Page 5 of The Heart of a Villain

“Forever and ever.”

Rafael leans back, laughing, and palms my head. “Yay! Come on. Let’s greet our new sibling!” He laces his fingers with mine and pulls me as we race to the second floor in record time, both our butlers watching us like hawks.

The massive double doors at the end of the hall leading to our parents’ room are wide-open, and a light breeze comes from them, billowing the white curtains in different directions.

We pause at the entrance, our eyes widening at our father, who sits on the edge of the bed by our mom. She holds a bundle in her arms, tapping her hand on its bottom as the baby coos. Tears stream down her cheeks, and she presses a kiss to the baby’s forehead while our father just grins, enjoying the view, it seems.

My mom’s blond hair serves almost as a shield from his prying orbs as she concentrates on the baby in her arms. “My baby girl,” she whispers, and Rafael elbows me as we grin at one another.

Secretly, we hoped for a girl because we weren’t sure we could love another brother the way we love each other.

But a girl?

A whole other story.

She raises her head, and her blue eyes sparkle with joy when her gaze lands on us. “Boys! You’re here.” She extends her hand to us, wiggling her fingers. “Come up here. Meet your new sister.”

We do as she says, still holding hands as we shake a little and scoot up on the bed to get a better look. Although we jump when Father barks, “Careful! You might hurt them.”

Rafael barely pays attention to the command, though, and gasps in awe when Mom shows us the baby’s face.

She is all scrunchy and red. And tiny.

“She’s so small,” he whispers and then runs his finger over her cheek, and I do the same.

Mom laughs. “She is, darling. But thankfully she has two big brothers to protect her. Right?”

“Right,” we reply in unison, and I cannot resist trapping her tiny hand between my fingers, mesmerized by the small creature, and then blink when she squeezes one.

“Looks like she’s saying hello too, Rush,” Mom says.

Rafael pats her head softly and asks Mom, since I’m unable to form a question at this point, “What’s her name, Mommy?”

“Lavender.”

Oh. After her favorite flower. Dad always brought her some whenever he visited the city, but he has stopped in the last couple of months.

Among other things.

“Princess Lavender,” Rafael announces for everyone, which earns him a few chuckles, and even our butlers, standing behind us, sigh, clearly excited about the new addition to the family.

All while I study things among us that I shouldn’t notice, but I do.

My mom’s trembling body when our father steps closer to us, joining in the family time.

Her wince when his knuckles graze her cheek.

The new, barely visible bruises on her body.

Or how the happiness always present in her smiles disappeared along the way and no longer fills the air around us.

And the anger in my father’s eyes whenever Rafael and I speak, breathe, or make an appearance wherever he is.

Somehow, my father has changed.

He looks the same, and he acts the same, but… but his soul is not the same.

Evilness pours from him, and sometimes I think nothing but our pain will sustain it.

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