The East Wing's smaller sitting room felt like a grenade ready to blow. Natalia sat perched on the plush white sofa, her spine a straight line of learned poise. She wore a simple dress that felt like a second skin, but her feet betrayed her. Clad in soft pink slippers, her crossed leg hung in the air, the slipper dangling from her toes, twirling in a rhythmic, unconscious circle.
Across the room, Harrison stood with his back to her, a Bluetooth earpiece glowing blue against his skin.
"The lighting for the ad needs to be colder, Mark. I don't want it looking like a soap opera," he muttered. He caught movement at the door—Marcy Dryden, the house manager, approaching Natalia with a look of practiced contrition. Harrison shook his head at the predictable drama of the household and slipped out of the room to finish his call in the hall.
The silence that followed was heavy.
"Ma'am, I was not yet made aware that the staff had chosen to gossip about the goings-on in the estate," Marcy began, her voice low and tight. "Please allow me a few moments to correct this great mistake."
Natalia didn't look at her. Her foot continued its frantic, silent twirl. "This shouldn't have happened, Marcy. My family pays you a very healthy amount of money so that no whispers leave this home."
"The Westbrooks have always been very generous to me, ma'am," Marcy replied. She wanted to rebut Natalia—to insist that no gossip had left the house, and that, in fact, the only people in the know were the family. But it would do no good. As staff, they were always wrong.
"Then find me the culprit," Natalia snapped, her voice like a whip. "Now." She was vibrating with anger. She hated looking like a fool in front of anyone, especially not her baby brother.
Marcy bowed her head and retreated. A moment later, Harrison stepped back in, clicking off his earpiece. He saw Natalia still glaring at the empty doorway, her jaw set so hard it looked like it might crack. He sat beside her, the cushion dipping under his weight, and placed a hand firmly on her thigh to break her trance.
"You're being hard on her," he said quietly.
"One of those maids opened her big mouth," Natalia hissed. Harrison still didn't understand that when someone worked for this family, they didn't get to make mistakes.
"Just let it go, babe. Gunner was just pulling your leg."
"And now my brother has something to hold over my head," Natalia said, ignoring Harrison's words entirely. She couldn't let it go. She had tried for days to just sweep it under the rug, but this was a big deal.
Harrison let out a dry laugh. "Oh no! He knows we have a healthy sex life!" He chuckled, getting up from the couch and unbuttoning his nightshirt, needing to get ready for the day.
"Harrison! You know how my dad is. You saw it. He's trying to be okay with us, and in a way, he probably is. But I just can't make any mistakes. There's too much at risk." If she wasn't perfect, then everything would fall apart. She couldn't allow anybody to mess up the image she had carefully crafted.
Harrison sighed, coming back out of the closet. He leaned over from behind the couch, pressing his lips to her temple. His wife let stress eat her from the inside out, something he understood well as a former pro athlete. But unlike him, she never had a proper outlet.
Natalia hugged the arm wrapped around her chest, pressing her face into his warmth. "I love you."
"I love you more."
A sharp knock signaled Marcy's return. She entered with a young maid, Miss Opry, in tow. Marcy was a professional; she didn't acknowledge the sweet moment of tenderness between the couple.
"This is Miss Opry. She is a maid who works on the lower entertainment levels," Marcy announced.
The young girl stepped forward, her voice trembling. "I am exceedingly sorry. I will accept any punishment you deem fit."
She didn't mention that she had only been trying to protect Natalia's privacy from her brother at the pool. She knew the rules of the Hill: a mistake was a mistake, regardless of intent.
"You're fired. Leave," Harrison said, his voice flat. He patted Natalia's head, performing the only "justice" he could offer in this world—siding with his wife, even when she was wrong.
"If you keep holding on to me like this, I'm going to get ideas," Harrison murmured, his voice jovial and low enough only for her.
Natalia rolled her eyes playfully, the tension from the maid's dismissal finally beginning to thaw. She leaned up, pressing a lingering kiss to his lips before pulling back with a smirk. "Get dressed. We have a schedule."
Once they were ready, they descended the grand staircase hand-in-hand. The silence of the East Wing was quickly replaced by the sounds of the dining room: the clinking of silverware and the high-pitched giggles of a toddler.
Inside, Hunter was doing laps around the mahogany table. Gunner leaned back in his chair, one hand flying across his phone screen while the other reached out to scoop his son up as he zipped past.
