Chapter 3: Steaks, Threats, and Ultimatums

He was so mad, I thought he might blow a gasket. I got grounded for a month.

He didn’t just ground me—he took my phone, my keys, even my favorite sketchbook. I spent four weeks pacing my room, counting the days until I could breathe again.

During that time, I’d shiver every time I heard Nathaniel’s footsteps in the hall.

Even now, certain floorboards creak in a way that makes my stomach drop. Old habits. Fear.

I swallowed my bite and said, “We hardly see each other anymore.”

My voice sounded steady, but my hands were shaking under the table.

Nathaniel just grunted, swirled his wine glass, and took a sip.

The crystal caught the light, a deep cab swirling like blood in a Riedel. It made my skin crawl.

I sucked it up and said, “I’m planning to move out.”

The words dropped like a grenade. I braced for impact.

Nathaniel set down his wine, dabbed his mouth with a napkin, and let out a cold laugh, like he’d just heard the punchline to a joke only he understood.

It was the kind of laugh that makes you question if you’re the crazy one. My cheeks burned with embarrassment.

“No,” he said, all light and breezy, looking down at me. “Dad didn’t leave you any shares. I’ll have the lawyer transfer 10% of mine to you.”

It almost sounded generous. I knew better. Nothing in the Brooks family came free.

I put down my knife and fork, the smile at the corner of my mouth fading. I was done pretending.

He raised an eyebrow, voice flat: “Stay with the Brooks family, and you get 10% of my shares. That’s a great deal.”

He made it sound like a business deal—like my whole life was a line item on a spreadsheet.

I didn’t say a word. I prided myself on not being swayed by money, but what he was offering was just too much.

My brain spun. That kind of money meant freedom, security, anything I wanted. But at what cost?

With those shares and my inheritance, I could literally lie on a pile of cash and do nothing for the rest of my life.

I pictured it for a second—a life without Nathaniel, without fear. It almost made me laugh.

Nathaniel rubbed his brow, eyes dark. “Dad’s gone, and as your older brother, I’m not letting you move out and get mixed up with sketchy people.”

It stung. He always acted like he knew best, never once asking what I wanted.

My temper snapped. “Don’t talk about my friends like that. I don’t want any shares or dividends. I just want to move out.”

I couldn’t hide the anger in my voice. I was sick of being treated like a child—a pawn.

My words seemed to light a fuse in him. I heard his low, hoarse laugh—my heart thudded with fear. He stood up and glared down at me. “How did I never notice you were so stubborn before?”

He loomed, blocking out the light. I gripped the table, trying not to shrink away.

The mood turned dangerous, and I was too scared to say a word.