Peyton Griffin's POV

Standing right here in my bedroom is my father, Troy Griffin. He wore his usual suit and tie; his attitude matched the wardrobe. And I need no psychic to tell me why he is here. I knew how this would end. I make him storm out angrily or he would hit me. Either way, I've gotten used to it courtesy of the Empire.

Our relationship has been like this for as long as I can remember. Sure, it's very unusual for a father to hate his daughter, but the last time I checked, I will not consider him my father, especially after I read my mother's journal.

"Where were you last night, young lady?" He cocked his head to observe me.

It still shocks me when I remember that I am related to him. I mean excluding the stubbornness which all the Griffins have, we look nothing alike.

"Most likely doing what you were doing." I raked my hand through my unruly hair.

His nostrils flared, "I will not have you prancing with the Kendall's when you are already engaged."

"Just because you say it doesn't make it true." I shot back.

"You will marry Daniel..."

"Or what?" I shot irritated.

"Or you will face dire consequences." He looked at me with pure disdain.

"Right. Until then, use the door." I picked at my nails.

He stared at me a bit longer, deciding not to say more before he left.

I'm not sure what my grandparents were thinking when they gave him the British Empire to handle. Sure enough, he truly did fit his role. Arrogant, manipulating might I add, horrible father.

I know only one of those things relates to the world we live in; you get my drift. My father is a man who will only do what he believes is best for the Empire and doesn't mind who he has to hurt to get it done. And his family is not excluded.

Still trying to find a way out of the mess my father threw me in. I got up from my comfy bed and began my usual morning routine.

By the time I was leaving my room in a pair of sweats and Jordan's hoodie, I bumped into the redhead from yesterday. She hissed and continued to walk through the halls.

"I see you've met one of your competitors for my bed."

I turn around to see Danny leaning against the wall. I looked him over, with his dull blonde hair tousled about, no doubt by the redhead. He was shirtless, and the jeans he wore hung dangerously low.

Now that I think about it, we could be siblings. Danny Lola and I share the same blonde hair, but our eyes would be a dead giveaway.

"Not sure how many times you hit your head as a kid, but you are brain dead." I walked past him. I felt him close behind me as we walked down the halls.

"I was going to tell you something important, but I think I'll wait till you have a mouth full of my cock."

I turned around sharply, "If you have something smart to say with that mouth of yours, spit it out. The maids are already waiting outside your room." I say.

"I guess Pmsing is a twin thing."

"Your point?" I scrunch my brows in confusion.

"Lola has been stuck in her bathroom all morning. And her being my favourite sibling, I checked on her. She said to get you."

I didn't give him a reply and went off towards my twin's room. I didn't bother knocking as I let myself into the colourfully painted room, a complete contrast to mine and opened the bathroom.

I see Lola hunched over the toilet bowl, hurling the contents out of her stomach.

I moved forward and removed her blonde hair from her face whilst rubbing her back lightly. When she finished, I helped her rinse her mouth and face.

"What happened?" I led her out of the bathroom and into her room towards her bed. I take in her appearance just like looking in a mirror, apart from her bright blue eyes.

"Jordan." She croaked out.

I had a bad feeling about what she meant, but I was willing to not jump to conclusions.

"What about him?" I managed to ask.

"I'm so sorry, Peyton. He forced himself to me..."

I didn't allow her to finish as I ran out of the room and towards the front door. I have passed all logical thinking of what the Don of a Spanish mafia will do to me when I end his bloodline with his son.

I stopped when I saw him happily chatting with my father and Joey.

Target spotted.

I made my way towards them and slapped him hard on the face.

"You are a lousy piece of shit." I spit out.

He smirked and walked toward me with a predatory smile as he caged me between a wall and himself. It didn't look as if I made a dent in his sculptured face, but I was aiming lower if I were to be accurate.

My gaze became icy as he used his finger to raise my chin so that I could meet his gaze, "You always were feisty and too bad I never got to have you in more ways than one, mi amor." He moved to remove hair from my face when I shifted my head and tried to push him off, but he wouldn't move.

"What's going on?" I heard Danny say.

"Get away from me!" I tried again to push him away.

"Mate, I ask you to back away from her." Danny tapped Jordan's shoulder.

Jordan glanced away from me to look at Danny, "And if I don't?" he challenged.

"You asked for it." Danny simply shrugged and drew back his hand, formed a fist and landed it on Jordan's jaw.

The impact was hard enough for Jordan to lose his bearings and allow me to scramble away behind Danny. Danny took a protective stance in front of me.

"That's enough."

I realize that my father and Joey have been here while I was getting harassed.

Such lovely fathers.

