Chapter 4

Alem’s dream of walking through the gates of Hilton University was moments away from materializing, yet the air inside the leather-scented cabin of the Lincoln Navigator felt suffocating.

​His mother’s eyes locked onto his through the rear-view mirror, sharp and unforgiving. Her gaze held an unspoken command, behave. She tilted her head slightly toward the driver's side, a silent reminder of the delicate balance holding their new family together. Alem severed the eye contact, turning his focus to the blur of morning traffic beyond the tinted glass. He expanded his chest, taking in a slow, steady breath to quiet the nervous flutter in his stomach. The years of studying, the endless nights spent dreaming of this campus—it was all collapsing into reality with every mile they covered.

​"Alem, are you excited?"

​The deep voice belonged to Mr. Lorcan, who glanced back over his shoulder with a warm, easy smile. He adjusted his grip on the steering wheel before tossing a lighthearted wink toward the back seat. "I have no doubt the girls at the university will be fighting over you the moment you step foot on campus."

​Alem let out a subtle exhale. His stepfather was genuine, a man whose presence brought an unexpected stillness to their lives. Alem bore no resentment toward him. The true source of his irritation sat beside him in the shadows of the rear cabin—a stepbrother whose cold demeanor could freeze water in mid-air. Caeden sat motionless, exuding an aura of pure, unadulterated arrogance.

​Alem pressed his lips together to hold back a smirk. Caeden could maintain his stony facade all he wanted, but he would do well not to push the boundary. A free delivery of pizza and potato cheese balls might buy temporary peace, but it certainly didn't buy silence. If pushed too far, Alem wouldn't hesitate to broadcast the story of Caeden's embarrassing behaviour across every student lounge on campus.

​A quiet twitch caught the corner of Alem’s mouth, a faint expression that didn't escape his stepfather's notice.

​"That smile right there, Alem," Mr. Lorcan chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the edges as he checked the mirror. "I know exactly where those thoughts are heading."

​Alem simply shifted his weight against the plush leather seat, watching the sun break through the clouds to illuminate the grand stone archway of the university looming in the distance.

The interior of the leather-scented SUV remained suffocatingly tense, the hum of the air conditioner doing little to diffuse the prickling heat rising between the two back seats.

​"It is not like that, Sir," Alem said, ducking his head to bite back a sudden tug at the corners of his mouth. "Something funny just crossed my mind."

​Before the sentence could fully settle, a sharp, bony elbow dug violently into his ribs. Caeden sat rigid beside him, his jaw locked so tight the muscle beneath his cheekbone twitched. Even the most harmless gesture from Alem seemed to set off tripwires in his stepbrother’s mind.

​"What could you possibly find so funny now?" Caeden muttered under his breath, his lips barely moving as he kept his glare fixed straight ahead. "We are even, aren't we?"

​Alem drew a slow, deliberate breath, letting his hands smooth down the crisp fabric of his trousers before snapping his seatbelt into place. "Relax, Caeden. I did not say a word."

​From the front passenger seat, a voice cut through the muffled friction. "Boys? What are you two whispering about back there?"

​"Nothing at all, Sir," Alem replied smoothly, straightening his spine.

​The vehicle glided smoothly toward the curb, coming to a soft halt beside the looming iron gates of the campus. The driver put the engine into park, and the heavy leather seat in front creaked as Mr. Lorcan turned his head, his sharp eyes warm with paternal concern as he locked gazes with Alem.

​"Well then, Alem, Caeden, make sure you dedicate yourselves entirely to your studies today." Mr. Lorcan paused, letting his gaze rest heavily on Alem. "Alem, I am placing my stubborn boy in your hands. You will need to stretch your patience until it turns elastic around him."

​Alem simply bowed his head in a quiet, dutiful nod.

​The automatic locks clicked, and the broad doors of the Lincoln Navigator swung open, letting in the cool morning air. Before either of them could set a foot onto the pavement, Mr. Lorcan spoke up once more, his voice carrying a firm, authoritative weight.

​"Alem, head straight to the Dean's office first. You need to take your entrance examination. I already placed a call to their administrative board earlier. Good luck, son."

​"Thank you, Sir," Alem said instinctively.

​A soft chuckle rustled from the front as Mr. Lorcan gently shook his head, leaning over to rest a hand over his wife's fingers. "Alem, kindly refrain from calling me 'Sir.' I am your mother's husband now." He offered a gentle smile toward Alem's mother, whose eyes softened in response. "That makes you as good as my own blood. Call me Daddy, just as Caeden does."

​A subtle tightness settled around Alem’s jaw, but he forced his lips to stretch into a polite, strained smile. "Understood," he murmured quietly, stepping out onto the pavement before the quiet awkwardness could settle any deeper.

