Stella was shipped off to a boarding school for troubled kids after her foster parents died. For the next seven years, that is where she's been, but she's back, and things are not the same as they were before.
You guys, I fucked up. You know that character, Daniel? in my forced siblings. His name was previously Davis, and I just completely forgot, so I'm going to be updating and grammar checking my past chapters, so if you see me constantly updating, that's why. Anyway, happy reading.
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Dimitri's POV:
After walking up the stairs and lying in bed, I found that sleep was not coming. I was filled with more than just anger and confusion.
The memory of my 18th birthday remains etched in my mind as if it happened yesterday. After the last guest left, my dad pulled me aside. We stood in the dimly lit corridor. He wore a tailored suit, a shade of midnight blue that brought out the subtle silver in his hair. I was more than confused when he handed me cufflinks.
I took them off my nightstand and tossed them in my hands. The rectangular face of each cufflink bore a polished onyx center, a deep black that seemed to absorb and reflect the night light coming from outside in equal measure. I thought back to what happened.
"Dimitri," he said, his voice a low rumble, "you're 18 now, a man. I want you to know how proud I am of the person you've become."
His words hung in the air, resonating in the quiet space between us. I could almost feel the weight of his expectations, mingled with genuine pride.
"I trust you with the company, Dimitri." I remembered that in the moment, the gift made more sense. "And I know that your mother and I put a lot of pressure on you. I'm sorry about that, but can I ask one thing?"
"Yeah," I said in anticipation, hanging off every word that the man said.
"Take care of your brothers, and I know you don't seem to have a particular affinity for Stella, but... at least try." I remembered grimacing and not promising anything. In that moment, the details became vivid—the scent of the cologne he always wore, the subtle creases on his forehead. I could even recall the faint strains of music lingering from the party.
Yet, as I try to recall other details from that day, they blur into the haze of memory. The faces of other party attendees, the specific gifts I received, and even the flavor of the birthday cake slipped from my grasp. Four months later, when I was getting ready to go to university, they died.
I have never heard the woman say that she was "sorry" to anybody. . I let out a sigh and rubbed my face, then closed my eyes, ready to get some rest before the sun rose.
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Jackson ended up leaving early to meet up with his girlfriend. Oliver left next, then Scott. Stella and I were home alone again. Seven days passed by, and, for lack of better words... nothing happened. I wasn't expecting anything to happen; I just wasn't expecting nothing to happen. Throughout the seven days, we hadn't really bumped into each other; she was either at her job or a friend's house, and when she was home, I just kept missing her by chance. I started to do some work as well, nothing too big, just to ease myself back into it after such a long time of 'relaxation.'
