The Guest room where Astria is staying

The living room

The kitchen

A/N: None of the pictures belong to me. They belong to their rightful owners, I've just taken them off of pinterest.

not edited

I walked down the sandy beach with mom. A smile adorned a youthful face as my little self skipped along with her, holding onto her hand. The sun had almost set, giving the beach a peachy glow. I was letting out random giggles as we walked along the beach.

I suddenly heard shouts behind me. I turned around to see my brothers shouting at us. I thought that we were asking for us to wait for them so my little self looked over at my mother and pulled at her hand, asking her to wait. But my mother pretended as if nothing happened.

My eyes widened and I could feel confusion rolling off in waves around me. I looked back to see Dad frantically waving, asking me to go back to him. My brothers were crying, and it made the six-year-old girl cry as well. I begged my mother to turn around, but she continued smiling and walking as if nothing happened.

By that time, I had known that she wouldn't stop, so I tried to free my frail hand from her death grip. But she wouldn't let me go. Sobs wracked my little body as she started yanking at my hand taking me away from my brothers. I shouted back, asking them to come to get me, but they didn't. They just stood there and watched my mum drag me away from them.

Soon I was back in the dingy living room with my mom sitting on the only armchair in the room, watching the worn-out television. I was mopping the floor as the news came on. It was about my brothers. I stopped in my steps and stood there. My mom saw this and shouted at me for not doing the work. It soon turned into a shouting match and before I knew it, there was a beer bottle flying towards my head.

I was panting as I sat up. Looking around, I see Sky in my lap. The comfy mattress under me reminded me that I'm not with my mom. I was with my brothers. I looked up to see the door had been slammed open and all of my brothers were there. I think the door was slammed open the moment the bottle came flying at me.

My eyes widened as I looked at a panting Octavian. He was looking at me with a stern expression, his hand still on the door. Behind him was Dorian, who was glaring at me. I could feel my heart run faster and faster at his glare. Dorian was probably the most intimidating and scary one after Octavian.

Behind the two older ones were the twins. Zion was looking anywhere but me and Zane was the only one that looked concerned. With a few deep breaths, I calmed myself down and looked at the floor where they were standing. I avoided looking at their eyes as well as faces.

"Are you alright?" One of them asked, and I nodded. "It has been quite a while since you've been sleeping. We were worried, so we came here to wake you up. We were knocking, and you started shouting. We couldn't find the keys, so Octavian had to break the lock." He explained.

"Oh." was all I said. I was still looking at their feet. I could see a pair leave. Slightly lifting my eyes, I noticed it was Dorian. The one talking was Zane. Moments later, Zion left too. I looked at Sky, who had now climbed onto my lap. I stroked her fur as I heard another pair of feet walk away.

"It's afternoon already. You've already missed breakfast and lunch. How about you freshen up and come downstairs and in the meantime, I'll make you some sandwiches?"

"Ok," I whisper.

"Okay, so instead of taking the front staircase, take the back ones. There's the living room when you first reach the ground floor, then from there just take the first door on you right. There will be a short corridor that will lead to open space. You will spot the kitchen. I'll be there." he said, directing me. I nodded, and he left, closing the door behind him. But I already knew which kitchen he was talking about. Seems like they didn't really change the house much except for the decor.

I stepped down from the bed and opened my suitcase, lying in the corner of the room. After giving Sky her food, I got all the essentials I needed for the morning things, along with a random hoodie, sweats and underwear. I step into the bathroom. I brushed my teeth, took a quick shower, and combed my unruly, curly hair. Just brushing through and putting my hair in a bun took me about half an hour.

.

I stared at my reflection. My hair used to be amazing when I was a kid, it was shiny and had perfect tight curls. It was strong and I used to love it. But when things changed I paid less and less attention to it and now it was a dull mess, resting on top of my head. Honestly, I hate my hair most of the time now.

Letting out a sigh, I walked out and saw Sky sitting right outside the bathroom door, waiting for me. I bent down to her level and said, "I'm going to be gone for a little while and I need you to stay here, okay? I'll be back in some time and we can go for a walk." As soon as she heard the word walk, her eyes lit up as she started yelping in joy. A giggle escaped me as I tried to shush him down. "Now, stay here and don't move," I said as I stood up and walked out of the door.

