Elias entered the elegant dining room with his father by his side. The rich aroma of sizzling beef steak filled the air, mingling with the faint scent of expensive wine. Candlelight flickered across the polished mahogany table, casting a warm glow over the room's luxurious interior.
As Elias surveyed his surroundings, he noticed the guests already seated at the table. Their curious gazes followed him as he entered. Some faces were familiar, while others were complete strangers. He could only assume that the unfamiliar faces belonged to his younger half-siblings.
"Evan."
One of the young men stood from his seat and extended a hand toward him.
Elias recognized him immediately. He could never forget that face, no matter how many years had passed.
Ignoring the offered hand, Elias merely gave him a curt nod. "Lucas."
Lucas was Lyla's twin brother. Just like his sister, he had made Elias's childhood miserable. While his mother fought desperately for custody of him, Elias had been left at the mercy of the twins, forced to endure their endless torment as though he were nothing more than their personal plaything.
Even after all these years, the sight of Lucas was enough to turn his stomach.
"I'm going to the washroom," Elias announced abruptly.
Without waiting for a response, he turned and left the dining room.
Fortunately, he still remembered his way around the house and did not need anyone to show him the way. He turned a corner and soon arrived at the washroom, only to find someone stepping out through the doorway.
Elias stopped dead in his tracks.
Blue hair. A shade darker than his own, yet strikingly similar.
A pair of azure eyes met his fiery blue gaze. Unlike Elias, whose hair had grown long, the man kept his hair short and neatly styled.
Elias's expression darkened.
"Claude…"
"Hey, baby brother. Miss me?"
Before Claude could say another word, Elias seized him by the collar, shoved him back into the washroom, and slammed him against the door. The door rattled shut behind them. His grip tightened.
"I don't know what kind of game you're playing tonight, and I don't know how you found out about Aiden." Elias's voice was low and dangerous. "But if you ever lay a finger on him, I swear I'll end you."
Claude stared at his younger brother for a moment before a chuckle escaped his lips. He raised both hands in mock surrender, an expression of amusement dancing in his eyes.
"Whoa, whoa. Easy there, baby brother. Relax, would you?"
Elias did not loosen his grip.
With a sigh, Claude grabbed his wrists and forcibly pried his hands away from his collar. Elias winced at the pressure. His older brother had always been the stronger one between them, but that does not mean Elias was willing to back down.
Claude lifted a hand, seemingly intending to ruffle Elias's hair. However, Elias immediately slapped it away before he could make contact.
"Ouch." Claude feigned hurt, rubbing the back of his hand. "Not even going to let your big brother touch you?"
Elias shot him a murderous glare.
"Cut the act. What do you want from me? Why am I here?" His voice sharpened with every word. "You don't get to use my son as leverage just to force me back into this house after abandoning me for sixteen years."
For once, Claude did not respond immediately. Instead, he gave Elias a slow once-over, his gaze lingering on his face before drifting to his noticeably thinner frame.
"You look thinner," he remarked. "When was the last time you ate properly?"
A vein practically throbbed in Elias's forehead.
"Stop acting like you care!" he snapped. "Just tell me why I'm here!"
Before Claude could answer, a series of loud knocks interrupted them.
"Is everything all right in there, Young Master Claude?" a servant called from outside. "We heard some noises coming from the washroom."
"Everything's fine," Claude replied casually. "Don't worry about it."
"Understood, Young Master. However, your father has requested your immediate return to the dining room. He also wanted me to inform you that your brother, Young Master Evan, has arrived home, and the guests will be arriving shortly."
A quiet snicker escaped Claude.
"Yeah, got it."
Footsteps retreated down the hallway. Once the servant was gone, Claude turned his attention back to Elias.
"My little brother is finally home," he mused, spreading his arms slightly as though presenting their ridiculous predicament. "And here we are, trapped in the same washroom together. Just like old times, huh?"
Elias clenched his fists.
There was nothing nostalgic about this. Nothing about being near Claude brought back fond memories. All it did was remind him of the years he had spent suffering at the hands of his own family.
Still, one detail from the servant's announcement caught his attention.
The guests will be arriving shortly.
Elias narrowed his eyes.
"Who else did you invite? Mother?"
The thought alone made his chest tighten. If Claude had invited their mother to this dinner, Elias would have no choice but to face the possibility of watching her suffer all over again. After everything she had endured, he refused to let his family hurt her any further.
