Chapter 62

Elise hesitated before taking the small box from Daniel. A satin ribbon had been tied around it in a neat bow.

“The villa next door?” she asked. Was that the unfriendly neighbor Julian had warned her about?

Apart from his choice of unusually intimidating pets and their unpleasant handler, she hadn't actually seen anything unfriendly from the owner himself. She hadn't seen him at all, in fact. Why would he send her a present?

Daniel inclined his head. “A gentleman delivered it on Mr. Mu's behalf. He said that since you accidentally entered the property and were frightened by his animals, Mr. Mu wanted to apologize.”

His animals. Did he mean the mastiffs?

Julian looked equally taken aback. “What was the gentleman's name?”

“He said his last name was Pei.”

Someone named Pei who worked for Mu Chuan had to be Pei Yi.

Elise untied the ribbon and opened the box. Four jade kittens rested on yellow satin, each in a different pose. The translucent stone had been carved with such care that the little animals seemed almost alive.

Julian picked one up and ran a finger lightly over it. The color and clarity were exceptional. Rumor had it that Mu Chuan had paid a fortune earlier that year for a piece of rough jade that had already been cut open to reveal imperial green. Could these have been carved from that stone?

He frowned, unable to be certain. Mu was said to prize those two mastiffs enough to keep them at his Lakeview villa. Elise had thrown stones at them, yet instead of objecting, Mu had sent her an extravagant apology because the dogs had frightened her.

The kittens were plump and adorable, some lying down, others sitting. Elise loved cats; she'd been fascinated by the mother carrying her kitten earlier. Had that inspired the gift? Or did the owner somehow know what she liked?

She dismissed the second thought. They had no connection. Why would Mu Chuan pay that much attention to her?

“Please send it back,” she told Daniel. “I wasn't scared, so there's no need for an apology.” Julian had warned her away from the man. Avoiding any dealings with him seemed sensible.

“Mr. Pei anticipated that you might refuse,” Daniel said. “He asked me to assure you that it was a small gift and not worth much.”

Julian set the jade kitten back in the box. “It's all right, Ellie. You can keep it. An apology is only proper.”

He couldn't read Mu's intentions and wanted no entanglement with the family, but perhaps this really was just an apology. Once it was accepted, the matter might be settled. And to Mu, the jade was hardly a significant expense. Sending it back pointedly would be more likely to insult him.

Since Julian had said so, Elise accepted the box.

Lakeview was a popular summer retreat, several degrees cooler than the city. That evening, Jade and Nora suggested an outdoor barbecue where they could enjoy the night air.

Elise wasn't particular about dinner, and both friends sounded eager, so she agreed. Julian promptly asked the kitchen to change its plans.

The staff brought an impressive grill into the yard along with beautiful plates and carefully prepared ingredients. The chefs got to work, ready to send the food to the table as soon as it was done.

Elise watched them for a moment. This wasn't quite the kind of barbecue her friends had meant.

“Julian, let's cook it ourselves,” she said quickly. “That's half the fun.”

He raised an eyebrow. The chefs could control the ingredients and timing far better than any of them. Why insist on doing it themselves?

Did Ellie want to taste something he had grilled?

He turned and gave the chefs a small wave. They understood at once and stepped back. Julian took their place, rolled up his sleeves, and put skewers on the grill, trying to remember what he'd just seen them do.

There was room for two or three people at the large grill, and Jade and Nora joined him immediately. Soon the friends carried two plates of cooked food over to Elise and sat beside her.

Jade glanced toward the other tables. Adrian and Miles were sitting together, while Theo had settled some distance away. Since getting off the plane, he'd barely spoken to the other brothers. He looked almost isolated.

“Is it just me,” Jade asked, “or doesn't Fin get along with your other brothers?”

Elise picked up a skewer and sighed. “It's not just you. There are some misunderstandings, but it's a long story.”

It had been troubling her, too. Earlier, Julian, Adrian, and Miles had sat together while Theo stayed apart, as though an invisible barrier separated them. She had invited all four on the trip hoping they could bridge that distance, but so far nothing had changed.

