DON'T LEAVE
1003 Words
(Season 1)
CHAPTER 7
Three days.
LIORA had counted every hour.
She paced her room like a caged thing. Back and forth. Back and forth.
Windows locked. Door watched by *CAUIS*. No phone. No answers.
Just the echo of her own thoughts getting louder.
_What if they kidnapped me?_
_What if this is just another prison?_
_What if they’re dead? What if they got hurt because of me?_
“No, Liora. Stop,” she whispered to herself. “Why do you always think the worst?”
Because the worst always happened to her.
Her father vanished. Her nanny died. Everyone who stayed left.
Then — engines. Tires on the driveway. Voices.
She didn’t think. She ran.
She blew past Cauis on the stairs before he could even speak.
"slow down miss, you're going to hurt yourself"
These past two days she’d begged him.
“Where did they go? When are they coming back?”
And every time: “They’re fine, miss. They’re handling something important. They’ll be back soon.”
And when she tried to leave? “You’re not allowed to leave until the sirs return.”
Not allowed. Again.
She was tired of been restricted.
So when she hit the bottom of the stairs and saw them — four men, not three — she didn’t stop.
“WHERE THE HECK WERE YOU GUYS?!”
Her voice cracked. Tears were already falling.
“You brought me here and left me locked up, alone, with no word! You could’ve at least _said_ something!!”
The room went still.
ZACH. KAI. RYAN.
And a fourth man. Tall. Dark suit. Eyes that missed nothing.
They all stared. Shocked.
They’d gotten the emergency call and left at 3 AM. No time to explain.
They didn’t expect this. The yelling. The crying.
“Liora, we’re sorry, we didn’t mean—” Zach started.
She cut him off.
By throwing her arms around him.
Zach froze. Completely.
A hug. Tight. Desperate. Like if she let go he’d disappear.
“I was so scared...” she sobbed into his shirt. “I thought you guys would never come back again.”
It wasn’t just about them.
It was her dad. Her nanny. Everyone who ever touched her life and then got ripped away.
She thought saving her would get _them_ killed too. She was worried and scared that she wasn't going to see them again just like her father. Mother. And Nanny.
From the doorway, Zod watched with wide eyes.
Not at the hug. At her face.
Why is she crying?
Did something happen to her when we were away?.
“W... who is she, sir?*” he murmured to Kai.
“Liora. The girl Ryan ran over.”
Zod’s eyes blew wide. “Ran over?!”
"so why is she here?" zod asked, his eyes still fixed on Liora's face like he was trying to draw some information just by Looking at her face.
"Because we think it's right to protect her, I mean... I don't know, we just want her to stay. It has been so long since we have a little sister to protect" Kai answered. Zod raised a brow in question.
"How long have she been here?" he asked
"Well, she was out for two days and we left the house three days ago, that makes it five" Kai answered without even taking his eyes off Liora.
"Five days and you guys are this clingy" Zod teased, but just a glare from Kai shut him off immediately.
"Do you think, sir Kalen Will be happy that you brought someone here without his permission?" Kai paused for a moment. That is actually true...they hadn't thought of what kalen's reaction would be. But he immediately waved it off.
"it is not a big deal, he just have to be cool with it" Kai answered.
That was when the fourth man stepped in.
The air changed.
KALEN VEX.
He stopped. Just inside the door.
Watching.
His face was blank. As always. Controlled. Ice.
But Zod saw it.
A flicker. A crack. Shock — gone in half a second. If he hadn’t been staring, he would’ve missed it.
Even in tears and emotionally wrecked, Liora still felt it. That sudden change of air in the room. Like a powerful energy just entered the room.
“Liora, we didn’t mean to ghost you, okay?” Ryan said, voice soft. Guilty. “We’re sorry.”
“Calm down, okay?” Zach’s arms were still half-around her. “We’re back now. And we won’t leave without talking to you first. Deal?”
She nodded against him, still shaking.
“*Hey,*” Kai called gently. He had a paper bag in his hand. “We brought chocolate. Please. Forgive us. Just this once?”
He gave her the most pitiful, pleading look he owned.
Liora sniffed. Nodded. Wiped her face.
Then her expression changed.
Serious. Steady.
“I want to talk to you about something.”
The three brothers exchanged looks.
“Okay... come sit,” Zach said, guiding her to the couch.
They all sat. Waiting.
Liora took a breath. Her hands were still trembling.
“I want to go.”
Silence.
“Go?” Ryan echoed. Liora could hear the panic in Ryan's voice as he immediately squat in front of liora.
“Leave?” Kai frowned.
“Why?” Zach asked quietly.
She looked down at her hands. “Because I can’t stay here. Because if my stepmother finds me here, she’ll drag me back. And because... you don’t even know me. I shouldn’t be a problem you have to deal with.”
The words hung in the air.
Kalen hadn’t moved from the doorway.
But his eyes were on her now. Fully.
Like he was seeing her for the first time.
And for the first time in years, *Kalen Vex* didn’t know what to say.
There was something wrong about this girl's presence. Kalen's face remain expressionless and stern, but his mind was a mess with questions and confusion.
TBC
- Writer
