What!?

31

Iliana doesn't stop when there's a knock at her door. The knock that she hasn't heard in months. She ignores it, he's ignored her intentionally for some time. Now there's no reason for her to talk to him or any of them. She's done with this up and down shit, this hot and cold behavior. Blake refused to give her permission to leave then turns around and treats her just as bad as the others.

Connor has talked to her extensively or rather she's talked to him extensively about the brothers and how it makes her feel, the way they treat her. He has kept his words to himself but he's started hating the Hamiltons for how they are treating her. Connor made sure that Iliana was invited to the wedding and then made sure that she came. He couldn't trust any of the Hamiltons to actually bring her, not now.

Blake opens the door and stops what he was going to say when he sees Iliana packing. "What are you doing, Ili?" Blake asks her the obvious due to shock at her actions.

"What does it look like, Blake? I'm packing. I had wanted to spend my last birthday with you all, but I heard some of them talking about how they have plans tonight and won't be here. So, I'll just finish packing and leave in the morning if that is okay with you?

"I talked to my lawyer this morning, the contents of my parents will were released to me this morning. You are officially no longer my guardian." With that Iliana looks up and gives him the fakest smile he's ever seen. "You no longer have to worry about me. You can go on with your life and forget all about me, just like you and the others have been doing for the last few months. I'll give you this house or at least my portion of it. You'll need to come tomorrow to my lawyer's office to sign the paperwork I had him get ready, then you'll never have to see this parasitical leech ever again."

"You still have the voting stock in the company. I'll still see you then." Blake tries to say something that would stop this insanity that she's bringing on them all. No, that isn't right, that they brought on themselves, she's just finally tired of it all.

"I'll give you first chance to buy it. After that I'll sell it to whoever wants it. I've given you all years to prove that I'm more than just an inconvenient burden on you all. There were times when you almost had me convinced, but then the cycle kept moving on. None of you have even talked to me in months." She stops her packing and looks at Blake. "Months, Blake. You wouldn't even fucking return my texts and blocked my calls. That behavior I had come to expect from your brothers, but when you did it, I knew that there was no staying with you all, ever.

"Why are you here now? You've done all in your power to stay away from me for the last six months. Why seek me out now?"

"I came to invite you to dinner tonight. We all are going. The plans you overheard were my brothers telling their friends that they can't go to a party since they will be going to dinner with you."

"Nope. Last time we had a dinner out they all found their flavors while they ignored me. Not going to do that again. I won't be made to feel like that ever again. You forced me to stay here this last year. Wouldn't even talk about letting me leave. You really are something, Blake, when I was sixteen you were willing to move out with me to your penthouse. Yet, when I was seventeen you wouldn't even talk to me about the possibility of doing so, or of me going on my own. Since emancipation would take longer than me turning eighteen, I waited. I waited and watched and felt more and more isolated and invisible.

"If it's all the same to you, I'll stay one more night, then leave in the morning."

Blake is too thrown by this turn of events he can't think straight, but he knows that he can't let her leave. Not like this or he'll never see her again.

"Where will you go?"

"My parents owned several apartment complexes. There are several openings right now, even some of the penthouses are available. I'll move into one of them until I find something I like even more. What I do know is that I won't be staying here.

"You know, for years you and your brothers have claimed that I'm family. But anytime I was introduced you made sure and they made sure that it was clear that I wasn't a sister." Iliana takes the time to wipe the tears away that managed to flow over her eyelids. "For years I," she pauses then changes what she was going to say.

"I know you and your brothers don't care for me, not the same that I do for you, so you don't have to worry. I was in love with you, not just you but all ten of you. Stupid of me, huh? That's why it's been so hard. I've watched you for years get your flavors and knew that I would never be the one you, any of you would choose. That was bad enough, bitter enough, but then you would have me help you get your flavors or get rid of them the next day. You have no idea just how painful that was for me. How much it hurt. But what hurt the worst was when those nasty little flavors would turn and smirk at me. That whole time I would have to just take it all and suck it up. For years I had to deal with the disrespect. But I am so done with it all.

"Congratulations, Blake, you and your brothers finally convinced me that you truly don't give a shit about me and no matter how much it hurts it to leave, it will hurt me far less than if I stayed. So go tell your brothers that they won't have to go with me, they can go out to their party that they would prefer to be at. They'll never have to see me again."

"You are now to take your place on the Board of Directors for my company. You will need to take your place in high society now, Ili, we'll see you at those events at least."

Ili grunts, "You haven't heard a fucking thing I've said, Blake. Just more disrespect on top of all the rest. I'm selling my shares in the company, if not to you then whoever the fuck wants them. That will be who your new Board of Director member will be, not me. I'll be moving, so I won't be taking my place in the high society here. I don't like most of the ones I've already met. They are all bitches and you and your brothers have already slept with most of them."

Iliana takes a breath, "If that is all, Blake. I have some packing to do. The boxes I leave are to be donated, I called a company they will come, but not until after I leave. Anything that I leave other than that you can toss or hold a bonfire celebrating me finally being out of your life. I'm sure that some of them will be celebrating as soon as you tell them."

Blake stands there stunned. Just absolutely stunned. He, they never thought it would actually come to this. Connor had tried to warn him a year ago, but the warning had been lost. Just like the warning his parents had given and Ili's parents had given all those years ago.

There is one chance and one alone that he can salvage things for him and possibly his brothers, but it's a long shot.