3rd POV (previous scene from Elias' perspective) 

Elias stepped into the mansion, and the weight of the past crashed into him like a tidal wave. His gut twisted—something about this place, about this moment, felt wrong. Victor's sudden summons, the secrecy, the tension suffocating the air... he didn't trust it. He didn't trust him. 

And then, his eyes locked onto a ghost. No. Not a ghost. A nightmare. 

Kai. 

A decade had passed, but the sight of him still made Elias' chest clench like a fist. His mind screamed at him to look away, to pretend like it didn't affect him—like he didn't feel anything. But his body betrayed him, frozen in place, heart pounding so violently it made him sick. 

What kind of cruel joke was this? How could Victor's trusted friend—the man he was supposed to rely on—be the same person who left his heart in ruins? 

Elias barely heard Victor's words. Something about safety. Protection. Staying here. His pulse roared in his ears, drowning out the world. 

Stay here? With him? 

No. No. 

His nails dug into his palms. He refused to be weak. He refused to let Kai see even a flicker of emotion in his eyes. 

But when he finally managed to tear his gaze away, something sharp twisted inside him. 

Because the boy he once knew was gone. 

This wasn't his Kai. Not the one who used to laugh recklessly, who used to hold him like he was something precious. That Kai had been bright, alive. This one? This Kai was ice-cold, unreadable, built from steel and shadows. 

And yet... Elias still felt the heat of old wounds. Still felt the weight of everything unsaid. 

Ten years. Ten goddamn years. And somehow, just standing in the same room as him made it feel like no time had passed at all. 

Elias gritted his teeth. He would not let this consume him. 

Kai Cassano could have the whole damn underworld at his feet for all he cared. As far as Elias was concerned, he was just another chapter from his past. Nothing more. 

At least, that's what he told himself. 

————————————————

As dusk settled over the grand estate, a sleek black car pulled up at the entrance. The door opened, and Ethan stepped out, his sharp gaze scanning the unfamiliar figures in the living room. Beside him stood Yohan, his presence eerily composed, a perfect mirror of his father's cold demeanor. 

Elias was shocked while Noah's breath hitched. His fingers twitched at his sides. Ethan. It had been a decade since they last saw each other, and now—now he was walking in as if he owned the place. And Yohan... his striking resemblance to Kai was undeniable. A younger version of the man who once meant everything to Elias. 

"What the hell is going on here?" Ethan's voice cut through the heavy silence, his eyes narrowing as he took in the room. 

Elias clenched his fists, feeling Noah shift uncomfortably beside him. He could see the moment recognition hit Ethan—see the way his lips curled in distaste, his sharp jaw tensing. 

And then, Victor spoke. "Ethan, Yohan... meet Elias, my brother. And this is Noah, his close friend. Elias, Noah... this is Ethan, Kai's brother, and this is Yohan, Kai's son." His voice was carefully neutral, but the tension in the air was suffocating. 

Ethan let out a humorless chuckle. "You're telling me Elly—" He stopped himself, shaking his head, his eyes darkening. "Elias is your half-brother? Out of all the fucking eight billion people in this world, it just had to be him?" 

The venom in his tone was unmistakable. 

Elias swallowed, the weight of his past pressing against his ribs like a blade. He wanted to speak, but his throat felt dry, words caught somewhere between anger and disbelief. Ethan was here. After ten years of disappearing into thin air, leaving without saying word, he came back as Kai fucking Cassano's brother— 

His eyes flickered toward Kai, who remained silent, his expression unreadable. But Elias knew better. Knew that beneath that cold exterior, Kai was watching, calculating. 

And Yohan... Yohan was staring at him, eyes cold and assessing. 

The kid had to be what—sixteen? Seventeen? Elias' mind raced, piecing together the timeline. Kai had always wanted a family, but— 

Not with you. 

The thought burned like acid. 

Yohan's gaze swept over Elias and Noah with an icy sharpness, his resentment palpable. He didn't need to say a word—his eyes spoke volumes. I know who you are. 

Elias met his stare head-on, but beneath his hardened expression, unease clawed at his chest. The weight of Yohan's animosity pressed down on him, suffocating. He hates me. 

Noah, meanwhile, stood stiff, his expression unreadable, but the flicker of recognition in his eyes betrayed him. Elias knew that look. Knew it because he had felt the same way when he first saw Kai again.   

