Stanley opened his mouth, then closed it, his throat working. Stanford exhaled shakily, his fingers running through his hair. Neither seed to know where to start.
Mara felt her stomach twist. She had never seen them like this before.
She took a slow step forward, her voice softer this ti. "Tell us."
Stanley swallowed hard, then finally lifted his grandfather’s watch. The dim light reflected off its surface.
"We saw..." His voice faltered, and he clenched his jaw. "We saw Uncle Philip shoot Grandpa."
A heavy silence crashed over the room. Mara sucked in a breath. Steve’s fists curled at his sides.
Stefan’s face darkened. For a mont, no one spoke.
Then Steve’s voice cut through the air, dangerously low. "Are you sure?" Stanford nodded, his expression grim. "We saw it happen. Uncle Philip killed him."
Mara’s chest tightened, nausea washing over her. Their own uncle had murdered their grandfather again, he had rubbed them of another family mber
Stanley took a deep breath, forcing himself to remain calm. "We barely got away. Victor almost caught us." Mara felt the weight of those words sink in.
If Victor had caught them... Stanley and Stanford wouldn’t be standing here right now.
Stanley’s hands trembled, but he clenched them into fists, his voice shaking with controlled fury. "Uncle Philip just signed his own death warrant. We need to call the police,"
They all knew how impulsive Stanley was and Stanford with his temper, Steve was glad they run instead of confronting him, they were still in shock.
Stanley’s entire body tensed. His hands clenched into fists at his sides as he stared at Steve in disbelief.
"No, Stanley. Now is not the ti," Steve said, his voice firm but quiet. He had thought this through in seconds, weighing every possible risk. "You two need to leave the country tonight."
Stanford’s head snapped up, his expression twisting in anger and frustration. "What?" His voice shook, raw with emotion. "I just told you—our uncle killed Grandpa! And you want us to run?"
Mara flinched at the agony in his voice.
Stanford felt sick—ashad. He should have done sothing. He should have stopped it. Instead, they had watched, hidden in the darkness, while Philip pulled the trigger. And now, instead of fighting back, they were being told to run?
Steve’s jaw tightened. "You think I don’t want to go after him?" he shot back, his voice sharp. "But you need to understand sothing—Philip is dangerous. You saw what he did tonight. If he even suspects that you two know the truth, you’re dead."
Stanley turned away, running a hand through his hair. "I can handle myself," he muttered. "I’m not leaving you all to deal with this alone. Not when—" His voice cracked for the first ti. "Not when Grandpa just—"
Mara stepped forward, her eyes glassy with tears. "Stanley, please," she whispered. "I can’t lose you too."
Her voice broke sothing inside him.
"I need you both safe," she continued, her hands clutching her stomach. "You know Philip. He won’t stop until he gets rid of anyone who stands in his way. And right now, you two are the biggest threats to him."
Stanford looked at her, then at Stefan, who stood frozen by the counter, his face unreadable. He then turned to Steve, who held his gaze with the quiet, determined authority of the eldest brother.
Stanley exhaled sharply. He hated this. He hated this. But Mara was crying.
And no matter how much he wanted to stay, to fight, to get justice for their grandfather—
He couldn’t put his family in more danger.
"...Fine," he said at last, his voice barely above a whisper.
Stanford swallowed hard and nodded.
Stefan imdiately moved, grabbing their passports from the safe. Steve didn’t waste another second. "Let’s go."
The ride to the airport was silent.
Stanley and Stanford stared out the windows, their hands clenched into fists as they fought against the helplessness clawing at them.
Steve parked the car and turned to them. "Lay low," he ordered. "No contact with anyone until we say it’s safe. Do you understand ?"
Both nodded, their expressions grim.
Mara hugged them tightly, fresh tears slipping down her cheeks. "Co back to us," she whispered.
Stanley wiped a tear from her face. "We will."
They turned, boarding the flight that would take them away from everything they knew.
