Episode 07 - Secret
1295 Words
Leona received a call from her brother, who was waiting inside the limousine parked near the campus.
“Come to us now, Leona. It’s important,” Evren said.
Leona immediately left her plate and turned to Kael.
“I’m going to the restroom,” she said.
Kael offered to follow. “I’ll come with you.”
“No it's okey,” Leona replied.
She walked off. Kael, wanting to confess his feelings, decided to follow her anyway. But he grew suspicious—the path she took wasn’t toward the restroom. It was leading out of campus.
Leona walked straight toward the limousine. Kael watched from a distance.
Naya spotted him.
“Why are you here?” she asked.
“I followed Leona. She said she was going to the restroom, but she went to the car she arrived in,” Kael replied.
Naya grew anxious, afraid Leona’s identity might be exposed. She tried to pull Kael away.
“Let’s go. Do you want her to get mad like earlier?” Naya said, clearly shaken.
Kael didn’t budge.
“Hey, you know when she arrived, I saw a man in the car. I think it's something wrong… but his face looked really familiar,” Kael said.
Inside the car
“Darian, why did you call me?” Leona asked.
“We need to go home now!” her brother replied.
“Wait, what? Why?” Leona said.
“It’s a long story. But we need to go home first,” said her brother Riven.
“Then let’s talk at home but I need to take my handbag first” Leona said
“No need. I’ll have someone fetch it,” said her eldest brother.
Back in the campus hall
Nicol the Velmonthe brothers’ personal assistant, entered the hall and approached Leona’s friend, Naya.
“Hello, Ms. Naya. I’m Nicol, assistant to Ms.Leona.”
“Yes, I know. What’s going on? Where’s Leona?” Naya asked.
“Ms. Leona is handling a matter with her brother. She asked me to retrieve her handbag,” Nicol replied.
“Oh… here it is,” Naya said, handing it over.
Nicol turned and walked away.
Kael overheard the conversation and tried to follow Nicol. But Naya blocked him.
“Don’t follow him, Kael. Stop making things difficult for me, please. If Leona gets mad, she might not speak to us again…” Naya said, furious.
Leona couldn’t help but wonder. Her brother Kaizer looked unusually serious tonight. His eyes were sharp, his tone calm—but Leona knew. When Kaizer went quiet like this, something was wrong.
“Why does he look like that? Did something happen?” she thought to herself.
She finally spoke.
“What’s going on? Did you mess up something?”
Kaizer didn’t answer right away. He kept staring out the window, as if arranging his thoughts.
“We’ll talk at home… with mom and dad. Understand?” he said firmly, but gently.
Leona fell silent. She knew when Kaizer spoke like that, something must have happened.Her heart began to feel uneasy. Why did her brothers suddenly appear?
“Have I done something wrong Kaizer?…”
Kaizer turned to her, his gaze softer now.
"Leona, can you be quiet for a moment?! I said we'd talk at home.”
Leona lowered her head. Her fingers clutched the edge of her dress. She tried to stay calm, but her heart was racing.
Outside the campus
Kael stood by the gate, watching the limousine disappear into the distance. His expression was unreadable. Naya tugged his arm, anxious.
“Kael… come on. Stop following her. Do you want Leona to get mad like earlier?”
Kael didn’t respond. His eyes were locked on the license plate.
“That plate number… I swear I’ve seen it before,” he whispered.
He pulled out his phone and quietly snapped a photo of the car before it vanished.
Naya noticed.
“Kael… what are you doing? What are you going to do with that picture?”
Kael slipped his phone back into his pocket.
“I don't know... but... I feel like there's something Leona is hiding from us.”
Naya sighed.
“Arr whatever."
During the ride home, Leona sat quietly. She glanced at each of her six brothers—Lucien, Darian, Evren, Kaizer, Riven, and Thorne. All of them looked frustrated. Their expressions were tense, their eyes distant. No one spoke. No one smiled.
Leona noticed, but she didn’t dare ask.
“Why do they look like that? What happened?” she wondered.
Kaizer had his eyes closed. Riven was busy typing something on his phone. Darian stared out the window. Lucien kept his head down. Thorne leaned back, unreadable. But Evren… Evren looked like he was holding back something fierce.
When they arrived at the Velmonthe estate—a massive house perched atop a hill, surrounded by high walls and the family crest carved into the front gates—they all stepped out of the limousine.
Leona followed slowly, her heart pounding.
Just before they entered, Evren placed a hand gently on her head.
“Leona,” he said, voice low but firm.
“I’m only going to say this once… don’t argue.”
Leona blinked. That wasn’t like him. She looked up at Evren, confused.
“Why would he say that? What am I walking into?”
They stepped into the grand living room.
Leona froze.
Waiting for her were not just her parents—Don Thalor Velmonthe and Elaria Velmonthe—but also her grandfather Dreadmour Velmonthe and grandmother Vyrelith Auren Velmonthe, the original founders of the Velmonthe empire.
Leona’s breath caught.
They rarely appeared together. And when they did… it meant something serious was happening.
Everyone’s eyes turned to her.
And Leona knew—this was no ordinary night.
Dreadmour stepped forward, standing tall with his arms crossed. Vyrelith stood beside him, her face serious and cold.
“Everyone, into the meeting room,” ordered Vyrelith, her voice loud and clear.
“Now,” added Dreadmour, his tone heavy and leaving no room for argument.
Leona’s brothers began moving, one by one, toward the large door at the end of the hallway. Don Thalor and Elaria followed slowly, their faces tense. Leona remained in place. Her feet wouldn’t move. She had never entered that room. Since childhood, it had always been forbidden.
Vyrelith turned, her sharp eyes piercing into Leona.
“LEONA VIRELLE VELMONTHE!”
Her voice echoed, startling everyone in the house. Leona flinched, her heart pounding.
“Y-Yes, Grandma…” she replied, stammering.
“Why are you standing there? Get in!”
Leona tried to speak, her voice soft.
“But Grandma… I’ve never been inside that room…”
Dreadmour spoke, his tone firmer.
“If Grandpa tells you to enter, you enter. Why are you asking so many questions? Move!”
Leona nodded quickly and ran toward the meeting room, her steps hurried and shaky. Just as the door was about to close, Dreadmour turned to his son, Don Thalor.
“Thalor, you’ve spoiled Leona so much she doesn’t even know how to follow orders!”
Thalor took a deep breath, trying to stay calm.
“Dad… it’s not like that. She’s my only daughter.”
Dreadmour shook his head slowly.
“That’s exactly why our enemies think we’re weak.”
“Close the door. We’re starting the meeting.”
The door shut tightly. Every family member took their seat at the long table in the center of the meeting room. Leona sat at the far end, still trying to calm herself.
To be continued...
- Writer