Ethan. 

Noah's breath caught in his throat the moment he stepped through that door. 

Ten years. Ten years of searching, of obsessing, of chasing shadows that always slipped through his fingers. He had torn through cities, dug through records, asked questions no one wanted to answer—only to come up empty every damn time. 

And now? 

Now, the boy he had once cared for—the boy who vanished without a trace—stood right in front of him, wearing a sharper suit, a colder expression, and a name that should have never been his. 

Kai's brother. 

Of course. Of course. It was so obvious now. The timing, the secrecy, the way Ethan had disappeared the second Kai left their lives. He had been right under his nose all along, and Noah—stupid, desperate Noah—had been too blind to see it. 

He clenched his fists, his heart slamming against his ribs.

He had imagined this moment a thousand times. Finding Ethan. Asking why. Getting closure. 

But this?  

This wasn't closure. 

This was betrayal. 

And now, he was just here, standing beside Kai as if the past had never happened. As if he had never happened. 

Noah crossed his arms, shifting his weight. "I guess it makes sense now. Why you left without a word. Why you never looked back." His gaze flicked to Kai, then back to Ethan, a knowing smirk forming. "You're just like him. And why won't you be, after all you two share the same blood." 

Ethan's jaw tightened. "You don't know anything about me," he muttered, the bitterness slipping through before he could stop it.  

Noah scoffed. "Don't I?" 

Victor cleared his throat, stepping between them. "Enough." His voice held authority, and for a moment, silence reigned. He turned to Kai and Elias, his expression unreadable. "I'm not asking you two to fix whatever mess is between you. I just need you to put your differences aside for now. At least until I return." 

Kai's gaze locked onto Elias'. A silent battle. A decade's worth of unspoken words, of wounds that never healed. 

Then, a curt nod. Agreement. 

Elias forced himself to nod back, but his mind was anything but calm. He had no idea how he was going to survive under the same roof as Kai. 

Victor exhaled, as if satisfied, then turned to Ethan. His voice softened just slightly. "Please take care of yourself until I come back."  

Ethan rolled his eyes. "Shouldn't it be my line asking you to come back safe. Besides, I'm not a child." 

Victor smirked. "No, but you're mine," he murmured in Italian, a language only Ethan, Kai, and Yohan understood. 

Ethan froze for half a second before looking away. Yohan smirked in amusement, but Noah caught something in Ethan's expression—something almost... flustered. 

Kai, of all people, let out a quiet chuckle. 

Elias barely registered it because Noah suddenly shifted beside him, his grip tightening on the back of the couch. 

Elias turned, catching the way his friend's expression darkened. Noah's gaze was locked on Ethan and Victor, something unreadable in his eyes. 

Jealousy. 

Elias didn't have the energy to deal with it. 

Noah would have scoffed at the irony if his stomach weren't twisting itself into knots. The way Ethan and Victor stood close, the way Ethan's expression softened—he didn't need to understand Italian to see what was right in front of him. Victor has him now. That knowledge burned more than he cared to admit. 

Victor sighed, adjusting his cufflinks. "Alright, I'll see you all soon." He cast one last glance at Ethan before heading for the door. "Try not to kill each other while I'm gone." 

Elias doubted that was a promise any of them could keep. 

As the door shut behind Victor, silence settled like a loaded gun. 

————————————————

Kai, watching from a distance, kept his mask in place—cold, unreadable. He had long since learned how to lock his emotions away, and he wasn't about to let these people—the ones who had once shattered him—see a single crack in his armor. 

Yohan, observing the flicker of something behind his father's guarded expression, felt a surge of protectiveness. He didn't know the full extent of what Elias had done to Kai, but he had heard enough. And as far as Yohan was concerned, he would never let history repeat itself. I won't let him hurt you again, Dad. 

Kai exhaled quietly before turning to the head maid standing nearby. "Rosaline, show them to their rooms," he ordered, his tone neutral, detached. 

Rosaline nodded and gestured for Elias and Noah to follow. 

Kai turned on his heel without a word, his exit just as sharp as his presence. Yohan followed, throwing one last cold glance at Elias before disappearing down the hall. 

Ethan lingered for a second longer, his eyes flickering toward Noah before scoffing under his breath. 

"Welcome to hell," he muttered before turning and walking away. 