Steve stood at the terminal, watching the plane disappear into the night sky before finally turning away.
The night was unbearably long. None of them could sleep.
Mara, Steve, and Stefan sat together in silence, the weight of their grief pressing down on them. Their grandfather was gone—murdered by the very man who was supposed to protect family.
At so point, Mara drifted off, exhaustion winning over sorrow. She woke up still wrapped in Steve’s arms, Stefan beside her, his head leaning back against the couch, eyes shut but not asleep.
The hardest part was ahead.
They had to go on as if nothing had happened. As if they didn’t know the truth.
Steve was the first to get up, moving chanically as he prepared for the day. He had to go to the firm, had to keep things running smoothly. Stefan followed, grabbing his things for the hospital. Life had to continue.
But then—
The front door opened.
Uncle Philip walked in, his expression calm, and composed, as if nothing had changed.
Mara stiffened but quickly schooled her expression, forcing herself to look neutral.
Philip smiled as he held out an envelope. "Stef dear, I ca to deliver this personally."
She hesitated before taking it, her fingers brushing against the fine paper. An invitation.
"The foundation’s donation ceremony," Philip said smoothly. "It’s important that you attend. As the new head, you must be the one to present it personally."
Mara felt her stomach clench, but she managed a small nod. "Of course."
She felt his eyes on her, as if studying her reaction. She forced herself to stay calm, to not show the fear creeping up her spine.
Philip glanced around. "Where are Stanley and Stanford?"
Silence.
Steve stepped forward smoothly. "They had to leave for a eting. They stopped by last night to tell you, didn’t they?" He tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable.
Philip’s gaze narrowed just slightly before he nodded. "I wasn’t ho when they ca by."
With that, he turned and left, his footsteps slow, calculated.
The mont the door shut behind him, Steve and Stefan turned to Mara.
"You can’t go," Stefan said imdiately. "It’s a trap."
Mara exhaled, rubbing her forehead. "If I don’t go, he’ll start suspecting ," she argued. "Right now, he thinks we don’t know anything. And besides, Grandpa just died. He won’t try anything this soon."
At least, she hoped he wouldn’t.
Steve wasn’t convinced. His jaw clenched. "Stef—"
"I’ll go," she interrupted. "But I want you to send n after . Secretly."
Steve and Stefan exchanged a look before Steve exhaled sharply. "Fine. But we’ll be watching everything."
Mara nodded, gripping the invitation tightly.
She had just agreed to walk straight into the lion’s den.
Mara dressed carefully that morning, choosing a deep purple suit that exuded both power and grace, paired with a cream blouse underneath. She kept her makeup subtle yet flawless, her hair in elegant waves. If she was going to walk into a possible trap, she was going to do it looking like she owned the world.
She stepped out of the house, where the black luxury car was already waiting. The driver, a quiet man in a black suit, opened the door for her without a word.
"Be careful," Steve murmured just before she got in.
Mara t his gaze, offering the smallest nod before sliding into the seat. The car pulled away from the estate, heading toward the airstrip where a private jet awaited.
Her fingers drumd against her lap as she stared out the window, her thoughts racing. She had to keep her composure. Philip couldn’t suspect a thing.
The mont the car stopped, a staff mber opened the door, offering a polite greeting.
"Miss Shepherd, welco."
Mara stepped out gracefully, adjusting her suit as she made her way toward the sleek jet waiting for her.
She took a deep breath, pushing away her nerves. Everything would be fine. She just had to go, play her part, and get back ho safely.
As she stepped inside, she greeted the flight attendant with a polite smile before glancing toward the cockpit.
"Good morning," she said casually, acknowledging the pilot as she settled into her seat.
Then the pilot turned around.
Mara’s breath caught.
Her mouth dropped open.
Her heart slamd against her ribs.
What the hell?!
Of all the people in the world... why him?
She gripped the armrest as she t the last face she expected to see behind the controls of this flight.
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