Zephyra's POV"Do I really have to go?" I groan, burying my face deeper into the plush hotel pillows. It's two weeks later, a whole fortnight since I poured my heart and soul into those damn hotel designs. The Wright Group's in-house construction planning team finally received the finalised plans, and with a sigh of relief, I considered the project done.Lirael, in a rare display of appreciation, decided to throw an extravagant dinner tonight to celebrate everyone's hard work. "Everyone," apparently, included me. Except, I wasn't going. A strategically placed migraine – a complete fabrication, of course – had earned me a reprieve. Jovan, bless his heart, tried to strong-arm me into attending, but I held firm. The thought of facing Lirael at the award ceremony tomorrow was already enough to churn my stomach. Sitting across a table from him for hours on end tonight? Intolerable."Yes, Freya, you heard me right," I mumble, my voice muffled by the pillows. "I have to go?"Freya, eve

Zephyra's POV "Why are you doing this?" I stammer, my voice barely audible above the din of the crowded venue. Raphael meets my gaze, his expression turning serious. A dark cloud seems to flicker across his features, momentarily extinguishing the amusement that danced there a moment before. "Because at one time," he replies, his voice low and intense, "we actually were brothers." While I don't possess the full narrative of Raphael and Nathan's strained relationship with Lirael, I know it's laced with a deep, unspoken pain. Compelled by empathy, I reach out and place a comforting hand on his arm. "You'll always be brothers, Raphael," I say gently. "Don't throw that away just because things are difficult right now. You all still have each other." His gaze locks onto mine for a long moment, an unreadable emotion swirling within its depths. Then, just as abruptly as it appeared, the familiar mischievous spark reignites in his eyes. "Seems my brother is truly making a colossal mistake,"

Lirael's POVI slam into Raphael's office on after the meeting like a bull in a china shop. The mahogany door swings open with a bang, startling the receptionist who jumps and sends a flurry of papers scattering across the floor. I ignore her apologies, my gaze fixed on the picture of infuriating calm that is my brother Raphael. He's sprawled back in his plush leather chair, feet propped up on the pristine white desk as he talks animatedly into the phone. Back at Friday night, he'd disappeared into the throng of chattering guests right when I needed him most – while I was desperately trying to keep Zephyra in my sights. Then, the nerve of the guy, he'd hopped on his private jet and whisked himself away to Napa Valley for the rest of the weekend, completely unreachable. Raphael catches my dramatic entrance with a slow blink, his eyebrows arching in amusement. He throws a casual, "Hold on a sec," into the phone before hanging up with a flourish. As I stalk towards his desk, a simmering

Lirael's POVStanding on the balcony, penthouse lights casting a sterile glow, I clutch the whiskey glass, its coldness seeping into my palm. The cityscape sprawls before me, Wright Plaza a distant echo of the night Nathan delivered the news of Dad's arrest. Just like then, the lights burn bright in his office, a beacon of the relentless pursuit we share.A gnawing doubt coils in my gut. Is this the life we craved? The endless nights, the relentless climb, the hollowness that success seems to have wrought? We, the privileged sons, have everything at our fingertips, yet nothing that truly satisfies.The ice clinks against the glass as I tip it back, the whiskey burning a harsh path down my throat. I close my eyes, seeking solace, but all I find is the gaping ache that's been there since the day I turned away from Zephyra. The memory stings, a constant reminder of the life I may have had, the happiness I traded for this gilded cage.Scottie's voice interrupts my thoughts, pulling me bac

Lirael's POVI sauntered into Raphael's office and threw myself onto the plush leather couch next to Nathan. Stretching my legs out and lacing my hands together over my stomach, I arched my brows and scanned the room, taking in the tense atmosphere. Raphael sat across the coffee table from us, his face etched with an even more severe expression than usual."What's the emergency?" I inquired, a knot of unease forming in my gut. The urgency in Raphael's voice when he requested an immediate meeting had set my nerves on edge."The second I stepped foot in the office this morning," I began, recounting the events, "my PA, informed me that you needed to see me immediately."Raphael leaned forward, his elbows digging into his knees. His posture conveyed a sense of both urgency and apprehension. "Something's happened," he stated gravely. From the furrow of his brow, it was evident that the news wasn't positive.With a groan, I tipped my head back against the couch, releasing a sigh of exaspera