"In the next... weeks, I'd like you to limit your time you spend outside the house," Vincent informed me. He looked at me intently, clearly letting me know the seriousness of the situation, though somewhere in the depths of his frosty irises, gentleness lurked as well.

"Uhm, but Vince..." I chuckled nervously, toying with a slice of cucumber on my plate. "There is not much to limit here. After all, apart from going to school, I hardly leave home. I only meet with some friends from time to time... Recently, I also go to the foundation, but it's so rare..."

"I know about all the places you go, Hailie. And I say that must be limited," he repeated calmly.

The food in my mouth lost its flavor and I swallowed it quickly, fighting the urge to spit it out onto my plate. A trace of disgust remained on my face as I stared at my brother, praying that I just misunderstood him.

"You wanna ground me? You can't punish me for someone trying to kill me! I need to go out with my friends from time to time, go to the movies, or have a pizza... I need it, everyone needs it. You can't forbid me to do this, Vince. I don't party, I don't hang around at night, I'm always on time and I carry my phone everywhere with me to stay in touch with you... Everything is always the way you want it, and yet you want to take away the only little bit of the social life I have?"

I didn't yell, but I spoke loudly and with reproach in my voice mixed with regret. I pushed the unfinished breakfast plate away and clenched my hands into fists, slouching a little.

"It's not a grounding. And no punishment."

"Then what else is it?"

I glared at him agitatedly while he stared at me with composure, probably wondering what's the best way to put his thoughts into words.

"To be honest," he finally began, "I rather meant to limit your regular going outs.

I frowned, not understanding.

"I'd like you to be home-schooled for the next few weeks."

I hunched even more and leaned forward, my fisted hands resting on the table.

"What?!"

"I'll get you a tutor. You will be up to date with all the material."

"I have tests to write! Projects to finish! You can't get me out of school so out of nowhere! What am I supposed to do, locked in here all day? I'll go crazy! And why do I even have Sonny following me everywhere? Is he a decoration or what? Because I thought he was my bodyguard!"

"Hailie, I know it's hard. I know that you like going to school, that you have friends there, and that you aren't happy to stay home all day. I don't want to make you bitter. However, yesterday's situation forces me to take extraordinary precautions."

"But there are Tony and Shane at school, and Sonny is always there in front of it. Besides, it's a private area and not everyone can enter it just like that. Nobody has hurt me there so far. Everything was always fine..."

"Hailie, invading your school area isn't difficult at all. And the twins aren't able to protect you from everything, they aren't always with you. And Sonny would have to sit with you in classrooms and spend every break watching you so his protection at school makes sense. However, I don't want him to show himself so ostentatiously in your presence, and you don't want it yourself, believe me."

Of course, I didn't want to. I think I would curl up and die if I had to put up with Sonny's obvious presence in a classroom.

"It's a nightmare!" I groaned and hid my face in my hands.

"It won't be so bad," Vince comforted me stiffly.

I tore my hands off and lifted my head, giving him an annoyed look.

"It will be a nightmare. I'll get crazy here. I'll get depressed. I'm not kidding," I seethed through gritted teeth.

"Don't be dramatic. If it's necessary, we'll certainly take proper care of your mental health."

It just irritated me even more.

"I was dramatic YESTERDAY! Right after someone tried to kill me with acid! Today I am able to think straight. And I am convinced that house arrest is the worst possible idea."

"Well, you have a right to think so. However, the final decision is to be made by me, not you."

"How's that? It's my life, for God's sake!" I sighed loudly, exhausted by the discussion with this man.

"Your life is in my hands, for now, remember, Hailie? Do you remember that you are not of legal age?"

There was silence. I was looking to the side now. I was proud of myself that I didn't cry, although I was very close to despair. I lost all my tears yesterday and thanks to that I could now argue with Vincent endlessly.

"I can't breathe," I mumbled as my brother tilted his head. I looked at him. "I feel like I'm suffocating. I feel like I'm in a cage. A security guard follows me everywhere. My phone is one big spy device. I can't drive, I can't go to a party, I can't go on a stupid date. Since I moved here, I don't think I've ever been completely alone at home. At school, I bump into twins at every turn. I can't do that anymore!"

