Chapter 2 – High Status, Low Profile

POV: Elena

The sharp, echoing crack seemed to vibrate through the entire house, but neither of us moved.

Water seeped into the pristine white tiles, carrying tiny, jagged shards right to the edge of his bare toes. Jace didn't even flinch. He just lowered the juice carton from his lips, his eyes tracking the mess on the floor before slowly rising back up to my face.

My brain was still screaming, trying to make the pieces fit.

Calloway.

Why didn't I think of it?

Richard Calloway was a ruthless billionaire, but he was also notoriously private. Despite his massive wealth and his son being Halden University's golden boy like I'd heard, Richard had always kept a strictly low profile regarding his family in the media to protect the corporate brand. No public family photos. No cheesy magazine spreads. I knew Jace was a Calloway back in middle school, but I had never, not even once, connected that arrogant, cruel boy from my past to the wealthy real-estate mogul my mother had suddenly married.

Until now.

A lethal, dangerously familiar smirk slowly spread across Jace's sharp features. He tilted his head, his gray eyes locking onto mine with a dark, mocking heat that made me feel fifteen and defenseless all over again.

"Hi, little sister," he greeted, his deep baritone dripping with the exact same taunting tone he used back in the school hallways.

My throat closed up. "Jace."

"What on earth was that noise..."

The heavy double doors of the kitchen burst open, and my mother hurried in, with Richard close behind her. Margot stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes flying from the shattered glass to Jace’s shirtless frame, her face instantly turning a pale shade of mortified pink.

"Elena! Oh my god," Margot gasped, rushing forward but stopping short of the glass. "What did I tell you? You've been here five minutes and you're already breaking things!"

"It’s fine, Margot. It’s just a glass," Richard’s deep, calm voice boomed from the doorway. He stepped into the room, his eyes scanning the scene before stopping on his son, his brows narrowing slightly. "Jace. Put a shirt on. Your mother and sister just arrived."

"So? What am I? Stepbrother of the year?" Jace murmured, completely ignoring his father's reprimand. He looked at Margot, his expression shifting seamlessly into a polite, charming smile that looked so genuine it made my stomach turn. "Don't worry about it, Margot. It was my fault. I startled her. I'll get the broom."

"Oh, no, sweetie, don't worry about it, the maid can..." Margot started, but Jace was already stepping around the glass like a good step-son he definitely wasn't. His massive frame brushed right past me as he reached into a pantry closet for a hand-vacuum.

As he leaned down, his shoulder intentionally bumped against mine, a hard, solid reminder of his size. "Careful, Ellie," he whispered, low enough that only I could hear. "Don't want you cutting those soft feet."

Richard walked over, placing a heavy hand on my shoulder. "Elena, welcome to the family. Don't mind Jace. He’s just finishing up pre-season training. Go on upstairs and get settled. We’ll have a proper dinner tonight."

"Thank you, Richard," I managed to force out, my voice tight.

I didn't wait for my mother to give me another lecture. I turned on my heel and practically bolted out of the kitchen, ignoring Jace’s soft, mocking chuckle echoing behind my back.

My room was at the very end of the East wing, a massive space with a king-sized bed, a walk-in closet, and a private balcony. It was luxury incarnate, but the second I shut the heavy oak door behind me, the walls felt like they were closing in.

I collapsed against the wood, my heart hammering against my ribs. He lives here. I was trapped under the same roof as the boy who had made it his personal mission to ensure I hated waking up every morning for three straight years. The boy I had confessed to but instead of just outright rejecting or accepting me, he had turned it into a cruel joke for the next of my stay in that school.

I spent the next hour in a daze, showering and changing into the simple linen dress my mother had left for me. Dinner with the parents was all about high-society small talk which I had to say was absolutely boring. Jace played the part of the perfect, respectful athlete son to absolute perfection, answering his father's questions about the upcoming basketball season while completely ignoring me. But every time Richard or Margot looked away, those gray eyes would find mine across the table, as if saying 'You don't belong here'.

When we finally got back to the house, I immediately retreated to my room, locking the door and pulling my university textbooks onto the bed. I needed to lose myself in literature analysis since I would be starting college soon. I needed to at least pretend my life hadn't just turned into a trap.

By midnight, the house had gone completely quiet. I was finally starting to breathe normally when a low, heavy vibration rumbled through the floorboards.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

It was the bass-heavy rattle of massive speakers being tested downstairs, shaking the glass windows of my bedroom.

I flinched, dropping my highlighter. The noise stopped, followed by the muffled sound of heavy footsteps walking down the hallway outside my room.

I crept toward the door, unlocking it and cracking it open just an inch.

The hallway was dark, but the light from the grand staircase illuminated Jace walking past. He was wearing a black Halden Athletics hoodie now, a gym bag slung over one broad shoulder. Was he actually working out just now? At midnight? 

As if sensing my gaze, he stopped dead in his tracks.

He didn't turn his head, but his eyes cut sharply to the side, catching me through the small crack in my door. A dark, wicked wink crinkled the corner of his eye, his voice cutting through the quiet hallway.

"Hope you like noise, Ellie. The team is coming over tomorrow night and time to have some fun.”