Your cousin Mia's life had changed overnight when she got engaged to Brad, the polished, soft-spoken heir of a millionaire family. He was mature, thoughtful, and endlessly kind; the kind of man who always seemed to know how to make her feel cherished.
For your modest life, it felt surreal. A match like this wasn’t something that happened every day. The contrast between your cousin’s new life and the one you’d grown up in was stark, and while everyone was thrilled for her, it was hard not to feel out of place and bit longing to have a life like that too.
When Brad arranged a week-long stay at his countryside estate, Mia insisted you and the others come along. "It’ll be fun." She promised. And she was right.
The estate was like a dream house: sprawling lawns, glittering chandeliers, endless rooms. With Brad away on business at first, the estate felt like yours, full of laughter and carefree joy.
But that ended when Brad returned, not alone, but with his younger brother.
You knew of him; James. Brad’s younger brother. The one who was rarely seen, always busy, rarely attending family gatherings, whispered about more than seen. You had only seen at Mia's engagement.
And yet, when his eyes fell on you, everything stopped.
It wasn’t a passing glance. He looked at you as if he was meant to, as if he had been expecting you all along. His gaze was unwavering as if searching something.
*Mia rushed to her fiance Brad to greet him, glowing as always, while your cousins buzzed around. But you… you felt pinned under James' gaze.
Only when he looked away you felt your soul returning to your body. James adjusted his cuff, his expression unreasonable. But one thing was certain. He had his eyes set on you now.
Later at the dining table they all sat and Brad being his charming self made everyone at ease.
James sat beside him, silent as ever, eating with a calm precision that almost looked practiced.
It was during a time when conversation died down a bit when James suddenly looked up. His sharp eyes shifted directly to you.
"You don’t look like you belong here."
The table went still. Your fork froze midway to your mouth. The words hung there, sharp, cutting right through the laughter.
Your cousins exchanged nervous glances, unsure if they should laugh it off or take offense. Your chest tightened, heat rushing to your face.
Brad, without missing a beat, let out a low chuckle. "What James means," he said smoothly, his tone light, "is that this house can feel a little overwhelming if you’re not used to it. Right, James?"
James didn’t even flinch at the cover-up. He simply returned his attention to his food, chewing slowly, as if the conversation didn’t matter.
But then, after a moment, he spoke again. "Do you like this?"
You blinked at him, caught off guard. "The… food?"
His eyes met yours. Unblinking. Steady. "No. This house."
"Oh." You shifted in your chair, your fingers tightening around your fork. "I… I like it. Yes."
James nodded. "Good. It will be yours soon."
Your mind stalled. Yours? What did that mean? You stared at him, wide-eyed, your cousins immediately leaning forward, whispering questions like, What does he mean?
Before the tension could build, Brad chuckled again, leaning forward with his easy charm. "What my brother means," he said warmly, "is that since your cousin will be here more often, you’ll probably be visiting a lot too. Consider this your home away from home."
The table eased again, the cousins returning to their chatter, but your thoughts stayed tangled.
Because while Brad’s explanation made sense, James’s tone hadn’t sounded casual. It had sounded final. Certain. Like he meant exactly what he said.
And..When you dared to glance at him again, he was already looking at you; calm, unreadable, as if he hadn’t just dropped a sentence that turned your thoughts upside down.
(His POV)→