Chapter 34 Chapter 33:
Barbara:
Everyone is talking about the return of Liam Brookes, making it seem like he’s such an important figure to the society.
Since the last few hours, I have been getting calls from reporters wanting to ask me questions about Liam’s childhood: Why did he leave? Why does nobody know about the existence of Liam Brookes? Is he going to join the company? All those shits that I am not interested in, I am having my assistant take care of them.
Right now, I can’t pay the media to trash talk Liam because Robert, my husband, their father will be mad. This is the first time I ever saw Robert this tense, he looks really worried; the three lines in his forehead are deep as he’s deep in thought.
We are in the living room, and we are supposed to be watching the news but it’s turned off. The maid brought a pot of warm tea earlier with chocolate biscuits but Robert hasn’t touched either of them.
“Do you think he will still want to talk to us?” He asks me, hoping for a positive remark. “What if he hates us?”
“He doesn’t hate us.” I sigh, knowing quite well it’s a lie. Liam has never liked me from day one; I used to see it in his green eyes back when Kathy was alive, he didn’t understand why Kathy, his mother, was friends with me. He didn’t even like me touching him, when I did, he squirmed away from me and glared hardly, I used to remember Kathy always telling him to behave and not act hostile towards me.
Unlike Devon who was easier to tame, Liam never listened, he worked at a much faster pace, he could easily guess what I was thinking, the news of him back home has chills running through my spine.
With him here, it will be harder to carry out my plans.
“I invited him over for dinner.” I say lightly.
Robert stares at me with admiration. “Thank you, love. I don’t know what I will do without you.” Touché, he doesn’t even have the courage to invite his own son over for dinner.
“No worries, will you stay for dinner?”
“I can’t love,” he sighs. “I have a meeting to get too, address some few things, but maybe it’s for the best? I am not sure if Liam will want to see me, just talk with him, coax him a bit and maybe I can see him tomorrow?” He looks so hopeful, so pitiful.
He wants his son to like him, but he can’t even stay for his son to get here? Some people are just out rightly greedy, reaching for something they aren’t ready to work for.
“Sure, dear. Have fun.”
Robert’s already dressed in a navy suit, and I must admit, even at the age of sixty, he looks much younger, his sharp collarbones, accentuated accent and lovely posture. No wonder Kathy fell for him fast.
Robert gives me a kiss before walking out of the door. I sigh, impatiently, waiting for Liam to arrive, even though I invited him for dinner, he didn’t respond back. He’s always like that, that dipshit.
He should wait until I deal with him. The doorbell rings, I bounce out of my seat towards the door, I requested that no maid should come around when Liam arrives. Swinging open the door, I am looking at the exact copy of Devon, except there’s a hostile glint in his green eyes.
It always scares me, he isn’t glaring at me now, but he used to a lot when he was a kid, always giving some kind of strange look, as if he was accessing me at the same time accusing me.
Should I act more friendly and hug him? I debate against that, if he jerks away from me, I am going to burn with humiliation.
Keeping my voice simple, I invite him in. “Liam, your father and I were surprised to know that you are back in New York.” Honestly, when Liam left at the age of thirteen, I couldn’t even be bothered to know which country he went to.
I had no business, honestly, I thought he would never come back home but fate seems to be playing a dangerous game with me.
Liam shrugs, ignoring me as he shuffles out of his pea coat and drapes it over the rack. He removes his shoes leaving him in his black socks, I watch him intently as he does this without saying a word. When he’s done, he looks at me with such a gaze that makes me feel unsafe.
“I prepared dinner, roasted lamb with salad, you used to love that when you were little.” Maybe food can appease him? Devon doesn’t eat any of my food, but Liam might.
“I don’t like that anymore, Barb.” His voice is firm, not gentle at all. “Besides, I won’t be staying for dinner.” He looks around, his eyes softening; I know that he’s looking for his father. For a minute, I almost feel bad for him. Almost.
“Your father could not make it for dinner, I am terribly sorry.”
“Right.” He stiffens, “Of course.”
“We both watched the news today, Liam, your face is plastered everywhere. Everyone is talking about the live show of Devon properly introducing you to everyone; people are asking questions, what do you plan on doing now? Will you work in Brookes’ technology, run for CEO?” The thought of Devon and his brother fighting for the CEO position makes me thrilled.
“Funny thing, Barb is that when I walked in here, you didn’t bother to ask how I am, or where I have been for the past nineteen years, you just started grinding me on questions about my next step.” There’s is that hard glare again. “Are you making fun of me, Barb?”
My muscles harden; he looks at me again, like he knows what I am thinking. He always does, I don’t know how he does it, or why he takes pleasure in tormenting me. Also, I hate it whenever he calls me Barb, it makes me feel old, it’s like he is doing it on purpose.
I move closer to touch his elbow, but he takes a step back giving me that ‘don’t even think about it’ look. Apologizing, I say. “That was wrong of me, how have you been? On TV, you said that you were an author, you even revealed your pen name, your fans must be thrilled knowing that their favorite author comes from a billionaire family.”
“Let’s quit the politeness, it doesn’t suit you anyways. Why don’t we cut down to the real deal? The main point is that I am back in New York, and let me tell you, I have plenty of time for you. I will uncover all your secrets, and expose them.”