"Down, Daddy! Down, down! Put Hunty down!" the boy shrieked, kicking his legs in mid-air.
Gunner laughed, shaking his head without looking up from his text. "Not a chance, buddy. You're grounded for being too fast." He fired off one last message, shoved the phone into his pocket, and gripped Hunter under the armpits. With a sudden grin, he tossed the boy toward the ceiling.
"Gunner!" Aubrey gasped, rushing into the room with her hands fluttering in fright. "Put my grandson down! You're going to drop him! Put him down right now!"
She fussed over Gunner as if he were still five years old himself. Harrison chuckled at the sight, leaning in to whisper into Natalia's ear, "I can't wait until we have our own."
Natalia froze. A cold spike of fear hit her chest, but she forced her lips into a practiced smile, nodding as if she were on board. Internally, the thought of adding another layer of "Westbrook expectations" to a child felt like a weight she wasn't ready to carry.
Orlando entered next, scratching at his salt-and-pepper beard. "This house is so loud," he complained, though the warmth in his eyes betrayed him. He loved the liveliness. He stepped aside, holding the door open for his father. Warrick walked in with a heavy, measured gait and took his seat at the head of the table.
Gunner gave Hunter one last toss. "You love it, right? Look, he's laughing, Mom! He's having fun!" After a final mock-scowl at his mother's frantic shoulder-slapping, he kissed Hunter's cheek and handed him over.
"Who's Grandma's big boy?" Aubrey cooed, bouncing the toddler on her hip. "Grandma's always saving you, right? Grandma's big boy."
A maid slid a high chair between Aubrey and Orlando as the kitchen staff began serving. The plates were a testament to Aubrey's control: a bowl of gray, tasteless oatmeal for Warrick, and an egg-white omelet with a glass of swampy green juice for Orlando.
Warrick grumbled under his breath about the oatmeal, while Orlando gave his wife a resigned, appreciative smile.
"You're babying him too much," Gunner chastised, nodding toward Hunter. "He's a big boy. Let him eat by himself."
"No, he's a little baby," Aubrey insisted, hovering with a spoon.
"I a big boy!" Hunter chirped, mimicking his father.
"You tell Grandma," Natalia added, pointing her fork at him. "You're a big man." Harrison gave the kid a silent thumbs up.
The domestic chatter continued for a few moments until Warrick rapped his knuckles sharply against the table. The sound was like a gavel. Silence fell instantly. Natalia glanced at Gunner; he shrugged, though his eyes held a knowing glint. Beneath the table, Harrison rested his palm on Natalia's thigh, sensing her spike of nerves.
"I need to make an announcement," Warrick said, his voice gravelly. "We will be welcoming a new member to the family."
Gunner seized the moment, spinning toward Natalia with a wicked grin. "Congratulations! Girl or boy?"
Harrison's eyes went wide, his hand twitching on Natalia's lap. He turned to her, shocked. "You're pregnant?" Aubrey added, her face lighting up.
"No! Shut up, you dickhead!" Natalia snapped at Gunner, grabbing a croissant and hurling it at his face. Gunner caught it with professional ease, took a massive bite, and tossed the remainder back at her.
"Will you two ever grow up?" Orlando sighed.
"For clarity," Warrick interrupted, his eyes hardening, "Gunner will be getting married... to Vivian Kane. The announcement hasn't been made yet, so keep this to yourself." He began to stand, clearly done with his breakfast.
"Oh God, not her!" Natalia groaned. "Why her? She is a huge bitch!"
"Watch your mouth!" Aubrey hissed.
"And you're an asshole," Gunner shot back at his sister.
"Babe," Harrison whispered, his grip tightening on Natalia's hand as her fingers curled into a white-knuckled fist around her fork. "That's your brother's fiancée. Let's not bash her...openly."
"Enough!" Warrick's voice boomed, echoing off the high ceilings. "Everyone will show Vivian the appropriate respect and kindness of a Westbrook woman. She is family from today on. I will accept zero disrespect. If there is a problem, fix it now." His eyes pointedly directed toward Natalia, who bowed her head, unable to keep her usual bravado with her grandfather looking down at her angrily.
He turned and marched out, already calling his driver to take him to his other estate where he could find a meal that wasn't "heart-healthy."
