Chapter 5
In the CEO’s office at Vanderbilt Group, the atmosphere was thick, the air heavy with tension. The pressure hung like a store cloud, threatening to
burst at any moment.
Dommick, standing by his desk, slammed a thick stack of papers onto the floor with an almost violent force
His secretary, visibly shrinking from the anger emanating from him, quickly bent to pick up the scattered papers, her hands trembling slightly as she did so.
“I’ll go speak to Mr. Parker right away and have his team redo it she stammered, rast daring to linger any longer. The moment she straightened, she bolted from the room, her footsteps hurried and framic
Julian Hale, Dominick’s assistant, closed the offer door behind the secretary with a quiet click, his eyes lingering on the tall, imposing figure of Dominick standing near the floor–to–ceiling windows.
Dominicks posture was rigid, his brow furrowed in annoyance, and the weight of his frustration seemed to settle in the room like a dense log
Julian sighed, leaning against the doorframe, “Mr. Vanderbah,” he began with a knowing look, “this is the sixteenth proposal you’ve thrown away today. Sixteen. Not one of them has caught your eye?”
Dominick tugged irritalsty at his tie, his expression darkening. “What’s your point” This voice was sharp, but julian wasn’t intimidated,
Julian’s eyes flickered briefly before he spoke again, his voice lowering slightly, “Is it her return that is affecting you?”
“Paisley has no effect on me,” Dominick snapped, his tone a little tamoqquick, ton defensive
Julian’s lips quirked slightly as he took a slow step forward, unfazed “Ichidn’t say it was Paisley,” he murmured.
Dominick fraze for a moment, his eyes narrowing as he caught the glint of amusement or perhaps something deeper in Julian’s gaze
After a beat of silence, Dominick turned away his frustration boiling over as he yanked the te from amund his neck and tossed it rarelessly aside. “You got something to say, or you just want to keep playing games?
Julian straightened, his demeanor becoming more businesslike. “Actually, I do have something so say” he said, his voice lower now, tinged with a
certain level of authority. Tve followed your orders. I’ve applied pressure on the investors. Ms. Sullivan is officially the lead for that series,
Dominick’s expression shifted, his usual icy demeanor slipping back into place. İlk gave a single, almost imperceptible nod, siguling his acceptance of the news.
“Okay,” he said flatly, sitting back down at his desk, the weight of the conversation casing as linattention turned back to the documents in front of him. His gaze, however, was distant, clouded with thoughts that no our could read
Julian had already turned to leave, but after a brief pause, he couldn’t help himself. He timed back and spoke with a slightly more probing tone..
“Dom. the way you’ve been looking out for the Sullivan Camily. that’s because of Palsky, but it?”
It wasn’t until recently that Julian had learned the Sullivans were Paisky’s real family–something he hadn’t realized before. But now, it seemed obvious
Dominick’s eye’s narrowed, his expression hardening as he swiftly dismissed the notion. “You’re overthinking it,” he said, his voice cold and distant “Sullivan Group is a business partner of Vanderbilt Group”
Julian wasn’t so easily fooled, “Dom, no matter what your reasons are for going out of your way to look after the Sullivan family, one thing is clear- you and Paisley are divorced.
“She made her choice, walked away without a second thought, even abandoning your son. Now she’s back, and who knows what her game is?
Julian, who had been friends with Dominick since high school, knew him inside and out and had followed him every step of the way
The competition in inherit the Vanderbilt family legacy had been berce, and the standards were impossibly high. Dominick had risen above them
all.
He’d started his first business in high school, expanding it rapidly throughout college, and by his sophomore year, he’d already taken his company
OVERCAL
It was inevitable that Dominick would inheria Vanderbil Group and become the head of his family.
Julian, loyal as ever, had entered the company alongside him, serving as his right–hand man. Over the years, their bood had deepened.
14
12:19 PM d
Chapter 3
transcending the typical employer–employee relationship. They were more like brothers–united by shared history, loyalty, and ambition
Julian, ever the persistent one, continued. “And Marissa is a good girl. Over the years, she’s really—”
with a hint of annoyaner, “Tve
“Julian” Dominick’s voice cut through the air like a knife, sharper than usual. He turned abruptly, his eyes narrowing with told you already. There’s nothing going on between me and Marissa. Tser her as a sister, just like Kaylı”
that, he tossed his phone toward Julian, the device skidding across the desk. On the screen, the latest tabloid headline splashed in bold letters
minick and Marissa’s relationship scandal.
Dominick’s expression darkened even further, his tone frigid, “What is all this nonsense? Contact the PR department, and have them clear this up.” His voice was thick with disdain, like he couldn’t even be bothered to engage with the garbage the press was feeding the public
The first day of kindergarten was supposed to be a milestone, a step toward growing up. But for liste Serena, it felt more like a punëshenesit.
She had spent her entire life in the safety of Paisley’s arms, and now for the first time, she was expected so spend an entire day without her mother
or Maria:
Serena’s emotions were a tangled mess. She wanted to ery. The bump in her throat was hard to swallow, but Paisley’s words echoed in her mind. You’re a big girl now, Serena. Big girls don’t cry. If you do, the other kids will laugh”
Serena tried to be strong and hold back the tears, just like Paisley had augļu her. But it was so hard. The absence of her mother and Maria made everything feel cold and empty, and she missed them
The other kids seemed confident, laughing and playing while she just sat there, feeling out of place. She didn’t want to play. She didn’t want to do anything but go home and curl up next to her mom.
