CHAPTER 003
1001 Words
CHAPTER 003
EMMA'S POINT OF VIEW
It was quieter than usual on the estate, but not in a peaceful way. It was like the kind of quiet that had never made my skin crawl because the walls were listening, waiting for something to happen. I’d only been here a few days, and I was already in too deep.
I padded my footsteps down one of the long hallways, silent on the thick rugs. I’d pass a staff member every so often—maids, guards, people who didn’t make eye contact and vanished as soon as they appeared. I didn’t blame them for not speaking to me. I was a stranger here, just as out of place as the cheap sweater I’d brought with me, which now sat at the back of a wardrobe full of designer clothes I hadn’t dared to touch.
That night at dinner I squeezed my frame into the far end of the long dining table and tried to disappear into the background. At the head sat Logan, his presence demanding even when he wasn’t speaking. He didn’t look at me. Not once.
The hallway was dim, the chandelier shining a dull light on the pine and polished silver. More utensils were set on the table than I was sure I knew what to do with, and the air was still scented with roasted meat and spices.
The food wasn’t what had my attention, though.
The man sitting across from me was it.
Derek Hayes.
Logan’s half-brother.
Derek was everything Logan wasn’t: calm, collected, Logan was loud, brash and altogether sharp. His smirk was cocky, there was mischief and something dark in his eyes. In his chair, drink in hand, he turned around, watching Logan like a predator studying its prey.
Derek’s voice cut through the silence. “So.” “This is the girl?”
My fork was halfway to my mouth, and I froze.
Logan didn’t look at me. He didn’t even flinch. He said, his tone bored, “Emma.” “Derek. Derek, Emma.”
Derek laughed, his eyes flicking to me. “Charming introduction.” “Emma, how is it to be Logan’s little… project?”
My cheeks burned. I didn’t know what to say. Derek’s words were like weights, thick and biting; everyone was staring at me — Logan, Derek, and the guards at the edges of the room, staring silently.
Derek caught Logan's sharp gaze turning towards him. “Enough.”
His grin got wider, and Derek raised his hands in mock surrender. “Relax, brother. “I’m just trying to get to know her,” I said.
Logan didn’t respond. He didn’t have to. Their tension was thick, like a pulled too tight string, waiting to snap.
I put my fork down, I had no appetite.
Derek leaned forward now, his eyes still on me, “You know, it’s funny.” Logan doesn’t normally let people into his world. He’s more of a lone wolf. Aren’t you, Logan?”
Logan’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t bite.
Derek’s smile didn’t falter. If anything, it grew sharper. “But you… you’re different. I can see why he picked you. Pretty. Quiet. He doesn’t ask too many questions.”
Logan said, his voice low and dangerous, “Derek.”
“What?” Sitting back in his chair again, Derek said innocently. “I’m just saying. She’s a good fit for you.” He took a sip of his drink, not taking his eyes off of mine. “Emma, but do you know what you’re really getting yourself into?”
My hands clenched in my lap. I didn’t know what to say to that. Did I know? Not really. Not fully.
Logan said, his tone final, “She knows enough.”
Derek’s laugh was cold, and it echoed off the walls. “Oh, I doubt that.”
The rest of dinner was passed in tense silence. Logan and I barely touched our food. However, Derek seemed to love every bite, not changing his smirk.
Logan stood abruptly after that, his chair scraping against the floor. “Emma, a word.”
I followed him out of the dining room, my heart pounding. He didn’t say anything as he led me down another long hallway, his steps quick and purposeful. My mind started to race, I struggled to keep up.
We got to his office and he opened the door and motioned for me to come in.
It was dark in the room, the only light coming from a lamp on the desk. The air was faintly thin with leather and whiskey, and the walls were filled with bookshelves.
Logan closed the door behind us and turned to me.
He said, his voice calm but firm, “Don’t listen to Derek.” “He likes to stir the pot. That’s all.”
“Why does he hate you?” Before I could stop myself, I blurted out.
Something flickered in Logan’s eyes, something I couldn’t quite read, but his expression didn’t change.
After a moment, he said, “It’s complicated.” “Family always is.”
I wanted to ask about everything else, to get him to answer me, but the look in his face told me not to.
“And what about me?” I asked, my voice softer now. “Am I… part of this family?”
His eyes locked on mine, Logan stepped closer. The air between us was charged, and I couldn’t breathe.
He said, his voice low, “You’re here because I need you.” “Not because of love. Not because of family. Remember that.”
His words stung, but I nodded anyway. I didn’t know what else to do.
He turned away, saying, “Good.” “Go get some rest. Tomorrow will be busy.”
I walked out of the office more confused than ever. Derek’s smirking warnings mixed with Logan’s words in my mind.
What was I doing here?
How much more could I take before I broke?
- Writer
