Chapter 6: A Family’s Invasion

Chapter 6: A Family’s Invasion

Hannah’s POV

“Oh, perfect,” I muttered under my breath. “The whole damn world is here.”

Behind me, Piper stirred like a reluctant cat dragged out of sleep. She shoved her curls out of her face, still half-wrapped in her ridiculous blanket cocoon, and leaned over my shoulder. Her bleary gaze swept over the crowd in the hallway like she was scanning a police line-up in an episode of ‘Law & Order’.

“Uh… hello?” she chirped.

The sound was so awkward, so painfully offbeat, that under any other circumstance I would’ve doubled over laughing.

Ray, naturally, didn’t find it endearing. “Keep your hello,” he snapped at Piper, the words dripping venom.

Piper froze, wide-eyed, then raised both hands in mock surrender. “Okay… sheesh. Good morning to you too, sunshine.”

That was so Piper.

Before Ray could bark back, my mother let out a gasp so dramatic I nearly rolled my eyes to the back of my head. “Oh, thank God, you’re a woman,” she blurted, her relief so exaggerated it might have been rehearsed.

I swung my head toward Piper, and she swung hers toward me. Our eyes met. In less than a second, we exchanged our signature look, the one we had perfected over months that says, ‘Are you seeing what I’m seeing?’

But Ray shattered the beat of humour with his snarl.

“Do you have any idea the circus you dragged us into this morning?” His voice was sharp enough to slice through bone. His glare raked over me before flicking past my shoulder and into the apartment.

Disdain radiated off him in waves. “This…” Ray gestured with a disgusted sweep of his arm, taking in every square inch of our sanctuary…“this is what you left the mansion for? We had to waste our Saturday morning in this dump just to find you.”

Dump? I wondered if God created him just so he could talk down on everything about me.

He saw the place as dump but this is one place where I could breathe without someone watching every move I made.

"Oh, sorry … did I mess up your fancy little brunch plans?" I snapped, sarcasm dripping from every word.

Ray’s face darkened instantly, storm clouds gathering in his eyes. He opened his mouth, fury sparking off him, ready to fire another shot. But before he could, my mother’s voice cut through the tension like a practiced blade.

“Enough.” Mother said perfectly like a monarch, “Ray, that’s not why we came here,” she said firmly, her eyes locked on mine now.

My father who was beside her said, “Hannah,” his voice low, steady, deliberate. “We owe you an apology.”

I blinked at him. That word ‘apology’ didn’t fit in his mouth. It sounded wrong, warped, as though it had been pulled out of him by force.

For a second, I almost thought I’d misheard.

“We were wrong to accuse you,” my mother said carefully, her eyes searching mine. “We thought… we feared the worst. That you had left us for a man. That you had put yourself in a dangerous position.”

“And so you brought the men in black?” I arched a brow, pointing at the three hulking figures in tailored suits who loomed behind them.

Piper gasped like she’d just noticed them for the first time. Her eyes went wide, and she yanked her blanket tighter around herself. “Wait, wait, wait…hold on. Y’all thought she was shacked up with some guy, so you rolled up with a literal mafia entourage? What is this, N*****x?!”

Her voice cracked on the last word, and she clapped a hand over her mouth, but it was too late. The bodyguards didn’t even blink. They just stood there, silent and menacing.

My mother’s lips twitched with annoyance she tried to mask as composure. “We simply wanted to ensure your safety,” she said, sidestepping Piper’s comment. “But now we see…” Her gaze flicked past me to Piper, then back. “…this is different. We understand.”

“Understand what?” I asked, crossing my arms.

“That you’re not with… anyone inappropriate,” she finished, voice strained like the words tasted bitter.

Piper snorted. “Wow. Thanks, I guess?”

Ray rolled his eyes so hard I thought he might sprain something. My father, however, cleared his throat and tried to steady the atmosphere.

“We just want you to come home,” he said firmly. “This… arrangement isn’t suitable for you. You don’t belong here, Hannah. We were wrong to not have listened to you, but it’s time to come back. Where you’re safe. Where you belong.”

Safe? With them?

“Apologize,” my mother snapped suddenly, turning to Ray.

“What?” He blinked.

“You accused your sister unfairly,” she pressed. “Apologize.”

Ray groaned like the word itself was torture. His jaw worked, his shoulders tensed, and then he muttered, “Sorry.”

It wasn’t even directed at me. He said it like he was apologizing to the floor.

I laughed under my breath, bitter and sharp and that was when Lily swooped in, as if she had been waiting for the spotlight all along.

“Ray, jeez…” she murmured, her voice dripping with gentle reproach. She stepped forward, her movements graceful, her timing perfect. Her eyes found mine, wide and glistening with fake concern. “Hannah,” she breathed, and before I could move away, her arms wrapped tight around me.

My whole body went stiff.

“We were so worried about you,” she whispered into my ear. She even trembled, as though she might cry. Pulling back, she framed my face between her manicured hands, scanning me like I was fragile glass. “How did you survive here? In this… lodge? Are you okay? Have you been eating?”

I had to bite back a bark of laughter. My sister, my fake sister, clinging to me like she hadn’t smirked evilly when I had been humiliated at the banquet.

My mouth opened, ready to spit back something sharp enough to slice through her act, but then she dropped the line that made my stomach hollow out.

“If it wasn’t for Lucas,” she said, her tone drenched in gratitude, “we wouldn’t have been able to reach you at all.”

I froze.

Lucas?

My eyes snapped over Lily’s shoulder and met Lucas Bristo, he had been watching the whole scene like a movie. The fucking arrogant jerk!