The warmth of Damien's body against mine as we lay tangled in the sheets was a comforting cocoon of intimacy. Waking up slowly, I found my gaze meeting his, and his goofy grin brought an involuntary smile to my lips. Before I could lean in for a morning kiss, the door to my room swung open with a force that shattered the tranquility of the moment.

Startled, I instinctively sat up, clutching the blanket around me as my three older brothers and my father stormed into the room. Their expressions ranged from fury to disbelief, and I felt the heat of embarrassment creeping up my neck.

Damien, still sprawled on the bed, looked equally taken aback by the sudden intrusion. His wide eyes mirrored my shock, and his shirtless presence added a layer of awkwardness to the scene.

My cheeks burned as the room filled with accusations and incredulous questions. My mind raced to come up with a reasonable explanation for the entirely innocent situation that had been interrupted. Words tumbled out of my mouth in a jumbled mess as I tried to find some coherent way to explain.

Amidst the chaos, Damien's reaction stood out like a lifeline. He remained seated, his expression a mixture of disbelief and frustration. When the barrage of questions and anger seemed to reach its peak, his voice sliced through the chaos like a blade.

"Enough!" His growl held a fierce authority that demanded attention. He stood up, his body language radiating a protective energy that seemed to form a barrier around me. Facing my oldest brother, Luca, he continued, "If you have something to say, you say it to me. Don't you dare raise your voice or throw things around her again. I don't care who you are."

The weight of his words hung in the air, a challenge and a warning wrapped up together. His unwavering defense of me sent a rush of emotions surging through me. Amidst the turmoil, I felt a rush of gratitude and validation. Damien's unwavering support in the face of my family's anger was a testament to the depth of our connection.

Luca's silent shame was palpable as I walked past him and my brothers, heading for the door. Damien was close behind, his presence offering both comfort and a protective barrier against the lingering tension. As we stepped outside, he tried to pull me into an embrace from behind, but I instinctively pushed him away, my emotions still swirling from the recent confrontation.

My phone's ringtone pierced the air, and I rushed to grab it from my bedroom. A smile immediately spread across my face as I recognized Killan's voice on the other end. He asked about the situation with the intruder, and I chuckled as I recounted how Damien had scared the guy off.

However, my laughter was cut short when Damien's disapproving gaze landed on me. He leaned forward, his tone urgent, and instructed me to end the call. Confused, I complied, my eyebrows furrowing as I watched him closely.

"What's wrong?" I asked, puzzled by his sudden change in demeanor.

His response was laced with frustration. "It's always Killan, isn't it? Even from across the world, it's him."

I frowned at his words, my confusion deepening. Before I could react, Damien muttered something to himself, and then he turned to me, demanding to know, "Cut the call."

I hesitated for a moment, torn between the conversation with Killan and Damien's unexpected attitude. Eventually, I ended the call, watching Damien closely as I did.

Facing him, my patience waning, I questioned, "What do you want from me, Damien?"

He let out a laugh that seemed tinged with both amusement and frustration, muttering something under his breath before responding to me. "She's asking me what I want from her," he muttered to himself before turning back to me. "Simple. It's me or him."

The words hung in the air, my heart skipping a beat as I processed their weight. "What?" I managed to utter, my mind struggling to comprehend what he was suggesting.

He repeated himself, his tone serious and determined. "I'm leaving town for a while. It's me or him, sweetheart. The clock's ticking."

My heart raced, conflicting emotions surging within me. The ultimatum hit me like a punch, and I was left standing there, stunned and unsure of how to react as Damien walked away, leaving me to grapple with the impossible choice he had just presented.

As Damien's figure disappeared into the distance, I felt an overwhelming sense of fatigue wash over me. It was as if all the emotions, conflicts, and choices of the past few days had finally caught up to me. I stood there, watching him go, and yet I didn't try to stop him. A numbness settled in, making me feel like I had nothing left to give.

The turmoil in my mind was too much to bear, and it drove me to an outburst. My frustration culminated in a scream as I punched the mirror in front of me, shattering it into pieces. Blood mingled with the broken glass, but I barely registered the pain. It was as if the physical pain was an echo of the emotional turmoil within me.

