Shane making love without a trace of this beautiful feeling with a random girl from school in the men's changing room is something I really didn't want to visualize in my head. But I couldn't cope with my stupid imagination, which kept sending to my head images of photos that Jason had started to show me, and from which I'd looked away too late.

Jesus, how screwed up this is, first the situation with Dylan and the maid, and now this! What's wrong with these guys? Can't they do these things in private places with locked doors and closed shades? Are they not ashamed? At school? Really, Shane?

It's disgusting, and even though I liked Shane, at that point I felt like gouging out his eyes for the mere fact that his thoughtlessness and carelessness had put me in such a situation.

If, after school, on my way to the parking lot, I saw him by the car, I'd probably tell him something right away, but for some reason (obviously unknown to me) he didn't come home with Tony and me.

"Where's Shane?" I asked, settling in the car and glancing at my brother, who was sitting in the driver's seat with one hand on the gearbox and with the other holding his phone and liking some stacked bimbos on Instagram.

"He went," Tony replied, and took a moment to lock the screen and put down the phone. Then he glanced briefly at my seat belt to see if it was buckled and started the engine. We were sitting in Shane's blue Lamborghini. Tony takes his motorcycle to school only occasionally. He's been banned from giving me rides on it since our accident, and I'd probably get into trouble myself for simply even looking at it.

"Where to?"

Here Tony didn't even bother to answer me and just gave me a split-second, slightly irritated look as if he had a problem with that I have tongue and ability to speak.

I rolled my eyes. I was the one who was supposed to be angry, especially after what happened to me recently of courtesy of Audrey and Jason!

"You smell like cigarettes," I grunted, making a face because I had an irresistible urge to insult him.

Tony didn't really smell bad. Thanks to the high-quality tobacco, his cigs didn't smell as disgustingly as, for example, Jason's. And due to his love for peppermint chewing gums and expensive cologne, Tony's scent was more intriguing, not repulsive.

"Then get out," he muttered dismissively.

"You can't kick me out of the car," I pointed wearily. I stared to the side at the dense trees flashing outside.

"But I can do a lot of other things."

We didn't even look at each other, but we both knew that Tony's threat was just empty and nothing more. That's why he put the music on right away. To silence me.

All the way back, I wondered what to do with Audrey and Jason. The latter is an idiot and although I didn't expect him to dare to blackmail me, his idiotic behavior didn't come as a shock to me. But Audrey was a different story. So far, I've tried with all my strength to justify her. Because Jerry had told her lies because she had seen my brothers beating him, and so on. Today, however, she has outdone herself. She turned into a terrible, malicious viper and I won't tolerate it.

As if out of spite, however, Shane had gone somewhere, and I had no intention of dealing with Tony. I was calculating whether should I ever mention this problem to any of my brothers, and if so, to which one.

I knew one thing for sure. Despite my promise to help Jerry, I wasn't going to do it. Not for love, not for money. With a hand on heart, I can admit that just two weeks ago, I'd probably try to do something about it, to talk with Vince, but after the events in the bakery, first of all, I learned not to intrude into such things, and secondly, I didn't think that my word still matters and has any power in the eyes of my eldest brother.

As soon as Tony parked in the garage, I got out of the car and headed for the stairs. My bodyguard followed us all the way, but he left his car outside, on the drive, so when I got inside the house, he was already there. I heard his footsteps right behind my back, and as usual, they aroused my aggression.

That day was really hopeless. I felt as if for hours I was spinning in the drum of a huge washing machine, which sucked all emotions out of me, leaving only exhaustion.

Then my phone vibrated and one quick glance at it was enough for me to see that the message was from Audrey.

"Just make sure to fix it today."

I paused at the top of the stairs, surprising Sonny who was breathing down my neck.

What a stupid bitch! She still has the nerve to rush me, to text me such unnecessary messages. Who does she think she is? Audrey, girl! Jerry is a psycho! Your brother is a psycho! He got you high! He got your friend high! And he wanted to hand me over to another psycho! Are you insane? I understand he's your family, brother, but damn it! Get down to that level? That's too much, too freaking much.