I closed it behind me and started walking towards the stairs. I passed numerous doors, barely paying attention to any until I reached the end of the hallway. Taking a right, I walked down another short hallway before I reached the top of the staircase. It was just the same as the one in the front but this one led straight to the main rooms of the house. Under these two grand staircases was a hallway to the living room. That way led straight to where I was going. It was a way to get to these places without taking the stairs and going to the first floor.

I walked down the stairs and right into the living room. The theme had changed from beige to white and different shades of grey. Right in front of the staircase are two comfortable looking armchairs with a curved sofa in the centre. There is a humongous flat screen television on the wall in front of the sofa. The wall on which the television is mounted is short and it is flagged by entrances on both sides on it. On the right is the staircase, and on the left is the hallway that leads to the foyer. On the left side of the sitting area is a bar and on the right are floor to ceiling door/windows that lead to the backyard.

I followed Zion's directions and took the hallway to my left. It led to the kitchen. The kitchen had the same theme going on with the greys and blacks. I could spot Zion standing behind a counter, assembling the sandwich. I cleared my throat, trying to alert Zion that I'm here.

"Oh, have a seat," He said, motioning to the bar stools on the other side of the counter. I followed his directions and took a seat on one of the black cushioned stools. He put a plate with sandwiches in front of me as soon as I'm seated.

"I made just a vegetable sandwich. Wasn't sure what you would prefer and you can't really go wrong with the classic, I guess. So, if you don't like vegetable sandwiches, tell me, I'll make you something else," He said.

"No, it's fine," I reassured him as I started eating. He was scrolling through his phone as I was trying to finish the sandwich as fast as possible. I was scared to leave Sky alone in a room, God knew she was hyper. Not that Sky was the only reason I wanted to get out of here but it was a good excuse.

"Hey, can I take Sky outside for a walk?" I asked softly. Zion looked up from his phone and looked me straight in the eye. I quickly averted my gaze and directed it to the wooden floor. It was still quite difficult to hold eye-contact with them.

"Yeah, you can. Just stay on the estate for today," He said, and I nodded in answer. Silence took over once again as I ate my sandwiches, but it was soon broken as I heard heavy footsteps walking down the hallway, possibly coming here. I stiffened a little as I tried to act clueless but I could sense Zion's eyes on me as if he sensed me stiffen.

"Astria," Octavian's voice boomed in the almost empty kitchen, startling me. Out of my peripheral vision, I saw him stand at the end of the counter but I kept my head down, not looking at him. Right now, the sandwich looked like the most interesting thing in the world.

"I would like to have a talk with you after you're done. Would you prefer it to be in the living room or my office?" He asked. His voice had little to no emotion. It was as if he was talking to his employees and not his family, but then again, I get it. I've been gone for almost ten years, with no contact at all. They are allowed to have ill feelings towards me. As I have towards them.

"The living room," I said meekly, still avoiding his intimidating gaze. He looked at me for a moment or two before walking away.

"I'll be waiting," He said before disappearing out of the door. I let out a deep breath and started to nibble on my sandwich, only this time it was a lot slower.

"Not looking forward to it, huh?" I heard Zane ask, amusement laced in his voice. I quickly ducked my head, not wanting him to see my shocked expression.

"I-it's not like that," I muttered, taking a bite out of the sandwich.

"Are you sure?" he asked as he leaned over the counter. I finally looked up. Till now I had only seen his beige dress pants and black shoes. But now, I could see that he had a black button up which was tucked into his pants. The shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows as he rested his palms on the black, reflective countertop and put the weight of his upper body on his arm. His face had a light stubble and his eyes held amusement with one of his eyebrows raised. His hair was a mess on top of his head and his stance intimidated me as I gulped while looking into his bright blue eyes.

"Okay, yeah, maybe I'm not really looking forward to that talk," I admitted, and looked away as soon as I could. I could hear a snicker escape him and he got a bottle of water.

He set the bottle in front of me and said, "Would it make you feel less nervous if me or anyone else is there as well?" I shrugged, not really answering the question, but deep down I knew that I would be a lot less nervous if someone else, preferably Zane, was there other than just me and Octavian. But I could also see that he was dressed and ready for work. I don't want to put him off his schedule, possibly give him another reason to despise me.

"Alright then, I'll be there," He said, nodding to himself. "This is your last chance to say no and that you don't want me there," he said, a playful warning in his voice. "Yeah, now it's gone. I'm going to be there whether or not you like it." A smile threatened to creep its way onto my lips but I just ignored it and gulped down the cool water as Zion patiently waited for me.