My father walked forward and adjusted his tie, "Now that the so-called love of your life has fallen from the pedestal you kept him on. You can finally focus on marrying Daniel."

"Wait, you planned this?" Danny said.

My father scoffed, "Obviously, if I don't do it myself. Peyton won't marry you, and I can't subject Lola to that. I refuse to allow our heritage to be soiled." He simply stated.

"But you had him sleep with her and...." My words failed me as I felt salty tears slide down my face and into my mouth.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

I couldn't stand them looking at me. I ran to my room and slumped down on the ground against the door once inside.

My other half has just been raped by my boyfriend, well ex anyways. It makes sense; his parents didn't know his whereabouts last night. I came to a house full of different noises, some more animal than human.

I cried harder, knowing what Lola would have to overcome, the thought of her ending up like our mother came to mind as more tears fell from my eyes.

'This family won't have happened if not for the deal my parents made with Troy,' I recall from my mother's journal.

"Peyton?"

"Go away." I sobbed more as the thoughts flowed through my mind.

"You either marry her or lose it all."

A deal went wrong, all because of heritage; I lost her. And it changed my father for the worse. My bright blue eyes always reminded him of her and so, he always picked on me and treated Lola as his princess, which is why I wore silver contacts most of the time.

I could never be jealous of my twin, especially when I found out the truth, but to spare us the heartbreak. I kept it all to myself.

-

I stare at the picture of my two least favourite people.

My fathers.

After the whole Jordan fiasco, Danny came to check up on me; I didn't miss the shiner on his right eye that he was trying to hide from me. Even if we practically despised one another, it was nice of him to stick up for me. After that, we burned all the hoodies and sweatshirts I had stolen from Jordan's closet.

My father had Jordan go away for a while so that Lola couldn't press charges on him for taking advantage of her. It's not like she could do anything anyway; the money she would use for the court case belongs to the Griffin household. I highly doubt he would allow her to sue one of his biggest accomplices. Even though he acted like a complete prick.

Meanwhile, I thought Mr Kendall would come after Danny for hitting his son. It's not common for the Spanish mafia to let go of an assault on their heir, but my father handled it.

Currently, I am packing a few of my clothes and planning my escape. Father had Lola shipped off to our Aunt Nicole, a drug addict. His plan backfired when he found out that Lola was pregnant. No shock there.

I can't stay here while my twin is stuck with a woman who is not conscious of her actions most of the time. Father hasn't stopped telling me the importance of my and Danny's union. That will happen when I am six feet under the ground.

"Are you sure about this?" Danny asked as he loaded my duffel bag into his car.

"As long as Lola is not safe, I think I'll take my chances." I climbed in shotgun as he got in and started the car.

"You're more bitter than usual. It must be a good sign." He chuckled.

He drove onto the main roads of the Bahamas and followed the Google map on the dashboard.

The car was deadly silent; it wasn't an awkward silence where people failed to make memories. It was more of two people not having anything new to say.

Danny and I were forced to share the same air space since middle school. Our so-called rivalry has been going on, and it came off as mutual, ever since he and his father moved into the mansion as a business proposition.

We pull down in front of a rundown house which is a downgrade to our large mansion back in the upper part of the city, in the Griffin estate.

"I've packed you a dart gun in your duffel bag and a few more darts in case our Aunt gets a bit antsy. I read that when you're highly intoxicated, you tend to forget what you're into and who you're doing."

I could help the small smile that crept onto my lips.

"Do you think the plan will work?" He manages to wipe the smile faster than he makes a girl's panties drop.

"Our fathers are more dimwitted than you. It's very plausible." I open the door and get out, but he slams it back shut.

"Do the world a favour and drop that attitude of yours." His nostrils flared, "I am doing you a favour and pretending to love you. I have nothing to lose; I get my inheritance and a feisty blonde as a bed mate." He points out bluntly his version of the pros of our current situation.

I decided to keep him quiet because he was right. And there is no way I am going to apologize.

"Come on; you are a smart-mouthed idiot who can outwit just about anyone."

"Thank you," I say with uncertainty. I have no idea whether to feel flattered or insulted.

"I know you will not apologize, but our fathers aren't what I'm worried about."

"Then what are you worried about?" I raise a brow.

"I am leaving my favourite sibling in your sweaty palms and a dart gun." He says dryly.

Of course, I roll my eyes to give him my response.

"Before I go with my sweaty palms, is Charlie on board with our plan?"

"Yes, I talked to her last night. And she said she will meet up with us soon."

"Good."

Then the long-awaited awkward silence ensues, which is weird because Danny and I in a closed space are like an eagle playing poker with a swarm of bees. Weird yes. Possible never.