Claude shook his head.
"No. Business partners. Father wants to close a deal tonight."
Elias raised an eyebrow.
"Then why am I involved? If this is just some business meeting, what reason did you have for dragging me back here?" His gaze hardened. "Why did you make me come, Claude?"
His older brother remained silent.
Elias stepped forward and reached for his collar again.
"You'd better answer me, or else—"
Before he could finish, Claude caught both his wrists and twisted them aside, reversing their positions in one swift movement. Elias's back struck the door, and Claude pinned him against it.
Their eyes locked.
Elias's fiery blue gaze burned with barely restrained fury, while Claude's azure eyes remained unnervingly calm.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Elias demanded, struggling against his grip.
"Behave," Claude said flatly. "Don't make me use Aiden."
The words struck harder than any physical blow. Elias went still. His blood ran cold and for a moment, he could barely breathe.
"Touch him, and I'll—"
"You'll what?" Claude's voice remained calm, almost conversational.
"You can't do anything to me, baby brother. I have more money, more influence and more power than you could ever hope to possess."
The cold truth of his words settled over Elias like ice.
Claude slowly released his wrists and stepped back, straightening his collar as though nothing had happened.
"I run the family business now. I'm the eldest heir of this family." His lips curved into a faint, condescending smile. "And you? You're nothing — just a nobody."
Elias glared at him, refusing to let the insult break him. "I don't need a title to be strong or capable."
"Perhaps not." Claude tilted his head. "But that still doesn't change the fact that you can't touch me, Eli. I have the money and resources to make your life miserable."
He paused, allowing the silence to stretch between them. "What do you have?"
Elias fell silent. For once, he had no immediate retort.
Claude took a step closer and gently ran his fingers through Elias's hair. Elias instinctively wanted to shove his hand away, but the warning look in his older brother's eyes stopped him.
"Aiden may be your son," Claude continued softly, "but you and I are brothers. We share the same blood, and we look remarkably alike. We're not twins, but that hardly matters."
His fingers slipped from Elias's hair to his chin.
"One word from me claiming that Aiden is my son, and I could turn your entire world upside down. Your custody over him could be challenged and he might end up in my hands instead."
Claude's gaze sharpened. "You don't want that to happen, do you?"
Elias's hands curled into fists at his sides.
He hated this.
He hated the way Claude could stand before him with that infuriatingly calm expression, knowing exactly where to strike. He hated the fact that, despite everything he had endured and overcome, his brother had found a way to threaten the one person he could never afford to lose; his son.
Elias swallowed the bitterness rising in his throat.
"…Does Father know?"
"About Aiden?" Claude asked.
Elias nodded stiffly.
"No. He doesn't."
Relief washed over Elias, though it did little to ease the knot of anxiety in his chest. At least their father knew nothing about Aiden. Nonetheless, that small comfort was overshadowed by the fact that Claude was now using his son as a weapon against him.
Before Elias could retreat, Claude caught his chin again and tilted his face upward, forcing him to meet his gaze.
Then, unexpectedly, Claude's expression changed. His eyes searched Elias's face, and when he spoke again, his voice was quieter. "…Does it hurt?"
Elias frowned, bewilderment replacing his anger for a brief moment, "What?"
"The pregnancy." Claude's gaze remained fixed on him. "Does it hurt?"
All the color drained from Elias's face. For a moment, the entire world seemed to stop.
His pregnancy was a secret. A closely guarded one. As far as he knew, only his mother had ever known the truth.
No one else was supposed to know.
'How? How could Claude possibly know?'
Elias stared at him, his mind racing as a thousand questions collided in his head. Had someone betrayed him? Had Claude been watching him all along? Or was there something far more sinister behind his older brother's sudden interest in him?
He could not let Claude see how deeply those words had shaken him.
Jerking his chin free, Elias shoved him away.
"Are you insane?!" he shouted, his voice cracking with indignation. "What makes you think I was the one who got pregnant?!"
Claude opened his mouth, but Elias refused to hear another word. He turned and bolted out of the washroom, leaving his older brother behind.
For several seconds, Claude remained motionless, staring at the doorway through which his younger brother had disappeared.
Then, he let out a quiet sigh. "Still as stubborn as ever, Eli…"