Page 17 of Crown of Steel

Mom shifts in her chair, but doesn’t speak.

“We already told you all this, but I want to tell you this again, so you won’t forget. When I met your mom, I fell in love with her gentle character. My boys never had a mother, she died way too young—” He falls silent for a beat and I don’t miss the way my mother curls her smaller hand around his. “Anyway. Your mom made me promise that I would do everything that’s in my power to get you safe and sound to where you belong. With her.Withus. Though admittedly, it has taken us longer than expected.” He clears his throat. “For the twins, learning that you exist also came as a surprise. We’d never told them about you before, and I want you to know that is not because you don’t matter. You will always matter to us. But this situation was delicate, and I am trying to do the best thing for everyone.” Arthur lets out a disapproving snort that echoes through the room, its sound making me cringe. Jean-Luc’s eyes flash when they collide with his son’s. An unspoken conversation passes by in a sigh, then his gaze darts back to mine. I quickly look away. “I hope that you’ve grown to like our family home. Your room there will always be your safe haven, Régis, I want you to know that.” He pauses to pinch the bridge of his nose, then continues. “I know that the journeys to school were long and boring, but they paid off. Me and your mom are very proud of your results.”

I finished top of my class. Graduation with honors. A daily ride with Amadou so I could continue the same public high school. Yeah, those past months have kept me a prisoner behind a different kind of steel, and it has made me miss the familiar, cool iron between my fingers.

Home.

“This here, is a different world, Régis.” His voice has gone a little softer. “This here, is a choice we made together, you and I. You could have said no to Saint-Laurent, but you didn’t. You chose your own future and your mother and I are proud of you for making that tough decision.” Big words that somehow contain a sharper edge and a double meaning. Still he’s right. No one forced me to enter this college but myself.

I’m no longer caged.

I can come and leave as I wish.

And still…I can’t. Because books have always been my shelter, my security. Have always functioned as the perfect distraction to reality. Because I’m a good student, and Saint-Laurent is the best. Besides, I’ve already survived a lifetime with my dad. Surely I can add another four years?

I jerk my chin in agreement.

“This here is about traditions, Régis. About loyalty. Respect.” The room has gone eerily quiet, and when the curtain bulges up from an unexpected gust of wind, I startle. Next to me, the whisper of a husky chuckle. “This is about being part of the best, for life.” Jean-Luc sighs heavily and squeezes my mother’s hand. “Nathalie, I don’t know if—”

“I can do it,” I blurt, filling the emptiness with a shake of my voice.

No one speaks for a moment, but there’s a change in the air. It’s as if it’s filled with something sharp, something heady. My spine turns rigid with anticipation and I feel Arthur’s gaze burning into my cheek, but it’s not like before. No, something has switched, and I can’t quite put my finger on it.

“I’m a good student,” I add on a whisper.

Jean-Luc sighs again. “Oh, I know you are, Régis. We have been following your educational career for years and have been provided with your school reports. You know this, because we’ve never wanted us to have any secrets within the family. Which is why this—” He clears his throat. “We would like to see you join the family business one day. Perhaps, with time, you can become a top executive?”

Next to me, Arthur sucks in a sharp breath. “In the family business?What? Dad?” Jean-Luc turns to face him.

“Let me finish—”

“But you can’t possibly…he’s not blood…he’s not even—”

“Arthur.” Jean-Luc’s voice clips. “Nathalie is like your mother, so Régis is like your brother. I understand your concerns, and I know it’s a big leap. Which is why I have spoken with the family.”

“...And?”

“And the family has requested that Régis show his true value.”

“True value?” Both me and Arthur stammer at the same time.

Jean-Luc nods. “To thefamily.”

There’s that silence again.

“I see,” Arthur hums. It sounds…off, and I swear I can feel something crawling its way right down my throat, creating a lump that I can’t swallow away.

“Arthur will guide you,” Jean-Luc continues. “My son has been working toward his future for years. He’s exceptionally intelligent, and after his graduation Arthur will be finalizing his practice years before becoming the CEO of Deveraux Holding.” When I open my mouth to protest, he simply lifts his hand, and waits for me to close it again. I don’t. Because I— “I don’t need Arthur to guide me,” I huff, ignoring that silky snicker next to me. “I don’t need anyone to guide me. I’m more than capable of creating my own life here.”

“Arthur is your brother and he will be your chaperone, at least for the first months,” Jean-Luc repeats, and this time there’s a finality to his voice. He presses his lips. “You will also meet up with a counselor that has been personally appointed by me—”

“But I don’t want to talk to a psychologist.”

Jean-Luc gives me a wry smile. “I know. That’s why this man is not a psychologist, but someone who will listen to you. Someone you can confide in, should you want to. Régis, I have listened to your wishes, but together with your mother, we try to do what's best for you. The past years have been hell for you. We want you safe in your body and in your mind.”

“I—” My throat chokes up, the lump too heavy to swallow.

“That’s the decision the Deveraux family made, and you are a Deveraux, Régis. We look after our own.”

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