Dangerously In a Heartbeat

Chapter 04: Three Rules

☼

ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ ʀᴜʟᴇs

ʜᴇʟᴇɴ's ᴘᴏᴠ
୧‿︵‿︵  ✾  ︵‿︵‿୨

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 in the dining room was suffocating me. Everyone stares at me except Hailie. She was surprised, then her features twisted, and her laugh broke the silence that accompanied the room. She laughs like a crazy woman, shaking her head. My brothers stared at her with a weirded-out expression.

"What do you mean, wait! This is too funny."She says, her overly high-pitch laugh is already annoying.

"You made me leave so you could have mother to yourself, and now you're telling my brothers that you hate them? Seriously Helen? That's pathetic." She looks at me with disgust. Her changed behavior made me a little bit taken aback. I gave her a blank stare.

"She's not my mother, remember that Hailie," I say with a calm tone that tenses her. "Do you understand?"I urge her, my eyes never leaving hers. She gulps before dropping her gaze to her plate and nods.

"Wonderful," I comment, glimpsing at everyone to see them looking at me with a startled face except Ace. Visible amusement accompanies his dark eyes and his lips curl up a little. I avert my eyes to my plate, breaking our eye contact.

"Well, excuse me, I'm gonna eat," I say, taking the knife and fork to cut the meat.

"Everyone, introduce yourselves," Ace says, gazing at everyone. I raise an eyebrow but went along with it.

Kalen was the first one to speak up. He smiles warmly at me, blue eyes lighting up as he greets me. "I'm Kalen. 17, junior year."

"Hailie." She rolls her eyes at me, munching on her food. I nod at both of them. We were triplets. Among us three, Kalen was the oldest and Hailie was the youngest.

"Ren, 18. " He mumbles, his hazel eyes never leaving the book in his hand. Ren was always the relaxed one who barely utters a word. Ever since I remember, he always had some book in his hand, and the only thing he cared about its books and food.

I remember when Ryan, his twin put fire in his books. Ren got so mad he ended up setting the whole mansion on fire. It took two weeks to restore our damaged goods and we had to stay at grandma's.

The only difference now was the tattoo on his neck, roses split in half with thorns. I wonder what that resembles.

"Ryan. Ren's twin."Ren says with a scowl on his face. He glares at me, piercing his brown eyes into mine. Oh, someone doesn't want me here.

"I'm Ashton, 19." He says in a bored tone. Ashton was never one to express his emotions often. As far as I remember, he rarely smiled and he would always have this expressionless and blank face, and he would never talk much. He would simply just tag along with everyone else and do his own stuff.

"As you know, I'm Axel, 20." He gave me a warm smile. I loved Axel with my whole heart. He always filled in the role our father and mother never could. He was the closest thing I had to a parent figure.

"I'm Ace, 21, and your legal guardian," Ace stated. Then, there was Ace. My oldest brother. He was transparent in my life. I was abandoned the day he came to our house. Ace was a total stranger to me. My brothers and I grew up without Ace in our life, since he was the firstborn of our family, my parents had entirely hidden him away due to some important matters until he could completely take over the family business. To say, Ace was the only brother who I hated passionately.

"Helen, introduce yourself. " Ace said.

"Helen," I stated, bored of the introductions.

"Since we're done here. Helen, follow me. " Ace looks at me, tapping the napkin against his lips. He stands up, leaving no place to argue, and exited the dining room. I took a glance at everyone to see  Helen snickering at me while Axel was giving me a look of—pity?
I rolled my eyes before following Ace to his office. I focused my eyes on his wide back as he strode up to his desk, sitting on the leather chair. Lazily, I plopped myself down in a chair. His office was plain and lifeless.