In a sudden rage, I pivoted on my heel and looked down at the puzzled bodyguard who was obviously waiting for me to move.

"Is Vince home?" I asked, barely controlling the anger in my voice.

Sonny blinked, surprised that I was even talking to him.

"I don't know, Miss Monet," he replied politely, and I flinched in embarrassment at the honorific. But I can't deny it and say that it didn't give me a bit of confidence and a sense of superiority over the bodyguard, so I raised my eyebrows as well.

"Shouldn't you know such things?"

"I am your bodyguard at the moment, Miss Monet, not his."

I turned my back on him almost immediately. If he doesn't know, then I'll have to find out.

And instead of left, I went right, to the forbidden corridor.

"You shouldn't go there," Sonny remarked, but he was following me and I ignored him. After all, Vince doesn't pay him for his comments.

I walked through the long hall with a brisk pace, and when I saw the door to Vince's office, I immediately pressed the handle.

"Hey!" another voice called. It belonged to a stranger man who had to take Sonny's former place, and now it was he who stood day and night in front of my eldest brother's office door. Well, he apparently wasn't doing very well, because a teenager managed to surprise him.

I had already rushed in, but I stopped immediately and I really would've done it myself, even if Vince's new bodyguard hadn't grabbed my arm, because I realized that I had just barged into my guardian's office unannounced, so I did something that he forbade me to do. Oh, Hailie, you won't buy your way back into his favors this way, I thought.

"Let her go," Sonny hissed to the new bodyguard, who didn't obey him but turned his head towards Vincent.

My brother was standing next to the couch where his guest was sitting. He was holding the document he'd been studying a second before my intrusion. He looked as always, i.e. elegant and tidy. He was quite surprised, but he quickly took a cold look at the whole situation and nodded, confirming Sonny's command. Only then did his new bodyguard let me go, and I rubbed the spot where his fingers tightened against my delicate skin.

Vincent's visitor was some young man with a thick mustache that didn't match him at all. He had dark hair and was dressed less formally than my brother because he had put a dark purple jacket over a plain black T-shirt. Vince was wearing both a shirt and tie today. His visitor must've felt at ease, because he was taking this couch and he had both hands spread to the sides, resting them on the backrest, and having his legs crossed. Apparently, he was discussing something with my brother, and I interrupted them.

"Sorry, sir, she came out of nowhere," his new bodyguard explained. On the one hand, he just failed the simple task of guarding the door, on the other, I knew that he was probably focusing on monitoring the working part of the house...

Vince lowered his hand that held the document and looked at me with the same, uninviting to interact with him, gaze.

"Did something happened, Hailie?" he asked, and here I must admit that he didn't sound as severe as he looked.

I'd give a lot to turn back time by those two minutes. I always complain about Dylan's impulsiveness, and when it comes down to it, I'm no better at all. Vince was working, he was having a guest at that moment, and I burst into his office out of nowhere. Yes, I had a reason, but it wasn't a matter of urgency, and I knew Vince would probably think so too.

"Umm... I..." I stammered. What I wanted to tell him was not meant for the ears of the three other people here. But I had to say something, so I finally pulled myself together. "I wanted to talk."

Vincent looked at me for a moment, then focused on his visitor, handing him the document he was holding, which the man reluctantly picked up.

"Send me a copy and I'll figure out what to do about it," my brother said indifferently. "That's all from me for the moment."

The visitor rose as if on cue and didn't look pleased to be asked to leave so quickly, but he didn't comment on Vincent's decision and just shook his hand respectfully. He folded the document in half, adjusted his jacket, and headed for the exit.

Vince also gave the two bodyguards a meaningful look to make them leave the office too, which they did without a word. This way, in the next less than two minutes, I was alone in the room with my guardian.

I stood there, a bit confused, and unsure of what to do. I hugged myself with one arm, remembering all the negative emotions I had the last time I was here. Meanwhile, Vince approached his desk and grabbed his phone, checking it. But finally, he put it down and cleared his throat, folding his arms over his chest and looking at me.

