Chapter 4

I swallowed deeply as my throat couldn't be drier. Vance's baritone voice was hot as fuck. This was totally a disaster, I mean how could I even think of Vance as a brother after what happened to us?!

"Hi." I faked a smile. "Vance."

The side of his lips rose. I was stunned and didn't know what to say. Mom cleared her throat so I looked at her. She opened her mouth and formed the words 'act normal' to me.

I sighed and nodded, whatever.

"Alright, let's eat!" Franklin declared and I stuck my tongue inside my cheek, stopping myself from chuckling. Oh God, this dinner was the most awkward dinner I had ever encountered.

"How's work, Sofia?" Franklin, I meant my stepdad asked while we were eating. "Your mom said you're an architect. That's a great job."

I chuckled but it sounded sarcastic. "Great job."

Mom tapped my thigh under the table. I pursed my lips while still stopping myself from glancing at Vance. I could feel his deep stares at me for Christ's sake.

"What Sofia mean is, yes, it's really a great job. She loves her work, right Sofia? It was her dream to be an architect and finally, she is one."

A bitter smile appeared on my face. "Right," I said before putting a slice of pizza in my mouth.

"She doesn't look so happy about it." Vance shrugged and my brows crossed at him.

"Vance." My stepdad gave him a warning look.

Vance laughed as he glanced at Hans who remained quiet beside him. "What? I'm just saying what I noticed."

"You don't know anything." I raised my right brow at him.

He raised his hands in a surrendering way.

Mom faked a cough. "Let's talk about Hans, you're graduating, right? How's engineering so far?"

"Oh, great, can't wait to finish it." Hans shrugged. I could see his tiredness through his eyes.

"He's doing so great." Franklin sounded really proud. "I can see he has a future in engineering." He glanced at Vance. "Unlike Vance, unbelievable. I had to pull some strings to help him."

"Do you really have to bring that up?" Vance scoffed. "Unbelievable," he mocked his dad.

Franklin didn't seem to care about how Vance reacted. It was like he was used to his son like that.

"Vance still has some work to do to make me finally proud of him."

Vance tightened his grip on his fork as he stared deeply at the food. I bit my lower lip. The awkwardness was getting higher. Goodness, I never wanted to be involved in their family issues.

"I think he's doing his best." I interfered. Mom reached out for my hand on the table. "What, mom? I'm just saying. I think Vance is doing his best to make his dad proud."

The side of Vance's lips rose again as he smirked at me. He even licked his lower lip which sent lightning to my nerves as it emphasized how reddish his lips were. It looked plump and soft like what the fuck was I thinking again?

"Perhaps." Franklin shrugged. "Perhaps he is."

We continued eating quietly. Vance's eyes and mine would often meet each other and my heart would flinch every time. I didn't talk much. I would just speak if someone was asking me, but I never tried to open a single conversation with them.

"What happened to your dad?" Vance suddenly asked me.

"Excuse me?" My brows crossed.

"What happened to him? Where is he?"

"Vance!" Franklin groaned.

"What? I'm just curious."

I looked at mom and she seemed shocked as well. I swallowed deeply as my eyes heated. I lifted my face to stop my tears from falling. Crazy, I still get emotional every time I would think of him.

"You're below the belt." Franklin gritted his teeth.

"It's okay, mister Elordi---"

"Call me dad."

"Dad." Seemed like cracked glasses travelled on my throat. "It's okay, dad," I said sarcastically before I looked at Vance. "He left us, happy?"

His eyes kinda widened. Oh, he didn't expect that huh? He then looked away and drank his water.

"What about you? What happened to your mom?"

"Sofia." Mom glared at me.

"What? I'm just curious." I mocked Vance.

He looked straight into my eyes and it melted me. "She's dead."

Hans cleared his throat. "Can we talk about another topic?"

I was stunned. My heart squirmed and I looked away at his stabbing stares. "I'm sorry," I almost whispered.

"It's fine. It's a long time ago." Vance shrugged before he put the pasta in his mouth as if he wasn't really affected but I saw how his eyes glittered sadly a while ago. God, why did I even ask that? I felt awful.

The surroundings were quiet again and the awkwardness was drowning me. I badly wanted this dinner to end. Thank God, the maids served our desserts. I quickly grabbed the ice cream and hurriedly tasted it. Oh, I closed my eyes, seizing how sweet and delicious it was, exactly what I needed in this stressful environment.

"By the way, your mom and I are planning something exciting." Franklin broke the silence again. He was trying to be a fun dad.

"Define exciting." Vance rolled his eyes

Hans' elbow poked Vance's waist.

"We're going on a trip!" Mom announced with a big smile on her face. My dear stepdad was also smiling while Hans, Vance and I were just on our poker faces.

"What? No one is excited except us?" Franklin shook his head unbelievably. "You kids need a break."

"We're not kids." Vance scoffed.

"You are our kids." Franklin tightened his grip on his glass.

"Besides, adults also need a break. Come on! It's going to be fun." Mom energized her voice but none of us got excited.

"I'm busy," I said while looking at the ice cream, slowly melting. "I have projects with the Villanueva's, so I can't go."

"The Villanueva's, I know them," Franklin said. "I can talk to them about you or I can talk directly to your boss."

"Thanks." I faked a smile. "But no thanks."

"I'm only coming if Vance is coming," Hans uttered.

"Of course, I'm coming!" Vance looked at me. "And I'll make her come as well."

My face heated. I bowed my head and hid my face with some strands of my hair. Please tell me, I wasn't blushing. My God! I was becoming green-minded, but it really did feel like he was saying it with double meaning, and his stares, his deep, alluring stares surely were trying to tease me. 'I'll make her come as well'. I shook my head when his seductive voice played on my ears again.

"Oh thank you, Vance," mom said. "She's hard-headed but yeah, can please try to convince her to come with us."

"Mom!" My brows crossed at mom. "I said I'm busy."

"Yeah, you always are. That's why you need a break, Sofia."

I sighed. "I'll know if I need a break, but now? I think not."

"Don't worry, stepmom, I'll change her mind," Vance smirked. "I'm good at convincing, right Hans?"

Hans chuckled. "You are."

Vance met my eyes again. I swallowed deeply before my brows crossed at him. Seriously, he should be helping me avoid each other. What was his problem?

"Can I talk to my stepbrother for a minute, mom? Privately." I felt nauseous again, stepbrother, really, what the fuck!

Mom and Franklin looked at each other. Franklin just shrugged while mom's face was kinda confused.

"Sure. You're siblings now." Mom smiled. "The three of you should bond more often."

I stood and put my napkin on the side of my plate before I walked towards the exit of the dining room. Vance's footsteps followed me 'til I stopped in the living room where no one could see or hear us, I looked around to make sure.

"What? You can't wait to be with me, alone?" Vance walked closer and closer to me which made me step backwards until my back hit the wall.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I hissed as he moved closer, giving me almost no space to breathe properly. Our chests were almost touching and I could fucking feel his breath on my face. "Move away, someone might see us."

My heart was thundering crazy. He looked around as he smirked before he finally stepped back a little, giving me a decent space. I gasped, releasing the breath that had been stuck in my chest.

"You should join us on the trip."

"Seriously, what do you want?" I arched a brow.