Chapter 2
After Jax arrived, the atmosphere in the house changed. Kai felt it from the very first day. But he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.
Jax was two meters tall. His shoulders filled the doorframe. His muscles rippled under his t-shirt. But what really caught attention was how he behaved. Calm. Smiling. Eager to help.
"We haven't seen each other in a long time," he said at dinner that first evening. "I missed you all."
Elena smiled. Lily looked at him with curiosity. Mia shyly said, "Welcome."
Kai remained silent.
On the second day, Jax said, "I have a little surprise for you today."
He took them to a luxury shopping mall. They walked past stores Kai had never entered before. Jax bought things without even looking at the price tags.
He bought Elena a dress. It was very expensive. He bought Lily a bag. He bought Mia a necklace. He bought Kai a watch.
"Shinola," Jax said as he opened the box. "It's a good brand."
Kai put the watch on his wrist. The leather strap was soft. The glass was crystal clear. It had weight. He had never owned such a good watch before.
"Thank you," he said. His voice came out hoarse.
Jax lightly patted his shoulder. "No problem. We're cousins."
On the third day, Jax took them shopping again. This time he bought Kai a jacket. Black, leather, perfect cut.
On the fourth day, Jax entered Kai's room. He saw the computer. He opened the case. "Your graphics card is burned out," he said.
That evening Jax came back with a new graphics card. The most expensive one. Kai said, "I can't accept this." But his voice wasn't convincing.
"You can't," Jax said. "But I can. Install it, brother. Use it."
Kai installed it. The computer was flying now.
On the fifth day, Kai realized just how rich Jax was. From his car, the hotel room he stayed in, the cufflinks on his shirts, the black credit card in his wallet.
One evening Jax said, "Tomorrow we're going to a special restaurant. All of us."
It was a luxurious restaurant. The chef came to the table and took the order personally. The wines were expensive. The food was extravagant. Jax paid the bill.
At the end of the night, Elena linked her arm with Jax's. "You're very kind," she said.
Jax smiled. "What can I do?"
Kai retreated to his room. He picked up his new wallet. His old wallet — his own wallet — was lying next to the trash. There were a few dollars inside. He took them out and put them in the new wallet. A few dollars. They disappeared inside the new wallet.
Kai lay down on his bed. He looked at the watch on his wrist. Shinola. He looked at the leather jacket by the wall. Black. He looked at the computer on the desk. New graphics card.
He closed his eyes. He wanted to sleep. He couldn't.
Even a fool could have understood that something was wrong. But Kai hadn't understood. Or he hadn't wanted to understand.
End of Chapter 2