"I told you. Your name comes with a lot of benefits but also limitations," Vincent reminded me.

I shook my head impatiently.

"Oh yeah? Because it seems to me that there are many more limitations," I grunted grimly.

"That's because you got used to the benefits."

How could I answer it? I huffed softly, like a faded kitten who wants to show her discontent, but not to cross the line.

"I'll be unhappy," I muttered pitifully under my breath.

Vincent wasn't mad at me. Possibly, although it is unconfirmed, he even felt a little sorry for me. He stared at me silently, literally scanning me with his cold eyes, then stood up and grabbed his light laptop in one hand. He stroked my head with his other one as he approached me before leaving the kitchen.

"We will try to remedy it," he whispered, then grabbed the rim of my breakfast plate and brought it back to my nose. "Finish it, please."

I stared blankly at the bitten golden toast and the halved cherry tomatoes, which, along with the green slices of cucumbers, were resting on the lettuce leaf next to it.

"Vince?" I asked, turning suddenly. My brother hadn't left the room yet, so he stopped and looked back at me. I licked my lips unconsciously before daring to go with my question. "What about my work for the foundation?"

He said nothing, but he shook his head slightly, keeping all-serious while continuing with an ey-contact. My heart sank unpleasantly and I started shaking mine, simply not accepting this answer.

"No. No! You just gave it to me, you can't just take it from me now. Please, come on!" I whined squeakily. I'd just spoken to all these people about how I'm excited to be participating in the upcoming projects! I was so looking forward to it!

"I'm going to ask Ruby to get you involved in helping out from home. Online..."

He didn't even finish speaking, but I didn't care because I didn't want to listen to him. I just got up, ignoring the remnants of my breakfast, and ran out of the kitchen, giving Vince a small nudge while passing by him.

Originally, I'd planned to barricade myself in my bedroom and plunge into despair and anger there, but I needed a break from it as well. So, instead of pulling the handle of my door, I passed it and raced deeper into the hallway. I'd already ventured into it a few times before. The guest rooms were located here. Maya and Uncle Monty lived in one of them when they were staying under our roof. Today I walked into a random bedroom and, despite my bad state, smiled slightly at the fresh air that hit me. Eugenie was taking care of these rooms and always aired them out on Saturdays. She left the windows unsealed, and yesterday's freshness has not yet faded away. The bedroom was white, with little green accents that pleased my eye a lot. For example, a bed covered with a cover in the color of juicy grass immediately attracted me.

The room calmed me down not only thanks to its relaxing colors but also the content itself because apart from the bed, armchairs, table, mirror, and chest of drawers, there was nothing here. Just a random scented candle, a lovely bedside lamp, and a cactus that only Eugenie watered. Due to the fact that the room was not inhabited by any permanent tenant, there was no mess here in the form of scattered books, pens, notes, laptops... no water glass stood on the bedside table. Such minimalism was extremely soothing to my tired mind.

I closed my eyelids for a moment and found myself in the perfect position to depress myself. I quietly cried over the direction my life was taking. I'll be locked up here like a prisoner. And yet I am not a freaking guinea pig that can be put in a cage and whose all needs can be satisfied with fresh hay and honey sticks.

At one point, through narrowed eyes, I saw the exit to the balcony and I imagined how wonderful it would be to feel the breeze on my face, so with stiff movements I dragged myself off the bed and started in that direction. The balcony was concrete with an elegant railing made of small columns. I had a similar one in my room, but a bit bigger. This one, however, had a view on the other side, and I liked it, although it mainly consisted of dense rows of trees.

I sat down on the ground and leaned my back against the wall, staring at the harsh green of the conifers mixed with the gold and orange leaves that were mostly already resting on the ground. There was no wind so nothing lashed my face as I imagined it, but it was chilly so I immediately felt cold. At one point, I shifted my gaze from the gloomy trees to the back of my naked arm and narrowed my eyes as I watched my hair standing on end with the greatest attention.

