Chapter 27 The guest
Chapter 27: The Unwelcome Guest (Liam’s POV)
The ride home was silent, but my head was screaming. I kept looking at the empty passenger seat of my Porsche, almost expecting to see Chloe there, crying or plotting her revenge. Instead, all I could see was the image of Elena on that stage—the way she looked in that red dress, like she had personally come to burn my world down.
She hadn't just exposed Chloe’s cheating; she had made the entire student body look like fools. And now, thanks to some twisted logic from my father, she was coming to live under my roof.
"Disgusting," I muttered, gripping the steering wheel.
The idea of her tattered shoes on our hand-knotted rugs made my stomach turn. She was a scholarship student. A "Ghost." She was meant to be a background character in my life, someone I saw for an hour of tutoring and then forgot existed. Now, she was going to be a permanent fixture.
When I pulled into the driveway, I saw it. A beat-up, rusted-out taxi was parked right in front of the main entrance. A man in a stained shirt was pulling out a lumpy duffel bag and a few cardboard boxes held together by masking tape.
I sat in my car for a moment, just watching. It looked like a scene from a bad movie. This was the Vance Estate, a place of glass, steel, and heritage. And here was this… girl, bringing her poverty right to my doorstep.
I stepped out of the car, slamming the door. "Get that junk off the driveway," I snapped at the driver.
"Liam! That’s enough."
I froze. My father, Marcus Vance, was standing on the front porch. He wasn't looking at the boxes with disgust like I was. He was wearing his "public face"—the calm, statesman-like expression he used when he was closing a deal. He walked down the steps and stood next to the taxi, looking at the mess as if it were a prized collection of art.
"Elena is our guest," my father said, his voice firm and carrying that edge of authority that meant there was no room for argument. "She has had a difficult time, and as the primary sponsors of the Northview Excellence program, it is our duty to ensure she has a stable environment to continue her studies."
"A stable environment?" I marched up to him, lowering my voice so the driver wouldn't hear. "Dad, she just humiliated Chloe in front of the whole school! She’s a walking scandal! Why are you bringing her here?"
My father turned to me, his eyes cold and sharp. "Because, Liam, while you are busy worrying about high school drama, I am worried about the Vance reputation. The news of the 'accident' and the scholarship tension is starting to leak. If she stays here, under our care, we look like heroes. We look like the family that saved the poor girl from the brink. It’s called damage control."
"She’s a leech, Dad. She’s using you."
"I am well aware of what she is," he whispered, his grip tightening on his cane. "But she is a leech we can control if she's in the next room. Now, go inside and act like the gentleman I raised you to be. Show her to the West Wing."
I wanted to argue, but my father’s look silenced me. I turned just in time to see Elena step out of the taxi.
She looked small against the backdrop of the mansion, but she didn't look intimidated. She still had that black cane, and she was wearing that same red dress, though it was wrinkled now. She looked at me, and her lip curled in a tiny, almost invisible smirk. She knew I hated this. She was enjoying it.
"Liam," she said, her voice smooth. "Is this the part where you carry my bags?"
"In your dreams, Elena," I spat. "Follow me. And try not to touch anything. Some of the vases in the hall cost more than your mother’s apartment."
I headed inside without waiting for her. I could hear the thump-click of her cane on the marble behind me. It was a rhythmic, irritating sound that felt like it was tapping directly on my nerves.
As we walked through the grand foyer, I saw the maids whispering in the corner. They knew. By tomorrow, the whole town would know that Marcus Vance had taken in the "Scholarship Girl."
"This is the West Wing," I said, stopping at a set of double doors. I didn't open them for her. "You have a bedroom, a small sitting area, and a private bath. It’s far away from my room and my father’s study. Keep your noise down, and don't wander around the house after ten."
Elena stepped past me, pushing the doors open herself. She looked around the room—the silk curtains, the king-sized bed, the view of the private lake. She didn't gasp. She didn't look impressed. She just tossed her duffel bag onto the expensive duvet like it was a pile of laundry.
"It’ll do," she said, turning to look at me.
"It'll do?" I stepped into the room, my chest tightening with anger. "This room is worth more than your entire life. You should be on your knees thanking my father for not letting you sleep on the street."
"Your father isn't doing this for me, Liam. We both know that," she said, leaning against her cane. "He’s doing it for the cameras. And you? You're just mad because the 'Ghost' isn't hiding in the shadows anymore. I'm right here. I'm in your house, I’m at your table, and I’m in your head."
"You're an intruder," I said, stepping closer to her. I wanted to see her flinch, but she didn't move an inch. "You think you won because you found some evidence on Chloe? Chloe is a Miller. She’ll be back. And when she is, she’s going to come for you. And I won't be there to help you."
"I never asked for your help, Liam. I just asked for you to get out of my way."
I stared at her for a long second. Up close, I could see the dark circles under her eyes, but I also saw the fire. She wasn't just a girl from the slums. she was a parasite that had managed to find a host, and she was going to drain us for everything we were worth.
I turned on my heel and walked out, slamming the doors behind me.
I went straight to the kitchen to get a drink, but I found my father sitting at the island, reading a tablet. He didn't look up as I entered.
"She’s settled," I said, grabbing a bottle of water.
"Good," he replied. "I’ve invited the Millers for brunch tomorrow. Just family. We need to present a united front. Chloe needs to see that Elena is under our 'protection.' It will settle the girl down, and it will keep the Millers from doing anything rash that might hurt our business merger."
"You're bringing Chloe here? Tomorrow?" I couldn't believe it. "After what Elena did to her?"
"Conflict is best resolved behind closed doors, Liam," my father said, finally looking up. "You will sit at that table, you will be polite to Chloe, and you will ensure Elena remains quiet. If she opens her mouth about the exams again, I will handle it personally. And believe me, she won't like my methods as much as my hospitality."
I leaned against the counter, closing my eyes. Tomorrow was going to be a disaster. Chloe and Elena in the same room, with my father acting as the referee.
I looked at the ceiling, thinking of the girl upstairs in the West Wing. She was a "nobody," a girl I should have been able to crush under my shoe. Instead, she had moved into my house and forced the King to share his palace.
I hated her. I hated the way she looked at me, and I hated that I could still hear the sound of her cane echoing in my mind.
I went to my room and pulled out my phone. A text from Jax was waiting.
Jax: I heard she’s staying at your place. Tell me you’re joking, Vance. If she’s there, she’s fair game. We're coming over tonight to drop off some 'welcome' gifts.
I looked at the text, then at the door. I should have told him to stay away. I should have told him my father would kill him if he caused trouble.
Instead, I put my phone down and stared at the ceiling.
"Let them come," I whispered. "Let’s see how much the Ghost likes her new home when the lights go out."