind I had the thought that it was only a matter of
time before my brothers caught me disobeying again. This was a completely
sensible and ultimately accurate line of reasoning, but before this worst-case
scenario unfolded, I spent the next beautiful weeks meeting Jason carelessly in a
deserted women's bathroom.
Hardly anyone came here, because right next door, in the cloakrooms, there
were toilets of a much higher standard. And if there were any single people here,
they usually got scared when they saw us and ran away as quickly as possible.
Jason was becoming more and more comfortable in the girls' bathroom, and I kept
teasing him about it, but ultimately neither of us could think of a safer place to hide
on school grounds. We could theoretically hide in the bushes somewhere, but that
idea would only work in the summer or spring, and certainly not in November,
when Pennsylvania was slowly turning into Antarctica.
I endured winter quite hard in my new place of residence because I was used
to the cold, but I certainly had never had to get used to the bone-penetrating frost
or felt like my nose was about to fall off. Fortunately, in this cold, I had at least
some small pleasures left, such as drinking hot chocolate with marshmallows (the
only sweets I would mindlessly eat, and only because they had irreplaceable
warming properties), or watching the snow through the library windows while I was
sitting. hidden in an armchair, under a warm blanket and with an interesting gaze
a book on my lap... One day Will handed me his computer and forced me to do some big
winter shopping. I chose a lot of sweaters, warm shoes and about two decent jackets.
When I saw how much it all cost, I felt sick.
Perhaps I shouldn't have reacted like that, knowing that my family had created an
empire whose value no one from the outside had apparently yet attempted to estimate. I
know this because during subsequent meetings with Jason, I managed to comb the
Internet far and wide in search of information about Coins.
At least that's what I thought for a while. I finally stopped getting excited about every
article I found when Jason made me realize something one day.
“You know, Hailie,” he began as we sat on the tiled floor, leaning against the door of
one of the stalls. He started playing with his baseball cap, as he always did when he had
it on, and found it difficult to put his thoughts into words. – I was wondering lately that
these articles… They all look alike, don't you think?
I shrugged, glancing at the screen of his cell phone, which he always let me hold in
my hands while I investigated.
– I guess all articles like this are similar, right?
– I don't know, these seem to have been written on one hoof. Because look, the
information is practically the same, there are no details anywhere. Somehow I thought it
was a bit strange.
Jason dropped the topic and I returned my attention to reading, but I noticed that from
then on I became more critical of the content I encountered. Unfortunately, I finally had to
admit he was right.
The same information was constantly minced in the articles and even the same photos
appeared, two or three times in a row.
“Do you think it's possible that they…” I interrupted, lowering the phone.
- What? Do they control what is published about them on the Internet?
I shrugged, and his hand, as usual, shrugged mine
she hugged them and stroked them lightly.
“Hmm…” he hesitated. - Hard to say…

I was about to settle for this partial answer when Jason added:
– But hey, in a family like this there's bound to be a scandal from time to time. I can't
believe no one writes about Dylan, Shane or Tony. They're quite good agents, you know...
And...' Jason paused for a moment, staring at me in confusion. – Why hasn't anyone
written about you?
I swallowed, returning his gaze for a moment.
And then, almost automatically, I lifted his phone, unlocked the screen by entering the code
he had willingly given me, and entered my name in the search field. Something that for
some reason I haven't dared to do until now. As I waited for the page to load, it seemed to
me that the echo of my loudly beating heart bounced off the bathroom walls and even
reached Jason's ears.
No searches.
The given phrase was not found.
Try again.
– It looks like you don't exist.
– Isn't that… weird? – I asked, genuinely worried.
– You don't have any social media under your own name, so maybe not... Although
it's a bit suspicious that you, as the Monets' sister, are not mentioned at all. Especially
since it was a big topic how you were found, right?
I rubbed my forehead. My head was starting to hurt.
“Someone is definitely influencing your information not to show up in searches,” Jason
continued. – Maybe just ask your brothers about it.
I lowered my hand.
“Then they'll know I Googled myself.”
– Well, everyone googles themselves.
– They will guess why and that I was also looking for information about them.
I know it.
Jason rubbed my arm again in a comforting gesture.

– Have you looked around the house?
– For what, for example? – I sighed.

– Because I know… Documentation, newspaper clippings, I don't know, old, dusty

journals…
– Stop joking around.
– But I'm serious. Look around the house. It's always darkest under the lamp.
– I don't even know where to start. – I was lost in thought and traced the dirty grout
between the tiles with my finger. – If they really are hiding something, it will definitely be in
the part of the house where Vincent works and which I am not allowed to enter.
- As you think.
I left the topic, still unconvinced. And I still wasn't when I sat curled up in a chair in the
library later that day, with a book in my hand as usual. Today I couldn't concentrate on the
text.
The reading was moderately exciting. Jason's words stuck in my mind.
My eyes kept moving sideways, towards the shelves, the piano or the secretary. Then I
glanced at the door, then down again at the papers.
Over and over again.
I had read novels about old houses in which, using a hidden button, the bookshelves
were rearranged so that a passage to a separate room appeared in the wall, and I was
currently trying to put out of my mind the possibility that there was a similar mechanism
hidden somewhere in the Monet Mansion.
Deep down I knew that since Vincent had a whole separate staff wing, he had no need
to install such things in the library, but maybe, as Jason said, it really was darkest under the
streetlights?
At one point I pushed the book off my lap and stood up casually. I put it on the table,
stretched, sighed and glanced first through the large window overlooking the dark courtyard,
and then towards the closed door. Then I walked to the nearest wall of books. I ran my
finger along the backs of those that were located approximately at my eye level, then
walked around the chair, leaning on its backrest as I went. I passed a piano and a photo of
two cheerful women standing on it. I stopped at another shelf
and I reached for one of the older thick books. I opened it. I do not know what
for. No yellowed letter or safe code fell out. I also didn't find any mysterious
button under the small white figurine of a headless angel that stood on the
secretary desk. And in the worn-out black notebook in the cabinet, not a single
page had been written.
My search was gaining intensity. I searched the library more and more boldly,
knowing in my heart that my chances of finding anything here were slim. Vincent
was not a careless person. I also couldn't quite answer the question of what I
was looking for. And yet I finally proceeded to unceremoniously push aside the
drawers in the secretary, one by one. I found typical office crap in them, like
empty envelopes, pens, and paper clips. Another was stuffed to the brim with
wads of banknotes, the sight of which made me swallow. I zipped it up
immediately. Such amounts of money stored in such a random place made me
very confused.
However, I was even more fascinated by the compactness of the next drawer.
It was unique because next to the carved handle there was a tiny keyhole. I
would have expected it to be a good sign, suggesting the existence of some
secret, if it weren't for the fact that there was already a tiny, gold-plated key there,
as if handed to me on a platter. I didn't even have to turn it. So I believed that it
was there for decoration, and I opened the drawer without much hope. The first
thing I saw was a large white envelope. I lifted it slightly with one finger to look at
the objects lying at the bottom.
And even though the purpose of my rummaging was theoretically to find
something suspicious, I certainly didn't think that fate would get in my way and
make me find another weapon just like that.
Oh no.
I stared at it in a momentary stillness, then as if burned, I removed my hand
and the envelope covered my find again. I looked around the room in panic,
exhaling, and then looked under the envelope again, this time lifting it with
exaggerated caution.
That gun sitting casually at the bottom of the secretary drawer was a little
different than the gun I found at Tony's -
it had a slimmer shape and was much smaller. Very handy, perfect for throwing
into a woman's purse, for example.
I was surprised by how quickly my brain began to shy away from another
trauma, and instead of believing my eyes, I began to question the truth of what I
was seeing. Because maybe it's just a toy, from the childhood of the Monet
boys? Or some kind of prop? Maybe one of the brothers was interested in
acting? Tony, for example, who had something of an artist in him...? As pathetic
as these excuses sounded, I swallowed them surprisingly easily, just wishing
there was a reasonable explanation for the fact that there was a gun in my
favorite room in this house. To convince myself of its harmlessness even more
effectively, I even reached for it. Very carefully, because I was afraid that it might
shoot as soon as I touched it. As I raised it, I made sure not to point the barrel
at myself and to keep my fingers off the trigger. I wanted to see if it was heavy.
I could barely hold it. Its coldness froze my hands, but that wasn't why they
were shaking. There was definitely a weight in them too, so there was no way I
could convince myself they were just a toy any longer. I was holding a real gun
in my hand, and when I suddenly realized this, I abruptly put it back down. I
made some noise and turned around in panic, because out of hypersensitivity I
felt someone's presence behind me. Fortunately, I was still alone here, and the
terrifying sensation must have been provoked by my imagination.
I put the envelope back on the gun, closed the drawer, straightened up, and
walked away from the desk. I stood by the window, but I couldn't see much, only
blackness and my own reflection. I looked into my eyes, they were big and
scared. I stared at them for a moment, unable to even swallow. I was looking for
something more than fear in them.
I wanted to find courage or determination in them, something that would
encourage me and stop the hair on my neck and arms from standing on end.
Finding Tony's gun raised many questions in my mind, and the answers I
received only partially satisfied me.
The sight of another weapon confused me again, this time with double the
power. Will I find out again that it's just shooting range equipment? If I were less
terrified, I would snort ironically right now.
However, if I don't raise this matter with one of my brothers - with Vincent
as soon as possible - I won't find a solution. I will bathe in my own soup of
suspicions and worries until I boil to death in it. And if I talk, take a step, be
honest with my brothers and share my doubts with them, maybe I will gain
something, maybe they will take me seriously and maybe I will find out why
people gossip about them and why they have guns hidden around the house?
I was happy to see the glint that appeared in my pupils reflected in the
window. Or at least that's what I told myself, that he was there, proving that it
was time to act. They're my siblings, so I guess it shouldn't hurt if I ask them a
few things. Vincent himself said not to bother yourself with pointless thoughts -
it's better to come to him. So I'll do that. I'll go.
I straightened up and pushed my hair back. I took a deep breath and,

forgetting about my unfinished book, left the library. I took decisive steps as I
walked up the stairs. For the first time in a long time, I felt that I had finally
made a specific, mature decision and I was happy with the strength it gave me.
I felt a thrill as I entered the mysterious corridor that was long and curved to
the right. I walked confidently, taking one step at a time. Before the bend, I
stopped and carefully leaned around it. Another hall with a door visible on the
horizon. There was also a niche being created, large enough to accommodate
two small leather sofas and a large flower in a pot. Its greenery nicely enlivened
this terribly austere decor. The hall, of course, extended further and from what
I could see, there were even more doors, but I wasn't sure what was hidden in
the further part of this wing. There was no daylight here, you could only count
on the dim light of the lamps. That alone was strange.
I stood there for a moment and didn't know what to do next.

The doors closest to them were double, and carved handles added dignity
to them. They suggested that they led to an important room, so I assumed that
this was Vincent's office. Then I hesitated, because even though I came here
determined to talk to my brother, I suddenly remembered his
a warning that it's better not to come here. To call, write or ask someone else
for assistance if necessary.
I was overcome with doubts. Maybe I shouldn't barge in here like that?
Suddenly I thought it was stupidity on my part, not courage. As usual, I made
the wrong decision. I stared at the massive door.
Should I walk up and knock while I'm here, or turn on my heel and run away
before anyone catches me here?
Unexpectedly, it turned out that I had a split second to make a decision,
because the dark silence was disturbed by voices muffled by the huge door.
Beads of sweat formed on my forehead. I haven't been as stressed out as I
am now, even when I came across another gun. I saw the door handle to
Vincent's office move, and in the blink of an eye, a hundred thoughts flashed
through my head. Should I run back, stand still, or sit on the couch and pretend
that I've been waiting here politely for ages for my brother to find a moment for
me?
The door started to open, so I decided on the last option first and frantically
ran towards one of the couches, and then I realized how pointless it was, and
yet I wanted to escape from here where the pepper grows, so at the last
moment I changed direction and took off towards the home part of the residence.
Unfortunately, it was too late for that, and I paid the price for my indecision.
My movements were imprecise - as a result, I slipped and fell. I managed to
prop myself up on the floor with my hands, so I wasn't hurt, but I lost precious
time trying to regain my balance. If I wasted even more of it trying to get up
now, Vincent would definitely catch me, so I did another stupid thing and
decided to stay on the ground - so in one bound I threw myself behind the
couch.
Yes, I came here wonderfully strong and determined to finally talk to my
legal guardian like an adult, and I ended up cowering pathetically behind a
piece of furniture. If it weren't for the fact that I was busy praying to the heavens
that no one would look behind the back of the sofa, I would have burned with shame.
What a hopeless situation.
There were sounds of footsteps, which quickly stopped, and I knew that
Vincent and his guest had stopped in front of the office.
This meant that they were right next to me, so they could definitely hear my
heartbeat, I didn't see any other option. I must have gone deaf myself
because my ears were ringing loudly and I could barely hear my brother's
guest saying goodbye to him in a very hoarse voice.
– Thank you for listening, Vincent.
– Sonny, take you to the exit. – Vincent said these words so coldly that
they sounded like an order from the ruler of the world, and if I thought that
he was overly formal and serious in his conversations with me, I was
changing my mind. I was glad that I couldn't observe him from my hiding
place, because I don't know if I would just collapse if I saw him. I was already
hunched uncomfortably and feeling numb.
“Please follow me,” someone else said calmly and clearly. This person
appeared accompanied by the sound of a third pair of footsteps, which
sounded heavier, perhaps indicating a different type of shoe? If I really
wanted to know what shoes the aforementioned Sonny, whoever he was,
was wearing, I could have peeked behind them from behind the couch, but
despite appearances, I wasn't suicidal. I really didn't have any. The situation
I found myself in was the result of a temporary mental fog, a bad decision, a mistake.
Until a certain point, I didn't believe that I would make it out alive. But I
got away with it - you could say so. The guy left, dutifully escorted away by
Sonny, who I deduced must have just been some of my brother's employees.
I waited, nerve-wracking, until the door to Vincent's office clicked, signaling
that my brother was back at work. Before that happened, I heard him speak
again, and I broke into a cold sweat because for the first second I thought
he was talking to me. I was ready to jump out from behind the couch and
bombard him with random and completely incoherent excuses. Fortunately,
I refrained because it turned out that he simply answered the phone.
- Yes? - His voice hasn't lost its sharpness. He was silent for a moment,
listening to what the other party had to say, then replied, "I understand."
Keep me updated.
And then I heard the sound of the door closing and Vincent disappeared
into his office, leaving me alone in the forbidden place.
me in the corridor. End. Closing my eyes, I put my hand to my mouth. I

felt unimaginable relief. God, it's over. Nothing happened.
For a moment I was still stuck behind the furniture, not only afraid to
leave, but also physically unable to get up after such intense gymnastics.
But I couldn't stay here any longer. I was afraid that Vincent would leave
his office again or that Sonny would come back, so I finally forced myself
to make a quick mission back to the home part of the Monet Mansion.
First, I carefully peeked out from behind the couch, then rose to my knees,
and then staggered as I got to my feet too quickly. As soon as I regained
my balance and held my breath, I shot towards my bedroom and only let
it out once I was safely behind the door to my own room.
I trembled with relief, but also grimaced with embarrassment. I wished

I had a magic eraser with which I could erase the memory of my trip to
the forbidden corridor. Now I was going to torture myself with it all night
long, and maybe even the next night. Of course, I was glad that I wasn't
caught, but it all made me feel sick. I even had to hold on to the wall.
Idiotka, idiotka, idiotka.

