Chapter 3 - The ArrivalMarcus turned toward the front windows, his brow furrowing in confusion. "Who the hell is coming up my driveway at midnight?"
He rushed down the grand marble staircase toward the front doors. Chloe stepped out of the guest wing, wrapped in a plush robe, holding her wine glass.
"Marcus, what's that noise?" she whined. "Is it the police?"
"I didn't call anyone," Marcus snapped, peering through the side glass panel of the heavy double doors.
Outside, headlights swept across the manicured lawn. Five pristine, midnight-black SUVs roared to a halt on the circular driveway, blocking Marcus's sports cars completely. Behind them came two massive, industrial flatbed tow trucks, their orange warning lights flashing silently against the dark trees.
"What is this?!" Marcus yelled, grabbing the door handle and throwing the entrance wide open. "This is private property! Get the hell off my lawn or I'm calling the SWAT team!"
The driver's door of the lead SUV opened.
A man stepped out into the chilly night air. Six-foot-four, built like a brick wall, wearing a tailored three-piece charcoal suit. Julian Vance.
Behind him, four more men stepped out of the other vehicles.
Gabriel Vance pulled off his gold-rimmed glasses, folding them neatly into his breast pocket. Leo Vance stood beside him, holding a thick leather folder. Ethan Vance walked out with his hands in the pockets of his tactical jacket, his sharp eyes scanning the estate's perimeter. And Jax Vance, holding a pair of heavy leather work gloves, stepped off the running board of the lead tow truck.
My five brothers.
Marcus stood on the porch, his jaw agape as he took in the sheer physical presence and intimidating aura of the five men advancing up his marble steps.
"Who are you people?!" Marcus demanded, trying to project authority, though his voice wavered slightly. "I am Marcus Vance, senior partner at Vance & Associates! You are trespassing!"
Julian didn't answer him. He walked straight past Marcus as if he were made of thin air, brushing his shoulder hard enough to send Marcus spinning into the doorframe.
"Hey!" Chloe gasped, backing away.
Julian walked into the foyer, his heavy leather dress shoes clicking sharply against the polished marble. His eyes swept the grand entrance until they landed on me standing at the top of the stairs.
"Sarah," Julian said softly, his harsh face instantly breaking into a gentle expression. "Where is she?"
"In her room," I said, descending the stairs slowly. "Third door on the left."
Julian nodded to Ethan and Leo. "Check on Maya. Make sure she's comfortable."
Ethan and Leo didn't hesitate. They moved past Marcus like a pair of wolves, taking the stairs two at a time.
"Hold on!" Marcus screamed, scrambling after them. "You can't just walk into my house and go into my daughter's room! I'm calling the cops!"
Gabriel Vance stepped smoothly into Marcus's path, placing one broad hand against Marcus's chest. The force stopped Marcus dead in his tracks.
"I wouldn't touch that phone if I were you, Mr. Vance," Gabriel said, pulling a laminated badge and a legal binder from his jacket. "My name is Gabriel Vance. I am the Managing Partner of Vance, Sterling & Croft. And as of eleven o'clock tonight, I represent your wife."
Marcus froze, his face going completely white as he registered the name. Vance, Sterling & Croft was the premier corporate law firm on the Eastern seaboard—the kind of firm that charged a thousand dollars an hour just to answer an email.
May you like
"Vance?" Marcus stuttered, looking from Gabriel to me, then back to Julian. "You... you share the same last name?"
"We don't just share a name, you pathetic little worm," Jax growled, stepping into the foyer and letting the door slam shut behind him. "She’s our baby sister."
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