I wiped my hands on my joggers and shut the shed door with a firm click. The air carried the earthy tang of sweat and livestock, a reminder of how deep I'd thrown myself into the morning's work. My clothes reeked of cows, and I made a mental note to clean up downstairs before getting ready to meet Liam and Derrick.
The day had been satisfying in its quietness. Busy, yes, but it was the kind of work I didn't mind—work I'll chose. Still, I couldn't pretend I didn't need Rose's team to manage the house. It was a trade-off I wrestled with: I needed their help, but not their constant presence. Letting them work on their own schedule, then leave, struck the right balance. Not that they annoyed me, but solitude was the kind of peace I'd earned after dealing with people all week.
Well, except for Nelly who is now rooted here. The thought of her lingered, curious and unwelcome. When had she left Cooper Oak? Couldn't have been this morning—I'd been up with the sun, tending to the livestock. Maybe I'd scared her off, though I doubted it. She seemed serious about working here. Still, I was relieved she was gone. The last thing anyone needed was an audience for whatever nonsense Liam and Derrick might pull.
I pushed open the laundry room door and peeled off my joggers, tossing them into the basket. For a second, I considered throwing them straight into the washer, but Rose would've lost her mind if I ruined something. Grabbing a towel, I headed to the nearest bathroom.
As I turned on the water, a new thought hit me. It had been years since I'd had both Liam and Derrick in the same room. Whatever brought them here today was serious. My gut told me it was going to get messy.
After a quick rinse, I wrapped the towel around my waist and headed upstairs. I expected the house to be empty. But instead, Nelly stood at the top of the staircase, frozen mid-step, as startled as I was.
Her hair was pulled back, and she wore the black tunic and long trousers that Rose had assigned as uniforms. Nobody wore them anymore, not seriously. Yet somehow, on her, it worked. The outfit, meant to be plain and functional, skimmed her frame in all the right ways.
She stammered first, words tripping over themselves. "I—I just forgot I had to—uh—" She gestured vaguely toward her room and gave up, retreating with an awkward fumble to open her door. "That."
The door clicked shut before I could respond. I chuckled quietly and made my way to my room. Yet the amusement didn't erase the odd tug in my chest. She was here. For some reason, that unsettled me.
And though I shouldn't have noticed, I couldn't shake the way the uniform fit her. Three emotions at once—distraction, curiosity, and something I refused to name.
Just then, my phone buzzed on the dresser. I grabbed it.
"Your brothers are here," said the security chief.
"Let them in."
I barely managed to pull on my trousers before the doorbell rang. I didn't need to guess who'd open it ahead of me. Of course, it would be Nelly. She never listens. I'd told her to stay out of sight today for a reason.
I hurried downstairs to the living room. Sure enough, there she was, her bright smile aimed at Liam and Derrick as she tried—awkwardly—to welcome them.
"You're here," I said, cutting through the moment. "Nelly, you can leave now."
She blinked at me, clearly confused, but she stepped aside and retreated without a word.
I turned to my brothers. Seeing them up close was a gut punch. Liam might have been right about Derrick being in bad shape, but he had no room to talk. Derrick had lost weight—too much—and his narrow face and unsteady stance screamed trouble. Liam, for his part, looked like he hadn't slept in days, tension radiating off him in waves.
"Nice to see you again, brother," Derrick quipped, half-teasing as he dropped onto the couch. "Nice place you've got here."
"I don't have all the time in the world," Liam interjected sharply, already impatient.
"You're in my house to see me, so you can't rush me," I replied evenly, meeting his glare as he sat down, his gaze hard and searching.
Derrick stood abruptly, pointing toward the kitchen. "That your kitchen?"
"I don't keep alcohol in there," I lied before he could get any ideas.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Derrick snapped.
"It means I told him ahead of time," Liam cut in, his voice sharp as a blade. "You're the one who caused this mess, and you can't even stay sober for five minutes."
"Caused you?" Derrick fired back, his voice rising. "Liam, you were running all the subsidiaries. Every failure, every bad call—that was your doing. Why don't you ever take responsibility?"
I leaned back, watching the fireworks unfold, letting them go at each other.
"Look at you," Liam shot back, his voice scathing. "You couldn't handle leadership if your life depended on it. Don't blame your failures on some story about your mother messing you up. You've always been the weak link."
"Don't you dare bring my mother into this," Derrick snarled, his voice trembling with rage. "Your mother wasn't any better!"
I held up a hand, cutting through the tension. "I'm guessing you've run out of places to fight and decided my home was the next battleground."
"Oh, fuck off," Liam snapped, throwing a dismissive glare in my direction. "Stop acting like your life's so perfect."
I stood, my voice calm but firm. "Happily. As long as you leave my house."
"Well," Liam began, his tone unusually measured, "your grandmother shares the same motive as we do this time. The family meeting? It's about bringing new blood into the business. Victoria Senior thinks it's time you start managing your grandfather's company. She believes you can lead it."
"And where does that leave you two?" I asked, not bothering to mask the edge in my voice.
"What do you mean?" Liam shot back, bristling. "I'm not uncomfortable with a competent person taking the reins. Listen, Aiden. This isn't because there aren't qualified people out there. You know this is about honoring Grandmother's wishes."
"Then I'll talk to Grandma," I said, my tone calm but firm. "I'll explain that you're both handling things fine, and that I already have enough on my plate as it is."
Liam's jaw tightened. "This isn't just about work. Grandmother's been on about her husband's legacy lately. I see why Father stepped back—it's exhausting. I'm willing to give you any position she wants you to take. It's yours."