"I think I'm done," I said, standing up from the stool, the plate in my hand, "where am I supposed to keep this?"

"Leave it there or in the sink, it's your choice," he replied. I nodded and walked around the counter to keep the plate in the sink. Washing my hands, I followed Zane, who led me out of the kitchen. "Go to the living room. I just need to message someone. I'll be right back." he said. Again, I nodded and he turned and went the other way, whereas I went back to where I came from.

As soon as I emerge from the hallway, I see Octavian sitting on one end of the sofa, dressed in a light grey suit working on his laptop. His hair was pushed back and his blue eyes were trained on the laptop screen in concentration. "Mr. Crawford?" I call out, alerting him of my presence.

His head whipped around at the speed that could possibly give him a whiplash. My eyes widened as his narrowed. I cast my eyes away from his emotionless face and looked at the grey rug under his shoe clad feet. I could feel his anger towards me as he closed his laptop.

"What did you call me?" he asked. One could clearly hear the suppressed anger and frustration in his voice. I started fiddling with my thumbs, trying to avoid his harsh gaze. I don't say anything until I hear him let out a deep sigh. "Take a seat, Astria," he instructs. I nodded frantically and took a seat on the far end of the sofa, keeping a safe distance between us.

Till yesterday, I did not realize how awkward and scary this would be. Till yesterday I was ready to jump into his arms, give him a hug and cry tears of happiness on his shoulder. I thought that by some miracle he would show emotion, but it was foolish of me to think that he or any of the brothers would treat me any differently from a stranger.

I was not going to call him 'Mr. Crawford', I did not want to. But his anger terrifies me. I've heard stories of how closely knit the brothers are and how they have anger issues. I've heard that he did not want his friend to call him by his name. And he was his friend, whom he talked to on a daily basis. I'm just a teenager who barged into his big ass mansion and hasn't talked to him in ten years.

All the irrational fear started growing in me. My mother's threats and warnings echoed in my head the moment my eyes laid on the twins. And when I saw all four of them together, well i decided to go with mother's warning instead of Lydia and Ana's advice.

Anastasia worked with the Crawford brothers. She is the assistant of Octavian and I've talked to her on numerous occasions. She's like a big sister to me now with her rational advice and motivational pep talk. She was there to help me even when my brothers weren't. So, I trust her but the emotionless faces of my brothers evaporated the rationality out of me. The fear made me so stupid that I took my mother's advice instead of the other two.

"So, I wanted to discuss some ground rules that you'll have to follow while you are here." he said and I nodded as a response, "Look at me when I talk to you." His voice was sharp and commanding and I instantly looked up, focusing on his forehead instead of his eyes. He sighed but continued, "Eleanore said that she already had a set of rules for you that you will follow while you're here." All my expectations went down the drain when I heard those words and my face paled.

My mom's rules weren't the most reasonable. Sometimes they even pushed me to my limits. But every time she had the upper hand so I couldn't really say anything to her. And I didn't because I know that in the end she wants what's best for me. So I roll with it.

"Is anything wrong?" Octavian's deep voice broke my chain of thought. I realized that he might have caught up with my pale face and widened eyes giving me away.

"It's nothing, really. Please, go on," I said, relaxing my face. I really felt like I needed to pick on their emotionless trait. It has been easy for them to read my expressions. I would hate to give anything away and ruin these six months we have together.

He seemed a bit sceptical at first but he continued, "Well, what was your curfew when you stayed with Eleanore?"

"I didn't have one," I muttered as low as I could, but of course Octavian heard me.

"You didn't have one? Alright, let me rephrase. At what time were you expected to be back home when you went out with friends or were out doing teenager things?" He asked.

I just shrugged in response before responding, "I came back home at 8 after work and classes?" An uncomfortable expression took over my face, but I calmed down a little as I saw Zane settle down in one of the armchairs, giving me a subtle wink. My lips twitched before I redirected my attention to Octavian.

"And when you went out with friends?" He pushed. I just shook my head and shrugged, hoping he would understand.

"Wait, are you saying that you've never hung out with your friend?" I was surprised when Zane shouted from one end of the room but shook my head, answering his question. "Shopping with friends?" Again, no. "Cinema?" Yet another no. "Varsity games?" I shook my head, denying everything he asked. You haven't lived your life yet! How are you even surviving?" He asked. His voice was not a few octaves higher.

