Chapter Twenty Three + Author Note

~ Tyrell

I could have said that I wasn't worried about walking up to the door of my parents' estate, but I'd be lying. I would have been described as 'shaking in my boots'. There was so much to worry about. Not only the fact of whether or not they liked her, but if father recognised her. I raised my hand to knock. Adaria hooked her right arm with my left and let out a slow breath.

"You ready?" I asked. She gave me a strange look.

"Yeah, I guess." She inhaled deeply and smiled. "How's this?" Her voice wasn't honeyed thickly, but enough were I could tell she was faking.

"I'd be afraid of you if I didn't know you." She frowned and stuck her tongue out.

"Are you ready?" She asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be." I knocked twice. There was silence. Then a bang, followed by thunderous footsteps. We both stepped back. The front door swung open with a crash.

~ Adaria

Two young twin boys with golden hair and green eyes stood in the door way.

"Uncle Tyrell!" They yelled before diving onto his legs. He began to fall backwards. I tightened my hold on our elbow hook and kept him upright. They looked up at me.

"Cryel! Cyrel!" A man's voice boomed from somewhere in the house, or mansion rather. They ignored the voice and climbed off of Tyrell. They stood before me and 'inspected' me. They walked around me once before looking at each other and smiling.

"Good evening, aunt." They said simultaneously.

"Good evening." I crouched down low and whispered. "If you help take the food in I'll distract him for you, okay?" They looked at each other then back at me.

"Deal." They said reaching out their hands. I shook them.

"Nice doing business with you." I winked at them.

~ Tyrell

My nephews, Cryel and Cyrel, helped us take the food in. They seemed infatuated with Adaria. They followed her around and asked her several questions at one point they slyly glanced at me before they each took one of her hands. I have to say that it irked me that I was no longer their favorite. I followed them in. My older brother was walking toward us. He stood in front of Adaria.

"I'm sorry about my boys. I hoped they didn't cause you too much trouble." My brother and I didn't get along very well. He'd always tried to take things that seemed valuable to me, women were no exception. They twin's mother was my betrothed, but the night of the wedding my brother got me drunk and locked me in a closet. It was only after they'd gotten married they found me. She'd died soon after giving birth to the twins, and he was on the prowl still.

"They're fine." Adaria said. "They were rather helpful actually." They squinted their eyes at their father. Despite their young age, they knew their father too well. It was only because he'd taken Genell that he couldn't become the CEO. He was now in charge of a branch that was nearly four cities away.

"My name is Lorik, I'm Tyrell's older brother." He held out his hand for Adaria to shake. She looked down at it. One of his tricks that he used on women is when he shakes their hand he pulls them in and says something uncouth or unorthodox. I stepped forward, but she'd already taken his hand. He made his jerking move, but she didn't move.

"Are you alright?" She asked him. "Ahh... sorry was my hand too cold." His eyes widened for half a second and gave me a glare.

"No, I was just surprised about your grip. It's rather strong." She laughed.

"I get that a lot, but what can I say, the military has its perks." He backed up. He didn't like strong personality women. She dropped his hand like a dead fish. "Tyrell, you forgot to mention that your brother and his family were coming." She smiled warmly, but I could feel the intensity rolling off her like waves.

"I didn't know they were coming." I walked up to her and smiled at Lorik. "Where are mother and father?" He stared disdainfully at me.

"On the patio." I grabbed Adaria's hand.

"Let's go." She smiled and whispered.

"This might be a problem." She looked back at Lorik. "He was one of the people visited me in the cell."

"What? That's not possible."

"It is if he was the successor before you."

Thank you guys for commenting. It really picked my up and inspired me to continue, although I was honestly going to post today. To 1982josephZ I don't know if you know this, but if you do shoot or do anything else with that gun.... I might not be able to update. (The problems with death). Anyways, hopefully after this week I'll be able to post more frequently.

Lol bye