Why did you go there?
I was stupidly lucky not only because Vincent didn't catch me, but also
because I didn't run into another of my brothers while sneaking back to
my place. My mission was extremely idiotic, and the more I thought about
it, the more I wanted to slap myself in the face. What am I crazy about?
What am I looking for? What did I expect to find there?
I didn't even care about that stupid gun in the library anymore. It's not
for my nerves. I had to stop snooping. I'm no detective, and my life is not
a crime novel. In the forbidden corridor, Vince just works. He actually
accepts customers, I witnessed it myself. And he's busy. As soon as
someone left him, someone else called. He works hard so he can afford
various things such as fancy cars, a big house or supporting his younger
sister.
And I'm ungrateful.

10
Big and loud Dylan
The next day I was still struggling to get the memory out of my head
my childish behavior, which made me extremely embarrassed. As I
suspected, snooping around Vincent's office resulted in nothing but a
sleepless night. I hated that I was always so concerned about everything.
Additionally, this was the first time I heard dogs barking outside. Their
barking distracted me greatly, because I realized that they were looking
for an intruder in the Monets' territory, i.e. me, and it certainly didn't help
me in my attempts to fall asleep.
School made me feel a little better because I could shed some of the
guilt weighing on my liver while talking to Jason. He chuckled that all I
had to do was open the first drawer and find the gun inside.
“They're not even hiding,” he snorted. – If you really wanted to know

the secret of your family, you could do it easily, I'm sure of that.
He started to irritate me a bit, because his incitement so far wasn't

doing me any good. Besides, he didn't seem to care at all that the
rummaging he was encouraging me to do would put me in danger.
My dark brothers were unpredictable and I wish Jason would start taking
them a little more seriously. He may have been right that discovering their
secret didn't have to be complicated, but he certainly downplayed the fact
that while they were sometimes careless, they were certainly not stupid, as
was confirmed that same afternoon.
I was sitting in front of the TV. I took the opportunity because I saw the
twins going somewhere, Dylan was nowhere in sight, I wasn't afraid of
meeting Will, and Vincent was always working anyway. So I didn't expect it
would stop me from watching TV.
I was lying on a comfortable couch, glad that I had the living room to
myself. It was true that it was difficult for me to stop myself from squinting
from side to side because I still didn't feel very comfortable in this house
and any nonsense could drive me away.
I turned on a Spanish series on Netflix and got completely absorbed in
it, when suddenly Vincent appeared by my side.
I jumped when he said my name in his cold tone. I immediately stopped
the playback, as if on an order that was never given, and obediently gave
him my full attention. It was the first time I had seen him since my excursion
into the forbidden areas of the house yesterday, and it made me feel even
more intimidated by something I had done behind his back. What's more, I
had the impression that it was clearly visible on me. Like a child who, with
his face smeared with chocolate, tries to hide the fact that he ate the
cookies from his parents.
– I want to show you something – Vincent announced with his elegance
he allowed himself to sit next to me.
I quickly straightened up to make room for him, wondering what on earth
Vincent might want me to see.
Only then did I notice that he was holding a tablet in his hand.
He was very close to me, and Vince being so close to me always made
my body tense with nerves. He himself was completely relaxed. He sat
there casually, gracefully as he is, and handed me his device, immediately
pressing the play button.
Too confused to be intrigued or curious, I just focused on the screen,

trying to figure out what it was showing me. Some corridor. Recorded
from above, from a strange angle. Doors, lamps, oblong hall…
I froze.
Just then, a girl appeared on the screen and it took me a good two seconds
to realize it was me. Hailie from the recording looked out from behind the
wine glass. She looked at the door and then stood in front of it for a moment.
When she fell and ran behind the sofa, she disappeared from the camera's view.
But it was obvious that she was still sitting there, even when Vincent and his short, balding
guest came into view and bowed low to him.
I felt myself starting to tremble. Being close to the real Vincent didn't
help. I was more than sure he was watching my reaction in detail. I felt
hot. I knew what was next in the video, but I kept watching it, probably
having no other choice.
A third man appeared in the video. Sonny – as I guessed – was
blond, tall and broad shouldered. He was dressed in a suit, and when
he stood sideways to the camera, I saw that he had an earpiece in his
ear. I was now watching everything that before I could only listen to.
Vince stood outside his office for a moment, watching the guy as he
walked away, escorted by Sonny, and then he took out his phone and
put it to his ear.
The real Vince leaned towards me.
– That's when one of my people, a security guard, called me and told me
that there was a girl sitting right next to me behind the sofa.
I closed my eyes, unable to cope with the feeling
embarrassment for such a stupid mistake.
Well, of course he had cameras there. And apparently a security

guard who was closely watching the image it transmitted. So if Vince
wanted to catch me in the act, he could do it without a problem.
So why did he let me go then?
Unable to move, I waited for the video to end. Vince kindly took his tablet out
of my hands moments after the camera captured my escape. He put it aside. I
looked down at my intertwined fingers.
- I'm all ears.

“I…” I started, but I had absolutely no idea what to say.
My brother waited patiently. I would give anything to be away from him. I was
intimidated by the lack of distance between us, but I couldn't move much because
I was sandwiched between him and a huge pillow.
“I didn't feel well,” I blurted out, and Vince's eyebrows went up.
– What kind of explanation is that?
There was irritation in his voice. He didn't like it when someone told him things
stupidity. I cleared my throat to buy myself a moment to gather my thoughts.
– My phone died and I felt bad, I wanted to ask for a tablet. It seemed to me
that there was no one else at home... That's why I went there, to you.
– So why didn't you reach me?

– Well... once I was there, I changed my mind... I thought that maybe I
shouldn't have come there after all. – It sounded good because it was sincere.
“You shouldn't have,” he agreed coldly. – At the same time, Dylan was in the
garage and Tony was in his bedroom. If you looked for them, you would find them.
“He was silent for a moment, and then I felt his disapproving eyes on me. – I don't
understand why your first choice was my office, especially since I specifically
asked you not to hang around it.
“I… I… I don't know,” I stammered, scratching the skin on my thumb until it

bled. Oh, if only I could turn back time, I would never have gotten into that place.
– I'm sorry, I won't go there again without a reason, my word.
There was another moment of silence and I waited, expecting Vince to give
me a television detention as punishment or something like that. He did though
I guess he didn't have such plans, and I felt stupid for lying to him again. However, I
probably would never have dared to tell him the truth if it weren't for a sudden thought
that came to my mind.
What if there were cameras in the library too?
What if Vincent knows I found the gun moments before I tried to break into his
office? Maybe he's waiting for me to admit it myself?
Otherwise why is he still sitting here?
– Is there anything else you would like to tell me?
He asked this question in a cool and calm tone. I noticed that he was watching me
closely, probably seeing signs of internal struggle on my face. Now it was hard for me
to tell whether he had known about the gun before or whether he was just now
discovering that I was doing something.
– Hailie, I don't have all day.
- Nothing special. – I tried to smile, which was a mistake, because of stress
made me wince more.
Now he definitely knew that something was up. He narrowed his eyes slightly,
staring at me. The longer he didn't move, the more I became convinced that I had
made a mistake and that there was no point in continuing to resist.
I took a deep breath and nodded, unable to look at anything
into his eyes.
– Well, maybe there's something I should tell you.

- I'm listening.
Then, in a quiet voice, I told him about how last night in the library I stopped
reading at some point and, while looking through the drawers, I came across a gun.
Glancing at him timidly from time to time, I could tell that it was still difficult for me to
tell whether he already knew the truth or was just learning about it.
- Wait what?!
Vincent had a face like stone and was in too much control, so I didn't even have
to look at him to know that he wasn't the one who let out that cry. Unfortunately,
unfortunately for me, Dylan also turned out to be a witness to my translations, as he
appeared in the living room. It was moist,
disheveled hair and a towel draped over his shoulders. He didn't bother to put a shirt on,
but I was used to him often sneaking around the house half-naked. He had probably just
finished training in the gym and had to stop in the hall.
I wanted to tell him that he was eavesdropping, but I didn't have the
courage and it probably wasn't the right time. Finally, Vince reacted to my
words - he frowned, clearly dissatisfied with what he heard from me.
He ignored Dylan too, and that was another skill I envied him because I
couldn't pretend that my big, mean brother wasn't staring at me angrily.
– Are you talking about the gun in the library? – he made sure, taking a
few sudden steps forward.
I hoped the way I was curling into myself didn't show.
I nodded and glanced at Vincent out of the corner of my eye, silently
begging for help from the furious Dylan. I didn't understand why he was
even so nervous.
“I'm guessing you left it there,” my guardian said with relative calm. It
was obvious that Dylan's appearance didn't make much of an impression
on him.
– Even if it was, it wasn't lying in plain sight, but in a drawer, with a
fucking key. - He took a few more large steps, thus entering the middle of
the living room, like an actor appearing on stage at the perfect moment to
say his lines. – You had to do quite a bit of digging there, didn't you?
I swallowed and looked down, frightened by the seriousness and fury

visible in his dark pupils.
– I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to look like this...
– But that's what it looks like.
– Calm down, Dylan. I take it you forgot to take your key and left it in
the lock? If so, you can blame yourself, said Vincent, and then turned to
me: - I hope you left the gun where you found it.
I nodded quickly.
– And you didn't touch her?
I hesitated. -
You're kidding?! – Dylan boomed, and the towel slipped from his shoulders. – Did
you take it in your hand? For what reason, eh?!
My voice caught in my throat and I looked at Vincent again out of the corner of my eye.
“Dylan,” he admonished.
- What? I want to know what our little sister is thinking. – He looked at me. – What
were you thinking?
“I don't know…” I whispered, my voice breaking. Dylan, so great
and loud, it really scared me.
- You do not know? Don't give me crap now! You have no right to touch such things
and you better remember that. Do you even know how to use them?
Guns? You know? Yep, that's what I thought! This is not a toy for children!
– Dylan.
– It's been a long time since anyone pissed me off like that... You're lucky to have me
sister, because I swear...
“Dylan,” Vincent hissed, this time icily and forcefully, and then added
only a little calmer when our brother finally fell silent: - Enough.
Dylan was seething with anger, and I, in turn, didn't take well to his aggressive
lecture. I burst into tears, this time not bothering to keep my cool even in front of my
brothers. I always really hated it when someone shouted at me. Especially so loud and
vulgar. Especially when it was my older brother, whom I didn't know very well, and whom
I was a little afraid of. And especially when I knew he was right. I shouldn't have touched
that gun.
– Hailie, what you did was unwise. Look at me now, Vincent ordered me. It was
amazing how much he could control himself and be so cool and collected all the time,
while Dylan blew up like a bomb.
I looked up at my oldest brother, his stern face blurred by the tears in my eyes. – If you
ever find a gun in this house again, and I admit that it is very possible, no matter how
hard we try to prevent it, you must not touch it or
it's best to even look at him. You are to leave it where it is and inform one
of us about it, understood?
I nodded, sniffling and avoiding looking at Dylan.
– I would like you to use your words, dear Hailie. I want your answer
to be as clear as possible, both for me and for you.
“Yes, understood,” I murmured, barely audible, rubbing my cheeks.

– I take it you didn't come to see me yesterday because you weren't feeling well?
– I wanted to talk about what I saw, but I chickened out – I admitted.
– Mhm, so you lied?

I didn't raise my head.
- I see. - A moment of silence. – As I asked you at the beginning, no
come more to the wing where I work.
- I will not.
– I'm not going to repeat myself, so remember these simple rules,
because if you can't follow them, I'll make sure someone takes care of it
for you. And you're probably too old to be a babysitter, aren't you?
I clenched my jaw, frustrated by the condescension of his words. And
this was said in front of Dylan, who was still standing over us, excited, as
if he was just waiting for an opportunity to scream some more.
– Yes – I confirmed.
- Well then. Please remember that I am not wasting my words, Vincent
concluded dispassionately. He straightened and stood up, clutching the
tablet to his chest with one hand and putting it in his pocket with the other.
He looked down at me, then looked at Dylan and hissed softly, "And you'll
be more careful in the future."
I ignored the chills running down my spine, happy that at least Vince
wasn't addressing me in such an unpleasant way. However, Dylan's
reaction to his older brother's words was to demonstratively leave the
living room with agitated steps. Vincent didn't care at all and followed him
with dignity.
-Vince? – I exclaimed before I could stop myself.

He stopped at the threshold.
– So?
– Er… Actually, why did you pretend not to know that I was sitting behind that…
couch? – I blushed with embarrassment, but curiosity won. – Well, you just came to
talk to me about all this.
For the first time that afternoon, the corner of his mouth lifted in testimony
with little amusement.
“Well… let's just say I was curious how you would play this.” And you deserved
some stress as punishment.
With these words he left me alone in the living room, and I became convinced that
Vincent had the makings of a sadist. And although I was probably most afraid of him
out of all the brothers, I ran away to the bedroom mainly out of fear that an irritated
Dylan might return to the living room.
11
Time
The end of November meant several things.

