I got embarrassed when the next day after breakfast I returned to my bed and soon after Will came to me. I was experiencing another wave of pain and I had to take the pills again. I lied under a blanket and wondered if from now on I would go through the same tortures regularly every month.

As soon as I saw that it was Will who was visiting me, I tried to smile and pretend that I was just having an after-breakfast nap, which was totally unlike me.

Will gently closed the door behind him and walked over to my bed. He was dressed in a perfectly fitted blue shirt and dirty white pants with a matching belt. He looked fresh, and for the thousandth time in my life, I was wondering what he does for a living, that on Saturday morning he was leaving the house looking like a model. Well, I guess he won't be robbing any bakeries in such clothes? It was supposed to be a funny thought, but it sounded quite bitter in my head.

"How are you?" my favorite brother asked, stopping right next to me and looking down at me. His eyes gleamed softly as I liked the most, however, this time I didn't admire them so much because there was also a compassionate smile on his lips. And I immediately realized that he knew. He knew.

"Tony told you!" I groaned accusingly as if a great crime had been committed, and before Will could react, I buried my face in the pillow so that he wouldn't see my red cheeks.

I only heard his soft laughter. He sat on the edge of my bed and his hand gently stroked my back, also patting me lightly at the end.

"Hey, look at me," he asked, and when I didn't move, he tapped lightly my head.

"No," I grunted in the pillow. "I can't believe Tony told you."

And I wonder who else he shared it with. God, this terrible trip to the supermarket was already enough of a torture, now all the residents (which are males) in this house must know about my most private matters? Damn Tony.

"He told me because he was worried about you. You have nothing to be ashamed of, little one. On the contrary, it's a sign that you are all right. You are healthy. I'm sorry that there is no woman in this house who could help you in a situation like yesterday."

It warmed my heart a bit. I needed this mature approach. I turned my head and looked carefully at Will through the depths of my tangled hair.

"So only you and he know?"

"And Vince."

I hid my face in the pillow again. The fact that Vince is being informed about matters so intimate to me embarrassed me even more.

"Hey, hey, take it easy, little one. He is your legal guardian. He should know about things related to your health. You have nothing to worry about. I don't know a more discreet person than him."

"I don't want to talk to him about it," I mumbled.

"Nobody will force you. If you have a problem or need to talk, you can always tell me. You know that, right?"

I nodded and there was a moment of silence during which I turned my head again to be able to look at my brother.

"Will, you don't even know what a nightmare it was to ask Tony to... Ugh, it was terrible!" I sighed, squeezing my eyelids, and shivering. I opened my eyes almost immediately when I heard Will's sincere laugh.

He laughed at me or Tony or the two of us in general, and I scowled at him because he covered his eyes with his hand and he was even shaking! If he was any of the youngest three of my brothers, I would hit him with a pillow, but Will had an undeniable head start from me, so I just stared at him with a pseudo murderous look.

"Tony is stupid," Will finally said, shaking his head. Okay, so he didn't make fun of me. Finally, he calmed down and added "He got scared because until yesterday he'd never dealt with such things."

I rolled my eyes. And then I felt I had to do justice to my brother, so I confessed:

"But he helped me."

Will's blue eyes met mine.

"Of course he helped you."

His fingers gently grabbed one of the strands of my hair and set it aside. He repeated this action several times until he uncovered my face and stroked my exposed cheek with his index finger. Very gently, because there was still an ugly bruise on it.

"Now I have to go, but I want you to remember that you can always count on us, okay? On me and on Vince and Tony and the rest."

I nodded my head. I won't deny that I liked hearing out such confessions. The awareness that I was not on my own in this world gave me a lot of support.

"Okay."

"Okay," Will smiled and stood up. "Do not forget to put the ointment on this bruise, it seems to help. And be careful with the painkillers."

"Okay," I repeated.

Will winked at me and closed the door behind him with a quiet click, and I fell into pure adoration for him. God, he's so good to me.