I looked at him with a blank expression as Octavian spoke up, "Okay, Zane, that's a tad dramatic. If you want to sit here, be quiet till I complete my talk with Astria. You're just going to freak her out more."

"Not more than you," He muttered. I looked at him so fast, I could've gotten whiplash. My eyes were wide and I could feel red creeping up my neck and to my face. Octavian had his eyes narrowed at Zane and then at me. I'm pretty sure I was red like a tomato by now. It was quite embarrassing, but I'm pretty sure that he knew I was scared of him the moment I called him 'Mr. Crawford' instead of Octavian. It was quite embarrassing to hear someone say that you're scared of your own brother. That sounds stupid and honestly, I'm the stupid one here but I couldn't do anything about my irrational fear.

"Astria?" Octavian again pulled me out of my reverie. I let out a sigh and looked at him and nodded, wanting him to continue. I think he got the hint as he continued talking, "So, I'm not sure of what's been happening with Eleanore there, but you should know that you can go out with your friends. I'm going to set a curfew of eleven at night on school day and one for the weekend. Don't abuse that freedom and don't break my trust. I'll move it ahead if I feel you're not being responsible." He said and nodded, again.

"I'm not setting a bedtime for you. I think you're responsible enough to figure it out yourself but I would like it if you got at least six hours of sleep every night." he instructed and I muttered a small 'ok', loud enough for him to hear. "Also, I am not going to stop you from cursing and stuff like that considering you're sixteen but keep it low. I don't want to hear curse words flying out of your mouth every time you say something. Your grades are also straight A's, so expect you to keep them when you go to school here as well."

"That's it for now. So, if you have anything to say now is the time," he said and looked at me expectedly.

"I don't think there's anything," I said.

"Alright," he replied, "that'll be all for now. I will ask the boys to respect your privacy and your wishes as long as you don't put yourself in danger."

"Thank you," I said with a small smile, but was met with a curt, emotionless nod. What did I even expect? I just looked away quickly and stood up to leave as Octavian picked up his laptop.

"So, now that that's over, I have a meeting in about half an hour, so I'll be leaving. I hope you have a great first day here, feel free to explore. I'll give you an official tour of the place as soon as I'm back." He said, his words directed towards me, "And Vian, try not be a heartless dick," he said to Octavian. My mouth dropped open at his words and how he could have so much courage to say that to him, but I quickly closed it and looked away at Octavian.

I was expecting him to lash out, shout at Zane even but he just said, "Fuck off," as he continued typing away on his laptop Zane gave him a smile while muttering, "I really feel the love," which was quite hypocritic of him to say considering he just called his elder brother a dick.

"Anyways, bye Ria. I'll see you tonight," he said, waving at me. I waved back and he walked out of the living room, leaving me and Octavian alone. He was still engrossed in his work. I took this as my signal to slowly slip away, but before I could step on the stairs, Octavian spoke.

"Hey Astria," he called, and I looked back at him.

"Yes?" I asked.

"Do you still dance?" Was his question. I was surprised to know that he wanted to know things about me that didn't concern him. I wasn't quite ready to believe that he actually wanted to know more about me. But he was trying and I didn't mind that his voice still had no emotion. Maybe if he continued to try like this, I would be closer by the end of these six months and maybe finally I would overcome my fear.

"Yes, I do," I replied, a ghost of a smile present on my face as I see a little sparkle of hope in his eyes. Well, maybe there is a chance to bond with my cold-hearted brothers after all. He shut his laptop, keeping t on the marble centre table, he stood up and walked past me up the stairs.

"Follow, I think I have something to show you that you would like," he said, not looking back. His words spiked my interest and I followed him up the stairs, trying to keep up with his long strides as I felt a sparkle of hope blossom in my chest.

***

A/N

So that's the third, she has mostly met all of her brothers now. And I'm sorry for the amount of cliche-ness in this chapter 😭😭. The infamous nightmare scene, rules and stuff but don't worry, the next chapter is interesting. it is gonna have a lil backstory of the siblings so the interest stuff starts in the next chapter 🎉🎉.

The next update will most definitely be in two days so stay tuned for that!! Also, if you liked this chapter please don't forget to vote and comment!!

~Ash