Suddenly, Luca burst into the room, his expression turning from shock to concern as he saw my bloody hand. His stream of curses was almost comforting in its familiarity, and he wasted no time in guiding me away from the broken mirror. He gently tended to my cuts, cleaning them with careful hands. Then, with a concerned look, he suggested that I take a bath to calm down.

I followed his advice, letting the warm water soothe my frayed nerves. When I emerged from the bath, Luca was seated on the edge of my bed, a box in his hands. His expression was a mix of guilt and understanding, and I felt a pang of regret for the way our argument had played out.

He turned toward me, his words laced with sincerity and remorse. "I know Grandad asked you to take over the ring. I'm sorry I screamed at you. I know you weren't doing anything wrong. You're still my baby sister, even though you're not so little anymore. It's your choice who you want to be with in any way."

His admission was both humbling and heartwarming. I nodded, understanding his feelings even if I couldn't fully articulate my own. His emotions resonated with mine, and his words began to soothe the ache in my heart.

As he continued to speak, his voice carried a mixture of vulnerability and hope. "I guess I was just angry and annoyed that it wasn't me Grandfather chose. But I hope you'll do a great job."

His sincerity touched me deeply, and I felt a lump forming in my throat. I looked at the box he held, and as he opened it, my eyes widened in surprise. Inside lay a stunningly crafted gun, its beauty contrasting with its potential for destruction. The intricate details and the gleam of metal held my attention.

"You made this?" I asked, my voice soft with awe.

Luca nodded, a sheepish smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah, I thought you might need something special for the role you're taking on."

The weight of his gesture settled on my shoulders, and I realized that despite our differences, our bond as siblings was unbreakable. I walked over to him and gave him a tight hug, feeling a sense of acceptance and understanding that transcended our individual struggles.

A while later, I went to explore the house, my footsteps echoing through the corridors as I passed by rooms filled with memories, both happy and haunting. It had been a while since I had this much time to myself, thanks to the switch to online classes due to the current situation. I ended up in Olivia's old room, a place that held both familiarity and distance.

As I looked around, I noticed how much the room had changed. Most traces of Olivia's presence had been scrubbed away, leaving the space devoid of her personal touch. Sitting down cross-legged on the floor, I felt a strange pang in my heart. Olivia, my sister, had been distant from me for as long as I could remember, and the coldness in her room seemed to mirror that disconnect.

My gaze fell on a loose floorboard near the corner of the room, and curiosity led me to investigate further. I pried it open and my heart raced as I found a secret diary hidden underneath. Carefully flipping to the last entry, I began to read Olivia's words.

"Dear Diary,
I am in love. Percy is a wonderful guy, star quarterback, colleges wanting to recruit him. He's a complete gentleman to me and last night, he asked me to marry him. I said yes, of course. We aren't going to get married right away because he needs to go to college first, and my mother says she can get me into modeling. I cannot go out to meet with him anytime soon though, all my things are taken away because my father believes it should be punishment for what I did to Harvey, so why can I not find it in myself to apologize? Do I really spite her that much? I sometimes feel like it wasn't my fault when all that happened, I was a kid too after all."

A tear slipped from my eye as I read Olivia's words. Her conflicting emotions were laid bare on those pages, and I felt a mixture of sadness and understanding. She had her own struggles and regrets, much like the rest of us. I carefully placed the diary back where I found it and left the room, feeling a newfound empathy for Olivia.

Back in my own room, I sat on my bed, hands folded behind my head as I pondered the complexities of family relationships. As the hours passed, exhaustion from my emotional turmoil overtook me, and I drifted into sleep without even realizing it.

Sometime later, I sensed a presence in the room. I blinked my eyes open to see someone tucking the blanket around me. Through my grogginess, I recognized Luca's face, his expression soft with concern. He brushed a strand of hair from my forehead and whispered, "Rest well, Harvs."

I mumbled a sleepy thank you before slipping back into slumber, feeling comforted by the presence of my brother and the realization that even in our complexities, we were still a family bound by ties that couldn't easily be broken.