​He closed the heavy door behind him and took a slow step backward. Tilting his chin upward, his eyes traced the towering, gilded letters etched into the stone archway towering over the courtyard: HILTON UNIVERSITY.

​"This is it, Alem Monro," he whispered under his breath, the subtle rise of his chest reflecting the steady surge of resolve within him. "We are stepping into the very gates we dreamed, and nothing is going to push us out."

​A cold scoff cut through his thoughts from the side.

​"Finished with your little fantasy show?" Caeden stood with his arms crossed over his chest, his shoulder casually leaning against the concrete pillar, his expression dripping with disdain. "Because if you are done staring into space, we should move. In a few minutes, a flock of girls will be crowding around me again, and I would actually prefer making it to my first lecture on time."

​Alem turned his head, a faint, mocking curve touching his lips. "Crowding around you? Perhaps they have grown tired of the same old view, Caeden. Who knows? Maybe today, the crowd gathers somewhere else."

​"Let us see about that, stepbrother," Caeden spat softly, his voice low and laced with steel. Without waiting another second, he spun on his heel and strode through the grand gates.

​Alem merely shook his head, a quiet laugh escaping his chest as he watched the dramatic exit. Almost instantly, a wave of shrill shrieks echoed from the brick courtyard ahead the moment Caeden crossed the threshold. There was no denying his stepbrother's raw physical presence—broad-shouldered, sharp-jawed, carrying himself with an effortless, predatory grace. Yet beneath all that polished arrogance sat someone who still needed a babysitter just to avoid failing his general education courses.

​"Oh my God! I literally drag myself out of bed every single morning just to catch a glimpse of Caeden Lorcan! He is unbelievable!"

​"I swear my pulse just stopped! Look at him—he is wearing the plain university uniform, but he looks like he just walked off a fashion runway!"

​Similar cries rippled outward through the scattered crowds, mixed with a few bitter grunts from male students leaning against the bleachers, glaring sideways at the commotion. Alem watched the scene unfold with quiet amusement, taking his time as he finally stepped past the threshold of the gates.

​Then, the noise abruptly died.

​A sudden, heavy quiet fell across the entrance plaza like a dropped curtain. The female athletes mid-stride on the nearby track ground to a sudden halt, their feet freezing against the red clay. Over on the grass field, a soccer ball trickled aimlessly past an open net as the players stood motionless, their heads turning in unison. Every pair of eyes along the main walkway shifted away from Caeden and locked directly onto Alem.

​For several endless seconds, nobody moved. The air hung thick and breathless until a second wave of shrieks erupted—louder, sharper, and far more chaotic than the first.

​"Good lord, who did the universe just drop onto this campus to test my sanity today?!"

​"He is breathtaking! I feel like I just stepped into a dream! How are both of them standing in the exact same place?!"

​Before Alem could take another three paces, a small group of students detoured sharply from the walkway, surrounding his path.

​"Hey, what is your name? Are you free to grab coffee after the evening lectures tonight?"

​"Bro! You look like you can run—come check out the soccer team tryouts later!"

​A barrage of eager voices and outstretched hands closed in around him, but Alem kept his stride smooth and unbroken. He drifted through the sea of wide eyes and hushed murmurs with an easy, unbothered composure, letting the chaotic energy swirl around him without ever breaking his pace.

​A few meters ahead, Caeden had stopped dead in his tracks. His dark brows were drawn tightly together into a sharp V, his chest rising and falling as he stared back at the unexpected commotion. His fingers twitched against his sides, his jaw working silently as he watched the attention split and shatter right before his eyes.

​Alem closed the distance between them, coming to a graceful stop just a step away. He took a long, exaggerated breath, letting a slow, triumphant air settle around his shoulders.

​"Well now, my dear stepbrother," Alem murmured, his voice smooth and dripping with quiet satisfaction. "Do you see it now? Even the finest well-done steak gets exhausting after a while. Sometimes, people are just waiting for a completely different flavor to enter the room. Wouldn't you agree?"

​Caeden let out a sharp sigh, rolling his eyes so hard it looked painful, though his head remained tilted at an arrogant angle.

​Alem simply smiled, leaning in just close enough for his words to carry over the background noise. "I told you, Caeden. You are not the only one capable of holding a room."

​With a flick of his fingers, Alem lightly brushed an invisible speck of dust from the immaculate shoulder of his maroon shirt. He thrust his hands casually into his pockets and strolled forward, his posture tall and brimming with quiet confidence.

​Just to drive the point home, he raised one hand into the morning air and offered a slow, charming wave to the crowd of girls lingering near the fountain, leaving a thoroughly irritated Caeden trailing a few paces behind.