The Reckoning

The Cross Enterprises lobby had never been this loud.Reporters packed the marble floor in tight rows, camera rigs jutting above their heads like metal spears. Boom mics bristled along the front. Flashbulbs popped in irregular bursts as if the room itself were stuttering. Security had set up barricades and a neatly arranged bank of podiums, but tension hummed past every polished surface.On the main screen behind the podium, the Cross logo glowed in stark white. Beneath it, a simple line of text:STATEMENT ON INTERNAL SECURITY BREACH & DEFAMATION CASESAlexander stood off to the side, expression sharp and composed. Casey and Cameron flanked him, both in suits for once—though Cameron’s tie was crooked and Casey’s top button was open. Mya stood slightly back, calm and steady, a quiet anchor.Trina was behind them.She had agreed to come only after a long, fraught conversation with Mya that morning. The idea of standing anywhere near a camera again made her stomach twist. But this wasn’t

Last Updated : 2025-11-22

Double

The afternoon light poured through the Cross estate sunroom in soft gold, warming the mosaic tiles beneath Trina’s bare feet. She had paced that same ten-foot strip at least twenty times, wringing her hands, chewing the inside of her cheek, willing her nerves to settle.Mya sat curled on the couch, legs tucked under her, a cup of chamomile steaming beside her. She watched Trina with a knowing look—the kind of look only someone who had lived with her long enough to read every twitch could give.“Okay,” Mya said finally, setting her cup down. “You’re starting to wear out the grout. Sit. Talk.”Trina stopped pacing and inhaled, her hands automatically cupping her stomach. She wasn’t showing—not even close—but the gesture was instinctual now. Protective.She sat beside Mya and felt the way her heart pounded, too fast, too loud. “I have something to tell you.”Mya’s eyes softened instantly. “Is this about Adrian? Because if that man said something stupid again, I swear—”“No,” Trina said q

Last Updated : 2025-11-23

The Announcement

Dinner at the Cross estate had a ritualistic comfort to it—always loud, always warm, and always slightly chaotic in the most endearing way. The dining room lights glowed soft gold across the long table, catching on crystal glasses and polished silverware. Outside the tall windows, the estate grounds stretched into evening shadows, peaceful and untouched.Tonight felt different—charged with a quiet, shimmering excitement only two people at the table understood.Mya and Trina sat beside each other, exchanging small, nervous glances as the brothers filled the room with noise. Alexander read through some emails between bites of steak. Casey reenacted a near brawl at the gym using only his fork and a dinner roll. Cameron kept taking overly dramatic photos of his meal “for artistic reasons.” Adrian, ever the observer, watched his siblings with a blend of exasperation and affection.Mya nudged Trina under the table. Ready?Trina swallowed hard, her eyes bright with nerves. As I’ll ever be.A

Last Updated : 2025-11-24

Restoration

The garden paths behind the Cross estate glowed in the low embrace of evening.Lanterns set along the stone walkways cast soft circles of light that bled into the deepening blue, nudging back the dark without quite erasing it. The air smelled like damp earth and roses, with a faint undercurrent of pine from the trees that ringed the property.Dinner had finally wound down; Casey had gone inside still arguing about the superior stroller brand, Cameron was probably already planning a ballad about unclehood, and Alexander had retreated to his office under the guise of emails but with eyes that had gone softer than anyone would dare mention.Trina and Adrian slipped out the back doors quietly, the warmth of the house at their backs.For a few moments, they walked without speaking. Gravel crunched softly underfoot. Crickets tuned up somewhere off in the hedges. The wide lawn stretched out ahead, disappearing into the shadows of trees and the reflective stillness of the pond.Trina wrapped

Last Updated : 2025-11-25

Part Three: Cameron's Story

Cameron Cross didn’t usually write in public spaces.Studios were easier—soundproofed, temperature-controlled, stocked with guitars and keyboards and everything he needed to coax lyrics into existence. But lately, everything he wrote came out polished, predictable, shaped for what people expected from a Cross brother. He needed something raw again. Human. A melody that didn’t care about chart positions.So he put on a hoodie, sunglasses despite the overcast sky, and slipped into Eastside Brew, a downtown café that smelled like burnt espresso and freshly baked cinnamon bread.The first thing he noticed wasn’t the music playing through the speakers or the line of half-awake customers.It was her.Jayla Hale moved behind the counter with weary precision, like someone who had learned that efficiency was safer than speed. Her apron was dusted with flour and a faint coffee stain curved near her hip. She didn’t smile unless someone earned it, and most didn’t. She slid cups across the counter

Last Updated : 2025-11-26

Eastside Brew

Cameron had already made it halfway down the street when he realized something vital was missing—the familiar weight of keys in his pocket. He patted his coat, checked his jeans, then exhaled with a rueful smile.He’d left them on the table.He could call a driver. He could call security. He could walk back to the penthouse and let someone retrieve the car later.But instead, he turned around and walked right back into Eastside Brew.The bell above the door chimed again. The café was quieter now, mid-shift lull, the din softened to the clink of mugs and the hiss of steaming milk.Jayla stood at the corner prepping orders, her motions efficient, almost too controlled—as if mistakes cost more than embarrassment.Cameron spotted his keys sitting exactly where he’d left them, the metal glinting under the dim café lights.He moved toward the table at the same time Jayla turned with a fresh cup of coffee in hand.She didn’t see him.He didn’t move aside fast enough.And they collided.Coffe

Last Updated : 2025-11-27