Winter has arrived in Pennsylvania and it hasn't spared anyone.
The temperatures dropped significantly, the sky became gloomy, and the winds roared
ominously almost every night. Getting up for school in the morning became truly painful.
Thanksgiving was also approaching, which I found out by accident

when Mona and Audrey were getting excited about the long weekend.
I've heard about it, but of course I never cared about it. The only thing I
could say about this holiday based on movies and books is that people
give thanks for various things and turkey is served for dinner.
Apart from the fact that I didn't even know if I liked turkey, the bigger and
more terrifying problem was my lack of idea of what to be thankful for.
Having recently experienced such a great tragedy, I couldn't bring myself
to feel any gratitude.
Mona told me it was a sweet family celebration. Audrey emphasized
that its beauty lies in the unity for this one day of all Americans who are so
different from each other on a daily basis.
origin or religion. When I asked Will about it, he gave me some background
information, and Shane simply promised a mountain of delicious food.
This dashed my hopes that this holiday was not celebrated in the Monet
house. On the contrary, as Audrey said, the fourth Thursday of November
turned out to be a day that probably really had a special meaning for literally
everyone in this country. The friendly atmosphere even reached my
brothers' residence. Tony and Shane had been jostling playfully throughout
the morning, and even Vincent seemed less tense. Dylan asked cheerfully,
"How's it going" when he came across me in the kitchen after his morning
workout. It took me about half an hour to get over the shock, especially
since I still remembered him yelling at me about the gun thing.
Eugenie did a great job, preparing a real feast for us, and even brought
her daughter to help us that day. I spent the entire first half of the day with
them, fascinated by the company of women in the residence.
My daughter Eugenie was quite shy the whole time, especially when one
of my brothers peeked into the kitchen, but we also had a few nice chats. I
learned to bake pumpkin tarts, and the only downside to being with the two
of them was seeing Eugenie's motherly tenderness towards her daughter.
Knowing that I would never know her again hurt too much.
I was afraid to sit at the same table with my brothers and eat such an
official dinner. I got used to them following their own paths like cats, and I
even liked it, because at least I could safely be ignored by Tony or escape
Dylan's nasty smiles or Vincent's inquisitive glance. I had forgotten how
pleasantly surprised I was when we went to a restaurant in the past - and
Thanksgiving turned out to be a similar surprise.
We all sat down at a lavishly set table in the kitchen, where, apart from
the mass of dishes, in the middle there was an impressive, tall candlestick,
one with a thick carved leg. While my brothers were salivating at the sight
of the large, freshly baked turkey, I swallowed mine discreetly as Vincent
grabbed a huge knife in his hand to carve it. I didn't believe it would all
disappear that day, but I underestimated my voracious brothers. I even
liked it too. I nibbled the tender meat,
eating them with mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce, and listening to the
boys' conversations. I began to understand their humor more and more and
understood more and more of the American expressions they used.
I was also relieved that in the end no one asked me to confess out loud what I
wanted to be thankful for.
Even though it was my first Thanksgiving, I was supposed to remember it
rather with smiles and relief. Unfortunately, time kept passing and it soon hit
me that Christmas would soon be here. A holiday that I knew and celebrated
every year in the company of the two most important people in my life, and
these people were not supposed to be with me for the first time during this
special period.
The merciless bombardment of Santa Clauses and Christmas trees
everywhere started earlier than it should have. It was noticeable even to me,
even though I spent most of the time in the Monet Residence, which fortunately
was an exception here and which no one bothered to touch with the Christmas
charm for a long time. I didn't even know how these special holidays were
celebrated here, but I wasn't going to ask this time. I was afraid of Thanksgiving
because I didn't know him.
On the contrary, I knew Star, too well.
I was trembling at the thought of decorating the Christmas tree, baking a
cake, looking for gifts and sitting down at the table with my new family again.
Lest I be misunderstood, I usually loved the holidays. Now they simply reminded
me of one sad fact - that this year's events will take place without my mother.
When I saw the advertisements on my phone, I wanted to cry, when I saw

the lights and baubles at school, I wanted to vomit. And as if this suffering were
not enough for me, November thirtieth was associated with one more sad
circumstance for me.
My fifteenth birthday.
I used to love birthdays as much as Christmas. My mother always made
sure that I was treated special that day and stood on her lashes to make every
moment more pleasant. I didn't expect that my brothers would also carry me in
their arms. In fact, I would prefer everyone to forget about this event.
However, I could make ten films about how the Monet brothers
messed with my head. I didn't know what to think about them, how to
treat them. When Will or even Shane talked to me, I often managed to
feel sympathy for the new siblings and believed that the boys weren't so
bad after all. Then Tony or Dylan would usually show up and their
nastiness would make me question my affiliation with this family again.
And finally, Vincent entered, and no one could guess his true thoughts.
It was because of this endless cycle of ups and downs that I dreaded
my birthday even more, especially when Will told me not to plan anything
for that evening.
Not that my calendar is already full. The only person I expected to
receive a message of well wishes from was Roxane. In fact, I was
determined to hide from the world the fact that I was turning fifteen on
the last day of November. Initially, I even managed to hide it from Mona
and Audrey, who, despite their friendly attitude, knew next to nothing
about me, or even less. However, there was one person to whom I
willingly admitted my upcoming birthday.
Jason's eyes widened, and his arm slung loosely around my
shoulders dropped slightly as he bent to look at me.
– Oh shit, really? You didn't say anything.
“I'm telling you now,” I replied, staring at the bathroom tiles. – But I
don't want to make a big deal out of it.
- NO? – Jason smiled mischievously. – Then why did you tell me
about it?
I gave him a surprised look and he laughed, moving a little closer
his face to mine and it really distracted me.
– Would you like to get a gift from me? – he asked in a whisper, and
my cheeks immediately turned red and I moved my head away from him
so abruptly that if the wall behind me had been any closer, I would have
hit myself hard.
-Jason! – I exclaimed. – Stop, it's not true. You know not at all
that's the point. How could you think so…
“Come on,” he laughed, and his hand touched my cheek as if he wanted to

see if it's as hot as red. – I'm just joking.
– Your jokes are bad.
– Hey, come on, don't be like that. Offensive.
– I don't want any stupid gifts.

“Okay, no stupid gifts,” he agreed. – How about one stupid little date?
My heart skipped a beat at the word "date." Maybe its tone sounded so mature and
exotic to me because I had never been to one before? I associated the date with dinner
and candles, red lipstick and classical music. However, none of these things suited me, or
even Jason.
“What are you looking at?” he mocked. – Do you want to see yourself in the toilet for the rest
of your life?
“No,” I protested, trying to pull myself together and respond to Jason's offer with a little
more grace than a gaping mouth. – No, but there's a reason we're hiding here. My brothers,
remember?
- I do not see a problem.
– But I see as many as five of them.
– Look, you don't have to tell them everything. We will meet, for example, in a shopping
mall. You might as well pretend that you just went there with your friends.
– I don't have any friends.
– And Mona i ta druga? Aubrey?

“Audrey,” I sighed. – I never went anywhere with them. From
time... when I moved in with my brothers, my social life was non-existent.
– Well, it's time to rebuild it, right? “Jason grabbed my shoulders and leaned in, his
round eyes shining with excitement.
And the protests made it very difficult for me.
“Maybe…” I replied evasively.

- I know, we'll go to the cinema because it's dark there and no one will recognize us -
he planned immediatly, smiling wider and wider at his friends.
provisions.
– But… And should I invite Mona and Audrey there too? – I frowned.
– Hailie, this is supposed to be a date, not a class reunion. They are only meant to be
a cover. Let them walk around the gallery and we'll go to the movie.
Themselves. It's a really good plan, there's nothing wrong with it.
“I don't know if I want to lie to them like that…” I muttered.
“You don't have to lie,” Jason assured me. Now he was kneeling in front of me and
holding my wrists, his slight pushiness making me regret that I had told him about this
birthday at all.
– You tell them you want to see the girls, and you actually see them. Where's the lie? You
say you're going to the cinema. You don't have to specify who. And in general, I will be
there. Well, doesn't that sound brilliant?
In my opinion it sounds.
I sighed a bit defeated. Part of me thought Jason's excitement was adorable. Another
part even honestly shared it. I imagined for a second how great it would be to be with Jason
somewhere other than this not-so-clean bathroom. I got carried away by this vision too
much and as a result it was difficult for me to just get rid of it.
The mission that awaited me due to these resolutions was very stressful for me, starting
with the involvement of Mona and Audrey in my evil plan. I didn't want to lie to them, so I
decided to take the risk and put coffee on the table during lunch. I admitted to them that I
sometimes see Jason, and they started squealing like crazy. I don't think they've ever
reacted so energetically and noisily to anything I've ever said to them. I had to calm them
down so they wouldn't attract curious glances, like those from Monet's table.
– Jason? Jason, series?
– Oh man, your brothers would tear him apart if they knew!

“That's why I don't want them to know,” I hissed, trying to silence them with a menacing
look. But I couldn't wipe the goofy smiles from their faces.
– But seriously, Jason?

– How do you manage to see each other without them knowing?
– Why not him? And... we hide well, I replied,

while casting a little too nervous glances behind them.
“Jason has a questionable reputation,” she informed me immediately
Mona spoke in an expert tone.
– According to you, everyone at this school has a suspicious reputation.
Even if I sounded a bit rude, the girls didn't seem to notice, because at the same
time, Audrey started as if remembering something, and then turned to Mona:
– Was he the one who stared at your breasts for so long? Then, in PE?
- I do not know maybe. “Mona bit her lip, looking at me uncertainly.
- I don't remember.
“Oh, it's nothing,” Audrey said quickly and waved dismissively at her friend. – Like
you know, it doesn't matter, everyone is staring at her breasts, they're huge. It probably
wasn't Jason at all.
I looked down, a little regretting that I had brought up the subject. These girls weren't
close enough to me to do that. I also didn't like the knot that felt in my stomach at the
thought of Jason looking at Mona.
Ultimately, however, I told them about the plan we had made, because since I had
already admitted to them that we were seeing each other, I wanted to at least take
advantage of it. The girls squealed even louder when I reluctantly told them my birthday.
They also didn't seem to have much of a problem with the fact that I wanted to use them.
They were happy that they had the prospect of an interesting plan for the weekend.
Much to my dismay, they also went a step further and started thinking about a sleepover
we could arrange after my date. They had been trying to convince me to do this for some
time, and of course I always shied away. This time it wasn't right for me to refuse,
considering how much of a favor they were doing me. Besides, as Mona rightly pointed
out, it would be even easier for me to hide the truth from my brothers.
When it came down to it, I faced what I felt was the most difficult point of this mission.
I went to Will's, after making sure
that I would talk to him alone. I played with my fingers, asking him for
permission to spend the weekend hanging out with my friends, and my mouth
went dry not only from the stress, but also from the guilt that attacked me as
soon as the lie came out of my mouth.
Will looked like he was glad that I had a life outside of school. He asked
about Mona and Audrey and the program of our trip, but overall he had no
problem with my Saturday plans.
However, he instructed me to inform Vincent about them as soon as possible.
So I did, and it was definitely an even more stressful experience than talking to Will.
Vincent looked at me with a serious and intense look. He didn't smile, which
confirmed my belief that he would rather lock me up at home and never let me
out. If I had gone out more often, it might have annoyed me, but I just ignored
his slight dissatisfaction, especially since in the end he didn't forbid me
anything, on the contrary, he even agreed to spend the night.
The argument about my birthday turned out to be a good bargaining chip.

As I quickly discovered, the Monet family approached this concept a bit
differently than I was used to. I didn't receive a single gift from my brothers,
and maybe the nine-year-old version of me with a long list of desired gifts
would be disappointed, but this was certainly the state of affairs for Hailie. It
saved me embarrassment, forced smiles, and a thousand polite thanks that
would have finally stuck in my throat.
Will was the only one who felt the need to explain their traditions to me and,
let me tell you, my new family's customs certainly managed to fascinate me,
to say the least.
– We never got things for any occasion. Instead, we celebrate all
celebrations together. Our father always believed that the best gift we can give
someone on their birthday or during the holidays is time.
Somewhere inside, it grabbed my heart and I began to torment myself again

with images of Camden Monet, a man who was also my father. How on earth,
being so devoted to his family and having
such deep values, he completely ignored the fact of having a daughter? What about the
time devoted to me? It felt so bad to me. Camden fascinated and tasted me at the same
time.
What pleasantly surprised me was how my birthday evening actually went. As Will said,
I spent it with my brothers. They let me choose whether I wanted to go out to a restaurant
or stay home, and I happily chose the latter, remembering that I had a meeting with Jason
the next day. Going out too much in one week is unhealthy.
Yes, I know, I'm boring.
There were too many decisions I was being asked to make, and I had no idea what to
suggest when Will asked where I would like to order food from. I didn't know what the boys
liked and didn't like, and I was still hesitant, even when Will swore that our brothers would
eat absolutely anything that could be eaten. Finally, I decided that everyone probably liked
pizza, so I finally chose this neutral dish.
In my humble opinion, it was a bull's eye, because my siblings sprawled out in the living
room with boxes of pizza in such a natural way that - for a change - it was nice to look at
them.
Will brought us drinks from the fridge, Tony was picking mushrooms from his pizza,
Shane was cutting a slice in half and swallowing it all at once, Dylan was eating tomato
sauce and started swearing, and then Vince threw a roll of paper towels at him.
Even he relaxed, I promise. He didn't constantly check his watch or spend time on his
phone. The time he gave me was 100% dedicated to celebrating my birthday, which made
me feel important and appreciated, and it was for this feeling that I was most grateful to him.
I couldn't help but imagine in my head what this day would be like if I were with my
mother and grandmother. The other one would bake me a fancy cake and make a lot of
food, my mother and I would probably play a game, and of course I would get a gift, a
material one. This
It wasn't the worst case scenario either. After all, my mother always gave me her
time too. But now, unfortunately, she no longer had it.
Every now and then, these thoughts would make me sad, but then Shane
would say something stupid or Dylan would do something funny and I would let it
make me laugh.
For dessert, there was a cake, one with fifteen candles and fresh strawberries
placed on top. It was brought to Eugenie, who was responsible for its preparation,
and I was so moved by the sight that it was difficult to hide my tears. Maybe it's
stupid to admit it now, but I really didn't expect such commitment from my terrible
brothers.
Official wishes were expressed to me and I thanked everyone, blowing out the
candles at the end, and with a moment of consolation, I mentally wished for the
feeling of belonging to the Monet family.
After the dessert feast, we started eating pizza again, this time to the
accompaniment of a movie that the twins had chosen with my consent. It was
some stupid horror movie and I pretended I wasn't scared at all. Dylan kept
chuckling at the idiotic scenes, and Vince rolled his eyes as if he couldn't believe
that he was watching such crap instead of working.
Towards the end I was already falling asleep, because when sleep began to
haunt me, I preferred to accept it rather than destroy my already weak psyche
with further traumas. My older brothers made sure I didn't get away with it that
easily, though, because at one point I really started to drift off and then someone
slapped me violently while shouting something into my ear.
I screamed loudly and opened my eyes, terrified of such a wake-up call, and
then ashamed. I looked at my brothers' faces, most of which were red from the
laughter caused by my comical behavior.
“It's not funny,” I protested shrilly, stroking myself

goosebumps appeared on the back of his hand.
“It is,” Shane replied, still cackling.
“It totally is,” Tony echoed.
“You're ridiculous, girl,” Dylan added, and I fell silent, inconsolably, noticing
from the corner of my eye that even Vince looked up at me.
ceiling, amused by my reaction.