"Someone's in trouble," Gunner smirked, shooting Natalia a final, taunting look.
"Gunner, please," Aubrey begged, sensing the impending explosion.
"Fine," Gunner shrugged, standing up. He gave Hunter a fierce hug and a kiss on the head. "I have to go to the office."
As soon as he was gone, Natalia exploded. "Let me be the first to say it—she's actually awful. You would not believe what she said to me." She refused to be the only person openly hating Vivian. She was awful, and everyone deserved the right to complain about it.
"And what did you say to her?" Aubrey asked knowingly.
"She started it! I was actually rather kind," Natalia insisted.
Harrison cleared his throat. "From what Natalia told me, Vivian's comments were out of line when they hung out at Carrie's the other night. She really did go too far."
"What did she say to you?" Orlando asked, his protective instincts finally flaring. He thought Vivian was a good match, but he wouldn't allow his daughter to be bullied by her future sister-in-law.
"She said I was wasting time with Harrison and that we'd be divorced in no time. She's a real fucking bitch. Pardon my language, but—"
"Fuck!" Hunter shouted suddenly, clapping his small hands together in delight.
Orlando let out a low chuckle, patting Hunter on the head with an amused glint in his eyes. Aubrey immediately whipped her head toward her husband, shooting him a lethal, "don't you dare encourage this" look that silenced his laughter instantly.
"Natalia!" Aubrey shouted, pointing a finger back at her daughter. "Watch your mouth! I have two potty-mouth children, and I do not want a grandson who cusses like a sailor. Go! Go to work! Stop corrupting my little Hunter!"
"My grandson this, my grandson that. Geez," Natalia muttered, rolling her eyes as she wiped her mouth and stood up. "Just have another kid already. Love you all! Equally!"
Orlando couldn't help the amusement he felt from his daughter's spirited exit.
"Did he seem... happier than normal?" Aubrey asked, her gaze lingering on Gunner's abandoned seat.
Orlando didn't look up from his green juice. "I don't know," he said, genuinely unaware of any shift in his son's temperament.
"Definitely happier," Harrison piped up, mid-chew as he dug into his bacon and eggs.
"I wonder why," Aubrey mused, her wheels clearly turning.
"Probably Vivian," Harrison said between bites. "Fuhad texted Natalia that Gunner was out on a date with her last night. And at game night last week, he was really... intense with her. Now it all makes sense. She's his fiancée."
Aubrey's eyes widened, her excitement visibly growing. "What date? They're dating? Since when?"
Harrison shrugged, not quite realizing he was walking into a trap as Aubrey began peppering him with a barrage of questions. He was more focused on inhaling his food before he had to leave.
"Put your fork down," Orlando ordered. His tone was low and serious, striking a sudden, sharp sense of fear in the younger man.
Harrison cleared his throat and sat up straight, the fork clattering onto the porcelain. "I—I don't know if they're datingdating, you know? Just... at game night, he was, I don't know, really focused on her. And I only know what Natalia told me. He went on a date with Vivian last night, and rumor has it he was in her apartment. That's all I know, sir."
He knew Natalia was going to kill him for spilling his guts the moment she found out, but her father was a different kind of scary.
" Yay," Aubrey said, turning to Hunter and wiping his face joyfully. "You're going to have a baby brother or sister very soon! I'm going to talk to Gunner and figure out everything. I can't believe he didn't tell me this himself! Is it not crazy?" she asked, looking indignantly at her husband.
"He's almost thirty," Orlando reminded her, shaking his head. "He should keep some things to himself. It's unhealthy, the way you want him at your hip."
"He's my only son," she countered simply.
Orlando didn't fight her on it; he knew better. He leaned in and gave her a lingering kiss. "Have lunch with me today. I'll pick you up at the office," he told her before exiting the dining hall.
"I'm going to go, too," Harrison added quickly, desperate to escape before he accidentally revealed anything else about his brother-in-law's private life. He gave a quick nod and vanished toward the hall.
Aubrey looked down at the toddler in the high chair, a wide, plotting smile on her face. "Just me and you, little man."
Author's note:
So my updates are going to be a bit sporadic. Work has been finishing at 4:00 in the morning on Saturday. Which leaves me mentally and physically exhausted. Next two chapters will come in a couple hours plus that apology chapter. I did not forget.