OWNED BY THE BIKER KING

Chapter 17

After completely blindsiding their sons with their unannounced arrival, Ryder’s parents followed the trio deeper into the grand mansion. Within minutes, the vast, minimalist living room became significantly livelier than it had ever been. Luca and Drayton were uncharacteristically busy catching up with them, exchanging low murmurs, while Ryder listened quietly from his usual seat, his arms crossed tightly over his broad chest.

For the first time in a very long while, the cold, iron-clad mansion radiated genuine warmth.

Meanwhile, tucked away in the rear of the estate, Elena was completely unaware of the unexpected guests. After finishing the final dinner preparations, she wiped her hands and left the kitchen, still wearing her white cotton apron over her casual clothes. She padded with light steps toward the living room to call the brothers.

“Dinner is rea—” Her words stopped mid-sentence.

Elena froze dead in her tracks, her fingers gripping the edge of her apron. Two unfamiliar, remarkably elegant people were sitting on the main couch.

At the exact same time—Ryder’s parents froze too.

A sudden, thick silence filled the room, cutting off Drayton's laughter mid-breath.

Then, Ryder’s mother stood up from the plush leather cushion, her eyes wide with a mixture of shock and sheer delight. “Oh my goodness.”

Before anyone could react or offer a proper introduction, the elegant older woman was already standing directly in front of Elena. Her sharp, warm eyes carefully examined the young woman from head to toe, taking in her delicate features. She slowly turned to look at her three sons. Then back to Elena. Then toward her sons again.

“You boys didn’t bother to tell us there was a girl living here,” she stated, her tone a dangerous mix of maternal accusation and excitement. Nobody answered. The fierce Kane brothers suddenly looked like guilty teenagers. “And she’s absolutely beautiful, too.”

“Mom,” Ryder groaned, rubbing his temples. He already sounded profoundly exhausted.

Ignoring her son completely, the matriarch gently took Elena’s trembling hands into her own warm, manicured palms. “What’s your name, sweetheart?”

Elena’s heart hammered against her ribs, her social anxiety flaring up under the intense attention. “I’m... I’m Elena, ma’am.”

A bright, dazzling smile instantly appeared on the older woman’s face. “Elena.” She repeated the name softly, testing the weight of it. “That’s an absolutely beautiful name.”

Elena’s pale cheeks turned a bright shade of pink. “Thank you, ma’am.”

“Oh dear, she’s absolutely adorable! And you don’t have to call me ma’am, sweetheart,” Ryder’s mother chuckled warmly, squeezing her fingers. “Just call me Mom.”

Elena blinked, her brain short-circuiting. “Mom?”

“Of course, dear.”

The rest of the men in the room could only stare in paralyzed disbelief. It had barely been five minutes. Five minutes since she stepped into the room, and somehow, their mother had already legally and emotionally adopted Elena on the spot.

Without another word, Ryder’s mother happily guided a bewildered Elena toward the formal dining room, completely ignoring her husband and her three towering sons.

“Come on, sweetheart. You can sit right next to me at the head of the table.”

“Um... what about them?” Elena whispered nervously, looking back over her shoulder.

“Oh, just ignore them. They can feed themselves.”

Elena barely had time to react before being pulled away. Left behind, Ryder’s father simply shook his head, a fond but exasperated sigh escaping his lips. His wife looked far too excited—almost as if she had just personally found a long-awaited daughter-in-law.

Then again—the older man's gaze shifted sharply toward Elena’s retreating figure. Who exactly was that girl? He knew one thing for certain: there was no way she had been brought here as a casual guest. Ryder had never been particularly fond of people, especially women. At least... not since his childhood friend, Nana, had vanished.

His sharp, patriarchal gaze moved toward Ryder. Then back to Luca. Finally, his eyes landed on Drayton.

Before his father could even open his mouth to interrogate them, Drayton immediately raised both hands, pointing aggressively at himself. “Definitely not me.”

Everyone turned to look at him.

“Told you,” Drayton muttered, standing up so quickly it was almost impressive. “Go ask your favorite, brooding son.” He pointed a dramatic finger directly at Ryder. “He’s the one who brought her here from the interstate terminal.”

Noticing the darkening look in Ryder's obsidian eyes, Drayton immediately backed away toward the exit. “Nope. I am out.”

“Drayton,” Ryder rumbled warningly.

“Nope.”

“Get back here right now.”

“Nope!” A second later, Drayton turned on his heel and literally ran toward the dining room. “Mom! Wait for me! Don’t leave me here alone with them!”

