Jotting down the number, Priya sank back into the chair, tapping her pen against a notepad. She had to get her father on board with selling Moksha, which meant speeding up Ethan’s departure before the deal disappeared. She closed her eyes, then sat up sharply.That’s it!There was an easy way to do this. One call to the press, tipping them off to Ethan’s whereabouts, and the paparazzi would descend like vultures. Ethan would have no choice but to leave. It was simple. Foolproof.
But she couldn’t bring herself to do it. It was too much of a personal betrayal. And deep down, shewantedhim to stay. There was no guarantee she’d ever see him again after he left. At the same time, she had to think about what this sale would mean for her parents, and not just in terms of financial security. It was a chanceto break free of a cycle that had trapped her family for generations.
As Priya wrestled with her thoughts, her phone buzzed with a call from Brooke. Before she could even say hello, Brooke asked, “Is everything okay with Ethan?”
Priya frowned. “Why?”
“Because he just called me. From inside acasket. To tell me he loves me.”
“That’s sweet.” Priya laughed.
“Sweet? Try bizarre. He sounds like he’s spiraling into some kind of existential crisis. He acts like he doesn’t care, but he’s clearly wrestling some demons, so close to home yet cut off from our father. Do me a favor. Keep an eye on him?”
Priya chuckled to herself.First my parents tell Ethan to keep an eye on me, and now Brooke is asking me to keep tabs on Ethan? Life sure knows how to set up a plot twist.
“I will,” Priya replied.I couldn’t keep my eyes off your brother if I tried, Brooke. “Now tell me what’s going on at your end.”
Brooke launched into stories about her oddball experiences and a potential new romance.
“He’s really into sound baths,” she said. “Always making me lie down while he plays gongs. And don’t even get me started on the sage. He insists we smudge everything with it, includingdown there, every time we’re together.”
Priya couldn’t stop laughing. “What, like a whole ceremony?”
“Oh yeah. There’s incense, chanting, and enough smoke to get us flagged by Environment Canada.”
They giggled, the conversation light and fun, until Brooke announced, “Oh, crap, I have to go! I’m late for my Paw-lates session with Lady Whiskerbottom.”
“Paw-lates? I’m almost afraid to ask.”
“It’s like Pilates but designed to align your coreandyour cat’s energy.”
“Ah, the ancient art of holding a plank while your cat silently judges you.”
“Please, Lady Whiskerbottom doesn’t judge. She supervises. Anyway, gotta run. Miss you, Pri!”
“Have fun! Tell your supervisor not to knock over your water bottle,” Priya called out before hanging up.
As she set her phone down, Ethan came out of the showroom, his face wearing a look that said he was on a mission.
“Everything okay?” Priya asked, watching him head straight for the door.
“That remains to be seen.”
“Ethan?” Priya rushed out of the funeral home after him. “What’s going on?
“It’s now or never.” He tugged his hood over his head and began charging down the road toward his father’s home.
Priya jogged to keep up, her breath catching as they approached the entrance to Knight Estates—a pair of imposing gates set into a high brick wall, the family crest gleaming on the ironwork. A sprawling driveway stretched ahead, framed by sugar maples that guarded the property like ancient sentinels.
A glimpse of the manor, half hidden by trees, stirred a tide of memories for Priya. She could still see herself wandering its long hallways, sneaking quick looks into Ethan’s room before she got to Brooke’s. Every detail she’d noticed back then—books on his desk, posters on the wall—had felt like a clue, pieces of a puzzle that fed her infatuation with him.
Standing outside the grounds now, she glanced at Ethan. The boy she’d once obsessed over had returned a man admired by millions. But fame had only widened the gap between him andhis father, and the iron gate before them was a stark reminder of just how deep the divide ran. Ethan was about to revisit a home where he was no longer welcome. Still, he stood, tall and unflinching, giving it yet another shot.
He reached for the brass box mounted on the wall and pressed the call button. Above the intercom, partially hidden by a tangle of ivy, a security camera gleamed in the sunlight. Ethan pulled back his hood and met the camera’s gaze, shoulders squared as he waited.
A faint static crackled from the speaker before a voice came through. “Welcome home, Master Knight.”
“Sebastian.” Ethan recognized the voice immediately and smiled hopefully at Priya. “Still holding things together, I see.”
