I was surprised when Alec told me to come and meet him in their old house. The mansion where they grow up, to discuss plans of renovation and also to meet the architect and the engineer he has hired to do the job. With much confusion on my part, I drove to the said house.

What I saw completely made my jaw drop. Literally.

There was a huge moving truck parked outside. Men after men are carrying boxes out of the house into the van. Amelia is right out front, trying to pull the said boxes from their grasps without much success. Her small body muscle is nothing compared to the brute strength of the men.

I parked my car behind Alec's red Audi. Ignoring the scene Amelia is making, I made my way to the living room of the house. Surprise to see the walls completely bare of the pictures and paintings that used to frequent the said walls.

Alec stands at the end of the stairs, instructing the men to keep moving the things faster. He doesn't take notice of me yet, but Jack is standing right behind him with a furious face.

"Stop this right now, Alec!" Jack shouted at Alec angrily. Ordering his son to stop everything he's doing. "This is not right! I own this house."

Alec proceeds on puling out a piece of paper and throwing it carelessly to Jack's face. "Doesn't say that in this." He said, as he continues to order the people around.

Jack angrily reads the contents of the paper and I watch as horror and surprise passes through his face until finally settling on anger. "That fucking woman!" He suddenly curses.

My eyes widen in surprise at his words. Never has Jack ever cursed at his wife. All this time I thought he loved and respected her even when he married Amelia, at least to some point. But hearing him curse at her for her decisions is low of him. I don't think I have recovered from his words when Alec delivered a sudden punch to Jack's face. At that point, I decided to interrupt before Alec decided that it was a good idea to bash in his Dad's face out of anger.

"Alec." I called him as soon as I was a few steps behind him. His angry gray eyes swung to me and calmed down a bit. "You don't need to punch him." I told him.

Alec raised his eyebrow at me, not agreeing with what I just said. "Did you hear what he just said?"

I nodded my head, giving Alec a sarcastic smile of my own. "I can do it myself." I told him as I deliver another punch to Jack's face, who just got up from the floor.

Jack glared at me, as he tries to stand up from the floor. The exact same time that Amelia's annoying high pitched voice was heard throughout the house.

"Jack!" She shouted. We watched as she rushed to her husband's side, wearing deadly high heels and clothes that could barely cover a thing in her body, like always. She gives us the stink eye as she helped him up from the floor, particularly at me. I don't think this woman has any guts to stand up against Alec no matter what he does to her. It's a little weird and at the same thing, fascinating to watch.

"I will sue you for this!" Jack said, threatening me. He certainly was not happy about that. "And I will get your sister from you." He said to Alec, looking very smug and proud as Alec's face darken in anger.

Through gritted teeth, Alec answered his father in anger. "Don't you dare threaten me with Mara."

Jack grins evilly at his son. "I'm still her legal guardian, Alec. What are you going to do huh? That little brat is going to be under my care once I proved how unstable she is."

My hands tightened into a fist. "She is not unstable." I told him angrily.

The man who loved his children is finally showing his real face. He's not who I thought he was. Alec was right to be suspicious of him in the first place. I can't believe these nasty things are coming out of the man I looked up to besides my father. I can't believe I trusted him more than he was worth. Alec was right all along. He was not someone to be trusted.

Beside him, Amelia is looking very proud at what Jack is spouting. She seemed to have forgotten that they are still getting kicked out of this house. In a matter of minutes, she would be homeless.

"Oh really? That's not what I heard. Having a mental breakdown in a mall? It's all these little things that will soon all work on my favor." He said, still grinning like he's the devil himself.

"I won't allow Mara to be under your control. Now get out of my house before I call the police." Alec said angrily. He didn't wait for Jack to say anything else as he walked further into the house and in the direction of the garden.

"Have a good day, asshole." I told Jack, leaving the nasty couple standing in a house they used to live in. I hope Amelia is ready to crawl back to wherever Jack got her. I doubt Alec would let them touch any property that belonged to their mother. "Alec, you won't let him win, will you?" I asked, worrying over Jack's recent threat. It's a valid threat.

The court may see Mara as an incapacitated person due to her recent attacks. She's still under twenty-one too. She's not supposed to be under Alec's care, but she is. Over all, Jack has the right to decide for his daughter. The case may not be filed yet but the simple thought of Jack threatening to use the court to get a conservatorship of Mara's assets and life, is a terrible thing.

"Like hell." Alec said, I could see his back tightening in anger as he continues to walk.

I guess, as always, I just have to trust Alec on this.

