The lingering tension from earlier still hung heavy in the air, leaving my mind thoroughly rattled. My thoughts were spinning in circles, completely dazed by the chaotic scene that had just unfolded. I couldn't just brush it off. Ilya is my best friend, the person who knew almost every detail of my life, yet I had just discovered a massive piece of her identity that she'd kept totally hidden.
"Why didn't you tell me, Ilya?" I asked, turning to her the moment we were alone. My voice was a mix of confusion. "We're best friends. We share everything! How am I only finding out now that you have a brother?"
Ilya sighed, running a hand through her hair and leaning back against the couch with a nonchalant wave of her hand. "Honestly, Aurora? I just didn't think it was important enough for you to know. He's... irrelevant to my life."
"Irrelevant?" I echoed, disbelieving. "A whole brother is irrelevant?"
"Yes! Look, I hate being shadowed by him," she snapped, though her eyes softened when she saw my expression. "Whenever people find out who he is, that's all I become-his little sister. I'm just a shadow standing behind his reputation, and I wanted to keep us real. I wanted a friend who saw me for me." She paused, her jaw tightening. "Besides, he's a total asshole. Don't waste your energy overthinking what happened earlier. Just drop it, okay?"
Looking into her earnest, almost desperate eyes, I felt my frustration melt into sympathy. If Ilya wanted to keep her brother buried in the background, I wasn't going to dig him up.
"Fine," I said, offering a soft, reassuring smile. "It's dropped."
"Thank you," she breathed, her mood instantly shifting as a brilliant smile broke across her face. "Now, enough drama! We have work to do. You've been stressing about getting your business off the ground, so we're going out right now to get your materials."
"Are you sure?" I asked, laughing at her quick energy shift. "I do really need those specific fabrics and sample displays, but—"
"No buts! GRAB YOUR COURT,RORY!"
We made our way toward the front entrance, chatting casually about the shops we needed to visit. But as we reached the foyer, a heavy set of footsteps echoed behind us, and Ilya's brother stepped into our path. His towering presence instantly cut off the doorway.
"Where do you think you're going?" Rayn asked, his deep voice carrying an immediate command. His sharp eyes scanned both of us before locking firmly onto Ilya.
"Shopping," Ilya said, crossing her arms defensively. "Aurora needs supplies for her business venture. We'll be back in a couple of hours."
"Not without a security detail," Rayn stated flatly, stepping closer. "It isn't safe for you to wander around alone right now, especially after what happened. You take the bodyguards, or you don't step foot outside."
"Rayn, no! Absolutely not!" Ilya groaned, throwings her hands up. "We are going to a public mall, not a war zone! I am not having a parade of suit-wearing goons breathing down my neck while Aurora buys sample threads!"
"It isn't up for debate, Ilya," Rayn said, his tone dropping an octave, dead serious. "You have no idea what kind of eyes are roaming right now. If I let you walk out that door unprotected and something happens, it's on me."
"You always do this!" Ilya argued, her voice rising. "You smother me!"
"I keep you alive," Ryan countered coldly, though I caught the subtle flick of anxiety in his eyes. "There's a difference."
As I stood quietly between them, watching the fiery back-and-forth, a sudden wave of realization hit me like a splash of ice water. This was why Ilya had kept her brother a secret. Rayn was intensely, suffocatingly overprotective. Living under this level of relentless surveillance and control had to feel agonizing. Yet, beneath Rayn's harsh demeanor and unyielding strictness, I could see the truth: he wasn't doing this to play the tyrant. He genuinely cared about her safety. He was terrified of losing her.
"Fine!" Ilya threw her hands up in defeat, completely exhausted by the argument. "Send the babysitters! See if I care!"
Rayn didn't smile or gloat; he simply gave a single nod to the head security chief waiting near the hall. Minutes later, we were in the back of an armored sedan, flanked by two blacked-out SUVs. The entire setup made a simple errand feel like a high-risk diplomatic transport, but at least we were on our way.
"Sorry about him," Ilya muttered, staring out the tinted window with a pout. "He's like this"
"It's okay," I said softly, nudging her shoulder. "Honestly... I get it now. He just wants to keep you safe." Ilya rolled her eyes as if she just saw her enemy right now.
When we finally arrived at the luxury shopping complex, the guards fell into step behind us at a discreet distance. We moved through the brightly lit concourses, stopping at specialized boutiques so I could pick up the premium display cases and design materials I had been hunting for weeks.
As we walked out of a high-end craft supplier, Ilya's phone rang. She pulled it out, glanced at the caller ID, and frowned.
"I have to take this—it's the print shop for your business cards," she said, stepping away toward a quiet glass railing overlooking the atrium. "Hold on a second!"
I waited nearby, checking through my bags, when a familiar voice spoke up right behind me.
"Aurora? What a pleasant surprise."
I turned around, my eyes widening. Standing there in a tailor-made coat, looking every bit the smooth, sophisticated executive, was Moritz.
"Moritz!" I smiled, genuinely surprised to see him in such a casual setting. "I didn't expect to see you here!"
"I had a brief meeting nearby and decided to take a walk," he said, giving me a warm, charming smile. "And what brings you here with such an impressive security detail?" He gestured vaguely toward the guards standing a few paces back.
"Oh, just getting materials for my new business," I explained, gesturing to my shopping bags. "Though the security isn't really for me."
"Ah, of course," Moritz murmured, his gaze flickering subtly past my shoulder toward Ilya, who was still on her phone. A strange, fleeting glint passed through his eyes—something dark and calculating—before it vanished so quickly I thought I had imagined it. "Well, I'm glad I bumped into you. In fact..."
He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice into a confidential, friendly tone. "I was actually meaning to reach out to you today. A partner of mine mentioned a exclusive supplier for high-grade retail materials—much better quality than what you'll find in these shops, and at half the price. I thought of your business immediately."
"Really?" My face lit up. "That would be amazing! I've been struggling to find a reliable wholesale distributor."
"I can set up a meeting for us with them tomorrow," Moritz offered smoothly, taking a step closer. "Just you and me. We can go over the contract details together over lunch."
Before I could answer, a shadow fell over us.
"Aurora."
I flinched at the sudden, icy voice. Ilya's brother,Rayn had appeared out of nowhere, stepping directly between Moritz and me. His jaw was clenched so hard a muscle twitched in his cheek, and the air around him radiated pure aggression.
Moritz didn't flinch. Instead, a slow, knowing smirk spread across his face as he looked at Rayn. "Well, well. If it isn't the big brother."
I froze. Wait...brother??
Rayn grabbed my arm, gently but firmly pulling me behind his massive frame, completely shielding me from Moritz. His eyes locked onto Moritz with lethal intensity.
My heart stopped. The world seemed to tilt on its axis.
What the fuck is happening?