But just as the tears began to well up again, something shifted in Serena’s gate. Her big doe eyes uddenly locked onto a spot children from the elementary section were playing
where the older
“My brother.” Serena whispered, her voice barely audible but filled with wonder and longing. She didn’t have to thank about it–her heart just
In the first–grade PE class, Grayson was happily running around the playground, kicking the ball with carefree energy, when suddenly he felt someone tug at the back of his shirt
He turned sharply, irritated, ready to map at whoever dared disturb him for what he saw made him pause. A lirile girl, her eyes wide and shimmering with innocent excitement, stood there, beaming up at him.
“Who are you? What are you doing grabbing my shirt? Grayson’s voice was sharp, a little defensive. He wasn’t one for playing with gerls, and the only exception was Marissa’s niece, Stella–but that was only because he’d promised Marissa he’d look out for her
But there was something strange about this cheeky little girl in front of him. Despite his usual dislike for distractions, she didn’t bother him that
much.
him like she
be had just me
met her long–lost hero.
Tm your little sister, Rena Serena said, her voice bubbling with excitement as she looked as
“Sister?” Grayson’s brow furrowed, confusion flooding his thoughts. Tm not your brother. You’ve got the wrong guy. He scratched his head, unsure of what was going on
Serena wasn’t fazed. “I know who you are and what you look like. You’re my brother. I’m sure of it she smiled, the same bright, unwavering smile that seemed to shine through even her nervousness.
Serena remembered the portrait in Paisley’s art studio–the one that showed a young boy who looked exactly like him. She had asked Paisley who it was, and Paisley had told her that it was Serena’s big brother. She remembered it clearly.
Sure, Crayson looked a little older than the picture, but his features hadn’t changed. She could rell, without a doubt, this was him
“You are my brother, Serena said again, her voice full of confidence.
Grayson studied her closely, his gaze softening as he tried to make sense of this strange linle girl who seemed so certain. There was no doubt that he had never met her.
Before he could say anything more, a voice internipted them, “Sonny, what are you doing?” Stella approached them, her eyes narrowing in suspicion as she saw Grayson talking to a little girl from the kindergarten.
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Chapter 5
“Sonny” Who is this kid? Do you know her?” Stella asked in a voice of inexplicable fear. Looking at Serena, she couldn’t help but step e closer in Grayson, her small hand instinctively reaching for his
Grayson shook his head, his brows drawn together in confusion and irritation. “I don’t know her. She says I’m her brother, but I have no idea who
she is
Stella, who had been watching the scene unfold with a growing sense of territorial protectiveness, stepped forward. Her voice was loud enough for everyone nearby to hear. “You can’t just go around calling random people your brother. Im Sonny’s best friend and you’re just a nobody
Serena, her cheeks flushed with the heat of frustration, glared at Stella. Her little chest heaved as she stomped her foot and shouted, “But I’m his
She was stubborn and wouldn’t back down. She also wanted to hold hands with Grayson and reached her tiny hand toward him, her fingers Trembling slightly, her eyes locked onto his as if she wanted him to believe her “Hold my hand.”
y no to her.
And then, something inexplicable happened, Grayson, for reasons he couldn’t explain, found himself reaching out to her, unable to say no to His hand closed around hers without hesitation, as if something in hirn softened at the sight of her innocent determination.
But the moment was short–lived. With a sharp stack. Stella slapped Serena’s outstretched hand away, her face twisted with irritation. “Go away, you bad line girl, trying to call him your brother”
Serena winced, her hand recoiling, stinging with the force of Stef’s slap. She let out a small cry, holding the back of her hand to her chea, the hurt from both the slap and the harsh words sinking deep.
Stella huffed, her tone dripping with disdain, “Sonny, let’s go back to the classroom. Don’t pay attention to this brat, Aunt Marissa always says there are bad kids at school who try to get close in us for no good reason.
“She just came here, calling you her brother right away! She has uberior motives, for sure.”
Grayson’s heart sank. It wasn’t the first time something like this had happened. He knew firsthand how some families, especially wealthy ones, tried
to attach themselves to the Vanderbilt name
If they couldn’t reach Dominick, they’d try to get to Grayson, seeing him as the next best thing. The most common method they employed was sending their kids to the same school hoping to get close to him and, through him, to Dominick.
And, more often than not, it was the girls who were pushed forward. The idea of childhood sweethearts–romanticized, idealized–made it a common strategy to build alliances.
At first, Grayson believed these kids genuinely wanted to be his friends, but over time, he saw through the facade. He realized they were only there because their parents pushed them to be
The more this happened, the more Grayson grew disillusioned. He hated all the fake smiles and forced kandness, especially from girls who thought that being around him would bring them closer to his family’s wealth and power.
After Stella’s warning, Grayson turned back to serena, his expression laardening. His eyes, once neutral, now held an unmistakable coldness guarded, suspicious, even a little disgusted.
I’m not your brother. Don’t come near me again. The words were sharp and final, leaving no room for argument.
Without another glance, he turned and grabbed Stella’s hand, leading her back toward the classroom, his back straight and unyielding.
Serena stood frozen, her small body trembling with shock and hurt. Her eyes were wide, the sting of rejection raw and bitter in her chest. She blinked rapidly, but it was too late–her tears were already spilling over, the weight of his words sinking in
I
