Chapter 1

Adrian's POV

It was a hot summer night. I looked around me, everywhere seemed radiant and everyone seemed happy. It was as if they had all forgotten about my mother's recent death.

Tears at the corners of my eyes threatened to fall,but I had to man up and blink them away.

My gaze stretched to the stage, watching my dad smile and laugh with his new family like ours never existed. Like what we had was never real.

I couldn't deny the resentment and hatred in my heart towards his new bride.

She was beautiful,had a smile on her face and seemed welcoming.

But nothing could beat my mother's smile and personality.

The worst thing was,this woman had a son. A boy who looked 5 feet and 7 inches tall.

I watched him smile and act like he belonged to the family. He seemed really happy, dressed in a black suit and matching shoes.

He was the one who would take my spot in my father's heart soon.

I frowned,anger boiling in my veins towards the young lad.

I hated him. I hated his mother. I hated all of them.

“Adrian,come over and say hi.” My father's voice rang out. Authoritative,and loud as always. I didn't move,I didn't even flinch. I kept staring at my new replacement.

He had this smile on his face and he seemed too happy to be in the family.He looked up,our eyes meeting.

His smile got even wider looking at me. Some part of me wanted to churn. Finally, I moved. I stepped away from the railing I was leaning on and made big strides towards him.

He stepped back a bit,his figure shaking. I smiled within me,I liked knowing that my presence could get him so traumatized like that.

He tried to stand tall, but I could break him with a single word.

“Smile,” I told him,my voice soft but cold enough to get him frozen to the spot.

I bent down a bit and leaned in, my lips brushing against his ear slightly.

“They're watching. We wouldn't want them to see you hate me.”

“Adrian!” My father barked from a distance. I straightened myself, replacing my facial expression with something calm.

“Of course, father. I was just welcoming my new brother home.”

His mother walked over,the smile never leaving her face.

She patted her son's shoulder,her hand moving to fix his hair. I could feel how scared he was and how his eyes were avoidant of me.

I stepped back,but I still wanted him to feel like I had claws threatening to scratch him. The family dinner was long. I was seated opposite my new brother.

Every time he raised the spoon up to his lips,he felt my gaze on him. As he tried to raise the cup of water,his hand shook and he spilled some.

“Be careful, Stefan.” Father smiled.

“Stefan.” I whispered. So that was his name.

Frustrated,he dropped the spoon. Our parents were so deep in talk that they didn't even have time to notice us.

I hid my smile behind the cup I was drinking from.

By the time dessert came, Stefan looked so frustrated and wanted to cry. His eyes were glossy, and I was enjoying his frustration.

I adjusted myself in my seat,my legs reaching under the table and brushing against his. He suddenly jerked as if he'd been burned by my touch.

The movement was sudden and made the table shake. My father looked at me with a frown. But I lifted my hands nonchalantly.

“Sorry,” I said,eyes locked on him. “My mistake.”

The rest of the dinner went by smoothly. Dad's new wife tried to talk to me,but I didn't give in.

She said she knows I'd open up eventually. I didn't see any of that coming in the near future.

Immediately after dinner was over, Stefan slipped away first. I guess he was afraid of encountering me again. It seemed I had scared the young lad away.

As he walked up the stairs,dad poured another drink for himself. I could see the happiness in his eyes.

He probably thought this was a new beginning. That everything could be normal again after mom's demise.

I wonder how he didn't see how much he had ruined a lot of happy memories I had. She whispered something in his ear and he laughed.

Feeling irritated,I stood up and left them laughing. I followed my new brother up the stairs.Something about him intrigued me.

The door to Stefan's room was not totally closed. I looked in,hands in my pocket.

To my surprise, he wasn't doing anything goofy like I had expected. He was seated on the large bed,arms wrapped around his knees.

His eyes were red and wet with tears. I could hear his fast breaths and short gasps.

I stood still,my heat thundering hard against my rib cage.

I should've moved closer to comfort him,but I didn't. I wanted him to feel haunted and unwelcomed in the house.

I kept looking at him. He thought he was alone,but he wasn't. He silently wiped his tears with the back of his hand before curling under the sheets.

My blood boiled with irritation again. I saw him and his mother as gold diggers. What else could his mother possibly see about my father other than his power and money?

I thought of my mother. She was laying dead and cold,six feet under in a coffin. While he was here crying like a little baby. I thought of his mother taking my mother's place like it was nothing.

My blood boiled again. I wanted to tear her smile off her face. Make her scream as she runs out of this house and never returns.

Downstairs,their laughter rose again and I hated the sound of it. Quietly,I slipped into my room. I walked over to my desk and pulled out a photo of my mother. She felt alive in it,with a huge smile plastered on her face.

“Mother,”I called, wishing I could hear her voice again. Hear her call out to me. But there was nothing but frustrating silence.

As I thought over the night's event,my jaw tightened again. No one could replace her.

And if they thought they could,I'd prove them wrong.