The Hidden Feelings.

Liana Blake.

“He is so handsome.”

The words had barely left the lips of the lady beside me when the laughter and conversations around the mansion garden suddenly became quieter.

I didn’t even need to look up to know that Cassian Vale had arrived.

The atmosphere in the garden seemed to change the moment he stepped in. Women turned their heads. Men straightened in their seats. Even the younger guests who had been running around stopped to watch him walk toward us.

He was dressed in a perfectly fitted black suit, his dark hair slightly tousled, and his expression calm as if he weren’t aware that half the people at my graduation party were staring at him.

Of course, Cassian was used to attention. He was the only son and heir of the Vale family, one of the most powerful families in Vienna. He was also my stepbrother. And unfortunately, the man I had secretly loved for the last five years.

“Cassian!”

Several girls immediately surrounded him.

I lowered my eyes before anyone could notice the way my expression had hardened as a wave of jealousy slammed into me. I shouldn’t have been watching him like this… with affectionate eyes. I had promised myself I wouldn’t. But I couldn’t help it.

Today was supposed to be about my graduation. Instead, all I could think about was the fact that this might be the last time I would ever see him like this; Staying in the same house with him whenever he came around. Walking into my room without knocking. Calling my name from downstairs whenever he wanted me to join him for dinner. Protecting me whenever someone in his family said something cruel.

Those memories hurt more than I wanted to admit.

“Liana…” My name rolled out of his mouth so perfectly that it made my chest skip a beat.

I looked up to see that Cassian had somehow escaped the crowd and was standing in front of me. His eyes moved over my graduation dress before he smiled. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you.” My voice came out quieter than I intended.

He held out his hand. “Come with me.”

I stared at his hand for a second before placing mine in it, and his fingers closed around mine naturally. They always did. He had held my hand countless times when I was younger, especially whenever I was frightened.

But my feelings had changed years ago. His hadn’t. That was the problem.

We walked through the mansion while people watched us. I heard whispers behind us.

“She is so lucky.”

“Imagine having Cassian Vale as your stepbrother.”

“I would never complain about anything again.”

I pretended not to hear them, or maybe I was used to hearing them.

Cassian led me upstairs and opened the door to my bedroom. The moment we stepped inside, he closed the door behind us.

I turned toward him. “Why did you bring me here?”

“Because I have something for you.” He reached into his jacket and pulled out a small black box.

My chest pounded. “You bought me a gift?”

“Of course. It’s your graduation.” He placed it in my hands.

I stared at the box for a while. “You didn’t have to.”

“I know.” He smiled. “But I wanted to.”

I slowly opened it. Inside was a delicate silver bracelet with a tiny pendant hanging from it. My initials were engraved on the pendant. LB.

I ran my trembling fingers over it. “It’s beautiful.”

“I saw it a few weeks ago and I thought it would look perfect on you.” Cassian took the bracelet out of the box. “Give me your hand.”

I obeyed, extending my hand.

He gently fastened it around my wrist. “Do you like it?”

I nodded. “I love it. Thank you.”

He looked at the bracelet for a moment before smiling. “Now you’ll have something from me when you leave.”

My smile disappeared. “When I leave?”

Cassian looked at me as though he didn’t understand why that bothered me. “You’re graduating. You’re supposed to start your own life. Don’t tell me you want to stay with Mom and Dad forever?”

I lowered my gaze. “I know.”

I didn’t tell him that the thought of starting a life without him terrified me.

I had spent years convincing myself that one day I would tell him how I felt. First, I said when I got older, then when I became confident enough, and last month I had told myself after graduation.

But now, I couldn’t bring myself to tell him anything.

There had always been another tomorrow. But lately, I had started realizing that tomorrow might never come.

Cassian had always been there for me.

When I was seventeen and one of his cousins mocked my cheap dress, Cassian had walked into the room and made everyone who laughed apologize.

When I was eighteen and a group of girls at school locked me in a bathroom because they thought I was an easy target. Cassian had broken down the door to rescue me and made sure those girls were punished by the school board; they never disturbed me until I left high school.

When I was twenty and I got sick before an important exam, he stayed awake beside my bed the entire night, nursing me and reading my notes to me. By morning I got better and I passed my exam.

And when I cried, he never asked me why before sitting beside me. He simply stayed, and that was how he had become the safest person in my world.

Somewhere along the way, safety had turned into love. A love I knew I could never confess. Because to Cassian, I was simply Liana.

His stepsister.

His responsibility.

His family.

“Why are you crying?” His voice pulled me back to reality, and his face tilted forward, just inches away from mine.

I quickly turned my head to the side and wiped beneath my eye; it was truly wet. “I’m not.”

“You are.” He stepped closer. “Did someone upset you?”

I shook my head. “No. I’m just happy.”

He studied my face for several seconds to see if I was actually telling the truth, and when my expression gave nothing away, he raised his hand and gently wiped away the tear. “Don’t cry on your graduation day.”

I forced a smile. “I’ll try.”

Our eyes remained fixed, a small smile playing on his lips, until his phone suddenly rang. Cassian glanced at the screen. “I need to take this.”

“Okay.”

He took a step toward the door before stopping. Then he turned around and walked back to me. Before I could ask what he wanted, he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss against my forehead.

My entire body went still.

“Congratulations, Liana.” His voice was warm. “I’m proud of you.” Then he walked out.

I stood there, staring at the door. My fingers slowly touched the place where his lips had been, and a stupid smile appeared on my face.

For one brief moment, I allowed myself to imagine that maybe I mattered to him in the way that I wanted.

Then reality returned and the smile vanished.

I was his stepsister.

Nothing more.

A knock sounded on the door, and I cleared my throat before calling out, “Come in.”

The door opened and Mother walked inside. She did not smile. She rarely did. She was holding a white envelope. “Congratulations, Liana.”

I smiled faintly. “Thank you, Mom.”

She walked toward me and held out the envelope. “I have something for you.”

I stared at it. “For me?”

“Yes.” She smiled now… but it was fake, and it made me feel uneasy. “A gift.”

I took it hesitantly because my mother had never been the type to give me gifts.

She remembered birthdays when she could, or just whenever Cassian mentioned it. She attended important events when necessary. But gifts? Never had she given me one in my twenty-three years of living.

My fingers tightened around the envelope. “What is it?”

She gestured. “Open it.”

I tore it open and a plane ticket slipped into my hand. I frowned and looked at her. “What is this?”

She didn’t answer.

I pulled out another piece of paper. An address. Then a small silver key.

My confusion deepened. “A ticket to Rosewood City?”

She nodded. “Yes, and that is the key to a comfortable apartment that has been paid for. You will live there from now on."

I stared at her. “What? Why?”

My mother finally sat down on the edge of my bed. “You’re twenty-three now. You’ve graduated from university, so it’s time for you to move out.”

“I know I would move out, but why does it feel like you are sending me far away?”

A moment of silence passed before she responded. “Maybe I am.”

I chuckled dryly. “I’m your daughter, for crying out loud!”

She sprang up, her expression hardened now. “And that is why I won’t let you ruin my marriage.”

“Ruin your marriage?” The words tasted bitter on my lips. “What does that even mean?”

She swallowed. “I know you love Cassian, Liana.”