HEART BOUND

TO THE ORPHANAGE?!!

(Season 1)

CHAPTER 37

Mrs. Brown's face froze in a mask of shock when she heard the news of what had happened at the warehouse, her eyes widening like a puppet's whose strings had been yanked.

"No... no, that's not possible," she whispered, the words tumbling out like a plea. Her hands, manicured and grasping, hovered over her mouth, as if to catch the news and shove it back out of existence. The room seemed to spin – all her plans, hinging on Liora's fortune, evaporating like mist. A strangled gasp escaped her lips, followed by a grotesque parody of grief.

"Oh, poor Liora... poor dear." Her mind screamed one thing: Gone. The money's gone.

The mask slipped, and for a fleeting instant, Mrs. Brown's face contorted in a snarl of disbelief and fury. Then, like a switch flipped, she recomposed herself, forcing tears to well up in her eyes.

"This is... tragic. So sudden." Her voice trembled, calculated to convey shock and sorrow. Inside, panic clawed at her – the inheritance she'd schemed for, Liora's wealth she'd counted on to fix her own crumbling life, was vanishing like sand between fingers. "What... what happens now?" she asked, the question laced with desperation, her eyes darting, searching for a new angle.

Zach who found it right to inform Mrs brown about her step daughter's passing, watched Mrs. Brown's performance with eyes narrowed like a knife's edge. The fake tears, the overdone sobs, he saw right through it. A sour taste filled his mouth. This woman had cared about Liora's money, not Liora. The air was thick with Zach 's skepticism as Mrs. Brown pretended to grieve, he was trying so hard not to lose his cool. His gaze lingered on the older woman, a silent accusation hanging in the air: You don't fool me. Cauis who had accompanied Zach stared at her in disgust, his expression was a cold mask, a stark contrast to Mrs. Brown's frantic theatrics. They leaned back, arms crossed, their silence saying more than words ever could.

To escape the accusing eyes Mrs brown had to come up with something to distract every one from having the luxury of even questioning her love for liora.

"she trusted you and your brothers...... My poor baby!!! My sweet girl think that you are a God to her, but you failed to protect my child" she yelled, her fake tears spilling at her own command.

Mrs. Brown's words hit Zach like a slap, his expression cracking open in shock. The accusation landed hard – you failed Liora. A flicker of guilt ignited in his eyes, followed swiftly by anger. His jaw clenched, teeth grinding as he fought to keep his response in check. The room seemed to narrow, everyone waiting for Zach's reaction. Caius's eyes widened slightly, a silent oh escaping his lips. Mrs. Brown sensed blood and leaned in, her voice a venomous whisper:

"Liora trusted you." Zach's hands curled into fists, his voice low and rough.

"Shut up."The words hung in the air, heavy with warning. Zach's eyes flashed, a storm brewing in them – he'd taken the bait, and now he was furious. Mrs. Brown leaned back, a sly satisfaction flickering across her face, quickly masked. Caius stepped forward, putting himself between Zach and the older woman, he was afraid Zach would do something he would regret. This wasn't the plan, he couldn't let Zach ruin it. "Enough.... Boss please not here "He said, voice firm, but pleading at the same time. The tension crackled, Zach's chest heaved, then he turned away, the movement abrupt. Mrs. Brown smiled inwardly – she'd gotten him off balance.

Cauis's eyes followed Zach, concern etched on his face. He turned back to Mrs. Brown, his calm, but was a retrained anger raging with in him.

"I apologize for that, Mrs brown..... We will be on our way ." Mrs. Brown's face hardened – she'd played her cards, gotten a reaction, but scored nothing tangible. She rose, smoothing her dress, a cold glare lingering on Zach's guard, caius before she turned to leave and she slipped back to her fake agonizing crying act immediately. Caius had his back turned, his fists clenched, before walking away.

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A DAY AFTER.....

A drizzly afternoon, the sky weeping grey tears as mourners huddled under umbrellas. The small churchyard was a blur of black and navy, the crowd sparse but somber. Kalen's and Liora's casket, adorned with wilted flowers, sank slowly into the damp earth. Their bodies were not found but Zach and the others decided to do something, to at least respect the dead. Mrs. Brown, composed in designer black, clenched Jae's hand tight.

A few rows back, Zach, Kai, and Ryan huddled together, their tall frames awkward under a shared umbrella. Zach's jaw was clenched, his eyes fixed on the casket like he could will it back up. Kai's arm was slung over Ryan's shoulders, his expression unreadable. Ryan, the youngest, looked lost, his eyes red-rimmed. When the casket hit the bottom, Zach's shoulders tensed – a muscle twitched in his jaw. The trio didn't move till the crowd began to disperse. No one spoke much. There wasn't much to say. The earth swallowed the casket. Rain whispered secrets to the grass.

Stood apart from every one was a figure, rain dripping off his face, his gaze fixed on the empty grave..... His eyes fixed on Liora's grave. His presence was silent not noticeable by any one at all.

As the mourners turned to leave, the Brown family lingered, Mrs. Brown's face a mask of grief – or perhaps calculation. Jae, stood beside her mother avoiding the intense stare she was getting from Rhine and the others.

Zach's eyes met the man in the shadow briefly, a flicker of what now? passing between them. Kai's gaze was harder to read, fixed on the grave like he was memorizing it. Ryan looked like he might cry again.

The brothers drifted together, joining the shadow at the edge of the grave when everyone had left, leaving just the brothers.

"You okay ?" Rhine asked, her voice low and her eyes on Zach. Zach shrugged, a tight movement. Kai answered for him.

"We're fine." Ryan just shook his head, eyes down.

"is this really.... over?" his voice low with a little crack.

"This is just the beginning" Zach said with firmness. A deep silence sink in after Zach's words, leavin them standing there, letting the rain soak them, the silence thick with things unsaid.

"You know what to do tomorrow right?.... You have to do this for Liora" the man's jaw clenched, a tiny nod. They all exchanged a look – a look that said this wasn't over, not yet. It will only be over when Michael and everyone involved in this are off the surface of the earth. The rain seemed to fall harder, like it was trying to drown out the unspoken.... Vow.

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The next day came with brightness for Mrs brown because she talked to the lawyer and Liora's wealth will be transferred. She got all the papers, though not signed by liora but it was okay because they was no one to stop her now. She had waited for so long to get what she worked so hard for.

Mrs. Brown's smile froze, then shattered like dropped glass as the lawyer's words hit her:

"the entirety of Liora's estate goes to the orphanage." Her face went slack, eyes bulging in disbelief. A strangled sound escaped her throat, quickly turned into a cough.

"There... there must be a mistake." Her voice was a croak. The lawyer's expression remained impassive, handing her a copy of the will. Mrs. Brown's hands shook as she took it, her mind screaming no, no, no. Her gaze scanned the document, reality crashing in – she'd schemed, manipulated, and Liora had left it all to charity.

The room seemed to spin. Mrs. Brown's breath came short, her chest tightening like a vise.

"This can't be right," she repeated, her voice rising, a hysterical edge creeping in. The lawyer's voice was a monotone drone, explaining clauses and contingencies, but Mrs. Brown wasn't listening. Her mind was a wildfire – the orphanage, those useless kids, getting it all.

TBC