I haven't seen Tony all day. When I went downstairs for a bit, I met Shane and Dylan, but both of them were treating a hangover after yesterday's night out. Because of that, they were a bit more irritable than usual, and I still felt a bit irked, which is why I wisely decided not to interact with them.

I was being bored this weekend. Because of the "these days" and the constant cramps, I couldn't do many things, such as exercises. I regretted it because I have to admit I really liked it. In the beginning, going to the gym was a compulsion for me, but recently I started to enjoy it, especially since I managed to notice progress. I could do more sit-ups, use heavier weights, and in general, my figure was getting into shape. My age and the fact that I was going through puberty also had an impact on it. I got a waistline, my bottom began to round nicely, and even my breasts grew a little. Just a little bit, but it's always something... Recently, I also dreamed of sculpting my abs. It was supposed to be a much harder challenge, but I was ready to take it.

This whole adolescence also had its side effects, especially during menstruation, because right now I was hiding under my bangs two large pimples on my forehead.

Vince found me only on Sunday and instructed me to tell Leo to come to our residence on Tuesday at 6 pm. He still amazed me with the formality with which he treated my school friend, but I didn't dare to tell him to chill.

Finally, I had to contact Leo through Mona, because Will insisted that I should still stay at home. Sometimes I think that I was more worried about my schoolwork and grades than he and Vince together. I suspected they were so lenient about this for two reasons. Firstly, they already knew me and that I always did my best to keep my average high, so they didn't have to control me. Secondly, they had good enough contacts at the school so my absences wouldn't affect my future.

Anyway,on Tuesday I was catching up with my homework all day and I had a serious problem with concentrating on it because I kept thinking about Leo's visit this afternoon. I haven't met him since the events in the bakery and somehow I was strangely excited to see him. What's more, he would come here. To my house.

Just before 6 pm, I was on pins and needles. I was in the living room with Shane. He was watching something on TV, and I was stealing popcorn from him. Eating helped me to calm down my nerves. I wanted everything to go well. I hoped that Leo would talk to Vincent and explain his position and that my brother would have mercy on him. That everything would end with success.

Poor me, I was completely unaware of the direction this conversation would take.

Vince appeared downstairs and I got stressed just at the sight of him. Once in primary school, I let a few people copy my homework and when our teacher found out, she called our parents to school. I remember waiting with a painfully clenched stomach for my mom to come back and now I felt exactly the same.

My eldest brother made espresso and came into the living room, holding a tiny white cup. He looked insanely elegant in a gray shirt with a black vest on it, and in black pants. He stopped at the entrance to the living room and leaned sideways against the wall, and when I turned to peek at him and saw that he was looking back at me, I immediately glued my eyes back to the TV screen.

I also kept glancing unconsciously at my phone every now and then. I was unlocking it to see that no one wrote to me and then putting it down to check it again after a minute.

Leo finally arrived, punctually just before the agreed time. From what I knew, Vince normally directed his, let's call them, clients, to a separate entrance, one that was connected directly to the working wing. That would explain why I've never seen strangers hanging around the house.

Leo was treated exceptionally and allowed to enter the residence as a guest. So he parked his miserable-looking car in the driveway, right next to the two of my brothers' sports rides, which weren't in the garage for some reason. My brothers were like big children and their cars sometimes were randomly and carelessly parked outside the house just like Lego blocks scattered in a four-year-old's room. I was used to this view, but Leo clearly felt overwhelmed. Not only by the cars themselves (and let's not forget that after all there were many more of them hidden in the garage) but also the size of the Monets' residence and the range of its areas.

When he was invited inside, I noticed that he was slightly pale on his face (which, by the way, healed much slower than mine) and visibly stressed, but despite that he managed to look quite professional. As much as a sixteen-year-old can look professional. I would've fainted five times already if I was in his place.

