It was a sinner's suicide for anyone to work at Coopers Incorporation. It was no surprise that people aimed to stray far from the Devil known as Mr Elijah Cooper.
Cold, demanding, and rough, he ruled over everything with an iron grip and a calculati...
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Elian's P.O.V
Two Years Ago
“We have to kill him first, or he’ll do something we can’t undo,” Elijah said, his voice low but firm.
Same conversation. Same urgency. Same damn headache.
I exhaled sharply, leaning back against the wall. “Eli, sit down for once. You’re acting like he’s some unstoppable force. He’s reckless, not invincible.”
Elijah didn’t budge. His jaw was clenched, his dark eyes burning with something between frustration and exhaustion. He was right, though. We had to act fast. We should have ended this a long time ago, but Elijah had decided to be merciful. A mistake.
“You don’t get it, Elian,” he snapped. “You’re not even part of this anymore. That was your choice.”
I bit back a bitter laugh. He had no idea, did he? No clue why I left, why I had to walk away from everything—for him. He thought I just quit. Like I’d ever do that. He was always the smart one, the one Mom and Dad put their faith in. Me? I was the backup. The disappointment. The troublemaker.
But that never changed the fact that we were brothers. That I’d do anything for him.
Elijah ran a hand through his hair, shoulders tense. He was under pressure, more than usual.
“What about the girl?” I asked. “Does she know anything?”
Elijah’s expression darkened. “We have to keep her safe. She’s the only key to stopping him.”
That made me pause. “Wait… she’s the daughter? Why the hell didn’t I know that?”
A smirk crossed his face. “Maybe if you actually talked to Gabriela, you’d know more.”
I rolled my eyes. Typical. “Gab has nothing to do with this. And you? Giving relationship advice? That’s rich.”
His smirk faltered for a second. I knew why. Anna. The one girl who saw something in him, who loved him in a way he never could return. Now she was just a name, a regret buried under the weight of everything else.
“Forget it,” I muttered. “Let’s focus on the real problem. Why the hell is Ben still alive?”
Elijah’s expression hardened. “Because we need him. He’s our scapegoat.”
I clenched my fists, swallowing the anger burning in my chest. Ben was the reason Candice was gone. The reason I had to wake up every morning with a weight I couldn’t shake. I wanted to make him suffer. To watch the light leave his eyes the way it had left hers.
“When this is over,” I said, voice like steel, “I’ll handle him myself.”
Elijah nodded. We both knew what that meant.
“But did you know Ben is Nora Jones’ cousin?” he added casually. “Funny, isn’t it?”
I scoffed. “Not really. If she tries to come after us, I’ll deal with her.”
Elijah just smirked. “So ruthless. But brothers don’t turn on each other, right?” His voice was teasing, but I could hear the challenge beneath it.
I snorted. “Please. You’d be dead without me.”
His smirk turned into a rare laugh, and for a second, the weight in the room lifted. Just a little.
“So what’s the plan? How do I help?” I asked.
His eyes gleamed with something dangerous. That was never a good sign.
“Don’t tell me you’re planning to kidnap her and lock her up somewhere,” I said flatly.
Elijah raised an eyebrow. “What do you take me for?”
I gave him a look.
“Fine,” he muttered. “Not exactly. And I have no interest in that weak, dumb girl.”
I didn’t believe him for a second. Whoever she was, she was about to be thrown into a world she wouldn’t escape from.
“If you want to help, do exactly what I say,” Elijah said.
I sighed. “Always.”
I grabbed a beer bottle, holding it up between us.
“What?” he asked, unimpressed.
“Cheers,” I said dryly. “To your horrible, but probably effective, plan.”
Elijah rolled his eyes but took the glass I handed him, giving me his usual ‘I’m better than you’ look.
“You know,” I said after a beat, “back when I was at my lowest, when I didn’t want to be here anymore, you told me something. *You haven’t lost me. I’ll always have your back.* That saved me, you know.”
Elijah’s expression darkened. “I didn’t come up with that, Elian.”
I frowned. “What?”
“It was Mom.” His voice was flat, detached. “She told me to say that. Because she knew the only reason you’d listen was if I said it.”
Something in my chest twisted.
Elijah glanced away, his fingers twitching. Maybe a part of him regretted saying it. Maybe, for a second, he almost wished it had been his own words.
Then—without warning—he threw the glass against the wall. It shattered into a hundred tiny shards.
I sighed, rubbing my temple. “Was that really necessary?”
“I don’t want to be your idol, Elian. Grow up.” His voice was sharp, but there was something raw underneath it.
I studied him for a moment. “I should go,” I muttered. “If you need me, you know where to find me.”
Before he could respond, there was a loud, frantic knock at the door.
Elijah tensed. I shot him a look before pulling the door open.
Jeremy stood there, pale and breathless.
“I have bad news,” he said between sharp inhales. “Lucas is dead. They killed him.”
