Desired by Two brothers

Chapter 6 Happy Birthday

I felt like a beetle flipped onto its back by Dylan with my wings pinned down, struggling helplessly under the weight of my own body. Every time I moved, he just laughed at me.

I shut my eyes, trying to block him out. I raised my arm to shield my face and block his view too.

But the silence stretched on long enough to make me uneasy. If it weren't for the sound of his breath, which was fast and shallow, I might've thought he'd left.

I couldn't resist, though. I peeked through the crack between my arm and my face.

I noticed his face was so red, but I had no idea why.

I followed his gaze and then realized with horror that the tie on my nightgown had come undone at some point, leaving the top half of my chest exposed.

Oh no... I scrambled to sit up, grabbed the blanket to cover myself, and shouted at Dylan, "Get out!"

"Okay, uh... sorry. Goodnight," Dylan stammered, backing away in a hurry. He shut the door, and I heard the click of the lock.

I ran to the door, banging on it. "What are you doing? Let me out!"

"Just go to sleep. I'll let you out tomorrow," he said to me.

Then I heard his footsteps fading in the corridor, and I knew he was gone.

"Oh my goodness..." I whispered to myself, collapsing back onto the bed, feeling like my brain was about to explode from all the shock. I couldn't even begin to imagine what it would be like when everyone else found me here.

But this room was so comfortable. It was dry and cozy, and the air smelled so sweet.

I slowly sank into the soft blanket, the silk wrapping around me like a warm hug. It reminded me of better times.

The memories hit me hard, and I couldn't sleep. I wiped away my tears with the sleeve of my nightgown, trying to force myself to think about something happy. But whenever I let my guard down, the feeling of Dylan's touch on my skin would remind me of what had just happened.

And his last look... That strange, unfamiliar way he stared at me made it hard for me to breathe. I shut my eyes again, hoping to block it out, but it just wouldn't go away.

I started to imagine Declan's face and quietly comforted myself, wondering if things hadn't changed, would I hold hands with him, hug him, and even kiss him tonight?

Just then, Dylan's words echoed in my mind. I couldn't help but think, 'Would Declan really sleep with maids? And who would it be?'

The maid uniforms at the house were so old-fashioned. I imagined myself walking into Declan's room, wearing the same black dress and white apron, just like the others. I could see him sitting there and reading, but his eyes—hidden behind those glasses—would be watching me, intense and full of longing.

I'd make his bed, and then he'd lift my skirt from behind, his hands wandering over my bare legs.

My body betrayed my greed. When the pleasure passed, though, I felt empty and confused.

How would I ever face Declan again after that?

The whole night, I tossed and turned, with thoughts spinning in my head. When the sky began to lighten, I opened my eyes. I got up and tiptoed to the bathroom for a quick shower, then tidied up the guest room. I kept hoping Dylan wouldn't oversleep and forget to let me out because there would be a test at school today.

The thought of the test snapped me out of my fog. If I couldn't even handle school, if I didn't graduate, I'd be stuck here, working for the Adams family forever.

'No way. That couldn't happen,' I warned myself.

I stared at the locked door, already imagining the worst-case scenario—Dylan would forget about this prank or pretend he had no idea where I was. Lucy hadn't found me in the attic, so she'd think I'd gone to school and give up looking for me. Lena would probably assume I was just some lazy good-for-nothing who liked to sleep in.

Maybe they'd all remember me eventually, and then they'd come here to find me. And what would they discover? Nora, the maid, had the nerve to sleep in the guest room.

Thinking of the possibilities, I knew I couldn't stay here anymore.

But the door was still locked.

I was frustrated, and I imagined myself as one of those prisoners in movies, leaning my back against the door.

The door swayed lightly with my movement, and I noticed that it didn't feel as tightly locked as it had last night. I thought perhaps someone had opened it. I felt a surge of hope rising in my chest. I pressed my hand on the handle and pushed down.

With a soft click, the door creaked open!

I froze in shock and quickly glanced around the guest room to make sure everything was put back in its original state.

No surprises—everything was perfect.

But I had a lot of questions in my mind. Who unlocked the door? Could it have been Dylan? But why? Didn't he leave yesterday?

'Oh, don't overthink it. The door's open, and that's all that matters,' I told myself.

I exhaled, feeling a rush of relief, and with the stealth of a thief, I pushed the door just wide enough to slip through. I tiptoed back to my little room and gently eased the door open.

Ugh... The smell inside was still awful.

I was too drained to even feel annoyed anymore, but as I glanced around the tiny room, something caught my eye.

A small, dark red box was placed on my pillow.

Curious, I walked over and picked it up. The color of the box wasn't uniform—some parts were darker, some lighter, almost like dried-up water stains. The surface also had a few little dents, as if something hard had poked it, but overall, the box seemed intact.

"Did you survive a world war or something?" I muttered to myself, giving it a little shake. I could hear something rattling inside.

"What is this?" I kept my voice steady, but inside, I was already trembling with anticipation. I felt like I was playing some prank game, though it was hard to hide my grin.

I couldn't help but entertain a wild guess.

Praying it was true, I carefully untied the fine satin ribbon and slowly lifted the lid of the box.

When I saw what was inside, I nearly gasped and had to cover my mouth to keep quiet.

It was a sparkling necklace with a butterfly pendant, along with a card.

The card read: To Nora, happy 16th birthday.