Okay, let's get it over with.

I chewed on my lower lip for a moment until I realized he could see it and how stupid it must look, so I stopped and, not knowing completely how to start, finally decided that I had little to lose anyway.

"Are you still mad at me?" I asked quietly and a bit embarrassed, but that was a good question because I could see Vincent's face softening a little. I only noticed it because I got to know him a bit, otherwise, he would still seem indifferent to me.

He sighed and relaxed his hands. He pointed at the couch.

"Sit down," he ordered me, and he also headed towards it. I was relieved that he hadn't invited me to those dreadful armchairs opposite his desk, so I followed his instructions quite willingly. Naturally, I started to stress even more, because sitting down meant a longer conversation, but I knew very well that it was necessary to carry it out and I was consoled that soon it'd be over.

The couch wasn't very long, so when we both took it and were facing each other, it turned out that we were sitting really close. It certainly didn't relax my tense muscles.

"I was mad at you, Hailie. Very," he said and paused, and I looked down. Suddenly he added, "Too much."

I frowned at first, then unconsciously lifted my head back up, not sure if I had misheard him.

"I constantly have to remind myself that although you are one of us, you grew up in a completely different world," he continued, and I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "I know that you had good intentions and you only wanted to help your friend. I apologize for being so harsh with you."

I was speechless and looked at him as if he had spoken to me in Chinese.

Vincent just apologized to me. Wow.

"I-It's okay," I replied, swallowing the excess saliva.

His facial features softened even more. He also shook his head, looking at me thoughtfully, as if I was a riddle that he was slowly solving.

"You are too good."

First, I smiled shyly because I took it as a compliment. However, a moment later I blushed immediately and looked down.

"That's not true," I muttered, my hand stroking the fabric of the sofa. "If it was, I wouldn't tell you that I hate you." I paused, and when Vince was still silent, I found his light eyes, and as honestly as I could, I told him, "But I didn't mean that at all. I swear, Vince, I was so mad about that bodyguard, but I didn't mean it."

Vincent closed his eyes and shook his head slowly, silencing me that way.

"I know, Hailie, I know. I provoked you," he admitted.

Well, it was difficult to argue here.

Vince reached out and put his arm around me, and I, obviously, eagerly pressed my head against his hard chest. I wasn't going to miss an opportunity for a hug. I don't know what material his shirt was made of, but it had to be something of the highest quality because its softness combined with the scent of men's perfume made me sigh softly.

The result of my visit here was even better than I could've imagined. What a relief to be at peace with Vince again! No more awkwardness.

He immediately began to release me slowly from his arms, as if too long hugs threatened to warm his image, which he seemed to fear like a demon of holy water.

"By the way, I thought about how to include you in our family affairs so that you don't feel so excluded," he began, and I looked at him in shock. The thought to deny it and say that I don't feel excluded at all occurred to me, but I knew that speaking it out loud would be an ugly lie.

But wait a minute, what is he talking about? So what, I'll be a businesswoman? Or, uhm, am I going to rob bakeries? It's probably not really a job for me. Vince must've read these questions from my face because before he continued, he shared with me his indulgent look.

"If that suits you, I'd like to name our charitable foundation after you. You could be involved in working there as much as school duties would allow you, of course."

I stared at him with my mouth open. A charitable foundation named after me? I blinked.

"I-I..." I was speechless, so I shut up again and just blurted out, "Whoa."

Vince's mouth twitched.

"Our foundation supports disadvantaged children. It's involved in fundraising activities, mainly for orphans, to make their dreams come true, to get them scholarships, and sometimes to pay for treatment of serious diseases. You won't have time to do it full-time, but in your free time, you can help with a few projects and maybe even run your own."

It sounded like a fairy tale, amazing, wow! I felt a flame of excitement kindle in my heart and gradually spread throughout my body. It was slowly reaching everywhere, even smoldering in my fingertips! I would have a job and I would be doing something good and working for the Monet name!

