“Noah, sweetheart, sit down, okay? Dad will be home any minute now,” Ash’s mom said gently, her voice soft as she glanced at the clock on the wall.

5:30 PM.

The minutes seemed to drag as she tried to keep herself busy.

Noah was pacing the living room, his small feet padding softly against the floor.

He was waiting - waiting for his big brother, waiting for his dad. She knew he wouldn’t rest until they were all together, but that made two of them, didn’t it?

Ash’s mom sighed, wiping her hands on the apron she wore.

The smell of dinner filled the kitchen.

‘I have spent hours preparing it, Luke was never home often; work kept him away, always traveling, always somewhere else. But tonight, he had promised.Tonight, we’ll have dinner as a family.’

She thought, a small smile tugging at her lips.

It was a rare occasion, something she wanted to cherish. Ash, her husband, and little Noah - all together, even if just for one night.

But as the minutes ticked by, her heart couldn’t help but grow heavier.

‘Where are they?’

“Noah, darling, come sit down,” she tried again, but he was too restless, too anxious.

He kept glancing at the door, his eyes wide with hope.

“They’ll be here soon, right, Mommy?” Noah asked, his voice small, uncertain.

“Yes, they will,” she reassured him, though she grew anxious.

‘Ash, where are you?’

He was usually home by now. She knew he had his own way of doing things, but he always made it back before dark.

And then, there was a knock at the door.

Her heart leapt, a rush of relief filling her.

‘That must be him. Or maybe it’s Luke.’

She quickly wiped her hands on her apron, smoothing her hair, and hurried to the door.

“Noah, stay here, okay?” she called over her shoulder as she reached for the doorknob.

She opened it with a hopeful smile, expecting to see her husband’s familiar face, or perhaps Ash.

But it wasn’t either of them.

Her breath caught in her throat as she saw her standing there, her eyes cold.

‘L-Lily?’

“What are you…What are you doing h-here?” She asked, clutching the doorknob, squeezing the breath out of her lungs.

She knew, deep down, that whatever reason Lily had for coming here, it wasn’t good. It couldn’t be.

Lily didn’t respond, her gaze flicking past her mother like she was a stranger.

Without a word, she stepped inside.

“Lily, wait-” her mother tried, reaching out, but Lily was already crossing the room.

Noah was standing just beside his mother, his wide eyes staring up at the girl who had suddenly appeared in his home.

He didn’t know her, not really, but he had heard stories - whispers of an older sister who had left, to study in a nearby city.

Lily knelt down in front of him, her face softening for a moment as she took his tiny hand in hers. “Noah,” she said gently, “Do you know me?”

Noah blinked, confused, “Nuh-uh,” he murmured, looking between Lily and his mother.

Ash’s mom stood frozen in the doorway, her mind racing, heart pounding.

‘What is she doing? Why now, why here?!’

“Lily, stop,” she said, her voice shaky but firm, trying to regain control of the situation. “What are you-”

But Lily ignored her, gently pulling Noah up from the floor, guiding him to the couch. She moved with an urgency.

“I’m your big sister, Noah.”

Noah looked up to her, then smiled, “The one who’s studying in another city?”

Lily scoffed, her posture rigid, “Studying? Yeah, yeah.” she waited for a second, and then continued, “Noah, do you wanna go with me?”

Noah jumped off the couch, “Where?”

Lily glared at Noah, grabbing Noah’s wrist, “I am not asking. I am taking you with me.”

Noah’s smile faded. “But... I have to wait for big brother and Daddy,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper, eyes darting between his mother and Lily.

Lily’s grip tightened on his wrist, her knuckles turning white. “You don’t get it, do you?” she snapped, “I’m not giving you a choice, Noah. You’re coming with me. Now.”

Noah’s eyes grew wide, he tried to pull his hand back, but Lily’s grip was like iron. “B-But Mommy said-”

Ash’s mom stepped forward. “Lily, stop it! You’re scaring him!” she shouted, her voice trembling.

But Lily didn’t even flinch, her cold gaze fixed on Noah.

Noah’s voice broke. “I... I don’t want to go.”

That was enough to break his mother out of her shock.

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

Her heart pounding, she turned on her heel, rushing toward the kitchen where the phone was.

‘I need to call Luke. He’ll know what to do.’

