Chapter 1: Facing the Past

*Olivia*

I couldn’t believe five years already passed since the worst night of my life, the night my life essentially ended.

The night that I lost my stepbrother and left the life I knew behind me.

I smoothed down the hem of my dress as I walked down Gran Via, one of Madrid's most famous shopping districts.

I never thought I would end up in Spain, but I suppose huge life events could cause one to move across the world.

I waved at the kind sales associate before leaving the cute little boutique, my hands empty, void of shopping bags. I let out a long breath before crossing the street to a quaint little cafe I loved.

Spain was a gorgeous country, but it was still hard to believe I had given up my amazing life in New York to be here. I had to leave.

I couldn’t be there any longer, though. Not only did I bring shame to my family, but I couldn’t risk giving my stepbrother the wrong idea. There needed to be space between us.

I allowed myself to settle into the cafe chair and sip my coffee.

Only then did I let my smile fade, leaning back in my seat.

My mother abandoned me when I was a baby. I never knew why, and even though I don’t remember her, it still hurts to think about it. Thankfully, I was adopted by a wealthy family in the small town of Scottsdale, New York. My adoptive parents were kind and supported me, and they had a son named Byron, my adopted big brother.

Since Byron was older than me, I could never recall a time without him because he was always there. Even when I was little, he took care of me and looked out for me. He was my protector, my guardian angel. My parents told me that as soon as I learned to walk, I followed him everywhere he went. I was his little shadow.

When I got to high school, I was the target of some bullies, a bunch of boys who hated me because I had denied their advances. To teach me a lesson, they dragged me behind the gym and glued my hair to the floor. As I tried to get free, they just laughed in my face and called me horrible names. I remembered the helplessness and fear I felt as they glowered down at me.

More than the fear, though, I vividly recalled the overwhelming relief when Byron appeared. His eyes darkened when he saw me on the ground, surrounded by the bullies.

My brother and his friend beat up the bullies. Then, my brother tied up the leader and threw him in an abandoned shed.

No one dared to mess with me after that, not with my brother around.

Despite all the hardships I endured, I had a happy life largely because of him. I followed him everywhere, wanting to be near him and do what he was doing.

He was my protector, mentor, and, above all, my best friend.

He turned my world completely upside down when he kissed me that fateful night five years ago.

Nothing could have prepared me for the shock and the panic. It was mirrored in Byron’s expression as if the gravity of what he did hit him hard. It was then that I realized our relationship had changed on his end. A sour feeling flitted in my stomach, and I backed away from him.

But it was too late. Rumors started to fly, and paparazzi appeared at our door, demanding details about the taboo relationship between Byron and me.

I could never forget the shock and disappointment on my parents’ faces. The whole situation nearly tore my family apart.

It became too clear that I had to leave. Even if Byron was my stepbrother, I felt he couldn’t have those feelings for me. We were still family, and that’s all he was to me.

I had no choice but to leave.

Before I knew it, I was applying for grad school in Spain and, even more quickly, getting accepted. The rest was a huge blur, but I could remember packing my bags and booking the first ticket out of there, even though classes didn’t start for another few months.

I knew nothing about Spain then, but that didn’t stop me. I got a tiny apartment in the middle of Madrid and settled in, making the home mine with indoor plants and pictures of my friends and family back home.

I didn’t hang up a picture of Byron. It hurt to look at them, as they reminded me of the turmoil I put our family through. I kept just a couple in a photo album in my bedroom.

At that moment, my cell phone rang, loud and shrill.

My eyes lit up when I saw the name across the screen.

“Hi, mom!” I chirped to my adoptive mother. “I miss you! What’s up?”

My heart froze when I heard the unmistakable sound of my adoptive mother’s sobs. I sank back into my chair, fear gripping my throat as I gently calmed my mother down over the phone so that she could tell me what was wrong.

“Your adoptive father has cancer.”

The words continued to echo in my mind and I was suddenly out of my body. I wasn’t even sure how I got home from the coffee shop. I had vague memories of getting on a bus, but they were all blurry.

Before I knew it, I was in the middle of my apartment, trying not to fall apart and failing badly.