"So the weather..." He lets out a dry cough.

I smirk and get out; I grab my bag from the boot and head up the porch stairs. "I never thought you could get tongue-tied around a girl Torent."

"Peyton?" I turn back to look at him.

"You better keep my favourite sibling alive."

"Aye, Captain idiot." I mock a salute at him and open the door with a little key that I found underneath the welcome mat.

I clench the small dart gun; that I had brought out from my bag and make my way cautiously into the house.

It reeks of drugs as I try my best to resist my gag reflex. I come across my Aunty, sprawled on the floor with a bump on her head.

I hear a floorboard squeak down the hall, and I know I am not alone. I go in the same direction as the sound, half expecting to see a thief judging by the neighbourhood. I round the corner and almost come face to face with a frying pan.

"Peyton?" Lola lowers her frying pan as I drop my dart gun.

"It took three months for you to become the next Rapunzel." I humour her. She pulls me into a tight hug.

"It's not like you or Danny would turn into the next Flynn Rider and Pascal to come after me. And there was no way in hell; that I wouldn't snap while staying with her."

After we pulled apart, I noticed that her baby bump was absent.

"Lola..." She follows my gaze and lands on her flat stomach.

She places her index finger on her mouth as we hear a grunt from Aunt Nicole. She pulls me with her as we creep into a medium-sized room. She locks the door once we are safely inside.

"You might want to sit down for this one." She motions for me to sit on the little bed in the corner of the room.

I take my time to sit down as I observe the room; it is slightly messy but what catches my eye is the red stripper outfit strewn on a chair. I look at Lola and notice she is wearing the black version of it.

"After Father shipped me off here. He cut me off, and to make matters worse; Aunt Nicole abused me. I'm thankful that it is only physical; clothes can cover it up. To raise money for college and feeding, I got a job as a stripper. I mean who would hire someone fresh out of high school? I knew he was keeping tabs on me, so I had to change my last name to Disel. I know I was supposed to report this or go away, but I highly doubt our standing grandparents will welcome me with loving arms since I am a devil's spawn. Besides, we both know that us Griffins aren't exactly welcomed everywhere we go."

It takes me a while to take all this in and what surprises me more is that I am in tears and her face is as dry as the Sahara.

"Oh, Lola." I got up and wrapped her in a tight hug. I promised to protect her no matter what, and I am clearly sucking at it.

"But seriously, your obsession with that action movie is unhealthy." We both start to laugh, but we sober up eventually.

"It's okay; we can get by. While I work in the club down the street, you can work in the café nearby." She wipes away my tears.

"Why don't you quit your stripper job, and I'll take it..." She doesn't let me finish.

"That will be when our fathers have a kid." She says, "It's not like you have the body for it."

I roll my eyes and let out a sad smile, "Danny and I have a plan and..."

Once again, "Wait a minute, you and Danny stayed in the same room for more than five minutes and didn't try to rip each other's throats out." She raises a brow.

"Surprising, I know."

-

"Wait a minute, you and Danny stayed in the same room for more than five minutes and didn't try to rip each other's throats out." Charlie looked us over as she freed her hair from its complex hairdo.

"That's what I said." Lola grinned from beside me.

Trust my best friend and twin to be more alike than the Griffin spawns.

"Why are you guys so shocked by this?" Danny tilts his head as if trying to figure Charlie out.

"Because your porch light is so dim, it was a big shock that you graduated high school." Lola replies innocently, but I know she is anything but, "And it is a known fact that you and Peyton can't stay in the same room without wanting to tear each other apart."

"Bottom line is it will take teamwork for this plan to work." Danny realizes he has no comeback and is not ready to go down.

"Right, as far as our dearest fathers are concerned, Danny and I are in love. My father will obviously not want anything to do with Lola, and I am staying with her and have refused to come home. He will have to send money to Danny to avoid the press." I begin, "We use the money to open a shop and run it together. Then, Charlie, you'll help handle the shop while Lola and I work our asses off to get some extra money to get through school."

"Quick question," We direct our attention towards Charlie, "Won't it be weird if, after a couple of years from now, you and Danny aren't married?"

"What would be weird is if they do." Lola says, "Their family will literally beat keeping up with the Kardashians.

We all burst into laughter, disrupting the silence of the library. We were quite a sight to see. Lola in her stripper outfit and heels, Charlie in her fancy cocktail dress and hairdo making her brown curls frame her face, Danny in a formal dress shirt and pants while me in the café's employer uniform.

As the laughter dies subsides, I look around the table and realize one thing.

A family can't always be the people you are forced to share the same last name; it's the people you are willing to fight for and protect.

And I couldn't have hoped for a better family.