Mysterious brother return

Nicolas' room was wide open, but the words I heard next made me stop.

“F**k me, Daddy.”

“F**k me like a dirty little s**t.”

I instantly turned toward the direction of the sound, and just as I had predicted, it was coming from his room.

I moved closer and looked inside, and the scene in front of me made me halt.

Nicolas was having sex with the new girl he had just met.

Somehow, he was able to detect that I was standing there. He turned and looked at me, using his expression to tell me to shut the door.

I swallowed as I slowly grabbed the door handle and shut it.

My legs instantly gave out as I slid down the door, tears threatening to spill.

The way he looked at me—he didn't even mind that I saw him in that position. This wasn't the first time I had seen him with a woman, but why did this one have to hurt this much?

Today was my day, and yet all he could do was have sex with another woman instead of making the night all about me.

"Tessa," my mother called from the dining area.

Picking up the last piece of myself that remained, I walked back to the garden where the party was being held.

The moment my mom saw me, I noticed the way her eyebrows raised as she looked behind me for Nicolas.

"Where is he?"

"Nicolas is busy. He'll join us in a few minutes."

My mother looked at me, worry etched all over her face as she tried to read my mood.

"Is everything okay?"

My eyes drifted to my stepfather, who stood just behind my mother.

"Nic will be here any time soon. You don't need to worry. He isn't doing anything illegal."

My words comforted my stepdad, and he tapped my mom's shoulder as he whispered something in her ear.

They both turned to me, my mom gleaming with pride and my stepfather looking pleased.

"How about we let the girl have her time? Let her mingle with the guests, and when your brother comes, we'll cut the cake."

I nodded as my mom and stepfather walked away.

My eyes scanned around our little garden that had been decorated just for me.

My mom and stepdad were throwing me a send-off party for college, and since I had turned twenty a few days ago, they decided to celebrate both occasions together.

But unlike every other girl who would have had a blast, I wasn't having a good time. I had no friends, and most of the people here were friends of my stepfather and friends of Nicolas, my stepbrother.

I had always had a secret crush on my stepbrother, Nicolas.

Our parents met after Nicolas' mom died.

Though Nic wasn't an only child, he had an older brother, Killian, who was an ex-soldier.

Unlike Nicolas, Killian was more withdrawn and short-tempered. The only time I saw him was during the one year he lived with us, and even then, he never said a word to me. He made it clear that he hated my presence.

But just a year after our arrival, he left and joined the army.

I knew little about him, as discussions about him were always held in hushed voices. A week ago, I heard my mom mention him a few times, but I couldn't care less.

"Happy birthday, Sissy," someone whispered behind me, and I knew exactly who it was.

Nicolas was now dressed in a well-tailored suit and looked as handsome as ever. His blond hair was neatly styled to the side, perfectly framing his face.

Nic moved closer, kissed my cheek, and pulled away.

I watched him walk over to his friend Landon, who stood nearby with the girl he had just slept with.

My heart raced even more. Nic couldn't care less about how I felt. This wasn't the first time I had seen him with a woman, but it hurt every time.

"How about we cut the cake since your favorite brother is here?" my mother teased.

Everyone immediately gathered around, and I cut the cake as they clapped.

Nic clapped louder than everyone else, but the whole time, he had his arm wrapped around the girl.

Once the cake had been cut, everyone returned to their activities.

Nic turned to me and pulled a bracelet from his pocket.

"This is for my little sissy," he said as he tried to place the bracelet around my wrist, but suddenly, I felt his body go stiff.

From where I stood, facing the small pool beside the garden, I could feel the tension suddenly build in the air.

It felt as though something had shifted, and everyone seemed mesmerized by it.

I turned, but as I did, I halted immediately.

My eyes drifted to the entrance leading into the garden, and I saw him.

The man was dressed in smart casual wear with an Italian flair. His dark hair was perfectly styled, with a single strand falling loose at the corner.

I saw tattoos creeping from his hands all the way up to his neck. The dark shades he wore made it harder for me to see his features, but as I looked at him, it seemed as though he stopped for a moment and stared at me.

The silence that followed his arrival was more overwhelming than anything I had ever experienced.

Each step he took increased the tension in the air, and when I glanced at my mom and stepdad, I saw the shock on their faces.

The man didn't stop. I knew he was approaching us, but as he got closer, I heard Nicolas whisper a name.

"Killian."

The man walked over to him, and within a second, he pulled Nicolas into a tight hug.

As Nicolas embraced him, I tried to wrap my head around that name. I had heard it before.

"Son, I didn't think you were going to come," my stepdad, Michael, said as he patted him on the back.

"Sorry I'm late," he replied gently as he removed his sunglasses.

My heart froze as I looked at the man standing before me.

He was none other than my older stepbrother, Killian, who hated me to death. But unlike the Killian I remembered, he looked different.

I couldn't help but stare into his ocean-blue eyes.

He cast me a glance and finally turned in my direction, as though he were only now acknowledging my presence.

I tried to say something, but the words caught in my throat.

Killian paused and looked at me for a moment. A flicker of displeasure crossed his face. I saw the way his expression tightened, the corners of his mouth dipping.

He looked at me again, and for a moment, I felt that familiar wave of fear wash over me as I stared at the man towering above me.

Killian sighed and let out a deep breath.

"Happy birthday, Tessa," he said gently.