Apparently, her snake of a father called her and told her everything that happened. Although Mara understood that the punches Jack got might have been something he deserved, she didn't like the fact that he's now living in a hotel instead of their very empty mansion.

She was okay with Amelia getting thrown out to the streets, but not Jack. No. Mara still thinks he's a good Dad despite everything that happened to her under his supervision, or the lack of it.

Alec stood his ground on never letting them take another step inside the mansion and assured her that everything will make sense once she receives the will of their late mother, May. Mara was quick to tell Alec that it better explain all the secrets he's been keeping from her before letting the whole matter drop.

It's been two weeks since that argument happened.

Today, however, Alec wanted to meet at a bar not far from their apartment. When I arrived at the said bar, I quickly found him sitting by the bar. What surprised me is that Eros is sitting right beside him.

"Whoa. What is going on?" I asked them, interrupting their conversation. I signaled for the bartender who is busy chatting up some ladies at the other end of the bar.

Eros chuckled a bit at my reaction. "You sound like a jealous husband, Dust." He said, taking a sip of his whiskey. "We're being friendly."

I raised my brow at him. "Friendly is not exactly how I would describe your relationship with each other." I said as the bartender finally ripped himself away from the ladies and took my order.

"We're good." Alec replied with a smile in my direction.

The only reason that they hated each other is because of Aurora. Apparently, Aurora is the only daughter of the head of their whole family. She's like a protected gem in their country. The things that happened between Aurora and Alec was a big slap to their family's face and has forever tainted Rory's eligibility for marriage, at least for the elite of their country.

With Eros being the loving cousin who brought Aurora to this country, it was his responsibility to ensure that his cousin is protected and he failed at that. He blames himself for letting Aurora enroll in a different university on the other side of the country only to meet Alec.

Seeing them getting along is like a good night's dream. I honestly feel like I'm imagining things as they both laugh at Eros' joke. Still, I couldn't help but grin at the sight. My friends are now friends. It's been a long time coming and it finally happened.

"Wait, who's driving?" I asked as I watch them both drown a shot of vodka.

Eros raised his hand ever so slightly. "That would be me." He said cheekily.

I shook my head at the both of them. Irresponsible jerks. "Shut up. I'll drive."

Alec looked at me like I suddenly grew another head. "Eros is fine. He can drive."

I rolled my eyes at his very convincing words as Eros almost missed the bar while putting his glass back down on the surface. "And get us all killed? Hell no. I have a wedding I still plan to attend."

"Speaking of you wedding." Eros said, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Who gets to plan the bachelor party?" He asked.

"None of that." I said, dismissing the idea right away. I took a sip of my one drink, making sure that I don't drink too much so I can still drive these fools and not get arrested for driving while intoxicated. That won't be good for any of us.

"Sure it is. I overheard Artemis already planning a bachelorette party. I heard it'll be filled with surprises to make Mara go red." Alec said with a teasing grin.

"Where will they do it?" I asked, suddenly curious to the details of the said event.

Alec shrugged his shoulders. "Dunno. Mara caught me and kicked me out of the house. Hence, I'm here."

"Let me guess. Rory was there too." I said, knowing the look that passed through his face. Neither of them can get over each other, yet they are both equally stubborn to admit it.

"She's always in our apartment. Sometimes, I don't even want to go home because I can smell her lingering perfume near Mara's room." He said sighing in annoyance and drowns another shot of vodka.

"Didn't you guys have sex in your car?" Eros suddenly asked, surprising the both of us. "What? Rory was really upset and decided to call me at twelve midnight."

Alec shook his head at Eros. A telltale smile on his face as if he was remembering Rory. "I talked to her. Asked her if she would give me another chance. I got rejected. Burnt to the ground."

"Is that part of why we're drinking?" I asked, as the both of them drowned another shot of vodka.

Eros shook his head. "This is heavy man. I suggest to get ready to what he's about to tell you."

"And you know, how?" I asked, Eros. They seem to be closer than I have initially expected.

"I asked him to introduce me to an attorney." Alec said, refusing to meet my eyes and instead focusing on the display rack of alcoholic bottles.

"You already have an attorney." I pointed out. Making sure he's sober enough to make sure his words are facts and not just him drunk talking.

"I'm still sober enough to tell facts, asshole." Alec said as he caught on to what I was doing. "I need you to promise me you won't say a word about this to Mara. As my best friend."

I nodded my head, preparing myself for whatever he was about to say. "Shoot."

"I'm adopted." He said.

I was not ready for that.