Then I knew it was time to go to sleep. I was very tired, the movie was
starting to cross the boundaries of decency, my brothers were getting into a
mischievous mood, and I wasn't going to be their eternal victim. I said goodbye
to all of them and thanked them sincerely for this evening, because although I
was afraid of my birthday, I must admit that I spent it in a surprisingly pleasant
atmosphere. I didn't know these boys could create one.
It wasn't their fault that when I changed into my pajamas and covered myself
with the duvet, I spent a while before falling asleep crying. Sadness and
emptiness accompanied me somewhere all the time and I just had to let them out.
12
The cretin
The next day I woke up in a good mood. I no longer remembered the

sadness that had hit me before I went to sleep. I had positive memories of
celebrating my birthday with my brothers and meeting Jason looming on
the horizon. So excited about my date, I couldn't hide my emotions over
the breakfast I ate with Will. My favorite brother joined me in the kitchen
as soon as he returned from his morning run, his eyes smiling at my sunny
mood.
It wasn't until Will was driving me to the mall that my remorse began to
crush me like a big, massive sole. I felt a lump in my throat as I answered
his questions about my exit, only half being honest with him. It's true that I
maneuvered so as not to lie to him outright, but who was I really fooling?
My mother taught me that hiding the truth equals lying, always and
everywhere.
Mona and Audrey were already waiting at the appointed place, playing
their roles as best as they could, waving at me and smiling at Will.
I glanced at him nervously, wondering if maybe he was starting to
I suspected something, but he didn't seem to think I was being dishonest.

The worse I felt about my choices.
I was about to get out of the car when I felt his hand grab my elbow and I
froze, the panic in my heart reaching fever pitch.
In a split second, thousands of scenarios and even a few ready-made
explanations appeared in my head, but when I met Will's eyes, there was no
disappointment or anger in them. On the contrary, they looked at me kindly,
and after a while they turned down. I followed his gaze and then saw that he
was holding a stack of green bills in his other hand.
– Maybe they'll come in handy, right? – he said and winked at me, and I
smiled shyly, mentally slapping my forehead.
You're so stupid, Hailie.
I nodded and collected the cash, immediately realizing that it was much
too much for a regular trip to the cinema and shopping mall. However, Will
seemed to have no problems with counting and quite consciously provided
me with what he thought was the right amount of money. At the end, he
wished me a good time, flashed his beautiful smile at my friends and drove
away.
“Jesus, Hailie, that was one of your brothers, wasn't it?” One of the older
ones, but not the oldest, right? Mona whispered excitedly before I could even
greet her.
-Uh, yes. Yes, the second oldest, Will, I nodded. – It's very fine.
Mona fanned herself with her hand, although the blush on Audrey's face
was more visible.
– Kim told me about him, you know? My sister, Mona confessed. – She
went to school with him for some time, he was probably two years above
her. She was totally into him, now I know why.
I gave her a forced smile, pulled up the sleeves of my jacket and cleared
my throat - seemingly casually, but clearly emphasizing that maybe I didn't
really want to hear such things. Anyway, I really didn't.
I was excited about meeting Janson and that was all I could think about right
now.
– Hailie, by the way, you look great.

I was glad that Audrey had the presence of mind and tried to change the subject. The
fact that she complimented me was also appreciated by me, although I must admit that I
was a bit more suspicious here.
I wasn't entirely satisfied with my appearance. I mean, not that there was anything wrong
with it, but I didn't have any cosmetics for makeup or any fancy clothes. It was also in vain
to look for a curling iron in the Monet Residence. This can be added to the list of
disadvantages of living with only men. Although maybe it was even better that I didn't
withdraw too much. This way I didn't arouse suspicion.
I was supposed to meet Jason at the ticket counter. At first, trying to ignore the
Christmas decorations and the irritating Jingle Bells melody playing in the speakers, which
was probably intended to make shopping more enjoyable for customers, I looked around
nervously to see if anyone I knew was hanging around. I didn't even know who would
potentially catch us, but since I'm a panic freak by nature, I couldn't shake the bad feeling.
Maybe someone is watching me? At that stage, I was convinced it was just my irritating
brain adding to the remorse.
I thought that because I believed I had outsmarted them. That I outsmarted all my brothers
and that Jason's plan actually worked.
My paranoia level decreased significantly as soon as I saw my date's angelic face.
Jason was standing in line and his lips curved into a smile when he saw me. I started
walking towards him and he pulled his hands out of his jacket pockets to hug me. I savored
this feeling, as pleasant as the first sip of hot chocolate in winter. I no longer looked at other
people's faces. Now the only thing that mattered was the one in front of me, with those
sweet dimples.
I even ignored the smell of nicotine following him. I knew he was messing around, but
he was still almost perfect in my eyes. And he even put on a shirt, which totally blew me
away. Everything about it was somehow so wonderful that I could turn a blind eye to that
one cigarette-related detail.
The movie we went to see was a romantic comedy that I hadn't even heard of before.
Jason chose it, saying it was good
date suggestion. The last time I went to the cinema was ages ago, so I
didn't really care what we saw. Besides, I didn't come here for the
repertoire. Still, I planned to focus on the movie, which was not an easy
task because Jason was constantly distracting me. The seats he had
reserved were in the darkest corner of the theater and at first I was going
to suggest that we move to the more central ones since most of them
were empty, but I quickly understood the logic behind his choices. Very
quickly, before the commercials ended, I felt his hand on my thigh.
He surprised me with his directness and at first I held my breath and

tensed my muscles. I was used to Jason's touch, but we usually just
cuddled and neither of us ever took our caressing to the next level. I
dipped my fingers into the popcorn, a huge box of which I held to my
chest. I felt confused – I guess I should like this, right? I finally liked
Jason.
I should chill out.
Jason moved his hand - running it from the middle of my thigh to my
knee and then back up. He also touched a piece of its inner part and it
tickled my stomach. I still didn't know if I liked this feeling, but I felt like I
was over-analyzing it all. Jason isn't just any random guy, he's someone
I've already gotten to know and like. So I tried to relax.
I automatically flinched when his fingers brushed a strand of hair

behind my ear. The boy switched hands, because now one was on my
knee and the other was stroking my hair. I became completely distracted
when his nose touched my cheek sensually, and then I felt his breath on
my ear as he
whispered, "Do you like it?"
Movie? Do I like the film, or was it because of his gestures?
Whatever it was, I nodded and he laughed softly and placed a wet kiss
on my earlobe, and I immediately felt his teeth on it. Luckily he didn't bite
me, but he nibbled gently and mischievously, which was quite strange,
and I giggled nervously. He moved his face away from me and smiled
too. Before I could do anything
to do, he moved closer to me again, this time placing two fingers on my

jaw from the opposite side. In this way, he turned my head towards him
and placed a full-fledged kiss on my lips.
I know he must have been thinking about this from the moment we took our seats in the
theater, but he still managed to surprise me. I blinked my eyes, trying to keep up with what
was happening. My body froze and individual popcorn kernels began to spill out of the box,
which tilted in my lap. A pair of actors on the screen were playing a spicy scene of a
sensual game of tennis, but I was occupied with a substitute for my own romance, which
attacked me so unexpectedly.
Jason couldn't get enough of our lips simply connecting, and even
though it was a big deal for me - my first kiss! – he immediately went a step
further and pressed into them again, this time with the intention of opening them.
I felt his tongue in my mouth and I had absolutely no idea what to do with it.
I hesitantly returned the caress, not even sure if I was doing it the right way.
I tried to rely on my instincts, because in this situation I had no other choice.
After a long moment, Jason pulled away from me, and I saw his teeth
flash in the dark in another quick smile. At the end, he pecked me on the
lips and then leaned back, giving me some space that he had so
unexpectedly taken away from me earlier. He also removed his hand from
my knee, which he alternately tightened and loosened during our kiss.
I stared at the screen in complete shock. I was glad it was dark and most
of my reactions weren't visible. I had chills all over my body and my cheeks
felt like they were burning.
“Your mouth tastes like candy… and popcorn,” Jason said to me in a
hushed, hoarse voice and laughed when I unconsciously licked my lips.
Whatever flavors were supposedly on them earlier, the boy must have
licked them all off, because all I could smell was saliva.
If someone, after leaving the cinema, asked me to write a review of the
film I had just watched, I would probably not be able to comment on any
scene. I haven't fully followed or understood any of them. I left the room
accompanied by a laid-back Jason, who at the end was eating popcorn, obviously happy
to be gone, although I was sure he never glanced at the screen himself. He kissed me a
few more times and hugged me a lot. At some point I even started to like it.
Sure, after so long in the atmospheric and dark room, the artificial lights of the shopping
center blinded me. I felt naked and didn't want to turn to Jason, who was hot on my heels,
because for some reason I was ashamed of what he might read on my face. But I had to
do it eventually, and luckily for me, he didn't examine my emotions at all, but with a
satisfied smile, he caught my eye and, having previously disposed of the popcorn box,
placed his hand on my shoulders.
– Are we doing anything else? – he said, and I reached into my bag for the phone.
I had a few unread messages from Mona, but they didn't seem urgent. She asked if we
were polite and warned us against making trouble.
Jesus, am I just so naive that I actually thought we were going to watch a movie?
"Uh... I guess we don't have time anymore... I have to find Mona and Audrey, I depend
on them, you know," I replied, throwing up my hands.
– Sure, chill.
I looked at him to make sure he really understood. I didn't want to say no to him because
I knew he was trying. He ended up taking me on my first date ever, exposing himself to my
brothers. And he kissed me. I had a strange, uncomfortable feeling that I didn't appreciate
it enough.
“Thanks for taking me here,” I said honestly, because no matter what, he took me out
for the first social outing in months that I had the pleasure of participating in. I guess it did
me good.
He will.
The corners of his mouth turned up - Jason was obviously very pleased with himself.
He seemed a bit different than usual. He was much bolder than in the women's bathrooms.
– Cool, it was nice to meet somewhere outside of school.

- True. Although, to be honest, I don't remember much from this

movie.
He snorted and I smiled because I was secretly hoping for that
I will be able to make him laugh with these words.
We were standing in front of the cinema area, near the escalators

and two stores of well-known clothing chains. By the fountain in the
middle there was a decorated Christmas tree and Santa's sleigh, on
which you could sit and take a photo. There were a lot of people milling
about, and I knew that Jason would want to kiss me again as we said
goodbye, and even though I was worried about who in such a crowded
place might accidentally witness our passion, I let him do it again . This
time I was prepared and knew what to expect. Kissing felt ridiculous
and inscrutable, but I admit I also felt a small spark of pleasure.
Whatever the case, it's beautiful that someone was so close to me that
something as intimate as exchanging saliva took place between us.
What was great about Jason in general was that he didn't treat me
like a little girl. Not like a child. He treated me like an adult girl, even a
woman. He finally took me on a date and we kissed like an adult couple
in a romantic comedy, and it made me feel as mature as I'd ever felt
before.
I waved to Jason one last time as I climbed the escalator.
He was standing by the elevators and had a cigarette already prepared
in his hand. And when he was out of sight, I sighed to myself, completely
stunned by the events that had just happened. Maybe I experienced
everything twice because it was my first love experience, or maybe
because it was my first social outing since I started a new life under my
brothers' roof.
The thought of them made my face soften. If they caught me at the
cinema, they wouldn't be happy. Vincent made it clear: no dating.
I felt a twinge of guilt and got a little nervous too. I took out my phone
again to glance at the screen, as if expecting a reproachful message
from my guardian. But I didn't get any of that and I let out a breath. I
should seriously chill out.
I found the girls in the supermarket. They were standing in line with
some sodas, chips and jellies that were to be served as snacks during our
sleepover. When they saw me, they immediately perked up, and I was
touched by their excitement, and even more eagerly than I would have
expected, I began to tell them about my date.
They asked me about Jason and my feelings, and I answered them
honestly because I needed to vent to someone. And apart from their ears,
I didn't know any that would be suitable for listening to this type of report.
The girls analyzed Jason's behavior in their own exaggerated way, and I
listened, deciding for this one evening to let myself bathe in their attention.
I always tried to stay in the shadows, but maybe having such talkative
friends didn't have to be so bad?
Audrey's mother picked us up from the center. She smiled a lot, and I
noticed that she often glanced at me in the mirror with open and slightly
intimidating curiosity. Once home, she quickly showed us where she had
prepared our dinner and double-checked that I didn't have any allergies
before she said goodbye to us and left for work for the evening shift.
Audrey's dad was on a business trip, and just when I thought that meant
we were alone at home, a boy entered the kitchen where we were currently
sitting.
I immediately recognized him as Jerry, Audrey's older brother. Even
though we apparently went to school together, I didn't even know him by sight.
I never even noticed him talking to Audrey in the cafeteria or in the hallway.
I only recognized him now because I immediately noticed the resemblance
between him and his sister. Jerry had mousy, short hair, not black like
hers, but he was just as pale, thin and bony.
Now his anemic appearance was only emphasized by plain, worn jeans
and a faded T-shirt with the logo of some computer game, if I wasn't
mistaken.
Audrey complained about him a lot and they didn't seem to have the
best relationship. Not that I would judge anyone's relationship with their
siblings, because I was no expert in this field, but my friend kept saying
that Jerry just sits in front of the computer all day, is clumsy with life, and
at the same time extremely smart. Despite such an unfavorable situation
I tried not to be prejudiced against him from the very beginning, but he didn't make
it easier for me. He immediately shot me a contemptuous glance from behind his
thick black-rimmed glasses. He grimaced, then quickly grabbed a bag of chips and
left without a word.
– Hello, Jerry, it was nice to see you too! " Mona exclaimed, twisting behind
him on the swivel stool.
Audrey, used to her brother's antisocial attitude, just snorted
dismissively, busy putting her mother's lasagna in the oven.
– Did he grimace when he saw me, or did I imagine it? - I asked.
Mona bit her lip and cast an uncertain glance at Audrey, who sighed, then, once she
had set the oven, straightened up and leaned against the cabinets.
– Don't take it personally, Hailie. Jerry is weird. He has some things of his own
various stupid beliefs.
– What beliefs?
“You know…” she began hesitantly, but my look forced her to continue
explaining. – For example, when I asked my parents if I could invite you here, this
idiot interjected that it was... dangerous to bring Monets' sister under our roof.
I shifted on the high stool, resting my hands on the counter. Excuse me?
- What? – I said out loud.
Audrey waved her hand.
– Jerry's a moron. You really have nothing to worry about. – She went to the
fridge and took out cans of Coke, as if she was looking for something to do so as
not to look me in the eye, but she also kept explaining to me: – He's prejudiced
against your brothers. This is because. He told his parents that you don't know
what to expect from them and it's better not to play with fire. - She put the drinks
on the bar and shrugged, summing up: - Moron.
“Does…does he really know my brothers well?” – I asked in a flat voice.