And just like that, Elias was left standing in the middle of his worst nightmare. 

This wasn't going to end well. 

This wasn't going to end well at all. 

Rosaline led Elias and Noah down the dimly lit corridor toward the guest wing. The mansion was grand, but the silence pressing against them made it feel suffocating. Noah's mind was a mess—too many questions, too many emotions clashing inside him. 

"Rosaline," he spoke up, his voice steady but curious, "can I ask you something?" 

Rosaline glanced at him with a polite smile. "Of course, sir. What would you like to know?" 

Noah hesitated for a second before saying, "Yohan. He's... protective of Kai, isn't he?" His tone was casual, but the underlying meaning wasn't lost. "For an adopted son, they seem incredibly close." 

Rosaline's expression softened. "Master Kai saved Yohan when he was just eight. That was eight years ago. Since then, they've been inseparable." 

Elias, who had been silent until now, scoffed under his breath. 

Noah shot him a look. "What?" 

Elias shook his head, voice laced with dry amusement. "Nothing. Just that it's funny how everyone talks about Kai like he's some kind of saint." He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "He betrayed me. And yet somehow, he's the one who got to walk away looking wounded." 

Rosaline's gaze lingered on him, unreadable. "Master Kai may seem cold, but he cares deeply for those he lets in." 

Elias let out a bitter chuckle. Cares deeply? That statement twisted something inside him. Was he supposed to believe that? Because all he could remember was the way Kai had ended their two year relationship—like Elias was nothing more than a discarded mistake. 

Noah didn't miss the flicker of something in Elias' eyes—pain, resentment, maybe even regret. 

They reached the guest wing, and Rosaline pushed open a door, revealing a spacious, well-furnished room. Everything was perfect—comfortable, inviting—but the tension in the air remained thick. 

"Please, make yourselves comfortable. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask," Rosaline said with a gentle smile. 

Elias nodded stiffly. "Thanks." 

As she left, Noah glanced at Elias, who stood frozen in the doorway, staring at nothing. 

"Hey," Noah said quietly. "You okay?" 

Elias blinked, then scoffed, stepping inside. "Fine. Just tired." 

Noah didn't buy it. But for now, he let it slide. 

The past wasn't done with them yet. 

————————————————

Elias lay on the plush bed, staring at the ceiling, but rest wouldn't come. His mind was a battlefield—memories clashing with reality, emotions he thought were buried resurfacing like old wounds torn open. 

Kai. 

Even now, after all these years, Kai still had the power to mess with his head. That cold, unreadable mask he wore—it wasn't just for show. It was armor. And maybe, just maybe, Elias was starting to see the cracks beneath it. 

But that didn't change a damn thing. 

Kai had broken him first. 

And yet, somehow, Elias was the one drowning in guilt. Kai didn't say a word, didn't accuse him of anything, but the silence, the way his gaze lingered—God, it was suffocating. And then there was Ethan. The friend who disappeared the same night Kai did. Now he was here, standing at Kai's side, looking at Elias like he was the intruder. 

How the hell was he supposed to survive this for a month? 

Victor needed to return soon, or Elias wasn't sure how much longer he could stand being in this house. This place was a prison, a cage built from unresolved pain, and he was locked inside with the ghosts of a past he had spent ten years trying to forget. 

————————————————

In another part of the mansion, Kai stood by the window, staring into the night. The glass was cool beneath his fingertips, but the fire in his chest burned hotter than ever. 

Elias was here. After ten years. 

Kai had spent a decade perfecting his armor, silencing the ghosts of his past, burying every trace of the boy he used to be. And yet, one glance—one damn glance—at Elias, and it all came crashing back. 

He clenched his jaw. No. Not again. 

Elias had no right to look at him like that, as if he was the one drowning. As if Kai was the one who had walked away. As if the pain between them was something shared instead of something inflicted. 

He exhaled sharply, his fingers tightening against the window frame. 

Elias didn't get to haunt him anymore. 

Kai wouldn't allow it. 

————————————————

They are both hurting, aren't they?

Elias doesn't want to confront the same miseries he locked somewhere away in his heart. But is it that easy when Kai Adrian Cassano is standing just in front of him. 

Kai has his own fare of secrets, past that shaped him into the Kai Cassano today. 

Everything isn't as straightforward as it seems.