Even if I catch a cold, there's no difference, since I'm going to stay home anyway.

There was silence around me because the Monets' residence was located in the middle of the forest that protected our house from the outside world's noises. Therefore, when I heard a soft tapping in the bedroom, my ears caught it right away and I suspiciously turned my head in that direction.

I rolled my eyes and clenched my jaw at the same time as Sonny didn't even try to pretend he wasn't looking for me. He noticed me sitting on the balcony faster than I noticed him, but he didn't back right away.

"I came here because I want to be alone," I announced a bit rudely. Sonny's presence often made me aggressive, and I wasn't proud of it, even though I wasn't thinking about it at that point.

"Excuse me. I was just checking..." Sonny answered me, polite as always. He must've been quietly thinking to himself that I was a spoiled kid. Well, that's tough.

"What? If I didn't run away? How?" I huffed mockingly and with irritation at the same time. I was sitting on the balcony, upstairs, and unless I could get a flying broom anywhere (which Sonny should've known was unlikely), I really had no way out of here. Not to mention just going outside the property, which was simply impossible without my brothers knowing.

"If you aren't doing anything stupid."

I raised my eyebrows.

"Like what?" I huffed again. "I'm locked in this house, so somehow I don't have many possibilities, you know?"

Sonny didn't answer, just nodded, and I didn't know what that was supposed to mean. He patiently endured my moods, which probably will make me feel guilty later. Especially since, even if he wanted to, he couldn't be rude to me. It'll probably make me feel even worse. Damn it, I'll just kill myself.

Oh. My eyes widened as my mental skirmishes made me realize what Sonny had originally meant. I looked at him immediately, my anger disappeared for a moment.

"Are you checking to see if I'm not hurting myself?" I asked, trembling at the mere thought.

"I have to watch your safety. Even if I have to defend you from yourself," Sonny agreed stiffly.

I paused for a moment, with a slight thrill suddenly imagining ways in which I could hurt myself. I could cut myself, jump off that balcony, or even shoot myself. After all, I shouldn't have had a big problem finding a gun in this house.

"I'm not killing myself," I said aloud to my bodyguard, then whispered softly, "I wouldn't have the courage..."

Sonny was already backing off to leave to give me that dream moment of the solitude of mine, but he heard what I murmured and stopped, glancing at me with a serious expression on his face.

"Suicide is an act of cowardice, not courage, Miss Monet."

"Well, I would somehow be afraid to kill myself. So I would need more courage to do this," I pointed out.

"Have you thought about how much courage it takes to live and face your problems? That's a real challenge."

I looked at him thoughtfully for a moment, considering whether it was worth letting myself be convinced by his arguments. Could I call myself brave? Or at least not a coward?

"Well, anyway, I don't plan to take my own life," I promised finally.

"Glad to hear that, Miss Monet," Sonny nodded once more, this time as if he wanted to bow, and started for the door, but I stopped him once again.

"Sonny?" I asked and it immediately felt strange calling him by his first name.

"Yes?"

I tilted my head, still as if not fully in touch with reality.

"Actually, when do you sleep?"

Sonny blinked in surprise, then almost smiled in amusement.

"Never," he replied and winked at me, and when I raised an eyebrow he laughed, "To be serious, at night, just when you do. I have a substitute."

"What substitute? I've never seen anyone else sticking out in front of my door."

"That's because your brother doesn't want you to feel too overwhelmed," Sonny explained to me, then muttered to himself. "I hope it wasn't a secret."

It'd take more to overwhelm me after all I'd been through.

The man took another step to leave, and I stopped him with another question.

"Sonny, how old are you anyway?"

He smiled again. I was funny for him.

"Twenty."

I wrapped my arms around myself because it was getting colder and colder, but at the same time, it felt good to sit outside.

"You're very young to be a trusted bodyguard," I said.

Sonny snorted softly.

"You are very young, Miss Monet."

