Roselle mansion shining always beautifully—
But today?
Today they've painted her like a bride with no choice.
Flowers everywhere. Every wall. Every corner. White roses spilling from banisters, climbing the pillars, choking every surface that can hold a vase.
Petals on the marble floor—no one sweeps them. No one dares. Let them fall, someone decided.
Let him walk on petals like he's something holy.
Like they're welcoming a prince into our house.
He's just a Beta. What's all this fuss for?
I shake my head. Can't help it.
The motion small. A twitch. A crack in the mask.
The hallway stretches. Breathes. Suffocates.
Servants blur past—bowing, murmuring, their arms full of more petals, more stems, more proof that my parents have lost their minds.
Time to meet them. My selfish, cold parents.
My hand reaches for the living room door—
"Hy... Lili!"
I stop.
My blood stops.
Already burning. Already drowning.
And now—
"Parents aren't in the living room." That voice. Light. Untouchable
"They're outside."
I turn. Slow. Let him see the fury before I speak. Let it sit in my jaw, my fists, the space between my ribs.
EvericRoselle.
My big brother. Leaning against the wall like the world owes him comfort. Arms crossed.
That smile—the one he's worn since we were small, the one that says I'm safe in ways you'll never understand.
"Can't you," I say, and my voice is quiet—quieter than it should be, which is worse than shouting, and we both know it—"just stop calling me that?"
He pushes off the wall. Steps close. Too close.
His hand reaches up—
I don't move. I never move. That would be admitting it matters.
He pats my head.
Ruffles my hair. Ruins it.
"Ellis." Warm. Easy. Like love is this simple.
"You know I love you. That's why I call you Lili."
I step back. Fix my hair. Fingers moving fast, frustrated, erasing him.
He always ruins my hair. Like we're still children. Like I'm still the one who follows.
"I know how much you love me."
I hold his eyes. Face calm, eyes burning.
"You couldn't even stop them when they agreed to this damn marriage. And instead… you're celebrating."
His hand finds my shoulder. Pulls me in. Holds me there.
"Ellis." Softer now. The softness of apologies he won't quite speak.
"You know Dad. He's so strict. If I said something—"
A pause. A breath.
"He would probably disown me too. With you."
With you. Like that's a gift. Like drowning beside him is better than alone.
"Anyway." He straightens. Something flickers behind his eyes.
"I have something important to tell you."
I look at him. Really look. This time.
"What...?"
He opens his mouth—
His mind screams..
{Parents said the Beta is so beautiful. Almost like a jewel. Wait until Ellis sees him. Wait until—}
I look away.
Remove his hand from my shoulder. Let it fall. Let him feel the absence.
"Hey—"
"No need to tell." I'm already turning.
"Just shut your mouth."
A beat. The air between us thickens.
"Ellis." His voice shifts. Something raw underneath.
"You're so rude. Have you forgotten I'm your big brother?"
I start walking.
"Yes."
My steps stay steady, marble cold beneath my feet.
"Like you all forget about my happiness. Over a marriage."
Footsteps behind me.
Following. Always following.
"It's not like that."
Urgent now. Chasing. "I care about you. I tried my best to cancel this marriage—"
I don't turn back.
"Don't pretend you tried to help me."
"Ellis, I swear I did—"
I wave a hand. Keep walking. Let the motion say what my voice won't.
"I know. I know." The words drift back to him. Hollow. Tired. Older than I am.
"My big brother. How good you are."
A pause. I let it stretch. Let him feel it.
"Only just for parents, though." I keep walking. Don't look back.
"Not in my favor."
The flowers keep falling. Petals landing soft.
Behind me, Everic says nothing.
I walk through the estate ground behind the mansion.
They've filled this area too.
Every bush dripping white. Every path littered with petals.
I think my parents bought the entire world's flowers—every bloom within a thousand miles, stripped from their gardens, their graves, their weddings, just to die here.
On my soil. For him.
What a waste.
Then I see them.
Sitting on the rear terrace overlooking the estate grounds.
Sipping something cold and expensive.
Smiling at each other like this is a happy day.
Like they're not arranging their son's life without his consent.
I walk over. Steps heavy. Purposeful. The gravel crunches beneath my shoes—each one a warning.
Mom looks up. Sees me.
Her eyes travel—head to toe. Casual shirt. Unstyled hair. The absence of any effort at all.
Her smile falters.
Just a flicker. There and gone. But I catch it.
"Son." A pause. She sets down her glass.
"Why are you like this? Why aren't you ready? Your bride arrives in any minute and you're walking around..."
She gestures at me. At my refusal. At my small rebellion.
"Like this. Go and get ready."
I don't answer.
I drop onto the chair across from them. Let the silence stretch. Let it breathe between us.
"I'm fine."
Dad's eyes find mine. Narrow. Reading. Calculating.
"What are you trying to do?"
I stare back. My anger burning slow and deep. Coiled in my chest like something alive.
"Dad, I—"
A sound cuts through.
Sharp. Mechanical. Slicing the afternoon clean in two.
We all look up.
The helicopter. Descending through the perfect blue. Black and sleek. Predator sleek.
The Stoneheart insignia glints faintly against the dark metal, sharp and unmistakable.
Mom inhales. Soft. Satisfied.
"Ah. They've arrived."
Servants scramble. A ripple of movement across the estate. They fall into lines—stiff, heads down, hands clasped. Ready to welcome their special prince.
The helicopter lands. Wind whips across the ground—fierce and sudden. Flowers tremble. Petals spin into the air, dancing, dying, caught in a storm of their own making.
Then slowly. Everything calms.
Mom and Dad stand. Quick. Efficient. They straighten their clothes, smooth their hair, paint their faces with perfect welcoming smiles.
Ready to greet their precious Beta.
I look away.
My jaw tight. My hands grip the armrests. Knuckles white.
Dad turns. Sees me still sitting.
"Ellis."
His voice low. Commanding. The voice that ends arguments before they begin.
"Come and welcome your bride."
I don't look at him.
"Nope."
A beat. The air thickens. Curdles.
"Ellis—"
I sigh. Loud. Frustrated.Let him hear everything I won't say.
I stand.
I walk forward and step down from the terrace onto the lawn.
Each step heavy. Each breath slower than the last.The grass soft and wet beneath my shoes, petals catching at my ankles like they're trying to stop me.
The helicopter door opens.
Guards first. Pouring out like ink from a wound. Taking positions. Heavy security.
Military grade. Their eyes sweep the estate—scanning, calculating, protecting.
I look away. Unimpressed.
He came here like someone's going to kill him.
My fists clench. Tight. Tighter.
Of course he needs it. Because I'm going to—
Footsteps.
Soft. Measured. Different from the guards. These footsteps don't announce. They don't threaten.
They just... arrive.
I look up—
And my breath catches.
So—
This is…
Silas Stoneheart.