I suppressed another sob as I threw a couple of blouses into my suitcase. I was barely able to function now despite the fact that my flight was just in a couple of hours. I needed to leave soon if I was going to make it.

I could barely stand up after the news, let alone pack.

I was still shaking, trying to wrap my head around the news, unable to believe that my strong dad was severely ill.

He was my rock and my hero. He taught me to drive and to dream. He would call me his little princess and pick me up as if I weighed nothing, swinging me around the room.

I closed my last suitcase and stood unsteadily on my feet, the world seeming to tilt as I did so. Nothing was right. I truly felt like the world was ending.

And not only was I going back to a home full of despair and tears, but I was also going to have to face my older brother.

I tried to swallow the large lump in my throat.

It was time to face my past.

I woke up in a panic, looking around wildly.

It still took me a moment to relax even though I knew what happened and where I was.

I was on an airplane. That much was obvious by how stiff my back felt and the loud engine whirring in my ears. We were toward the back of the plane, and I looked outside to find we were making our final descent.

The pilot’s voice came up over the intercom. “Ladies and gentlemen, we are making our final descent. Welcome to New York.”

I nodded and stretched, trying to rid my body of all the soreness. I let out a long breath, trying to shake away the brain fog and mentally prepare for the next few days.

I didn’t like being this vulnerable, and I didn’t like receiving help unless I desperately needed it.

I scoffed inwardly, disgusted that I was worrying so much about myself. I was so concerned about seeing my brother again for the first time in years, but what I really should be concerned about is my ailing father.

When we landed, I quickly cleaned up and changed into more presentable clothes since I would soon see my mother.

As I approached customs, the border officials greeted us and immediately recognized me.

“Welcome back, Miss Olivia,” one said, kindly taking our bags and gesturing ahead of himself. “Please come this way. You shouldn’t have to go through the line like everyone else.”

I thanked him, and once I was outside, I shrieked and ran toward my best friend, Charlotte.

Charlotte’s brown ringlets grazed my cheeks as I held her close. We were both shaking with emotion. “I missed you, Vivi,” she said, using my nickname. Then she hugged me even more tightly. “I’m glad you’re doing better.”

I hugged her back as we walked to the car that would take us into the city. “I am,” I assured her.

Charlotte sighed. “That’s good because I’m not.”

She then proceeded to tell me about the hell she had gone through while I was away.

That’s when I learned that my adoptive father’s company had been sabotaged by a competitor named Ethan. Not only had this company stolen my father’s resources, but they would be sold to the largest software company, SofEase. Charlotte explained that the company was failing and on the verge of bankruptcy.

“The only way to save the company is to reach an agreement with Sof,” Charlotte said with a heavy sigh.

I winced. To do so, we would need to reach out to Daemon Knight, my brother’s jerk-faced nemesis.

“Your brother won’t do it, though,” Charlotte said. “He’s already refused to. He won’t work with Damon. He’s working hard right now to figure things out on his own, but your family has been having a hard time with everything going on.”

I let out a shuddery breath, trying not to fall apart. “Thank you for looking out for them,” I said to my best friend. “I owe you.”

Charlotte waved at me. “Hardly,” she snorted. “You are all like family to me, Vivi. I want to be there for all of you.”

I hugged Charlotte once again.

“There is something else you need to know,” she said, her eyes grave. “Your brother has a new girlfriend. She’s that up-and-coming pop singer, Criella Fox.”

I blinked, digesting this information.

Charlotte noticed my surprise. “Your mother has been pushing him for the last year, and he finally gave in and started dating this girl for her sake.”

I nodded, I could see Byron doing that to appease our mother. “Does he even like the girl?” I wondered aloud.

“It doesn’t seem like it,” Charlotte said with a light laugh. “I think I saw them hold hands one time. They keep a weirdly respectful distance from one another. They don’t seem very intimate at all.”

That was a little weird, but I was glad Byron was at least taking a step toward moving forward.

I tried not to think too much about it. I was much more concerned about my parents. It sounded like my mom, Byron, and Daniel took turns staying with my father at the hospital.

“I’m worried about your mother,” Charlotte said with a heavy frown. “She seemed distraught when I last saw her, so I’m glad you’re here. You’ve always been very good at comforting people.”