Claimed By Three Brothers

Chapter 4

Isabella was in total issues. She kept grabbing her phone, only to set it back down repeatedly. Should she give the animal shelters another ring about Mr. Snuggles? Or should she just go for it and reach out to one of the Thorne brothers to discuss... well, everything else happening in her life?

She had been staring at her phone for what felt like ages, her finger just hovering over the screen. With a frustrated sigh, she tossed it onto her desk and leaned back in her chair. The AC buzzed softly in the background, filling the otherwise quiet office with its hum. She shut her eyes, trying to clear her mind, but it was no use. Everything felt overwhelming right now.

Mr. Snuggles had been missing for days. Her fluffy orange buddy, who had been her sidekick through thick and thin, was out there somewhere. Or worse... No, she couldn’t let herself think like that. He had to be okay. He just had to be.

And then there were the Thorne brothers. Asher, Zane, and Liam. Sure, they were her bosses, but there was something more to it. Something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Lately, they’d been acting weird, exchanging intense glances and whispering conversations that fell silent the moment she entered the room. It was driving her nuts.

Meanwhile, in Asher's office, tensions were rising. He was pacing back and forth, his fancy shoes clicking nervously on the polished floor. Normally, he was the picture of calm - that was his reputation - but right now, he was starting to unravel. He ran a hand through his perfectly styled hair, messing it up in a way that would have made him cringe on any other day.

"We need to take action," he said with a fierce look at his brothers. "Isabella's in trouble, and it's up to us. We can't just sit around acting like everything's okay."

Zane was propped up against Asher's desk, arms crossed. He looked more put together now, ditching that 'just woke up' vibe he had earlier. But even with a better appearance, the concern in his eyes was hard to miss. "We can't say for sure," he replied, though his tone was less assured than usual. "Maybe we're just being paranoid."

Liam, leaning against the window with his arms crossed over his broad chest, scoffed. It was a harsh sound. "Seriously, Zane? Don't be ridiculous. Those threats and those photos? They’re all tied to us and our family. It's all circling back to haunt us, and you know it."

Asher paused his pacing, locking eyes with his brothers. "We look out for our own," he said, his voice low and intense. "No matter what it takes. You both understand that."

The room went quiet for a moment. The brothers exchanged glances, and it felt like they were all processing a lot of unspoken thoughts. Their business was more than just gold, and they all recognized that. There were darker secrets lurking beneath the surface, and if anyone discovered them, it could destroy everything they had worked for.

"What about Isabella?" Zane asked, his tone gentler now. "Should we fill her in on what's really happening?"

Asher's jaw tightened, and he shook his head decisively. "No way. The less she knows, the better. We need to keep her out of this as much as we can."

Liam turned away from the window, frustration etched on his face. "Come on, Asher, that's ridiculous. Keeping her in the dark is just asking for trouble. She deserves to know who's after her and why."

Asher squared his shoulders, matching Liam's intensity. "And what exactly is she facing, Liam? Us? Our enemies? All the secrets we've been trying to hide for years.?" He shook his head more forcefully this time. "We’re not pulling her into this chaos. Not now. Not ever."

Zane, the peacemaker of the group, stepped in between his brothers. "Look, we all care about her. That’s obvious. But we need to think this through. If we spill everything, we risk losing her that way. But if we keep quiet, we could lose her in another way."

The room fell silent, the tension thick enough to slice through. Finally, Asher exhaled deeply, his resolve wavering slightly. "Alright. We’ll tell her what she needs to know. Nothing extra. And from now on, one of us will be with her at all times. No exceptions."

Liam and Zane nodded, though the air still buzzed with unresolved tension.

Meanwhile, Isabella sat at her desk, staring blankly at her computer screen, her fingers mindlessly tapping the keyboard. She couldn’t focus. No matter how hard she tried to bury herself in emails or reports, her thoughts kept drifting. The strange behavior of the Thorne brothers lately, the threatening letters tucked away in her desk, and of course, poor Mr. Snuggles. Each hour that passed without news from the shelters made her heart feel heavier.

She glanced at the clock on her computer. Lunchtime was approaching, but she couldn’t find any excitement for food. Her stomach was in knots, a constant reminder of the stress weighing her down.

The sudden ping from her computer startled her. A calendar alert flashed on her screen—lunch with Liam and Zane. Just thinking about it made her stomach churn. They had been so pushy about this lunch, almost insisting she show up. Deep down, she sensed this wasn’t just going to be a laid-back, friendly get-together.

With a deep breath, she got up, adjusting her skirt as if that would calm her nerves.

As she collected her belongings and headed toward the elevator, an unsettling feeling crept over her, like she was being watched. Every time she glanced up, one of the brothers seemed to be lurking nearby. Asher was peering down from his office, his face a total mystery. Liam kept popping up in the hallway, always with some lame excuse about needing to grab something from one room or another. And Zane? He was hanging out in the break room, nursing a cup of coffee that was probably ice cold by now. He shot her a half-hearted smile as she passed, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

It was all starting to feel like a strange performance, with her as the main act and the Thorne brothers orbiting her like planets. But why? What was happening that had them all so tense?

The elevator chimed softly, snapping her back to reality. As the doors opened, she found herself standing right in front of Liam and Zane. They didn’t say a word as they stepped in beside her, almost like they were guarding her. The atmosphere in the cramped space was thick with unexplainable tension.

This wasn’t like them at all. Usually, Liam would be cracking jokes or teasing her about something silly. And Zane would be trying to keep things light, rolling his eyes at his brother’s antics while stifling a grin. But today? Just silence.

She stole a glance at Zane, who offered her another tight smile before leaning against the wall. Everything felt off like she had entered a parallel universe where everything looked familiar but felt entirely different.

The elevator ride dragged on, even though it was just a few floors. By the time they reached ground level, Isabella felt like her nerves were completely shot. Her palms were sweaty, and she had to fight the urge to wipe them on her skirt.