– Uh, well… He's from the same vintage as Shane and Tony. I guess they have
some classes together... He's been going to high school with them forever, so, well,
they've known each other for a long time and he's already formed an opinion about
them. Audrey bit her lip. – But you have to make allowances for it, because remember,
it's Jerry. And he really is an idiot.
– You're an idiot yourself.
Jerry heard our conversation because he went back to the kitchen for something.
He was now standing in her doorway, staring at his sister. The tips of his ears turned
red and his glasses slipped off his nose.
– Yeah? How else can I explain your stupid behavior towards Hailie? – Audrey
hissed. I thought of her as an eternal oasis of peace, but her brother seemed to be
able to unsettle her like no one else.
Jerry glared at me with hostility. I felt very stupid and uncomfortable being in a
guest house where one of the household members openly disliked me so much, but
other than that I didn't care much about his behavior. I lived with five older brothers
who could kill with just a look when they were angry. Jerry's mock-threatening leering
really didn't impress me.
– Now you call it stupid because you are great friends. – He spat the last word
mockingly, looking at his sister with pity. He kept clenching his hands into fists. - Wait.
One day you will understand that it is better to stay away from Coins.
– Maybe you could give at least one reasonable argument, huh?
Jerry took a step towards her and I tensed. I also saw Mona frown.
– Are they dangerous?! They think of themselves as nobody knows who, they
abuse violence, they think that money will always solve everything, they are convinced
of their own greatness, they are ruthless... - he started to say, and each subsequent
word was like a gunshot. A huge lump formed in my throat, because each of his
accusations was a thought spoken out loud that had already appeared in my head
many times. – Don't act stupid, you know very well that this family is shady.
– How can you even say such things, especially in front of Hailie? –
Mona interjected indignantly.
– Oh, your poor Hailie will always fall on her hands and knees with Coins on her
side. In this pseudo-friendship of yours, in case of conflict, you will pay dearly.
My eyes widened and my mouth parted in shock until it didn't

I was able to stammer out words in my defense.
– What are you talking about? What conflict? You don't even know Hailie!
You should get treatment! – Audrey screamed, now no longer blushing, but as red
as a ripe tomato.
– You'll have to heal yourself when the Monet brothers get at your ass!
- You are not normal.

– What are you even on about? Mona snapped, shaking her head in disgust.
I was pleased that they both defended me so fiercely.
“You'll find out one day,” Jerry said and adjusted his glasses. – You'll see.
There was literally a second of silence (although the thick atmosphere did not
stop weighing on us for a moment), and then suddenly Audrey's dry laughter rang
in the kitchen.
– I know – she said, calmly, but also with venom. – I know why you have such
a problem with Hailie. Why don't you tell her about the time Tony almost stuck your
head in the toilet?
Mona and I both froze. Jerry stared at his sister, his lips pressed together so
tightly that they turned white. This was a low blow for him, and Audrey returned his
hostile glare with her chin held high.
– How do you know about this? – he finally asked quietly.
I felt like I wasn't there. At this moment, only Jerry and Audrey were present in
the kitchen. Together they participated in a sister-brother fight in which no one else
had the right to interfere.
– I heard my parents talking.
– It was years ago.

- Two.
Jerry was panting and looked like he was about to need his inhaler, but suddenly he
pulled himself together and shot his sister a look of disgust. I felt really sad and I thought to
myself that if any of my brothers looked at me that way, I would probably cry on the spot.
Even Tony was nicer to me. I felt bad for Audrey that she had such a nasty relationship
with someone she grew up with forever.
– Why are you even mentioning this? “Jerry narrowed his eyes for a moment,
then raised his eyebrows and continued, “You know what, whatever. It's actually a
good thing you said it, because it just proves how low her... - Jerry suddenly
pointed his finger at me - - the superbrothers fell a long, long time ago.
– Is that so? Why don't you tell the whole story? – Audrey smiled maliciously.
“Didn't you do Tony's math for a whole semester freshman year?”
I didn't know this side of her.

– Because he forced me to do it?!
– That's bullshit! You wanted to impress him, to be friends with him!
Jerry's eyes flashed with lightning behind his glasses. Audrey bravely endured
this look, waiting for some counterattack that never came.
Jerry moved his shoulders as if trying to shake the tension from them, then pushed
his glasses back up and rubbed his hands on his jeans.
– You know what, do whatever you want, I don't care. And so you will see -
he said coldly before turning and leaving the kitchen.
He left us in dead silence. I stared at my hands, not having the courage to
speak. From the beginning I wasn't very positive about this whole overnight stay,
but I didn't expect it to be so unpleasant.
– Phew! – Mona breathed loudly. She rolled her eyes and fanned herself with
her hand, clearly trying to lighten the mood.
“I'm sorry about him,” Audrey said to me. She was still serious. “He's terrible
and I can't believe he acted like that.
Still with you! You are our guest! – She shook her head, overcome with
a new wave of anger. – If mom heard him...
“It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter,” I interrupted her, lifting my head.
To calm her down, I gave her a faint smile. – He obviously has a problem
not with me, but with my brothers. His business.
Personally, I felt that Jerry was completely unfair to me, putting me
in such a negative light just because he had unpleasant memories of
my brothers. He spoiled my mood a bit with his accusations, but
fortunately I started to gradually regain it that same evening. First, I got
a text from Jason wishing me good night, which put a smile on my face.
It also got us talking to the girls again, analyzing my date, which helped
us forget about this unnecessary incident.
The next morning, Audrey's mother made waffles for breakfast, and
we all sat down together. Everyone, that's all, so Jerry showed up, but
in my mother's presence he wasn't so eager to reproach me, so he just
chewed in silence, visibly grumpy, avoiding all eyes, especially mine.
At the table I remembered that he was trying to turn Audrey's parents

against me, or at least that was what my friend had said, so I was a little
afraid that for some reason I would suddenly start to feel resentment
from their mother, but she couldn't be more hospitable. I would even
say it's an exaggeration. She already knew Mona and was nice to her,
but I felt like she was fawning over me.
She kept asking if I needed more tea, made sure the basket of fruit and
the jug of maple syrup were within my reach, and she mostly talked to
me, hanging on every word that came out of my mouth with exaggerated
interest.
I felt the greatest discomfort when Vincent arrived. First I got a
message from him that brought me back to earth. He wrote that he was
coming back from the city, so he planned to pick me up on the way and
tell me to get ready. Of course, he left no room for discussion. A bit
I was surprised that he, out of all the boys, would come for me.
He usually seemed too busy to attend to such mundane matters.
However, I felt discomfort not because of my oldest brother, but because of
Audrey's mother's reaction to seeing him. She turned pale, her eyes bulged out of
their sockets, she blinked constantly, and all her gestures were exaggeratedly violent.
Well, how can I be surprised at her? Vincent appeared on the threshold of their
rather wealthy, but still ordinary house, already at the entrance he didn't fit in with
the surroundings. In his elegant black coat, with his dark hair slicked back as
usual, with cool eyes and fair skin, he contrasted with the warm wood floors, floral
wallpapers and still life paintings hanging on the walls - some of them terribly
kitschy.
And if you add my guardian's stature, grace and that expensive watch sticking out
from under his sleeve... Let's just say that he really made an unforgettable
impression.
At first, Audrey's mother just stood there stunned, but to her credit, she quickly
recovered and invited him for coffee, to which Vince briefly, politely and gentlemanly
declined. I didn't miss the fact that her eyes kept squinting at my brother's hand,
drawn like a magnet by the signet ring on his finger.
And when we left, she said goodbye to us with a visibly forced smile.
13
Two broken hearts
Vincent's sleek black car gleamed in the sun and contrasted with the white one
snow lying on the lawns around. My brother's hand tightened on the handle of
the passenger door to open it for me, in a quick and careless movement, but still
graceful.
He started driving only after he was sure I had fastened my seat belt.
Meanwhile, he turned on the heating, for which I was eternally grateful, because
the cold outside today and the one radiating from my brother were chilling me to the bone.
I even started to feel anxious, but I tried to convince myself that this was just
Vincent's typical behavior and that in fact I could only be seriously afraid if he
suddenly started talking to me cheerfully.
I tried to focus on something positive. I spent the night with my friends. I

haven't been to a sleepover in a long time, even when my mother was still alive.
Since Roxane, my only friend, moved to Greece, I wasn't that close to anyone
and I was a bit lonely.
I forgot how nice it is to stuff yourself with junk food and giggle at stupid things. I
don't even know why I resisted spending time with Mona and Audrey. They really
weren't that bad.
Apart from that wild brother of Audrey, who insulted me and my family right away.
If it weren't for the girls, I wouldn't have had anyone to talk about my first date with
Jason. Mona literally squealed when I described the kiss.
Seeing her excitement, I convinced myself that it was a natural and good thing, and I
only reacted strangely at the beginning, probably because I lacked experience.
– I'd like to invite you to the library, okay?

I looked at Vincent, surprised that he had spoken so suddenly. Without looking at
me, he unbuckled his seatbelt. He no longer had his hands on the steering wheel, and
it was only then that I realized I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't even notice we
were already parked in the garage.
– Uh, now? – I asked stupidly, swallowing.
“Yes, now,” he replied shortly and left, closing the door quietly behind him.
I immediately started getting out of the car, even though I would have liked to stay
inside and maybe roll under the seat. Vincent's request made me panic. I mean, what
could he want from me in this library? We just spent over twenty minutes alone in the
car. If he wanted to talk, why hadn't he had it yet?
I didn't show that I was nervous as I unwrapped the scarf from around my neck and
took off my jacket. I tried to control my shaking hands as I struggled with the zipper on
one of my shoes. Whatever his intentions were
Vincent, they probably weren't worth my nerves, but if he noticed my paranoid behavior
with his keen eye, he would immediately become suspicious, so I mentally reminded
myself to calm down.
On the way to the library, he never turned around to see if I was following him. I
stared at his black-shirted straight back, wondering what the hell he was going to play
with me next. Will he show me a video again? Oh God, what if he got his hands on the
mall security footage? That would be terrible. I was starting to freak out.
I slowed down for a moment when Vincent stopped on the threshold of the living room, from where
there were sounds of the television.
“Tony, let me,” he said imperiously, and my heart stopped.

Talking to Vincent is one thing, but talking to Vincent and Tony is another level of
torment.
“Sit down, Hailie,” he ordered me in turn as we entered the library.
Craving for safety, I hid in my favorite, cozy armchair where I always read. However, I
didn't sit as comfortably as usual and sat stiffly, clasping my hands on my stomach.
My heart began to beat even faster when Tony, who had been summoned earlier, entered
the room. His expression was bored and tired, like when you spend too much time in front
of a screen, but he smiled slightly when he saw me. However, I didn't find anything friendly
in his expression - he smiled, as he always does, maliciously. He rubbed his eyes as if he
was getting ready to watch another interesting program and plopped down on the couch.
During this time, Vincent managed to glance at his phone, click something on it, and the
next moment he put it down on a low table and cleared his throat, loosening his tie slightly.
Then he walked over to the couch and sat down on it too, but on the very edge, keeping a
reasonable distance from Tony who was sprawled out on it. Looking at both brothers, I
couldn't believe how similar and different they were at the same time.
Vince sat with his feet apart, his hands on his thighs, pressing them together, and
seemed to think for a moment before speaking. Thanks to this, he managed to create an
unbearably thick atmosphere and I was sure that if he continued like this, I would start to
suffocate here. It would be truly beautiful and tragic if I died in the library.
- How was your weekend? – my oldest brother finally asked, his pale blue eyes carefully
observing even the smallest of my reactions. I wonder if he saw me flinch.
It suddenly became clear to me that he must know about my meeting with the boy. He
must, otherwise he wouldn't have asked me such a mundane question in an artificially
casual tone. He knows.
How?
He definitely knows. What else would I be doing here?

The smirk on Tony's lips grew larger with every second of mine
silence. Why did he accompany us at all?
“Okay,” I replied quietly, realizing that the silence was stretching out terribly unnaturally.
Vince nodded, accepting my answer.

- So you recommend going for... - Here he stopped and rubbed his temple for a
moment, as if it would help him regain a lost thought. – Two broken hearts?
For a moment I didn't even connect the dots that the name my brother said was
actually the title of that idiotic romantic comedy Jason took me to see last night. She
sounded extremely funny coming from him. Currently, however, I couldn't laugh at all.
How the hell did he know I was in that video? I haven't mentioned this to any of my
brothers. I didn't even tell them I was going to the cinema!
Oh God, someone saw me, right?

I certainly didn't tell them myself because I wanted to hide as many details about my
date from them as possible. Apart from me, only Mona and Audrey knew about it. And
Jason, but it was in his interest to keep it a secret, as it was in mine. Has anyone seen
us? In the checkout line, maybe? Or after the show? Why wasn't I more careful?
Play it cool, Hailie.