Her fingers shook as she dialed the number, praying he’d pick up, praying he was nearby.

She glanced over her shoulder to see Lily pulling Noah closer.

“Come on, come on, pick up...” she whispered.

In the living room, Noah’s eyes filled with tears, his small hands trying to push Lily away. “No! I wanna stay with Mommy and daddy! I want to stay with big brother!”

Lily’s voice dropped to a low, dangerous whisper. “I told you, Noah. They don’t care about you like I do. I’m taking you somewhere safe.”

“Lily, please! Stop!” Ash’s mom pleaded, tears streaming down her face.

But before she could say anything more, Lily turned her head sharply, eyes narrowing as she saw the phone in her mother’s hand. “You think calling him will change anything?” she spat, “I’ll take him away, so you can feel what I felt!”

Noah was sobbing now, his tiny hands reaching out to his mother, but Lily was already pulling him toward the door.

“Lily, please,” she tried one last time, her voice breaking. “Don’t do this. He’s just a child. He’s your brother.”

But Lily didn’t stop. She tightened her grip on Noah’s hand, pulling him close. “You don’t get to decide. So shut up!”

And with that, she turned away, dragging Noah with her.

Noah’s cries filled the room, his small body shaking with sobs. “Mommy, please! I don’t want to go! I want to stay here!”

Ash’s mom lunged forward, and reached for Noah, her hands trembling as they closed around his other arm, trying to pull him back. “Lily, please! Let him go! He’s scared! You’re scaring him!” she cried.

But Lily was cold.

Noah’s screams grew louder, “Please, I don’t wanna go!”

Just then, the front door burst open with a force.

There stood Luke, his breath caught in his throat, his eyes wide with shock.

He took in the scene before him, his wife’s tear-streaked face, Noah’s frightened cries, and Lily’s icy glare.

“W-What... What the hell is going on here?” Luke stammered, his voice barely above a whisper, as if he couldn’t believe the scene unfolding before his eyes.

Lily froze, her grip on Noah loosening just enough for the boy to pull free. Noah stumbled forward, his tiny feet rushing towards his father, tears streaming down his cheeks.

“D-Daddy!” Noah cried, his voice a broken sob as he clung to Luke’s trousers, burying his tear-streaked face against him.

But Luke was shocked.

Yes, he had been harsh before. Too harsh. He remembered the way he used to push Lily, expecting her to be perfect, to be everything he had never been.

She was his eldest, after all.

He thought she needed to be strong, to set an example for her siblings.

And when Ash came along, he’d promised himself he wouldn’t make the same mistakes.

But even then, his old habits had crept in. The moment Ash met Lily, he’d lost his temper, afraid Ash would follow the same path.

He had confronted him, yelled at him, but he’d regretted it almost instantly.

Luke had apologized to Ash.

He knew he had to do better, had to be better, especially for Noah.

Noah, who was so small, so innocent. He was Luke’s second chance - his chance to finally be the kind of father he’d always wanted to be.

Noah was his joy, his light. He was the little boy who ran to him every evening when he came home, who clung to his leg, begging for piggyback rides.

Luke had sworn he wouldn’t mess it up this time.

He wanted Noah to feel loved, to feel safe, to feel okay.

But there was nothing okay about the scene in front of him. His wife stood there, her face pale, eyes wide with terror, while Lily stood just a few feet away, her eyes cold and filled with something Luke couldn’t quite name.

Anger?

Pain?

Hatred?

Luke took a step inside, closing the door behind him.

“Lily,” He finally asked, but the name sounded too foreign on his tongue, “What are you doing?”

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dazed would be an understatement; Ash felt like his mind was filled with cotton.

The first thing he noticed was that he couldn’t move.

His arms were twisted behind him, wrists bound tight to the back of a chair, his legs were similarly tied, preventing even the slightest shift.

His head was throbbing.

‘Where… am I?’ Ash’s thoughts were faint, struggling to remember what had happened.

He remembered Blake, a smirk on his face, the way Lucas signaled him to knock him out.

And then… nothing. Just darkness.

He tried to lift his head, but nothing happened.

His breath came in shallow, ragged gasps as he tried to calm himself, to focus on something, anything, that could help him get out of this mess.

‘Think, Ash, think,’ he told himself, forcing his mind to clear.

But all he could think was he promised he’d come home before dinner.