I jumped up to greet him, a little more rapidly than I should, and I had to remind myself to keep a distance because Vincent was watching us. So I greeted him politely but couldn't stop a wide smile at the sight of him. I was still a bit proud of myself that I was able to make this meeting happen.

Leo returned my smile and entered our residence, casting a quick glance around. He was dressed in a khaki shirt and dark pants, and he looked very decent and handsome, though he couldn't hold the candle to Vincent's elegance. Well, not everyone can afford tailored clothes and watches in the price of small apartments.

At the sight of my eldest brother, Leo froze first and then put on a firm face, very focused, as if he was ready for a mission. And for this mission to be successful and only successful. He nodded at him, and all his attitude was nothing but respectful, or at least he was doing everything to make it look that way.

"Good evening," he said loudly and politely, and I was impressed that his voice didn't even tremble. Vince looked at him very closely and responded using his favorite icy-formal tone, at the sound of which I usually felt like fleeing to my bedroom, wrapping myself in a blanket and drinking hot tea.

Vince has already got rid of this little espresso cup and came closer to us just when Leo decided to introduce himself. Leo was taller than me, but Vince was the one who definitely towered over both of us.

"Leonard, Leo, Hardy. Thank you very much for agreeing to meet me, sir."

Leo stretched out his hand towards Vince and I felt a trace of uncertainty in his gesture as if he didn't know if it really should be so. My brother looked at the hand protruding in front of him and then back into the golden eyes of his interlocutor.

I desperately wanted to hug Vince and ask him as nicely as I could to be kind and forgiving to my friend, but at the moment I didn't dare to peep a word. This is because my brother put on one of his masks. The one that scared me the most. Every time he did it, he seemed like a stranger to me.

Vince probably thought he didn't have to introduce himself because he just nodded but also shook Leo's hand, and although he did it very formally and harshly, I felt relief.

"We'll go to my office if you don't mind," Vince announced and it was obvious that Leo couldn't mind.

My brother headed for the stairs after these words, and Leo immediately followed him. I was just giving him a comforting smile, taking a step back when Vince turned his head and his bright eyes bored into me.

"You too, Hailie."

I froze and that smile immediately faded from my face.

"M-me?" I asked senselessly, pointing my finger at myself.

"Yes, you. You arranged this meeting and I want you to be present at it," he stated and, without further explanation, started climbing the stairs.

I swallowed and I really didn't enjoy the thought of witnessing the upcoming conversation, but apparently I had no choice. I only exchanged glances with Leo, who probably hadn't any problem with Vincent's decision. I'd even risk saying that he was glad. I understood him because facing Vincent alone is not a walk in the park and I knew something about it myself.

I followed my brother, staring at his straight back, and tried to calm my anxiety. Out of the corner of my eye, I also saw Shane turning his head curiously to look at us from the living room sofa.

A familiar blond-haired bodyguard was projecting near the door to Vince's office and obediently stepped aside as soon as he saw us. My brother, of course, sat down immediately behind the large, impressive desk, and I, without a question, decided to take place on the black sofa on the side, instead of choosing one of these armchairs in the center of the room. He wanted me in this room? Well, I was there. It didn't mean that I had to sit right in front of my guardian's scrutinizing look. I knew that somehow I was leaving Leo alone on the front-line because he had no choice but to take one of those damn chairs. Too bad but at that moment I had to think about myself, I'm sorry.

Vince gave me a glimpse, but he didn't seem to be bothered by my choice. He comfortably sat back in his chair, rested his elbow on the armrest and his chin on the back of his hand. Then he looked with hypnotizing eyes at my colleague.

Leo was looking around the room and when I was watching him like that, I tried to remember how stressed I was the first time I was in this office. And Vince is my brother! If he were a stranger to me, like to Leo, he'd certainly scare me ten times more.

Finally, Leo returned Vincent's gaze and there was a moment of silence. I realized that my heart was pounding. Why is it beating so fast? I wasn't even the main focus here...