I shifted my weight from one leg to the other, still hiding under them
hands. I don't know what better I could do with them at this point.
“I don't know, you probably wouldn't like it…” I replied, deciding to play dumb.
- Ah yes? – Vincent became interested. – What exactly do you think it would be

I didn't like it? The movie, or maybe the fact that you went to see it with…
He paused and snapped his fingers twice, closing his eyes slightly.
“Jason Evegreen,” Tony rushed to his aid.
Vincent opened his eyes and nodded stiffly, lowering his hand.
- Exactly.
I swallowed hard at the sound of that name on Tony's lips. Is this the role it is supposed
to play in our conversation? Complete the missing ones
Pieces of Vince's puzzle? I frowned and my gaze moved downwards. How am I supposed
to get out of this?
– Is this the same kid she dated before? – Vince glanced at Tony questioningly.
“The same one to whom I explained what would happen if he didn't give up,” he nodded.
- Ah yes.
God, God, God. What to do? What should I tell them? I knew I had to defend myself,
but all I had the courage to do at the moment was play with my fingers nervously. It was
still a success that I was able to move them.
– So, Hailie, what's it like? – Vince continued in his monotonous tone, which had a
sinister note too clearly in it.
I decided to openly take a deep breath. Now or never.
“Yes,” I said honestly, lifting my eyes as boldly as I could. – I went to the cinema with
Jason. It was a friendly meeting because we like each other and wanted to see each
other. I didn't tell you anything because I knew then you probably wouldn't let me leave.
I was hoping that by making this clear, I might gain some understanding, but I certainly
didn't get any of it in Vincent's eyes. On the contrary, they darkened and deprived me of all
hope.
– Hailie, you're a smart girl, so I'm extremely amazed by your reasoning, or maybe
even the lack of it. If I forbid you to do something, it means you are not allowed to do it.
Just like that.
– You said Jason was evil, but that's not true. I've met him and I know he's fine... - I
explained. I tried to sound reasonable, but my voice was too shaky.
There was a loud snort from Tony.

– This kid is a horny virgin who just wants to fuck you.
I stared at him with my mouth open and my eyes wide open.
“Tony,” Vincent growled at him, giving him a disapproving look before turning back to
me and clearing his throat.
he translated politely: - Your brother meant that young boys with pretty faces
can easily manipulate fifteen-year-old girls.
– But…Jason isn't like that!

"Jason is exactly like that," Tony replied dismissively, staring at the ceiling.
I opened my mouth to once again defend this boy I really knew and liked,
but at that moment Vince pointed his finger at Tony.
“And you were supposed to keep an eye on her at school and make sure he
stayed away from her.”
– It's one thing to keep an eye out, but I didn't follow her like any other
“Fucking dog,” Tony growled.
“Please, Jason is really good and I would like to keep in touch with him…”
I started again, but stopped when both of my brothers looked at me as if I
had fallen from space.
– Come on, this inexperienced scoundrel is staring at every ass in his
sight.
“You're lying,” I hissed at Tony, thrown off balance by his lazily stretched
out position on the couch cushions, his constant rolling of his eyes, and the
sneer of his lips. – You don't even know him.
Tony laughed and shook his head.
– You are so naive…
My mouth was trembling and I didn't know what to answer, so I did the
only thing I could think of at that moment. I silently allowed tears to fall
dramatically down my cheeks, immediately regretting showing this sign of
weakness in front of my brothers.
Tony continued, "He doesn't
seem to avoid us, but we still see him with Shane sometimes on breaks,
going out for cigarettes." He's smoking some cheap slippers. He talks
nonsense with his cunt friends. He drools over every little girl…
“You smoke cigarettes and look after girls…” I pointed out with a lump in
my throat. I wanted so badly to say something to him that would finally make
him shut up.
– It's not about what I do, it's about the fact that someone like him won't
be the right boyfriend for you, girl.
Anger towards this "girl" welled up inside me, and at the same time I
couldn't deny that I was actually falling apart in front of the boys like a real
child. I felt sorry and I hated Tony.
I hated him. And Vincent too. And all his brothers. I felt better with Jason than with
them, and they wanted to take that away from me and destroy it. Besides, they
weren't telling the truth about him. They were based on flimsy rumors.
Maybe if they consider mere rumors to be such a valuable source, I
should tell them what people are saying about them?
For now, however, I couldn't formulate any words properly, so I suddenly
wanted to run away, run away, whatever.
I barely resisted this instinct and instead snuggled further into the back of
the seat, looking at the floor.
Vincent listened to Tony and I's exchange, stroking his beard. He looked
at me the whole time. I knew it even though I wasn't looking at him. I just felt
his eyes on me, very clearly.
– What should I do now, Hailie? – he finally asked quietly, not expecting
an answer.
Better yet, murder me, I thought bitterly, already irritated by his attitude.
Tormented, I turned my head, this time to the side, and slowly I began to
really not care. And to think that my brothers made such a big deal about me
finding a friend. It was amazing how freely they allowed themselves to
overreact so much. My mother would never behave like that.
“I don't know how to put it any more clearly,” Vincent confessed,

sighing. – I forbid you from seeing this kid. How is he…
"Jason," Tony muttered.
– Jason. - Vincent clicked softly, as if he was tasting his name in his mouth,
and grimaced slightly, which I saw because I looked up at him with teary eyes.
– Don't look at me like that and act surprised. First of all, this is the wrong
company for you. Secondly, you're fifteen, which is way too young to be dating.
Is this clear to you?
– Who said fifteen is too young?
- I say so. And you don't have to agree with it, but you have to accept it.
I pressed my lips into a straight line, refusing the acceptance he demanded.

I held Vincent's gaze without thinking much about the consequences. I just
wanted to show that I also have the right to express my opinion. This was not a
good way. Arousing dissatisfaction in my legal guardian could not be it.
– Dear child, you can rebel as much as you want, but in the end you will
it will be my way. You better learn it now.
Now I was looking somewhere to the side, my cheeks were wet with tears. I
pursed my lips tightly, a bit like a stubborn baby who refuses to eat.
I was secretly terrified. I didn't want to test Vincent, but the feeling of injustice
that overwhelmed me became stronger.
- Is that clear? – he repeated his earlier question.
– What if I say no? – I asked a bit harshly, finally gathering the strength to
return his gaze, tired of his domineering tone and his constant putting me
against the wall.
And Vince smiled for the first time today. He smiled. And not with any wry
smile, but with an amused smile. He placed both elbows on his thighs and
rested his chin on his clasped hands, leaning slightly towards me. He smiled
and looked at me with narrowed eyes.
– Are you challenging me, Hailie?

– What will you do, beat me? Will you lock yourself in a room forever? - I
asked. I wanted to sound sarcastic, but my trembling voice gave me away.
“If necessary,” the second brother interjected. I wasn't looking at him at the time
but I could clearly hear his mockery.
“Quiet, Tony,” Vincent admonished him, not taking his eyes off me. – No one
will beat you, because no one has the right to even touch you, dear Hailie, and
that is the privilege you can enjoy as my little sister.
However... I don't care much about others. For example, your friend.
I froze.
"Tony, do you remember what you told him when you warned him not to go
near our sister?"
– Something like I'll break it, I don't know exactly.
Vince continued to look at me.
– Do you understand what I'm saying?
I understood all too well. Tears came to my wide, frightened eyes again. My
courage left me as quickly as it came. It's always happened this way. She would
come, encourage me to show up, and then she would leave and I would be left
alone with the whole mess.
– You won't hurt him, will you?
-Hmm? – Vince cocked his ear.
“Please don't hurt him,” I repeated, louder.

– You will not be seeing this boy again or at all
with anyone, certainly not at the age of fifteen. Is that clear?
“Yeah, sure,” I replied weakly.
“It's good that we finally understood each other,” my brother concluded, finally
leaning back on the couch. For the first time since our conversation began, he sat
down comfortably.
– Wait, but what about this guy? As if it wasn't just about Hailie, but the fact that
he didn't listen to us. He should be taught a lesson, Tony said, and even pushed
himself up into a sitting position.
– Well then, let him have it.
Alarmed, I raised my head abruptly.
- What?! But wait, you said that…
“He deserves a reprimand,” Vincent said, and when Tony cracked his knuckles loudly
enough to make me flinch, he added emphatically, “Not much.”
– But I don't want to be dishonest.

– Mhm, you better learn to brake, you hear? - Vince growled, glaring at his
younger brother. – It's high time you started controlling these senseless
outbursts of aggression. We're all fed up with them.
– But I'm in control.

– This boy needs to learn his place, but he's a kid and I expect it won't take
much to scare him. Actually, he won't be your concern at all, Tony, because I'm
going to talk to Dylan about it. I can already thank you for your help and for
shedding light on the character...
“Jason,” Tony suggested with a smirk.

Vince nodded.
- Exactly.
I felt like I was in a different reality. Did I really hear correctly? Did Vince say
what I think he said? The image before my eyes turned into a blur. I suppressed
sobs so as not to make an even greater sacrifice of myself, but I really wanted to
cry loudly. I no longer knew what to say, what to do, how to stop my brothers.
The helplessness was killing me. And I couldn't stand to listen to them carelessly
talk about hurting Jason any longer.
I wanted to call them psychopaths, but all I could do was slur.

“I think it's time to end this conversation,” Vincent said. “I'll take her to bed
and you go find Eugenie.” Let him brew herbs and help her calm down.
Then I felt a grip on my shoulder. I instinctively wanted to shrug off my

heartless guardian's touch, but his fingers held my hand tightly and didn't let go,
even when I struggled. Before I gave up, I gathered the strength to verbally
protest.
- Wait! Wait, no!
I didn't want to leave yet. I wanted to stay and convince Vincent to let Jason
go. Our conversation went so tragically wrong! But no one listened to me anymore
or tried to understand my tearful gibberish. Vincent easily navigated me to the hall
and then to the stairs. I would have fallen on them if it weren't for him, because I
still saw little more than blurry shapes. Without his help, I wouldn't have been able
to get to my bedroom on my own. Not that I feel particularly grateful. When I
finally fell onto the bed, I felt a little happy that I could hug the sheets and no
longer have to rely on my brother for support.
I don't even know when he disappeared and Eugenie appeared in his place.
She stroked my head, brought me some water and some tea, and then offered
me food. I didn't even have the energy to respond to her.
I just shook my head, staring blankly into space and sniffling every now and then.
As my cries turned into soft sobs, it left a throbbing sensation in my skull.
Eugenie's only offer that I finally agreed to accept was a painkiller.
I remember Will came to visit me at one point. His blue eyes looked at me with
worry. How was it possible that they were so similar to Vincent's eyes and yet so
different? The saying that the eyes are a reflection of the soul has never made so
much sense.
Will sat down on the edge of the mattress. He smiled gently at me and even brushed a
stray strand of hair from my face and tucked it behind my ear.
- How do you feel?

I closed my eyes, enjoying his gentle, quiet voice.
For me, producing any articulate sound was quite a challenge. But I wanted to
share my hurt with someone, and Will seemed like the right person to do so, so I
struggled to get at least one word out.
- Badly.
– Well, what happens after a hysterical attack, hmm?
I glanced at him, one cheek still pressed against the pillow.

“Take care of yourself, little one, or you'll get sick,” he said and kissed my
temple. He surprised me not only with his gesture, but also with his affectionate
nickname. Even though it sounded childish, it unexpectedly gave me a lot of
pleasure. However, I didn't let it show.
–Will? – I asked after a moment of silence.

– So?
– What… will happen to Jason? – If I hadn't cried all my tears, I would
I think they would bring tears to my eyes again.
He sighed and massaged my arm with soothing, circular movements.

- Do not worry about it.
– Nothing bad will happen to him? Please don't let them...
I didn't have the right words, so I lifted my cheek from the pillow to
make sure Will understands how important this is to me.
– No, Hailie. He'll be fine, he said quickly. He gently guided my head to lie
back down. I let him do it, but I felt no relief at all.
– I don't want him to get hurt.

“He'll be fine,” he repeated. – Hailie, come on. Come on, what are you doing?
Jason's a kid, Vincent has that in mind. Do not worry.
Of course I still worried, but I had to admit that Will's presence was very
reassuring. He was so good to me that I longed for his company, even if he was
mostly silent.
– Hailie, I know you think differently now, but Vincent isn't that bad.
He cares about you, even if he doesn't know how to deal with you yet.
Try not to hate him.
At this point, his request seemed too difficult to fulfill.
I thought about all the times Vince had shown up to lecture me. All the
conversations he had that threatened to cause me to have a heart attack didn't
make him the guardian of the year.
So I ignored Will's comment and another question came to mind.
– How did Vincent find out about cinema in the first place?
– Don't worry about that either.

I gritted my teeth. His replies were useless and I really wished I could argue
with him. I took a deep breath and, staring at the wall dimly lit by the night lamp,
I suddenly said, lost in thought: - I want to see my mother.
I don't know where the thought came into my head or why I decided to say it
out loud, especially in front of Will. Maybe my brain remembered that every time
I felt as bad as now, my mother was there for me, she was able to comfort me
and take care of me like no one else?
Another wave of pain washed over me as I realized it was no longer possible for
my mother to even hold my hand. I will never experience such comfort again.
And then I thought that if she had been alive, my so-called hysterical attack
would not have even happened. She would never threaten to hurt Jason or
anyone. She was a good person.
Will's hand, which he still touched me with from time to time, stiffened.
“I know, little one, I know,” he whispered and placed a gentle kiss on my
temple again.
He has no idea when I finally managed to fall asleep. But Will stayed by my
side until I drifted off.
14
The sweetness of chocolate
On Monday, early in the morning, I received the information that Jason

fell from stairs. He got hurt a bit and was allowed to go home for the rest of
the day, but nothing serious happened to him.
I listened to the news with a straight face, then went to the bathroom
and locked myself in one of the stalls. I sat on the toilet and dug my nails
into my head, screaming silently with frustration and helplessness.
For the entire first half of the day, I was depressed, worried, and literally
embarrassed by what I had brought upon the first boy in my life that I had
ever liked so much. I didn't want to see my brothers, for whom I felt nothing
except hatred at that moment.
Of course, I didn't think they themselves cared. During lunch break, right at
the entrance to the cafeteria, Shane casually recruited me to the famous
Monet table.
“You're sitting with us today,” he announced, pulling out a chair for me. –
Vince's orders.
I didn't speak or look at anyone. I took the designated seat, creating
dozens of scenarios in my head as to how Vincent could stuff himself. I
shook my head at the confused Audreys too
and Mona, trying to tell them that I was annoyed at not being able to sit with them.
The truth was, I didn't care at the moment because the last time I'd talked to them
we'd been giggling about Jason, and now things had taken such a sudden turn that
I didn't feel like explaining it all to them.
I was sandwiched between Shane and Tony, staring at my tray of food I already
had no appetite for. However, I preferred this to looking at the other members of my
brothers' adoration circle who were occupying this table and giving me nosy glances.
I didn't focus on these people at all. I didn't even listen to what they were talking
about until then.
- What is?
It was an unnaturally loud question that echoed behind me. I turned around indifferently,
but I froze in surprise when it turned out that a girl was standing right behind me. Her long
black hair was braided into a million braids. It was because of this hairstyle that I recognized
her as Shane's companion. I don't know what else I could call her. Because she definitely
wasn't his partner, judging by the bored look he just gave her.
-Er? This is my place? “She spread her hands reproachfully, and her bubblegum-
pink lips twisted into an ugly grimace.
“Sorry, Marge, not today,” Shane said over his shoulder and back
he turned to his food.
- What? – She glared at me with hostility. – You. Excursion.
“Get her clean or I will,” Dylan growled quietly at Shane, who sighed in annoyance
at being constantly distracted from the fries.
– Marge, I said not today. There is no space. Go away.
– Yes, there is a place. This bitch is sitting on it.
I raised my eyebrows.
Shane put down his fork, straightened up, and looked at Marge.
no longer bored, but cold and disgusted.
– That's my sister, you stupid cunt.
“Fuck off,” Tony added.
I was surprised to hear contempt in his voice, and he clenched his tattooed
hand on the table into a fist so tightly that he would probably recognize it as
Marge's face if only she weren't a woman.
The girl's bright pink lips quivered, her confidence disappearing.
My brothers' words hurt her and I would have felt more sorry for her if it hadn't
been for the fact that she had insulted me earlier. She really should have been
sitting here, not me. This company was worth it.
Marge, red with shame and aware of her failure, turned around,
and her pigtails bounced as she quickly walked out of the cafeteria.
– Who are you hanging out with? – Dylan snorted at Shane with disgust
he shook his head before turning his attention back to his lunch.
– She still has some problem. Shane shrugged. - But yes
Besides, we get along sometimes. She is harmless.
– So he doesn't bite, he just barks loudly? – one of my friends chuckled and I
grimaced.
“We know when it's loudest,” the second one joked.
– What a female dog.
“Okay, shut up,” Dylan finally ordered, throwing an irritated look at his
colleagues who had this dubious sense of humor. Neither of my brothers actually
laughed at these idiotic jokes, although Tony had that typical mischievous smile
on his lips.
“I feel sorry for you, Hailie, that you have to listen to this,” said the boy sitting
close to Dylan, who gained some of my sympathy by rolling his eyes at the stupid
lyrics. What I didn't like, however, was the fact that with his words he drew the
attention of everyone at the table to me, which I had been trying to avoid at all
costs until now.
Dylan snorted again.