I thought about it, staring at the man with undisguised interest. He was a figure present in my life non-stop lately, and I knew so little about him.

"Why are you actually a bodyguard? Have you thought about going to college or something?" I continued.

Sonny shrugged indifferently.

"It's a well-paid job and I'm good at it, so why not stick to it," he replied, and I just nodded my head and although I had a few more questions, I didn't ask them because I didn't want to seem even more nosy. When he sensed that I had finished talking to him, he made his way to the door again and only turned one last time to get my attention. "Not that it's my business, but you'll get sick on that balcony."

He left and I glanced at my hands, which were starting to shake. I stubbornly sat outside for a few more long minutes, but then the need for comfort won and I lifted my stiff body to return to the room. I slammed the balcony door shut and shook my body, making a loud "brr." A second later I was tempted by the large bed. This time I buried myself in all possible layers, that the bed was covered with, and began to let the heat into my body. I closed my eyes, relishing the pleasant feeling, and it turned out that the next thing I remember was Will gently rubbing my arm.

Will...

"Will!" I sighed when I woke up enough to recognize my favorite brother.

"Hey, little one, what are you doing here?" he asked me, smiling slightly at me, though his eyes were clearly worried.

I rolled over and yawned softly, covering my mouth. I snuggled into the covers even tighter, and it took me a moment to notice that I was lying across the bed. I just don't remember if I fell asleep this way or if I moved to this strange position while I was asleep.

"Sleeping," I replied innocently, brushing my hair out of my eyes and yawning again.

Will's smile widened even more.

"Time for dinner. It's late," he announced.

"But I ate breakfast a moment ago," I frowned, and then Will waved his wrist in front of my eyes. The watch clearly showed 6 p.m. Had I slept so much? Even though I'd woken up so late?

"And as far as I know, you didn't eat much of it."

It reminded me of the morning incident in the kitchen and the message from Vincent. My lower lip trembled.

"Will, Vince wants to force me to be homeschooled and forbids me from going to the foundation..." I complained dejectedly, ignoring the fact that obviously, he must already know about everything.

Will opened his mouth and closed it immediately, then sat down on the edge of the bed next to where my head was resting and looked down at me.

"I know you're sad," he sighed "but you have no idea how scared we all got. How Vince got scared. That perfume... Hailie, it was so close. And in our house, right under our noses. He'd rather lock you up in a big castle, in a tower now, and put eight deadly dragons on guard. The ones that breathe fire."

I stared at the white ceiling, reflecting on the other brothers' point of view that Will had just presented. There were so many thoughts in my head that I longed for the emptiness that had settled in it during my sleep.

"I've always wanted to be like a princess..." I said in a monotone tone.

"You are a princess," he replied with a smile and a gleam in his beautiful blue eyes. "And you are too important to us to risk your life. Especially since someone just tried to hurt you."

I closed my eyes and now I sighed.

"Will, I'll die of boredom."

My brother laughed heartily and stood up, reaching his hand out to me.

"We will stand on our heads so that it doesn't happen," he promised, and then I opened my eyes and, still unconvinced, though a bit hungry, I started to crawl out of the covers and squeeze Will's hand. I let him hug me briefly, then shivered.

"Can I have your sweater?" I asked shamelessly, knowing Will wouldn't refuse me. I was right. He smiled tenderly and immediately took off his maroon layer with a smooth movement and put it over my head, but so that it got stuck on my neck. I finished the rest by myself, tucking my hands into the sleeves at the end. Ah, it's better and warmer right now. And the sweater had a wonderful scent of Will.

We headed together to the kitchen, where we met Shane at the table, sitting on the phone, eating full scoops of ice cream straight from the box.

When he saw me, he put down his cutlery, then patted the chair beside him that he wanted me to take. I did so obediently, muttering a greeting under my breath. Shane asked if I was fine, and I smiled a little sadly at him, at which he put his hand to the side of my head and pulled it against his chest, placing me in a very uncomfortable position. I groaned but didn't even try to pull away, just appreciated his attempt to show me affection.