2
1182 Words
THREE YEARS LATER
Thinly curtained, early morning sunlight streamed inside, breaking apart into a warm haze across the large sprawl of the living room inside Myles Mansion. Kimberly hummed a tune as she fixed breakfast on the table, turning often to the large glass doors that opened into the garden beyond where Carter was playing with their three-year-old son, Perri. The laughter echoed inside and kept the house warm.
She stood there for a while, observing them with a smile she could hardly hold inside. Her life was just about perfect: an adoring husband, an adorable son, a sumptuous home-a veritable fairy tale to the rest of the world. And yet, it was the moments-the fugitive, inexplicable feeling of unease that had settled into her chest.
"Mommy!" Perri's voice pierced her reverie. He came running up to her, dark curls bouncing, clutching a small flower he had picked from the garden. "Look, I got this for you!
Kimberly went on her haunches to his height, taking the flower with a dramatic gasp. "It is lovely, thank you, my sweet boy." She kissed him on his cheek and heard his giggling.
Carter went in and softly watched the greeting of interaction that met his eyes. So much love for Kimberly and Perri, yet in this lay the insidious thread of terror, one strand of guilt he would carry with him for good.
He was joined for breakfast by Carter's father, Hilary Myles. Retired but with the aura of that man who built the empire, he sat at the head of the table as his cane rested on a chair beside him while his sharp eyes regarded the family.
"Perri's going to grow fast," he said in that deep voice because he was authoritative. "He's got Myles genes, strong and sharp."
Kimberly smiled politely, pouring Hilary a cup of coffee. “He’s quite the handful,” she said, glancing at Perri, who was busy smearing syrup on his pancakes.
Hilary chuckled, but his tone shifted to one of gravity. “Carter, I’ve been thinking about the future. The company, the family, everything.”
Carter stiffened, his grip tightening around his fork. “What about it?”
“I’m revising my will,” Hilary announced bluntly. “It’s time to reward the son who has given me a legacy—a grandson. I’m planning to allocate seventy percent of my fortune to you, Carter. The rest will be split among your siblings.”
The room had silenced. Kimberly's eyes darted to Carter, who didn't even flinch. Still, she could see the tension in his jaw, the way his shoulders bristled from the cut of his father's words.
"That… that's very generous, Father," Carter finally said, firm-voiced. "Thank you."
Hilary just nodded, as if to himself. "You deserve it, boy. Perri proves it. Your elder sister has failed to give me a grandson and your brother is still not ready to settle down, so what other option do I have except giving it all to you?"
Kimberly shifted uncomfortably, feeling somehow that Hilary was between the lines persuading her. Carter reached under the table and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. She looks up at him, and he gives her an assuring smile as she falters a little.
*********
On the other side of the world, Griffin was lying in a penthouse suite, sipping champagne as he scrolled through his phone. Since Carter had handed him that fat envelope three years ago, he'd been living a life of indulgence and excess.
That is, until one notification came across his phone and froze him solid.
Breaking News: Myles Enterprises to Be Inherited by Eldest Son, Carter Myles
70% of the fortune tied to his heir, Perri Myles.
Griffin's jaw snapped shut, and his eyes slitted. "So that's how it is," he growled, slamming the glass down.
The money Carter had paid him was good, but to think his half-brother was to gain an even larger fortune through his actions made Griffin see red.
The fact that Perri existed because of him, not Carter. just gnawed at him.
He leaned back, and a slow, sinister smile crawled onto his face. "Well, big brother," he muttered to himself, "you have had your fun. It's time for me to come back and take what is rightfully mine."
---
The Myles mansion buzzed that evening. Hilary insisted on a family dinner, inviting Carter's siblings and their families to celebrate his decision. Kimberly flitted from room to room, seeing to it that all was perfect.
Carter caught up with her in the dining room. She adjusted a centerpiece as he put an arm across her waist. "You really aren't having to stress about this," he said.
"It's not stress," Kimberly said, leaning into him. "I just want everything to be perfect."
"It already is," he whispered with a gentle kiss against her temple.
She smiled up at him, but a flicker of doubt sparked in her eyes. Tonight was going to change it all.
Dinner started off smooth enough, the laughter and conversation filling the air, until Kimberly found herself relaxing and chatted with Carter's elder sister, Celyn, keeping an eye on Perri, who was being fawned upon by his aunts and uncles.
And then the doorbell rang.
Kimberly's eyes widened as she stared at the doorway mid-conversation. "Were we expecting anyone else?" she asked Carter, who shrugged equally puzzled.
The butler opened the door, and the room fell silent as Griffin stepped inside.
Impeccably attired-his suit fitted to a T-but it was that confident smirk playing on his face that drew everyone's attention. Kimberly's heart dropped.
The image wavered in her vision, the features so familiarly etched. The same one that broke her heart years ago before Carter came to pick up the pieces.
What is he doing here? Her mind yammered over itself in panic, tumbling over in her chest.
"Hello, everybody," Griffin greeted people smugly. He faced a sea of faces and landed his gaze on Kimberly. "It's been ages, hasn't it?"
She choked on the breath. In rigid shock, her icy fingers dug deep into the table for support.
"Why is he here?" Hilary finally asked, an impatient bite in his voice.
Carter sprang to his feet; puzzlement on his face now tinged with anger. "Griffin, what are you doing here?"
"I'm family, aren't I?" Griffin said easily as he further stared at Kimberly. “Just because my mom is a housekeeper doesn't mean you should cast me away, Dad. That's not fair.” He averted his attention to Hilary Myles.
Her heart ran a million miles an hour in very sudden realization that Griffin wasn't just some face grated in her memory; Griffin was actually Carter's half-brother.
Memories swirled within her head, and the room started to spin. Her throat choked, and she knew Carter's inquisitive eyes were upon her.
Kimberly's voice shook with a whispered, "You're…brothers?"
Griffin's smile extended as his head tilted sideward; a spark flickered in his eyes, mischievous. "Didn't your perfect husband ever tell you? We're closer than you think, right big brother?"
- Writer
