All Chapters of His Brother's Bride : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

~ Julian ~The Stone Global building stood high agaunst the dark sky that seemed to pour out rain. The building shows off a symbol of power and control. It had Fifty-seven floors of glass and steel marked the empire my grandfather had built, expanded by my father. Now, the weight of that legacy was shouldered by me and my mother’s complete control of the family.The elevator moved down the floors as I focused to calm my nerves.Margaret Stone only calls family members to her office when it was seiours and not for casual chats—she summoned them to question, command, or expose. Today, I was certain I had earned her ire.When the office doors opened, a familiar chill ran through me.The tall windows showed Manhattan's stunning view.She sat behind her huge desk, wearing a gray suit that look perfect on her and also matched her cold looks.“Sit,” she said, still focused on her tablet.I sat across from her—the same chair where I had spent countless hours being lectured about grades, frie

~ Julian ~I was buried in quarterly reports when Raymond knocked and told me my brother was waiting. My shoulders tightened. Adrian and I had barely spoken since our fight at the last board meeting about expanding into Asia. Our relationship had been cold for years — more competition than brotherhood.“Let him in,” I said.Adrian came in like a storm. He slammed the door instantly and paced a little in my office, breathing quickly, and his hair got messy from running his hands through it.“You son of a bitch,” he spat before I could greet him.I set my pen down slowly and kept my face even. “Hello to you too. What brings you here?”“I went to see Lily,” he said. “I went to her apartment.”My mouth went dry. “You did what?”“To confirm the rumors,” he said with a laugh that had no humour. “And guess what? They’re true.”I stood up. “You had no right—”“No right?” Adrian barked. “I had no right to confront the woman who left me at the altar? The woman who vanished without a word?”“Tha

~ Julian ~ Standing on Lily’s porch, with her on the doorway with her eyes on me and our twins at her side, I felt like someone had slammed a fist into my chest. I’d heard everything. Her confession to the children, every word of her fear, her selfishness, and the painful truth of why she kept me away. I had come here angry, ready to demand my rights as their father. But now, staring at her, all I felt was a messy mix of hurt and understanding. “Should we go inside?” I asked, my voice rough. Lily bent closer to the doorframe as it supported her while she stood. "I'm not sure it's a good idea." “Mommy,” Ethan whispered, cutting in. “You said you were going to call him tomorrow anyway. He’s here now.” The simple logic of a six-year-old. Brutally clear. Lily and I locked eyes. I saw the battle happening inside her. Then, finally, she stepped aside. “Fine. Come in.” The living room was small but warm, full of love. Toys neatly in baskets. The fridge. plastered with crayon drawing

~ Julian ~The law offices of Whitmore & Associates took up three polished floors of glass and marble, a monument to old power and money. I’d been here many times before—for mergers, negotiations, hostile takeovers—but walking through those mahogany doors today felt different. This wasn’t business. This was about my children.Charles Whitmore stood as I entered, his silver hair perfect, his suit sharp. He’d been our family attorney for fifteen years — calm, loyal, and ruthless when needed.“Julian,” he greeted, gesturing for me to sit. “Thank you for coming. We have a lot to cover before the hearing.”I sat in the chair, my jaw tight. “I can’t believe my mother filed for custody without even talking to me.”Charles opened a folder thick with documents. “Mrs. Stone believes she’s acting in the best interest of the children. Legally, she has standing as their paternal grandmother.”“She has no standing,” I snapped. “The children have a mother—a damn good one—who’s been raising them alon

~ Lily ~ We’d just got home from the park and my phone rang. I checked it. The phone had rang three times before. I was driving. The kids were seriously arguing over which movie to watch, arguing over who would hold the remote control for the night. Then their laughter filled the living room. I glanced at the screen and froze. Unknown Number. I thought about ignoring it. But as I had flashbacks of Adrian’s confrontation earlier, the stress I had passed through, I didn’t think I could handle more stress. But something told me to answer. “Ms Harper?” a woman’s calm, formal voice said. “This is Elizabeth Chen, personal assistant to Mrs Margaret Stone. Mrs Stone requests your presence at a family dinner this evening at seven. The address will follow shortly.” My mouth went dry. “I don’t think…” “Mrs Stone insists all parties involved in the upcoming custody matter attend. That includes you, Mr Julian Stone, and Mr Adrian Stone. She believes that having a face-to-face conv