And now?

Now he wasn’t sure if he’d even see his family again.

He tugged at the ropes at his wrists.

‘Dammit,’ he thought, biting back a groan. ‘How do I get out of here? What time is it, anyway?’

But before he could think of a plan, he heard footsteps approaching.

Ash shot open his eyes.

It was Lucas, accompanied by Blake and his lackeys, Liam and Carter. They were all smirking, like they were in on some joke Ash wasn’t known to.

Lucas stopped in front of him, tilting his head slightly. “Ah, you’re awake from your beauty sleep? You’ve always been a heavy sleeper, haven’t you?” he said, his voice calm.

Ash took a deep breath, “What time is it?” he asked, his voice hoarse than he thought it would be.

Lucas raised an eyebrow, clearly caught off guard. “Why? You got somewhere to be?”

Ash glared at him. “Maybe I do,” he shot back. “Or maybe I’m just wondering why you’re wasting both our time by keeping me here. What do you want from me, Lucas?”

Blake stepped forward, crossing his arms. “You’re not in any position to ask questions,” he said, then smirked, “But since you’re so curious… let’s just say boss needed to make sure you understood your place. You’ve been a real pain, Ash.”

He leaned closer, his breath hot against Ash’s face. “You’re done for.”

‘Stupid…Stupid me. Why did I even ask them the time?’

Ash met Blake’s glare head-on, not backing down even as his wrists screamed in pain. “So that’s it?” he spat, looking back at Lucas. “You dragged me into this mess just to tell me that I’ve been a real pain?”

‘All my life, I’ve been told to stay out of trouble, to mind my own business. But sometimes... you’ve to stand up, and that’s what I’ll do.’

“You think this is just about you being a pain?” Lucas whispered, his tone sharp. “You think I enjoy this?”

Ash’s mind spinned, and he winced from the throbbing of his head.

But all he felt was confusion and anger. “Then why?” he shot back, “If you didn’t want this, why did you go so far?”

Blake chuckled from the side, “You’re still trying to find a reason, aren’t you?” he mocked. “You want everything to make sense, but sometimes the world is more than what you’re told.”

Ash’s heart pounded as he tried to think of a way out, anything that would buy him time.

But his mind was foggy, “You’re both fools,” he hissed.

“This… this isn’t strength. This is just... fear. You’re scared. That’s why you’re doing this. That’s the reason you both strive for power. That’s why you make sure that no one knows more than you, no one is one step ahead of you.” Ash’s voice was steady.

“Because deep down, you’re terrified. Terrified of being exposed, of being vulnerable, of losing control. So you hide.”

Lucas didn’t respond, while Blake scoffed.

Ash found a little courage in him, and so he continued, “You’ve become desperate,” Ash whispered, almost to himself. “You want people, you want me to trust you-”

“You never trusted me! You only….You only listen to yourself! You think you’re the right one here?” Lucas glared at Ash, and Blake sneered, “The world isn’t black and white! Sometimes... you have to do bad things for the right reasons.” Lucas cut off, then continued, his voice bitter now, as if he was regretting something,

“Sometimes... being the villain is the only way to survive.”

‘Dumbhead….what is he playing at?’

“So that’s your excuse?” Ash asked, almost mocked, “I know you’re lying.”

"Maybe you're right," Lucas whispered, "Maybe I have become the thing I once hated. But sometimes..." his voice cracked, and he quickly turned it into a growl, "Sometimes, you become the one thing you hate to protect the ones you care about."

Ash shook his head, his head throbbing, “Protect?” he scoffed. “Is that what you call this? Hurting people, breaking them down? Where’s the protection in that?”

Lucas turned away for a brief moment.

“You don’t know Ash.”

“I might not understand you, Lucas,” Ash said, his voice steady, “But one thing I do know is you’re wrong.”

“You know what you’ve become now?” Ash asked, glaring at Lucas.

Lucas made eye-contact, as if pleading Ash to tell him, as if he didn’t know himself.

“You are just another bully. You’ll always be just that.”

Lucas shook his head, anger visible in his eyes, while Blake took a step forward, and he grabbed Ash’s face, fingers digging painfully into his skin.

He forced Ash to look up, their eyes locking, his voice a menacing whisper. “Look at me, creep,” he growled, “I want you to watch your mouth.”