The Heiress and the Four Brothers のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 1 - チャプター 10

SERA “If I die tomorrow, will you cry for me?”The question slipped from Reggie Blackwood's mouth, accompanied by a lopsided smile that did not reflect the weakness of his body. Even with a pale face and frequently interrupted breathing, the old man still carried an aura of power.Sitting opposite him, I was transfixed. My hand holding the teacup suddenly felt too heavy, and silence crept into the room like fog.“Of course I'll drink champagne with your corpse,” I said after sipping the tea, trying to cover up my anxiety with a joke. A crisp laugh escaped the 66-year-old's lips. “Good idea,” he commented. “Who else are you going to drink with anyway?”I finally let out a long sigh, feeling tired. “You're being overly dramatic, Reggie. Your health is already much better. The doctor said—”“That pretentious man just wants me to survive longer.”“That's what a doctor does, isn't it?” I did not expect there to be a tremor in my voice, even though I wanted to sound cynical.“Sera, I'm ser

SERAThis was the day Reggie had promised. Since a few hours ago, he'd actually sent four cars at different times to pick them up, the Blackwood Brothers. Betting my ass, Ace would definitely rise to the ridiculous challenge and come here in his CEO suit—err, his lawyer suit. As for the remaining three, I couldn't guarantee their arrival.And me … I couldn't say no, I probably didn't even have the courage to say no to Reggie's wishes. He's been very much a part of my life and I respect him immensely.“Is there anybody you expected to show up today?”I blinked, realizing I had been lost in my thoughts. “Wh-what?” I asked, coming back to reality and looking at Reggie. His thick book rested on his lap, his eyes behind his reading glasses looking at me attentively.“You've been... staring out the window for minutes.”I closed the window curtains. “Don't talk nonsense. I'm not interested in them.”“None?” Reggie raised one eyebrow.“Not a single one,” I insisted, then walked over to him.“W

SERAThis was my first morning as part of the “new Blackwood family”. Since their arrival yesterday late afternoon, the atmosphere in the house is much different than usual. Especially in these transitional times, almost all the house staff were mobilized to take care of the Blackwood Brothers' move.They occupied the rooms on the second floor. Ace and Beck's rooms were in the left wing, close to mine and Reggie's. Meanwhile, Cal and Damon had rooms in the right wing. I rarely set foot there other than to workout.I walked out of my room, wearing a warm gray sweater. The sound of quiet conversations and things being moved caught my attention, coming from the room closest to mine. I looked into the room whose door was slightly open. There, Beck was busy giving directions to a staff member who was arranging books on a shelf. The room looked only half tidy, with other items scattered over the bed and floor.“Morning, Beck. So busy this early in the morning?” I greeted with a smile, leanin

SERAThere was no sign of Ace and Damon returning. Reggie wasn't concerned about it, not even curious about where they were. He was even more enthusiastic about having me take a tour of the house with Beck and Cal—Reggie actually suggested I choose one of them, but for many reasons, I chose not to choose.The cold air blew softly, making the orange and gold leaves fall around the vast grounds of the Blackwood Estate. The sun shone slightly from behind the hills, creating a calm and warm atmosphere. Beck, Cal, and I walked hand in hand down the stone path to the back garden.“I bet you guys rarely get this kind of atmosphere in the hustle and bustle of your jobs.”Cal snorted with laughter, tucking his left hand in the pocket of his chinos. “I admit, I've actually forgotten what a peaceful morning feels like. Usually, I start my day running around the hospital.”“Even on weekends?” I asked curiously.“I've got stuff to do on weekends too.”I looked at him, giving him a wry smile. And h

SERADamon was nowhere to be found. He skipped dinner. Reggie finally asked about Damon's whereabouts, but I couldn't answer because I really didn't know. From there, I knew that Reggie wasn't too happy with my answer. He felt that I was ignoring Damon too much, especially considering the fact that I didn't try to find out or contact him. Geez, I don't have to know where everyone is all the time, do I?To mediate, Cal said he had texted Damon, but got no reply. I smiled at him, silently sending him a thank you.Ace also didn't escape Reggie's interrogation. This morning when I said that Reggie didn't care about Ace and Damon leaving, it turned out to be a mistake.Ace said, in his diplomatic tone, that his mother—whose name I know is Vivienne—called him for an emergency. Reggie was worried that it might be bad news, but apparently Ace could calm Reggie's worries.After a long day—I didn't expect that spending the weekend with four new people would overwhelm me like this—I decided to go