Ana giggled as she sat cross-legged on the bed, a warm light in her eyes as she tore open the small box in Adonis's hands. The room filled instantly with the savory aroma of her favorite street snack, fried yam with spicy pepper sauce, wrapped in old newspaper just like back home.
"You brought this? From outside?" she beamed, eyes glistening with excitement.
Adonis gave a small nod, setting the box gently in front of her. "You mentioned it last week. Said you missed it."
"Adonis, you're the best! I swear you're magic or something!" she exclaimed, grabbing a piece and biting into it. Her whole body swayed with pleasure. "Mmm! This tastes just like the one from Mama Dupe's joint! Hot, greasy, perfect!"
He watched her with silent amusement, lips twitching in the faintest trace of a smile. "Slow down. You'll choke."
"I won't! I could eat ten boxes of this. Maybe even twelve." She grinned up at him with her mouth full. "Want some?"
"No. I bought it for you."
She giggled again, mouth full, fingers oily. "You're too sweet, you know that? Like... too much sometimes. If I wasn't scared of you leaving again, I'd lock you in here with me forever."
He looked at her, something aching in his chest. She was too radiant. Too full of light. And yet, too far.
"Then come with me," he said softly.
Her smile faltered.
"Adonis... we've talked about this. I can't leave. Not yet."
"That man. That house. This world. It's not yours. It never will be. Let me take you away."
She looked away, the happy warmth replaced by guilt and confusion.
"I can't just run, Adonis. Everything's too tangled. And... and I don't even know what I feel anymore."
He reached out, brushing a stray crumb from her cheek. His fingers lingered.
"Then let me untangle it with you."
Just as she opened her mouth to respond, the door creaked open.
Harry stepped in.
The air dropped.
He stood tall, sharp in his dark three-piece suit, expression carved in stone. His cold gaze swept over Adonis, then settled on Ana. And when his eyes dropped to the open box of greasy food on her lap, a shadow flickered in them.
Ana jumped to her feet. "Harry! You're back. I didn't know you were coming so soon."
Adonis stood too, his form rigid.
Both men stared at each other. No words. Just tension thick as a blade between them.
Ana cleared her throat awkwardly. "Um, this is my big brother, Adonis. Adonis, this is Harry."
Harry's jaw flexed.
Brother.
Still, he moved toward her, taking her hand possessively. But Adonis didn't let go of the other. Now Ana stood frozen between them, caught like a rope in a silent tug-of-war.
"Let her go," Harry said calmly.
"You first," Axel replied.
Ana looked between them. Her heart raced. "Please... this is weird. Let me go."
Eventually, she slipped her hand out of Adonis's grip and stepped into Harry's arms.
Harry pulled her tightly to his chest, glaring past her at the man who dared touch what was his.
Adonis's eyes turned icy. Without another word, he turned and walked out.
Ana pulled back to look up at Harry. "Harry, he's my broth—"
But he silenced her with a kiss. Hard. Claiming. Bruising.
A kiss not of only affection, but of ownership.
She gasped against him, caught between guilt and desire.
Elsewhere...
In the shadowy confines of Mr. Smith's office, a woman in a sleek black dress entered, her wide-brimmed hat hiding her face.
His guards had tried to bar her path until she whispered one word.
"Ana."
Now she stood before the old man, alone, face still veiled.
"You said Ana?" he asked, studying her.
She smiled. "We need to talk."
Back at the estate...
Adonis stood in the garden, arms folded, his tall frame cast in golden sunlight. But his eyes were cold.
His love for Ana twisted like a blade in his chest. But it could never be.
Not when he was her brother.
Even if it was all a lie.
Above, Kimberly watched from her bedroom window. Her gaze lingered on the silent man below.
"Who are you... really?" she whispered.
Evening.
Harry stood by the window, hands behind his back, the towering figure of cold authority.
The knock on the door was hard, deliberate.
"Come in," Harry said coolly.
Adonis entered, silent as a ghost, but his presence commanded the space. Dressed simply in a black shirt and fitted slacks, his expression was carved from stone. The door shut softly behind him, but the silence that followed was deafening.
Neither man spoke at first.
Harry finally turned, his sharp blue eyes locked on Axel like a predator surveying a threat. He moved to his desk slowly, deliberately.
"So," Harry began, voice calm but laced with steel, "you wanted to see me."
Adonis stepped forward and placed a white envelope on the table.
"I'm buying Ana out of the contract," he said in a low, firm voice. "Fifteen million dollars. That should be more than enough."
Harry didn't even glance at the envelope. Instead, he leaned back against the edge of the desk and studied Adonis with unreadable eyes.
"You think everything has a price," he said softly, almost mockingly. "How quaint."
"I know people like you do," Adonis replied, unfazed. "This deal was made with your money. I'm simply countering it with mine."
A sharp smile tugged at Harry's lips.
"You're not her real brother, are you?" he said, his voice like velvet draped over knives. "That much is obvious."
Adonis's eyes flickered with something dark, but he remained composed. "Family isn't only about blood."
"No," Harry agreed. "Sometimes, it's about boundaries. Ones you're too comfortable crossing."
Adonis's jaw tightened, but he didn't take the bait. "I'm taking her away from here. She's not a pawn for you or anyone else."
"She's mine," Harry growled, the calm cracking just slightly. "You may have played 'big brother' all these years, Adonis but don't mistake that role for a place in her heart."
Adoni's eyes narrowed. "And you think you have it? Because you can dress her in jewels and lock her in gold cages?"
Harry's face darkened, voice a low, threatening murmur. "She chose me."
"Only because she doesn't know she has another choice," Adonis shot back.
Harry's knuckles curled against the desk, but instead of reacting, he slowly picked up the envelope, tore it open, and examined the cheque inside. Without a word, he ripped it cleanly in half then again into quarters and let the shredded pieces flutter to the floor like falling snow.
"You're not taking her anywhere," he said with icy finality. "Not today. Not ever."
Adonis stepped forward, the air between them crackling with suppressed violence.
"I'm not going to stand by and watch you break her."
"And I won't stand by and let a man hiding behind the title of 'brother' steal what's mine."
They stood toe to toe now, only inches apart. Two alphas locked in a cold war over one woman.
"I won't stop," Adonis warned.
Harry smiled but there was no warmth in it. "Neither will I."
Adonis's eyes flared with silent fury, but he turned on his heel and walked out without another word.
As the door clicked shut, Harry remained still for a long moment, breathing hard. Then, he picked up his phone, dialed a number, and said in a voice like ice:
"Find out everything there is to know about Adonis. Every secret, everything, every connection. I want it all now."
He hung up, eyes narrowing as they lingered on the shredded cheque on the floor.
No one takes her from me. Not even you, Adonis.