"Wow," I repeated, with the eyes of my imagination watching the wonderful visions of my future duties that my eager mind immediately sent me. Suddenly, by force of my will, I broke free from this utopia and returned to reality, staring intently at my brother. "Vince, but you know I have no idea about foundation work? I don't know what to do there at all. How to collect money? How to run projects? Are there any books about it? Could I, maybe I could read something? I don't know if I can make it, you know I never..."

"Hailie," Vince interrupted me with his hand stretched out in a vertical position, and he probably wanted to raise his eyes to the ceiling, but held back. "You have nothing to worry about. You will learn everything there, that's for sure. Nobody will give you a responsibility that you cannot handle. Anyway, I was talking about projects, but they are time-consuming and we'll see how much you can involve in them. However, you would take part in different kinds of galas, charity balls, and other such events. It involves receiving and giving all kinds of awards, public speaking, smiling, and shaking hands. Is this something you would like to be a part of?"

"Yes, yes, very much!" I replied immediately, nodding my head vigorously and trying not to think about those public speeches that almost made me feel sick. I was not a bold and charismatic type of person. I'm not an extrovert, unfortunately. But I also adhered to the principle that you can learn anything if you only work at it long enough. Besides, it sounded like an interesting challenge, and I just missed challenges in my life.

"Okay then, I will soon set up an initial plan for you and let you know when we can implement it," Vince announced and I nodded again. From the expression on his face, I could see that he was glad somewhere inside, that he made me happy, but he was probably not entirely convinced of the rightness of his idea.

"I can start as soon as possible," I said, straightening my back and clasping my hands ready.

"You'll start when I say you can," Vincent replied calmly, leaving no room for discussion. Now I wanted to raise my eyes up, but I also held back, because I didn't really want to test my brother's patience and good mood. Instead, I decided to use my not-so-long-time-ago-discovered tactics and smiled sweetly at him.

"Thank you, Vince."

"You are welcome."

He wasn't that bad, this Vincent. It all depended on what mood he was in, and whether I did something (in his opinion) stupid or inappropriate or not. Pretty clear guidelines.

"And sorry about then," I added after a moment when I realized that he apologized to me and I didn't. I wanted to be fair to him.

He closed his eyes for a moment and sighed as if gathering energy to deal with my dramas.

"I believe we've already cleared this up, Hailie. Promise me that you will come straight to me next time in a similar situation," he whispered in his low and cool, yet velvety voice.

Gosh, I almost forgot why, among other things, I'm here. I was too delighted with the vision of my future role in the foundation. Eh, what to do, I had to be honest with him.

"Oh yeah, well, about that..." I started awkwardly, tucking loose strands of my hair behind my ears.

Vince immediately sensed that something was up because his stare got intensive.

"Yes?"

I took a deep breath and told him about Audrey catching me in the hallway and demanding help for her brother. I immediately noticed Vincent's eyes darkening, but at the same time, he was radiating with such formal, artificial calmness that usually made me uneasy. This time, however, I knew he wasn't angry with me.

"That's all? She asked for help and left?" Vince asked with a deadpan face.

"Not really..." I replied slowly, announcing the continuation of my speech, but with slight hesitation. "Only this one, this Jason ... D-do you remember Jason?" I glanced at my brother, who nodded singly with the same cold attention. Of course, he remembered him. "Well, Jason was there with Audrey, and he, they both said together... Actually no, it was Jason who said that if I don't help, he'll share these pictures..."

"Which pictures?" Vincent asked and I had the feeling the atmosphere around us got suddenly electrified.

"Just don't tell others..." I asked, suddenly wondering if I should've clarified it with Shane first. God, why do life and human relationships have to be so complicated?

"Which pictures, Hailie?"

"Of Shane with some girl in the men's changing room doing... you know," I looked down, running my fingers over the fabric of the sofa with great interest.

I heard Vince breathe deeply, and when I looked up at him, I saw him cover his eyes with his hand, finally rubbing them and looking back at me.

"Thank you for telling me about this. That was the right thing to do. Now, you'll forget about this, understand?"

"But what about..."