Chapter 1
1106 Words
“Hey! I said don’t take the call, don’t touch my phone!” Adeline shouted, sprinting across the room.
Alexander had already leaned halfway over the table, grinning with the kind of wicked mischief only a twin brother could master.
“Oh please,” he said, dragging out the words. “You scream like someone with secrets. There’s nothing in here, babe. No texts. No calls. Nothing.”
He wiggled his eyebrows, laughing like he'd just cracked the biggest joke of the century.
Adeline lunged and grabbed her phone before he reached it. “You’re insane,” she snapped.
“You’re just a broke little girl who’s too scared to admit I’m right.” Alexander flopped onto the couch dramatically.
Adeline scoffed. “And you’re an empty skull. God probably sneezed while creating your brain.”
Alexander gasped. “You’re rude.”
“I’m honest,” she shot back, flipping her hair and walking out before he could say something worse.
She shut the door behind her and leaned on it, exhaling sharply.
So annoying. So, so annoying.
She checked the time on her phone and her stomach dropped.
Her class had started.
“s**t,” she whispered, rushing into the living room.
Her laptop sat on the table, untouched. The online class link blinked at her like it was mocking her lateness. She scrambled to join, the intro music still playing in the background.
Her lecturer’s voice came through, stern and already mid-explanation.
Adeline groaned.
First week of online classes and I’m already failing at punctuality. Fantastic.
She grabbed her phone and dialed Kate. If anyone was going to scold her, it was this girl.
Kate picked on the first ring.
“Hey baby!” Kate yelled. “Why the hell did you miss my call?”
Adeline winced. She deserved that. “I know, I know. I’m sorry...”
“The class has started! You know we need to make this work. If we mess up this semester, we might not even get into college at this point.”
Adeline sighed. Kate wasn’t being dramatic—they were both trying desperately to keep their grades perfect before the final admission decisions came out.
“I’m sorry. I had to help Grandma with some things,” Adeline said softly.
Kate paused. “Oh… Okay. Just join as soon as you can. And don’t sleep in class again, I swear.”
Adeline laughed weakly. “I won’t.”
“You better not,” Kate muttered. “Okay, I’ll fill you in later.”
“Love you,” Adeline said.
“Love you more.”
The call ended.
Adeline closed her eyes for a second, willing her brain to behave and her day to restart—but that wasn’t how life worked. She opened her laptop, joined the meeting, and pretended like she hadn’t just sprinted through the house like a thief.
.......
THE GOLDEN CREW VILLA
The mansion was too quiet.
Which was always a sign something stupid was about to happen.
Isaac paused his game and looked over at Louis, who was lounging on the biggest couch like a king who’d conquered nothing except several broken hearts and a reputation for chaos.
Louis’s eyes were glued to his phone—bright and eager, like he’d just discovered gold.
“Hey, dude,” Louis said without looking up. “Bro, look at this girl. She’s hot.”
Isaac didn’t look. He’d learned his lesson.
“It’s too early in the day for your nonsense.”
“No, no, I’m serious,” Louis continued, zooming in on a photo. “Her face? Perfect. Her body? God took His time. I’m telling you, I must meet her.”
Isaac groaned. “Didn’t you finish with Becky like ten minutes ago?”
Louis shrugged, still scrolling. “That was upstairs. This is online. It’s called multitasking.”
Isaac paused his game fully. “You’re sick in the head.”
Louis grinned proudly. “Thank you.”
Isaac sighed. “You’re going to die one day because you flirted with the wrong person, and I refuse to be the one giving your eulogy.”
Louis laughed loudly. “You love me too much to let me die.”
Isaac rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath, “The screwer.”
“What was that?” Louis asked, looking up.
“Nothing,” Isaac said quickly, grabbing his controller again. “Play your game.”
The door opened then, and the atmosphere shifted.
Brian walked in.
The room straightened itself around him just by presence alone.
Tall, sharp-jawed, dressed in simple black but somehow looking more expensive than Louis’s entire wardrobe.
He didn’t need to talk.
He didn’t need to shout.
He didn’t need to lift an eyebrow.
Respect just followed him naturally.
“Villa’s noisy this morning,” Brian said quietly, grabbing a bottle of water from the counter.
Isaac pointed at Louis. “That one is the reason.”
Louis placed a hand on his chest dramatically. “Me? I’m a peaceful king.”
Brian gave him one slow, unimpressed glance.
Louis dropped the act immediately. “Okay… maybe I was a little loud.”
Brian sipped his water. “A little?”
Louis grinned.
Brian sat down, turning on the news without a word. That was the difference between them—while Isaac and Louis were arguing over games and girls, Brian was already ten steps ahead, planning, thinking, calculating.
He was quiet.
He was observant.
He was dangerous without trying.
Isaac leaned back, crossing his arms. “So what’s the plan today?”
Brian didn’t look away from the TV. “Nothing. Just letting the day be normal.”
Louis scoffed. “Normal? With us? Impossible.”
Brian didn’t deny it.
ADELINE’S HOUSE
Back in her room, Adeline was trying her best to focus on class, but her mind kept drifting.
Not to boys.
Not to romance.
Definitely not to the fact that her life felt small compared to the stories she read online.
Her mind drifted because she was tired.
Tired of online classes.
Tired of the same routine.
Tired of dreaming about university life when it still felt far away.
She wanted a new beginning.
She wanted a change.
She wanted her story to start — something different, something unpredictable, something exciting.
Less, did she know the unpredictable she's finding will come her way"
Addie, come check the food" Alexander's voice drifted her from her thoughts immediately rushing to the small space where the food was being prepared
You can't even help, it's very annoying " she murmured to herself, walking past him annoyingly
- Writer