– If she hadn't made a mess, she wouldn't have had to.
“Oh, give her a break,” said the same nice friend of my brothers. He even
winked at me when he caught the look I gave him.
intrigued that someone here would dare to stand up for me. – What, you don't
remember what it was like a few years ago? First love and all that…
“First fuck, I guess,” Shane muttered, and there were snorts.
– Well, we remember what it was like, that's why the kid got hit and the young one
he's sitting with us," Dylan replied.
– He hit me too. Nothing happened to him, right?
“Because of this one here, because she caused a lot of drama,” Shane explained,
nudging me lightly with his shoulder. In his opinion, it was probably supposed to be a
mischievous nudge, but I immediately moved aside and looked at him with a hostile look.
“But to be fair to your brothers, Hailie, I must admit that this Jason is turning into
quite the bastard,” one of the Coin Sect members told me.
“Plus she's a cunt like no other,” Tony added, and Dylan nodded.
- Exactly. He managed to pee himself as soon as he saw me walking towards him.

I lowered my hand to the counter so suddenly that all the trays on it shook. There
wasn't a single pair of eyes at that table that didn't look at me then.
– Oh, wow, you beat up a boy younger than yourself, how impressive – I hissed,
speaking here on the forum for the first time. I felt that the insults thrown at Jason
were extremely unfair, and apparently I was the only person here who felt that way.
“I didn't beat anyone up,” Dylan replied coldly. – If that were the case, he wouldn't have
made it to the nurse on his own. I just admonished him, little sister.
We had a short staring contest - mine was full of hatred, and his was impassive
and warning. What was it warning me about? I don't know and I didn't even care. I
stopped this silent fight, boiling with anger. Abandoning my almost untouched lunch, I
got out from between the twins before they could react. Seething with rage, I moved to
leave the cafeteria, even faster than Marge had been.
– Hey, where are you? Shane called after me.

I ignored him and ran into the first and luckily empty bathroom, where I
hung over the sink and washed my face with cool water, wishing I was at home
where I could take a relaxing shower.
I can't stand them. I can't handle it mentally, I swear. I took a few deep
breaths and froze when I saw my reflection in the mirror. My now moist cheeks
were turning pink with anger, and my pupils seemed to have enlarged slightly,
pumped with emotions suppressed in my spirit.
I wanted to howl with helplessness, but there was also a rage bubbling inside
me that seemed to help block my tears. She was the one I relied on completely
when I finally got around to leaving the bathroom.
I decided not to go back to the cafeteria, but to go to the biology classroom,
where I had my next lesson, and read a book there until the break was over.
Strangely enough, heavy, decisive steps expressing my current, agitated
attitude carried me to the main part of the school and then to the exit.
I didn't plan to escape or know where I was going. I looked confident, and
that's probably why no one from the school staff stopped me or checked me. I
managed to leave the academy grounds without any problem, but given the
strange trance I was now in, it neither surprised nor pleased me.
I walked for a while along the high wall surrounding the school, which ended
after a while, and entered the forest. I started along the road that led among
thick trees. I stuck to the side of the road because there wasn't even a sidewalk.
Apparently no one had ever walked this way. There weren't many cars passing
me either. The traffic probably increased during rush hour, but now cars passed
sporadically, and I was sure that every driver turned around behind me,
confused, seeing a stray passerby.
Especially one in a school uniform and no jacket. Driven by my brilliant impulse,
I didn't think that it would be worth at least taking care of my comfort and going
to the cupboard to buy some outerwear.
And it was cold, much too cold for such walks. So what if the sun was
shining, there was no wind and no snow, when there was plenty of it lying
around and it was cold?
I was lucky because I was warmed by the blood boiling with fury in my veins. I'm not
kidding, I was walking ahead, not losing my rebellious spirit, even though I should have
been panicking, because not only had I run away from school, but I was also walking
on an apparently unsafe path, and I was dressed inappropriately for the weather. Well, I
was breaking Vincent's sacred rules again.
Just thinking about him made me clench my fingers into fists almost unconsciously, and
then I started cold calculations. I'm fifteen, so I'll be dependent on him for at least the next
three years. Three years without compromise and the opportunity to express your own
opinion. He didn't accept the word "no" and didn't engage in negotiations. Even with his own
sister. How am I supposed to endure this? Not to mention the rest of my siblings weren't
any better either. I found myself under the roof of five bossy bastards. Okay, except maybe
Will and Shane, they weren't that much of a jerk. Bossy, yes, but not a jerk.
I sighed, shaking my head. I wrapped my arms around myself, stretching

uniform jacket so that it would keep me warm as effectively as possible.
And what can I possibly do? I can't change them, because the more violently I
oppose them, the more unpleasant they become, and I'm too cowardly to escape once
and for all. Yeah, escape. I was always surprised when I heard about rebellious
teenagers who ran away from home. Not because I questioned their reasons, but
because I myself couldn't imagine where, if I were in their shoes, I could potentially
escape to or how I could even survive. Especially now, in my current life situation. I had
no family, and if I wanted to stay with someone I knew, (since I had only a handful of
friends) it would be too obvious where to look for me.
Apart from the meager change I used to pay for my already half-eaten lunch, I had no
funds to survive. I would end up on the street.
Just like now. However, I was still walking aimlessly in the silence of the winter and
forest scenery. The snow was melting badly and no longer covering the wet asphalt, but
its remnants were still collecting into tiny mounds on the side of the road. Once I tripped
and stuck my foot in one of them, which resulted in wetting my sock. This feeling was
terribly unpleasant and it was probably the first moment when I started to doubt the
point of my little trip. After some time, I also discovered that the trees were bald and
gloomy
and the omnipresent emptiness are starting to scare me. Then the question
first occurred to me: how long could I go on like this?
Less than two hours. That was the answer. That's how long it took me to
cover the distance from the school to the nearest town after taking the road
from the south side of campus. I wasn't in a hurry, it's true, but I was still
surprised because despite the inconveniences I felt over time, I had the
impression that much less time had passed.
When I saw the first buildings, I was very relieved. Leaving school, I
subconsciously started walking in the opposite direction to the one from
which I always came with my brothers. Therefore, I did not know these areas
and I must admit that I slowly began to fear that it was one of those endless
roads that, at best, would lead me to a neighboring state, for example straight
to Ohio. When I reached the small center, I was first overcome with relief,
because it felt good to be back among civilization. Before I could get seriously
worried about the fact that this town didn't really change much in my situation,
because I had nowhere to go anyway, and it was rather small and probably
in hibernation, my eyes lit up at the sight of a café. I was really cold and very
tired, so entering a warm and cozy place was the best thing that could have
happened to me at that moment.
I ignored the suspicious look the barista gave me from behind the counter.
She was probably wondering what a teenager in a school uniform and no
jacket was doing here at this hour. I tried not to act strange, so as not to help
her build a theory in her mind that was probably unfavorable to me.
I took a seat at a table in a discreet corner of the cafe with a large cup of
hot chocolate in my hands. I spent all the money I had in my pocket on it. I
thought I had a few more because I was still having a hard time getting used
to the fact that in America there were bills with a value as small as one dollar.
Because of this, I still couldn't shake the false impression that I had more
money than I actually had. Meanwhile, I was even a few cents short of the
whipped cream with sprinkles, but I wasn't going to despair. After all, what I
cared about most was staying warm.
That's when I took out my phone. First of all, I wanted to check the
time, but after unlocking the screen, in addition to the clock, I saw a
number of notifications.
Eighteen missed calls from Dylan.
Six missed calls from Will.
One from Vincent.
I stared at that last one the longest. It was like the cherry on the bitter
cake of my failure. I don't think Vincent has ever called me before. To
make it more fun, I had my phone on vibrate, so I would have heard or at
least felt in my pocket that someone was calling me so many times. I
guessed that then I must have had no reception during my walk.
I bit my lip, wondering if I should call back.

And what will you tell them?
I'll tell you where I am. I have to get back from here somehow, right?
I imagined their irritation. Dylan attacking me for not answering the
phone, Tony with his malicious smile, and finally - my favorite - a
conversation with Vincent. Despite my concerns, I could barely resist the
urge to roll my eyes.
Ultimately, I decided to ignore all these missed calls until I finished my
chocolate. Only then did I plan to pick up the phone again and call one of
the guys. I probably should have dialed Vincent's number, but I wasn't
sure if I was brave enough. Will was a good option, although later I thought
it might be unpleasant to hear his voice disappointed with my behavior.
I drank the chocolate very slowly, trying to postpone the conversation that was
waiting for me. I was afraid of touching the phone and that if I did something on it,
one of my brothers would suddenly call me again and I would accidentally answer it.
So I put the device aside and stared at the glass window of the cafe,
observing the empty street outside.
I thought a bit about Jason, about my violent siblings, and about what
things would be like if my mother were alive. She
she would invite Jason home for dinner and ask about his favorite subjects at
school. She would let us go to the movies, just asking me to be back before dark.
Afterwards, she would sit with me in the living room with tea and talk about details,
most of which I would keep from her, and she would know it, but she would smile
anyway, remembering the times when she was my age.
Or at least I wanted to think that would be the case.

Daydreaming with this vision, it took me a moment to realize that a police car
had stopped on the street in front of the café. The car stopped with two wheels on
the sidewalk, almost blocking the entrance, and when two policemen emerged
from inside, my heart skipped a beat.
If they…?
No, that wasn't even an option. It's impossible that these two men came here
because of me. That would be overkill.
The officers entered the cafe, standing proudly in their uniforms. One of them,
shorter and stocky, immediately lit up when he saw the sweets on display. The
other one seemed tense and slightly irritated. He was much younger than his
partner and very tall, like Dylan, although much less packed. He stood with his
arms crossed as an older policeman with a casual manner approached the counter
and greeted the barista like a good friend. I watched his actions, holding the cup
tightly in my hands so as not to show them shaking.
The policeman was considering aloud which donuts to choose, praising each type loudly,
and his co-worker, bored with the long order, began scanning the room. Apart from me, there
were only two older women sitting there, engaged in a confidential conversation, so I managed
to remain unnoticed, but I tried to pretend that I wasn't a teenager in a school uniform playing
hooky and afraid of her own shadow. I put on a neutral expression, half glancing out the window
and half glancing at the phone screen as if I was waiting for some important message. I must
have played it well, because the younger policeman's gaze passed over me without much
interest.
At first I was relieved that it was just a coincidence and the police did
not come here as part of a search operation. And once I managed to
calm my nerves, I swallowed as a new idea sprouted in my head.
What if...
What if I tried to break free from my siblings?
I had previously thought about talking to someone about my situation,
but finding the right person seemed very difficult, considering I wanted
to inform on the Monet brothers, who were quite popular here. Teachers
came to my mind first. Mrs. Roberts gained so much trust and sympathy
with her angelic nature that I would have been able to stay in her room
after class and tell her about my dark situation, but then I realized that
she would have to take it somewhere higher. To the director, probably -
the same one who collected fat checks from Vincent from time to time.
Informing the police about my case seemed like too drastic a move,
but I couldn't help but, looking at the two officers now, I began to consider
it.
I shuddered to think what would happen if I approached them now
and confessed that I lived with people I was afraid of. Would I get them
into trouble or myself? And equally important, if not more important, was
the question - did I really want it? Vincent wasn't the ideal guardian, and
my other brothers were very different from the ideal family picture, but I
couldn't deny that they were there for me, and Vince himself made sure
that I didn't lack anything. Whenever I needed something, I got it just like
that.
So did I really want to report him to the police?
I sat there with my now cooled chocolate and looked at it
officers as if hypnotized.
They were now waiting for their coffee and the older one was saying something cheerful
to his grumpy partner. He waved a paper bag of donuts in his face, urging him to buy some
for himself. I watched him, imagining myself approaching him. I introduce myself, clear my
throat, and then ask for help. All you had to do was get up from the table and take just a
few steps.
Suddenly his eyebrows rose, and the corners of his mouth followed them,
curving into a wide smile. At the same moment, the younger policeman stiffened
even more.
– Oh ho, good morning, good morning! – a senior officer called out friendly
when he saw the man who had just appeared at the front door.
One look and my heart stopped beating. To the cafe in this small one
Vincent himself entered the town.
In his coat and slicked hair, he looked as dignified as ever, and the aura
radiating from him was so commanding, as if he was the owner of this place
and had come to arrange everyone here in the corners. He looked around the
room until his icy eyes landed on me, but only for a moment. Then he turned to
the officer and nodded at him, still looking stern.
– Good morning, Sheriff.