Luca stood up smoothly, adjusting his tailored cuffs. He looked at Ryder with a faint, rare smirk. “Good luck, brother.” Then, he calmly followed after Drayton, remorselessly abandoning Ryder to his fate.

The living room became much quieter. Ryder’s father slowly crossed his arms, his gaze locking onto his son. Ryder already knew exactly what was coming.

“I’ll explain the whole situation later, Dad,” Ryder muttered, his jaw tight.

His father raised a single, authoritative silver eyebrow. “You certainly will.”

The grand dining room quickly filled with the clinking of silverware and lively conversation. For the first time in a long while, the hollow mansion felt truly alive. Unfortunately for Elena—most of the heavy conversation revolved entirely around her.

“So, Elena,” Ryder’s mother began, placing a gentle hand on her arm.

“Yes, Mom?” Elena replied softly.

The older woman’s smile widened at the title. “Oh, I absolutely love hearing that. Don't you dare stop calling me that.”

“Mom,” Ryder interjected, his voice sounding utterly exhausted.

Ignoring him with expert precision, she continued. “Do you often cook like this, dear? This spread is magnificent.”

“Just a little,” Elena answered humbly, ducking her head.

“A little?” The matriarch looked around the table dramatically. “Did you all hear that? She’s incredibly humble too.”

“Mom, please.”

“What?” Ryder’s mother pointed her silver fork directly toward her middle son. “Why can’t any of you boys be normal and sweet like her? Huh?”

“Excuse me?” Drayton looked profoundly offended, clutching his chest. “I am incredibly normal.”

“No,” three deep voices answered perfectly at once—Ryder, Luca, and their father.

Drayton gasped loudly. “Pure betrayal in this house.”

Luca continued eating his steak calmly, while Ryder’s father quietly hid a smile behind his glass of water.

As the lighthearted banter continued, Ryder’s father watched Elena’s movements again. The precise way she smiled when she was nervous. The soft way she laughed. Even her micro-expressions felt strangely, hauntingly familiar. For a brief moment, a long-forgotten memory surfaced in his mind.

A little girl with bright eyes, running through a sunlit field. Laughing. Smiling.

Nana...

The memory disappeared as quickly as it had come, leaving a faint ache. He slowly looked back at Elena. Why did she seem so intimately familiar?

After dinner, everyone moved back to the living room. The atmosphere remained relaxed on the surface. Ryder’s mother sat directly beside Elena, while the men occupied the nearby armchairs.

“So, Elena,” she murmured softly.

Elena looked up, offering a polite smile. “Yes, Mom?”

“Where exactly are you from, sweetheart? Where did you grow up?”

The sudden question caught Elena off guard. Her posture stiffened for a fraction of a second before she answered carefully. “I... I grew up mostly with my grandparents, Mom.”

Ryder’s mother nodded understandingly. “And your biological parents?”

Elena’s eyes dropped to her lap, her fingers twisting together. “They... they live very far away. We aren't in contact.”

“I see, dear.”

“I mostly just had my grandparents,” Elena added softly.

“Well, that explains it then. Why you turned out to be such a lovely, well-mannered girl.”

“Mom,” Ryder warned from the corner, his sharp eyes tracking Elena's discomfort.

“Don’t interrupt me, Ryder,” she snapped gently. Then, Ryder’s mother tilted her head, staring intently at Elena’s profile. “You know...”

Everyone in the room looked toward her, sensing a shift in her tone.

“You actually remind me so much of someone from our past.”

Elena blinked, her chest tightening. “Really? Who?”

The older woman smiled softly, a distant, melancholic look crossing her face. “There was a sweet little girl, years and years ago. You have the exact same rare smile as her.” She paused, her brows furrowing slightly. “Although... what was her name again?”

She turned toward her husband. “Darling, what was the name of your old friend’s daughter again? The one who used to play with our boys?”

The entire living room fell into a dead, suffocating silence.

Ryder slowly lifted his eyes, his posture turning rigid. Luca stopped his wine glass mid-air. Even Drayton froze, his smile vanishing completely. Ryder’s father slowly looked up from his cup, his expression grave.

For a few agonizing seconds, nobody dared to breathe.

Then quietly, the older man spoke.

“Nana.”

The name left his lips, vibrating through the cold air.

And for some unknown reason... the ghost of a smile on Elena’s face disappeared completely, replaced by a sudden, terrifying look of pure blankness.

To Be Continued