The car ride felt endless. The snow-covered landscape stretched out around us, vast and unforgiving, the gray sky pressing down like a weight. The farther we drove, the more isolated it became—no buildings, no people, just an expanse of white and the occasional line of towering trees.
I sank deeper into the leather seat, arms crossed tightly over my chest. My mind raced, calculating possible escape routes, though they all led to the same dead end. I was in a moving car, flanked by three men who clearly had no intention of letting me go. Running was impossible.
After what felt like an eternity, the road curved, and a massive wrought-iron gate loomed ahead, flanked by armed guards in black coats. The moment our convoy approached, the gates groaned open, granting us passage like something out of a damn movie.
I let out a slow breath. "Okay... That's not ominous at all."
Neither Aaron nor Alex reacted. Anderson, as usual, remained unreadable in the front seat.
As we passed through the gates, my eyes widened. The estate was massive—towering, elegant, and undeniably intimidating. It wasn't just a house. It was a damn kingdom. The stone façade stretched high, massive windows reflecting the gray sky, while grand double doors waited at the top of a long staircase. Guards stood on either side, motionless, like statues.
"Oh, damn," I muttered under my breath, taking it all in.
Alex smirked. "Welcome to the palace, princess."
I shot him a glare, but my focus remained on the house. No, not a house—fortress.
This wasn't just luxury. This was power. The kind of power you couldn't just buy... the kind that was built over generations.
And now, apparently, I was part of it.
The car door beside me opened, and he gestured grandly. "End of the line."
I remained seated, arms crossed. "And if I decide I like it better in here?"
Alex smirked and cracked his knuckles. "Then I carry you again. Your choice."
I shot him a glare but reluctantly stepped out, my boots crunching against the snow. The cold nipped at my skin, but I barely noticed. My focus was locked on the estate.
Anderson buttoned his coat as he turned to face me. His expression was unreadable, but his words were final.
"Welcome home, Mia."
I stood there for a long moment, my breath curling in the icy air as Anderson's words settled over me like a weighted blanket. Home.
What a joke.
If this was home, I'd rather be homeless.
Alex chuckled beside me. "You'll fit right in."
I turned to glare at him, but Aaron cut in before I could fire back. "Let's go inside. It's cold."
Aaron's voice was firm, giving me no room to argue, but I still made no move to follow. Instead, I exhaled sharply and crossed my arms tighter. "You dragged me all the way to Russia. The least you could do is let me freeze in peace."
Anderson, who had been silent, finally turned to face me. "Enough." His tone wasn't harsh, but it carried weight—an unspoken warning that I wasn't about to win this fight.
For a second, I considered pushing back, just for the sake of defiance. But I wasn't an idiot. At least, not that much of an idiot.
So, with an exaggerated sigh, I muttered, "Fine," and trudged toward the entrance.
The guards at the front barely glanced at me as they pulled open the grand double doors, revealing an interior so lavish it actually made me stop in my tracks.
The inside of the estate was just as over-the-top as the outside. A massive chandelier hung above the grand foyer, casting a soft golden glow on the marble floors. The walls were lined with intricate molding, and the staircase leading to the second floor was the kind of thing you'd see in a royal palace.
I took it all in, lips pressing into a thin line. "Yeah, totally normal. Nothing screams 'casual family home' like a damn ballroom entrance."
Alex smirked, shrugging off his coat. "We like to make an impression."
I snorted. "Yeah, no kidding."
Aaron shot his younger brother a look before addressing me. "Come on. There's a lot you need to see."
And then my eyes landed on a painting.
It hung on the wall near the staircase, large and impossible to miss. At first, I barely registered it as anything more than another piece of expensive décor, but then the details hit me.
Anderson stood at the center, younger but still carrying that same unreadable expression. Beside him, a woman—beautiful, elegant, with warm eyes—held a baby in her arms. She was smiling, soft and gentle in a way that felt so out of place in this house.
Standing slightly in front of them were two boys.
Aaron and Alex. Younger, but unmistakably them.
But it wasn't just that.
The woman... she looked exactly like me.
I stared at the image, my stomach twisting into something unreadable. The longer I looked, the heavier it felt.
Because that baby in the woman's arms...
Was that me?