My face pales and I know that the bastard takes great pleasure seeing me lose control.
“Devon takes it easy on you, I don’t know why, but I am not him.”
“Liam, let’s take this easy, shall-”
“I never liked you, Barb. Hell- I still don’t and we both know you despise me, this will be my last time ever stepping into this house, I just wanted you to know that you have met your match. Game on, Barb.” He turns and grabs his pea coat and shoes, his hands lingers on the knob before he turns back at me.
“Oh and send my father my warm greetings.” He gives me a smile that makes me sick to my stomach, before leaving the room. That bastard.
“Game on, Liam.” I say hardly, “The game is fucking on.”
\--
Alisha:
My stomach is rumbling as Jasper and I stand outside Devon’s office, even though he’s rubbing the small of my back, it does nothing to add to the fuelling anxiety.
When the news about Devon’s twin brother hit the press- I had no idea that a second Brookes even existed. Jasper was adamant we come visit them, maybe because he’s a huge fan of Logan Kane. Jasper has a whole stack of his books written by Logan Kane in his personal office.
My husband seems boyish, flashing his signature grin as he waits to see his favorite mysterious author, who turns out to be part of a prestigious family and is also the twin brother of our friend from college.
“Am I sweating, sweetheart?” Jasper asks me nervously, crooking his neck tie. He gives me that anxious smile that makes my stomach go in knots, honestly I understand that any woman will be lucky to fall in love with him, and sometimes I feel intensely guilty for playing him like this.
“No, you don’t. Besides, being nervous is a normal response when meeting your idol.” Like the same way my stomach drops whenever Devon walks into the room, or how his cologne affects my senses.
The elevator dings open and we both step out, meeting Daphne’s cold stare.
“Right this way,” she gives my husband a warm smile but I swear, when her eyes glances at me, she glares at me so hard my cheeks redden with humiliation. On the day of the restaurant, Daphne got upset, said I was being manipulative and obsessive. At some point, she asked me to drop my whole sick puppy love for Devon and love my husband wholeheartedly.
I am sick of that brat, what audacity does she have to talk to me like we are mates! I am freaking richer than her, she deserves to die for all I care.
Together, we walk with Daphne and when we reach Devon’s office, she turns to face us. “Please, Mr. Brookes will be happy to see you there.”
My hands move to my neck, and I rub the mole behind my left ear, I have been doing this since I was a little girl, I inherited it from my father, people say we are alike in many ways, we are close- though, he rarely pays attention to me since he’s so busy and all that.
Daphne pushes the door open and Jasper and I both stroll in, Devon stands up from his chair, buttoning up his suit, his toned muscles are visible underneath his shirt and my breath hitches.
Beside him is his brother, Liam Brookes, the media didn’t provide much photos about him, because he needed his privacy.
“Oh gosh, it’s really you.” Jasper lets go of me and moves over to him. “I am a huge fan of your novels,”
Liam smiles a bit, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. He looks like his brother, clearly lacking warmth, but I don’t feel drawn to him in any way. “Any friend of Devon’s is a friend of mine.”
I look around Devon’s office. “Are you planning to join the company?”
He cranes his neck and skims his eyes at me, which makes me very uncomfortable. I don’t like him, his arrogance is shit. “No,” his voice is stiff, “I am not.”
“So, what are you going to do for the rest of your life?” Sarcasm seeps into my voice and I don’t care if I am acting unprofessional right now, Jasper gives me a weird look, but I continue either way. “Write novels for the rest of your life?”
Did that sound like an insult? Because, I sure hope it does.
“Not a bad idea.” His smile is cold, it makes me shiver. He steps closer to me, and his green eyes are much lighter than Devon’s. “Alisha Young. I have heard about your movies, too bad they don’t catch my interest.”
I clench my knuckles together into a tight fist, imagining burrowing it into his pathetic face, I want to hear him scream out in agony, but I have to play the good everything. “Too bad.” I take a look at Devon, he’s busy with his phone, it’s well evident that he won’t give us his time of the day, so we might as well leave.
“Too bad Jasper and I have to go, we have lots of things to do.”
Liam nods his head, as if he understands. “Oh, Jasper. Can we meet up some time for tea and snacks, just you and I.”
Jasper nods and grins so brightly, “I will like that.”
I see what he’s doing here, leaving me out intentionally.
“Fantastic.” Liam smiles again, looking at me intently. “Can we talk privately?”
“Yes,” my left eye twitches in annoyance, Jasper looks at me earnestly, hoping I will say yes, Devon doesn’t even glance our way. We walk out of the office and Liam shoves his hands into his pocket.
“I don’t normally do this but your husband is a wonderful guy and you are throwing away something special just because of a useless crush on my brother,” How does he even know?
“Watch your mouth.” I say coldly, “you have no right to say anything regarding my personal life.”
“I saw the way you looked at my brother, and I won’t say it annoyed me. I have been watching out for him since we were little kids and if you do anything to harm him, you don’t want to witness my other side.” I squirm a little and the bastard takes great joy in seeing me scared.
“I don’t like you. At all.” Venom seeps into my voice as I glare hard at him.
A glint crosses his light emerald eyes. “Likewise, Alisha.” Without waiting, he turns and walks away, leaving me standing there with pent up anger.