"All right, Leo. My sister asked me to meet you. Apparently you want to talk to me," Vince began in a voice that made me regret not having put a sweater on my summer top.

Leo was sitting clearly tensed but concentrated.

"Yes. Once again, thank you for finding the time for me, sir."

I felt embarrassed when my friend turned to my brother "Sir", but Vince apparently wasn't going to release him from these formalities. It was then that I realized that he was not planning to make it easier for him. He was to treat him just as another client.

I wanted to slip away from here unnoticed, which was impossible. So I sat on the couch and watched them from the side, biting my lip harder and harder.

"I wouldn't find it if she didn't ask me," Vince admitted honestly.

"I know and that's why I'm grateful to her," Leo replied quickly and gave me a glimpse. He spoke to Vince now as he'd earlier to me, that is, with such pure honesty beaming from his eyes. I wasn't just sure if my brother would appreciate it as much as me.

"Mhm," Vince muttered, piercing him with an intense look. "Tell me then, Leo, what do you want to talk about?"

Leo shifted in his chair, cleared his throat, and began the speech that he prepared earlier and probably rehearsed hundreds of times.

"My brother, Ryan Hardy, I don't know if you've heard his name before...?" he paused, and when Vince nodded almost imperceptibly, he continued, "Ryan got into debt to you. Without discussing it with our mother, he secured it with her the bakery. He's in rehab now, so he doesn't make any income but his installments must be paid. My mom... we don't have money for that. In the summer I could easily get a job to earn some extra money and help her, but now school began. I got a scholarship for good academic results, which I have to work hard to keep. For that, I need time to study. Mom is running out of money she had put aside for a rainy day and if it goes on like this, we'll end up on the street."

I heard this story for the second time, with a few more details, and now it has caught my heart even more. There were so many things wrong in it that Vince just had to have pity on him.

"Continue," my brother ordered, without changing his position, expression, or tone of voice.

Leo took a deep breath and I was impressed by how bravely he was able to return that cold look.

"I would like to ask you to postpone the repayment of this debt. Or for smaller installments. Anything," Leo said with the first signs of desperation in his voice.

Vince leaned forward a little, put his elbows on the desk this time, and he rested his chin on his folded hands, looking intensely at his companion.

"Do you know what I would like to ask you for, Leo?" he started in his hushed, yet crystal clear voice. It sounded unpleasant and somehow dangerous. I watched him, terribly stressed.

Leo seemed surprised by the question, but he shook his head slowly and carefully.

"I would like to ask you not to bother my sister with your problems."

My heart stopped.

Did I mishear him?

"I-I ..." Leo stammered, totally stunned. He gave me another quick look, which only convinced me that he needs help.

"But Vince, it's not his fault," I mumbled and shuddered when my words caught Vincent's attention to me like a magnet. "R-remember?"

I was referring to the version I told him on Thursday. Which he acknowledged and accepted. What did he mean now?

My guardian stared at me ruthlessly. Ruthlessly, because I felt how he read my soul, how he literally had an insight into it, like into a book. The one with a table of contents, dedication, and epilogue. He could bookmark it and fold pages. Mark favorite fragments with colored bands.

I shivered again. Something was wrong.

Vince didn't break our eye contact, even when Leo spoke.

"I'm sorry, you're right. I shouldn't have involved Hailie."

I froze. Panic and fear appeared in my eyes, but Vince didn't comment on it, just looked at me for one more moment, long enough for drops of sweat cover my forehead. Finally, he looked back at Leo.

"You shouldn't have," he admitted. "Of course, the truth is that you wouldn't get her involved if she didn't voluntarily agree to it."

I felt like throwing up.

"It's really my fault. She didn't do anything wrong, I swear. I take it all on myself."

Vince raised his eyebrows.

"Mhm, if so, how do you expect me to accommodate you?"

Leo breathed steadily for a moment, then looked at the floor, apparently to gather his thoughts, and then gazed back at my brother.