Daddy Dearest.

Daddy Dearest.
Mason’s voice thundered down the hall before I even had a chance to finish my coffee.
“Hey! Uh, Kaiden, Hunter...little help up here?”
I frowned at the tone in his voice. He sounded way too chipper for someone genuinely asking for help.
Hunter’s brows drew together. “What kind of help?”
Mason hesitated, and even from the porch, I could hear the guilty edge in his voice.
“Oh, nothing serious! Definitely not about paint colours or walls or… anything like that. Everything’s fine! Totally fine. Just...come help!”
Kaiden groaned and muttered, “That man’s about as subtle as a sledgehammer.”
Still, both of them exchanged a glance that said we should check this out before he burns the house down, and hurried off inside, leaving me alone with Isla. She sighed in contentment, sinking into the chair across from me and pouring herself a cup of tea. The clatter of spoons and mugs filled the quiet. It was almost… domestic.
Until my phone started ringing, I jumped slightly and looked at the screen. The name flashing there made my stomach twist. I muted it immediately and set it face down on the table.
Isla took a slow sip, side-eyeing me over the rim of her mug. “Not going to get that?”
“It’s my father,” I muttered, pushing the cup away from me.
Her eyebrows lifted. “Oh.” Then she smirked, her voice dry. “Well, that’ll be interesting.”
I groaned. “You have no idea.”
The phone started ringing again. Persistent. Demanding. Just like him.
I let it ring twice more before finally sighing and hitting accept. “Hi, Dad.”
“Alina.” His voice was sharp and clipped with the kind of tone that always made me feel like I was ten years old again and about to get lectured. “Where have you been?”
“Oh, you know…” I said, forcing lightness into my voice that I didn’t feel. “Busy.”
“Busy?” he repeated, slow and suspicious. “Doing what, exactly?”
I hesitated, my gaze darting to Isla. She was watching me now, chin in her hand, clearly enjoying the show.
“Work,” I said finally. “Obviously. I’ve been really busy with work.”
There was a pause. Then, dryly, “Funny. Because I heard from a little birdie that you got fired.”
I muttered a curse under my breath. Isla snorted into her tea, doing a terrible job of hiding her grin.
My father sighed on the other end. “Alina. You should come and see me.”
I tensed. “Oh. When?”
“Now.”
I rubbed my temple. “Now?”
“Yes, now. I won’t ask again.” And with that, the line went dead.
I stared at the phone for a moment, then let out a long breath and muttered, “Great.”
Isla chuckled, swirling her spoon in her tea. “Sounds like a real sweetheart.”
I stood, pushing my chair back. “He’s something, all right.”
“Want me to come with you?” she asked, half-teasing, half-serious.
I gave her a small, dry smile. “Are you into self-torture?”
She shrugged and then winked, pushing back her own chair, "It's got to be better than whatever mess the guys have made upstairs."
That earned a real laugh out of me, the first in a while. “You’re not wrong.”
We pushed back our chairs and headed inside, the air thick with the smell of paint and coffee. Isla slung her bag over her shoulder, pausing to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear before calling out toward the stairs.
“Boys! We’re heading out for a bit!”
There was a beat of silence, too long, too suspicious, before Hunter’s voice boomed from somewhere above, a little too chipper.
“Sounds good! Take your time!”
Then Kaiden’s followed, slightly strained, “Yeah! No rush! Maybe… get lunch or something! Or dinner! Or...uh, a spa day!”
I frowned, exchanging a look with Isla. “They sound… guilty.”
“Oh, absolutely guilty,” she said, grinning. “That’s the sound of men hiding evidence.”

We started toward the door and I could hear Mason mutter something that sounded suspiciously like, “Definitely don’t tell them about the paint incident.” followed by a sharp thud and Nico groaning, “You absolute idiot.”
Isla snorted into her hand. “Yeah, we’re definitely leaving before they recruit us to clean up whatever that was.”
I grabbed my jacket from the hook and slipped on my boots. “You think they’re going to burn the place down?”
“Fifty-fifty chance,” she said cheerfully, pushing open the front door.
I laughed under my breath. “You fit into this family way too well.”
She shot me a sideways grin as we stepped out into the cool air. “That’s because we’re all trouble. Just the lovable kind.”
Behind us, Kaiden’s muffled voice carried faintly through the window, “Hey! Did anyone see where I left the roller—oh, shit!”
Isla and I looked at each other, then burst out laughing as we headed for the car.
“Definitely a mess upstairs,” I said, shaking my head.
“Yup,” Isla agreed, climbing into the passenger seat. “And thank God it’s not our problem.”
I couldn’t help the smile that tugged at my lips as I started the engine. Maybe this trip to see my father wouldn’t be so bad after all. At least I had backup now.

The drive was quiet for the most part. The closer we got to my father’s estate, the heavier the air seemed to grow. The road changed from gravel to smooth asphalt, the trees perfectly trimmed, the hedges shaped like they were posing for a magazine. It was all so… perfect.
When the tall, wrought-iron gates came into view, Isla let out a low whistle. “Holy hell, this is your dad’s place?”
“Unfortunately,” I muttered, pulling up to the keypad. I punched in the code, and the gates swung open.
The long driveway curved through manicured gardens, the fountain in the centre spraying water like it was auditioning for a royal wedding. The house itself loomed at the end, tall and symmetrical. White stone, black shutters, ivy curling perfectly up the walls.
“Damn,” Isla said, pressing her face to the window.
I snorted softly. “Yeah. Don’t let it fool you.”
She turned to me, eyebrows raised. “What do you mean?”
I parked in front of the steps, staring up at the polished front doors. “It’s all part of his big show. Every bit of this house, it’s all for appearances. He likes people to think he’s got everything under control.”
Isla leaned back in her seat, studying the massive property. “So, what you’re saying is… he’s compensating for something.”
That made me laugh, despite the tightness in my chest. “Exactly.”
I glanced up at the tall windows and the faint movement of a curtain. Of course he’d already seen us. My father never missed an entrance.
“Ready?” I asked, even though I already knew her answer.
Isla cracked her neck and smiled, all teeth and chaos. “Born ready. Let’s go meet Daddy Dearest.”
I took a steadying breath and stepped out of the car, the sharp click of my boots against the pristine stone steps echoing like a warning bell. The house looked beautiful, flawless, but underneath, it was the same cold empire I wasn't perfect enough to be allowed to be a part of.