He stopped next to him and they shook hands. It flashed on Vincent's finger
the signet ring, which the younger policeman, the tense one, was staring at.
– What the hell are you doing here, hmm? - he asked aggressively, but in a friendly way
sheriff, rustling a paper bag.
"I'm dating my sister," Vince replied simply with a quick wave of his hand
pointing at me.
I swallowed under the sheriff's scrutinizing gaze.
– Shouldn't she be at school?
- She should.
Then the barista called out, "Cyrus!" and a policeman rushed to the counter
to take the order. His partner was still standing next to him, tense as a string.
Now he was looking at me with much more intensity, while clearly avoiding my
brother's gaze.
– Well, we have to run. Hang in there, Vincent, he said
Cyrus blinked, then glanced at me and waved at me with the hand he held the
donuts in. – Bows to my sister.
Then, staring hungrily at his coffee, he headed outside, and his partner
followed, clearly happy to finally be out of here.
Then I lowered my head and stared at my half-empty cup of chocolate. I heard

Vincent's soft and very quiet footsteps. As he approaches my table, he pulls out
his chair and sits across from me.
He unbuttons his coat and pulls up his cuffs. He wasn't in a hurry.
“Remember when I told you at the beginning that I expected you to be there.”
stayed out of trouble?
I nodded. I remembered our first conversation very well.
– What does that mean then? – he asked, spreading his hands.
I was almost automatically ready to mutter an apology, but I held back. Don't
be intimidated, Hailie. Nothing here is your fault. They were the ones who hurt
Jason.
It may sound disturbing, but I must admit that the fact that we were in a public
place gave me courage.
“I needed some time alone,” I replied quietly.
Vince leaned slightly towards me.
– So we had to find a secluded place in our house –
he growled icily.
I took a sip of chocolate. Her sweetness comforted me.
– Jason fell down the stairs…
“I don't want to hear that boy's name again,” he interrupted me, raising his hand.
I drank from the cup again.

– How did you know I was here?
Vince straightened up and watched me in silence for a moment.
Then he slowly raised his hand and reached for my phone, which was still on the
table. At first I thought he was going to take it away from me, but he just tapped
the screen with his index finger.
It took me a moment to understand what that meant. My eyes opened wide.
- You follow me?!

I was outraged, but I could never turn to Vincent
sounded too threatening, no matter how hard I tried.
His expression remained completely impassive.
- Of course.
- You have no rights!
- Of course I have.
I was lost for words. The new discovery did not help change my already
negative attitude towards my eldest brother.
“In the future, please remember that when I call you, I expect you to answer
right away,” he admonished me.
– I can't believe you're following me.
He tilted his head, waiting for me to digest this information.
– How did you know I met with Jason on Saturday? – I asked slowly.
Anger was probably the only fuel that fueled my courage in discussions
with Vincent. For a moment I even felt like I was the one dealing the cards
here and had the right to pull his tongue. It was a false feeling, not true at all.
Vincent himself decided when and what he wanted to say.
He looked at me for a moment, as if wondering what I was worth

until he finally replied: - From your
bodyguard.
15
Game for the highest stakes
I was just lifting the cup to my lips when the meaning of his words dawned on me.
I dropped it and there was a loud clang. Miraculously, it didn't break, although
some chocolate remnants spilled onto the table. I had attracted the attention of
every single person in the café, but I couldn't care less about it as I was currently
staring at my brother.
With his typical elegance, Vince reached for napkins from the dispenser in the
middle of the counter and placed them in front of me, encouraging me to clean up
my mess.
I wanted to ask him some pointless question like, "What are you talking about?"
or "What security guard?", but instead I silently uttered another one, one that my
subconscious told me.
– Why do I need a bodyguard?
Vincent watched me carefully. I could see from him that he was thinking about
how much of his secret he could reveal to me.
I held his gaze and tried to show with my attitude that I was ready to hear the truth,
or at least part of it. Besides, I tried
discreetly force it on him by pursing her lips. I knew I deserved it.
My brother stroked his chin with his hand, and the signet ring gleamed
menacingly on one of his fingers again. Even before he spoke again, it occurred
to me that maybe I didn't want to know what he was about to tell me.
– What do you know about what I do?
He spoke in a clear and distinct voice, but also quiet enough for just me
she could hear him. I thought about my answer for a moment.
“Will said you had a family business,” I finally said halfheartedly.
There was a ghost of a smile on Vincent's lips.

Will called it very nicely.
– So it's not true?

– But it's true.
I fell silent. Vince seemed serious, but I couldn't shake it
the impression that he is actually a little amused. This was something new.
– What else did Will tell you?
Then I hesitated, frowning and trying to exert my gray matter.
– That... after... your father died, you took his place in the company, and the
boys kind of... help you?
This was the absolute maximum of my knowledge of their business. So
practically nothing. After all, it was not easy for me to ask my brothers about
anything, and it was really difficult to have any serious conversations with them.
Even Will cut off my questions.
– He's your father too, Hailie.
I nodded, avoiding his gaze. I didn't think there was a need for me to officially recognize this
man as my father. I didn't want to do it, but I didn't want to have to explain it to Vincent either.
“Okay,” my brother sighed and leaned back in his chair. He placed his hands
on the armrests and sat at a table in an ordinary cafe, looking out
like a king in the throne room. How he did it, I had no idea. – Our family history is long
and interesting, my dear Hailie. Our grandfather and great-grandfather worked hard to
put us in the position we are in today.
All these articles from the Internet appeared before my eyes again.
The Coin Empire, that's what they called the business there, or maybe the businesses
Vince was talking about now...
– Not all the activities they engaged in were legal.
Do you understand what I mean? – he asked slowly.
- For example? – I answered the question with a question and swallowed my saliva
because my throat felt dry.
Vincent shook his head.
– I'm telling you about this to give you some background on our family's past.
However, I am not going to go into details.
– But…
- NO.
Impatiently, I gritted my teeth so as not to mutter something he would definitely not

like. I had to be careful not to spoil his mood. Besides, even though he had temporarily
become so talkative, I believed I was still on thin ice. It was easy to forget about it, but
in the end we were sitting together at a table in a cafe in some place I didn't know just
because I decided to run away from school. There were definitely some consequences
waiting for me.
– As our family rose, our competition grew along with our successes. She was
becoming more and more serious and ruthless, my brother continued. – This is the
price you pay for success.
– What kind of competition is this? Do they still exist?
– Hailie, stop, please, this isn't an interview. I'll tell you as much as I think it is
appropriate.
He was looking around discreetly, and then he looked at me with disapproval when
I sighed loudly and demonstratively. Then he suddenly straightened up and ordered:
– We're leaving.
I was confused by this sudden turn in the conversation. I didn't want him to
interrupt. I wanted him to continue because for the first time I felt like he was
letting me in on something. Even if it was a false impression, since - as he himself
emphasized - he only shared selective information with me, it was still an
undeniable progress in our relationship.
Vince wasted no time. Without a moment's hesitation, he stood up and began
to button his elegant coat. Only then did I realize that I was missing the chance to
discover at least part of my brothers' secret. This was something I had been
struggling with for months.
- NO! – I called quickly. – No, wait, just a moment. I'll be quiet, I'll just listen, I
promise. Tell me something else, please.
“Get up,” he just ordered, looking at me expectantly.
I stood up, but only to get closer to him and grab his hand, stopping him from
buttoning the last button. I was surprised that I had the courage to act so
confidentially towards Vincent, but it only proved how desperate I was to find out
more.
“Please,” I squeaked, tilting my head and looking pleadingly into his eyes,
which seemed indifferent. He swept them around the cafe again and shook his
head.
“We're leaving,” he finally repeated, and when I was taken aback, I opened my mouth
try to protest further, he added: - We'll finish in the car.
First I loosened my grip in relief, and then I let my hands slip from his wrist. So
all is not lost yet. I was so happy that I didn't miss my chance. Vince took
advantage of my distraction and quickly cleared my phone from the table. Without
a word, he slipped it into his pocket. I didn't comment on it.
I followed him to the exit, and once outside, we immediately headed towards
his car. The snow was slowly starting to fall again and Vince cast another
disapproving glance at my too-thin covering. He quickly opened the passenger
door for me, and just as quickly I slid into the seat, shivering from the gusts of icy
cold air.
wind. While I was sitting in the cafe, either my emotions cooled or the air temperature
cooled - or maybe both. I certainly felt colder now than during my walk through the
forest. I pulled my jacket even tighter around me as I watched through the windshield
as Vince came around the car and got into the driver's seat next to me. There were
a few elderly men, probably local residents, standing in a small parking lot.
They crowded around with cigarettes in their clumsy hands and talked, shouting
noisily over each other. Without exception, everyone fell silent when they saw
Vincent and stared at him until he started the engine and drove away.
This is a fairly recent discovery of mine - appearing in public places with my oldest
brother attracted the attention of everyone around me. Those who knew or recognized
Vincent wanted to make sure it was really him, and those who didn't know who he
was were interested in him anyway, because after all, Vincent looked like a polished
and pampered million dollars.
I was impatient. I wanted him to continue, but I didn't rush him, so as not to waste
my chances of learning even a fraction of the truth by making a false move. Just as I
was starting to believe that he had lied to me, that he wouldn't really tell me anything
more, and that we were just going straight home, Vincent pulled over to the side of
the road where it was wide enough for him to stop safely. Like everywhere else in
this area, this rather empty road led through densely planted trees with leafless
crowns. With such a bleak landscape before my eyes, I thought that I would much
rather be in a café or any other public place right now, and I shuddered.
“There are people who don't like what I do,” Vince announced suddenly, as if he
had planned to first let the perfect silence that had fallen after turning off the engine
settle around us, and then, with a surprising effect, disturb it with his cool voice. He
sat there looking straight ahead with one hand on the steering wheel and the other
on the armrest.
I looked at her and stared at his signet ring. It was the color of steel, with a large
engraved M and some smaller carvings around it.
To take a closer look at them, I would have to lean very close. For some reason, the
ring made me feel strangely uneasy.
– You mean the police? – I asked naively, raising my eyes to look at his face.
He smiled as if with pity, but continued to look out the windshield at the forest.
– Oh no, Hailie, I have an excellent relationship with the police. It's worth
remembering this.
I was stunned and a wave of shame mixed with fear washed over me, because
I remembered that just a moment ago I was really considering reporting him to the
officers. What a mistake!
Vincent and the sheriff seemed to be on very good terms.
I don't know if my brother could read minds and thus guess what was going through
my head earlier, or if he was just warning me for the future. All I know is that I really
intended to remember this warning.
– We have many friends, very powerful friends, but not only that. I don't like the
word "enemies" because it has childish connotations, and these are serious issues
that I want to sensitize you to, however, no matter what, it simply characterizes the
relationship that connects us with certain people. They are different people with
different motivations and boundaries set in different places. You can never assume
what to expect from them. That's why whenever you're alone outside of school, I
have a man to keep you safe. We wouldn't want anyone to kidnap you.
– Wait, are you listening? Someone wants to kidnap me? – I stammered weakly.
– Oh, many people.
– But why, I didn't do anything, after all...
– Your name, Hailie. It's enough.
Vince looked at me with neither concern nor sympathy, even though he certainly
saw how terrified his words had made me. I was far from controlling it myself and I
didn't even notice when panic started to overwhelm common sense.
– You have to report this to the police!
Vince shook his head.

– The game for the highest stakes always takes place beyond the reach of the police.
I bit my lips passionately, wondering about some simple solution, naively

believing that there was one at all that Vince

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Machine Translated by Google

I would have rolled my eyes, but I restrained myself because I was

My amusement seemed to make Jason bolder, because the corners of his

Yes, it's me.

someone's attention, and even when it happened, I couldn't keep it. I

“Uh, well…” I hesitated and bit my lip. - I don't know. Possible.

I was almost hanging on the railing now, gripping it so desperately as

Tony didn't say a word to me to explain the situation

the atmosphere is as advertised, but I don't know if I would survive moving

– Have you tried to do some research? Google them or something?

“Vincent Monet,” I whispered with a mixture of excitement and fear. I felt

“Empire,” I muttered to myself. This word caught my attention as it was

– Oh. It's nothing serious, right?

– So this isn't the first time, right?

God, please let him just yell at me.

“Nothing,” I replied in a hoarse voice. I cleared my throat. – I don't want anything

– I want to hear it from you.

– It's actually fine! – I protested.

and it made me bang my fist on the table so hard that it shook.

– Give it up, Shane, damn it! It was easy

“Let's get something straight, Hailie,” he began ominously, and with

“I don't feel like talking,” I muttered.

It's darkest under the lamp

“What, you won't even look me in the eye now?”

just in case, no one blocked his escape route.

I grabbed the white, angular sink until my knees went weak.

“Hmm…” he hesitated. - Hard to say…

Jason rubbed my arm again in a comforting gesture.

– For what, for example? – I sighed.

– Because I know… Documentation, newspaper clippings, I don't know, old, dusty

I straightened up and pushed my hair back. I took a deep breath and,

I stood there for a moment and didn't know what to do next.

me in the corridor. End. Closing my eyes, I put my hand to my mouth. I

I trembled with relief, but also grimaced with embarrassment. I wished

Idiotka, idiotka, idiotka.

And I'm ungrateful.

Big and loud Dylan

“They're not even hiding,” he snorted. – If you really wanted to know

He started to irritate me a bit, because his incitement so far wasn't

Too confused to be intrigued or curious, I just focused on the screen,

Well, of course he had cameras there. And apparently a security

- I'm all ears.

– So why didn't you reach me?

“I… I… I don't know,” I stammered, scratching the skin on my thumb until it

– Well, maybe there's something I should tell you.

I swallowed and looked down, frightened by the seriousness and fury

– And you didn't touch her?

“Yes, understood,” I murmured, barely audible, rubbing my cheeks.

– Mhm, so you lied?

-Vince? – I exclaimed before I could stop myself.

The end of November meant several things.

Thanksgiving was also approaching, which I found out by accident

When I saw the advertisements on my phone, I wanted to cry, when I saw

“Come on,” he laughed, and his hand touched my cheek as if he wanted to

– I don't want any stupid gifts.

– I don't have any friends.

– And Mona i ta druga? Aubrey?

“Maybe…” I replied evasively.

– Jason? Jason, series?

– Oh man, your brothers would tear him apart if they knew!

– But seriously, Jason?

– How do you manage to see each other without them knowing?

– Why not him? And... we hide well, I replied,