She needed to do something.

At the grill, Julian was discovering that cooking was harder than work. He had stolen occasional glances at Jade and Nora to see how they handled the meat, and he was beginning to get the hang of it. At last he brought Elise a plate, though some of the edges were a little charred.

She'd wanted him to cook for her. He thought he'd done rather well.

Elise praised him readily. The sauce was uneven, and it wasn't as good as Jade's and Nora's, but it still tasted fine. She glanced toward Theo.

“Do you mind if I share this with them?”

Julian was in a good mood. “Go ahead.”

Elise immediately stood and carried the plate to Theo. He had been looking out at the scenery, lost in thought, and only looked up when she reached him.

“What is it?”

“Julian grilled these. Try some.” She set the plate before him.

Theo raised his eyebrows. Julian cooked? The man was a work machine. He never thought he'd see the day.

Julian, close enough to hear, turned his face away awkwardly when Theo looked over. He understood what Elise was trying to do. He had promised her he would accept Theo, and he certainly wasn't going to object to him eating the food.

Seeing Theo glance at Julian, Elise pressed her advantage. “Yes. Julian asked me to bring it over so you could tell him what you think.”

He had? Theo studied her hopeful face, weighing the claim, then looked at Julian's expressionless profile. Julian didn't contradict her. Apparently he didn't mind Theo eating it.

Theo inspected the plate for a moment longer. He'd never seen Julian in a kitchen in his life. Perhaps this trip wouldn't be entirely dull after all.

He picked up a piece with his chopsticks, ate it, and said mildly, “Not bad.”

Julian's face remained impassive, but the tight line of his mouth eased a fraction. At least Theo had taste.

Elise was sensitive to the mood between them. After that small exchange, the tension seemed to loosen a little. Relieved, she found herself feeling cheerful again.

Adrian and Miles had been occupied with their own things nearby, but neither had missed Elise going over to Theo. The scene on the plane came back to both of them. Why was she so attentive to the brother who had arrived later? Theo had slipped in and stolen a march on them.

She'd spent the flight praising him, too. Adrian wanted to cry. He lavished compliments on his sister, and she gave hers to Theo. It was unfair.

When Elise approached Theo again, both Adrian and Miles grew anxious.

“Oh, Adrian,” she said, “I listened to the songs on your new album. They're really good.”

He sat up straight. He'd been planning to play them for her on the plane. She'd already heard them? The album hadn't had a wide release yet; only previews were available, and those required a separate online purchase of the digital rights.

“You have? Where?”

Elise pretended to think. “Let me see. Oh, right! The last time Theo drove me home, I heard them in his car.”

She turned to Theo with a bright smile.

Theo had known something was wrong as soon as she started talking. So that was her plan. He had bought the digital rights, but only because he was curious whether Adrian had improved after all those years making music. A song had come on at random when he switched on the stereo while driving Elise home. He'd skipped it immediately. He hadn't realized she'd noticed.

Embarrassed, he looked up and met Adrian's eyes. Adrian looked just as uncomfortable and quickly glanced away. Theo had bought his new album? Secretly? Their messaging accounts mostly sat unused in each other's contact lists; he'd had no idea Theo paid attention to him in private.

For several seconds, neither spoke.

Elise kept smiling and watched Theo expectantly. He took a breath, resisting the urge to ruffle her hair into a mess.

After a pause he said, so quietly it was almost inaudible, “The new album isn't bad.”

Adrian cleared his throat. “At least you know good music when you hear it.”

Elise smiled like a cat that had got its way. Men could be stubborn even when they cared. Sometimes all they needed was an opening, and she was happy to give them one.

Miles was looking down at his phone, absorbed in a game whose sound effects chimed now and then. He seemed oblivious to the exchange beside him.

“Miles,” Elise called, “do you know someone named Caleb Ross?”

He looked up from the game, frowning. “I know him, but not well. We've met a few times. Did he bother you again?”

He'd heard about Caleb harassing her and being beaten up by a mysterious man afterward. Miles had already planned to give Caleb another beating once he recovered. The nerve of him, bothering his sister.

“No. Last time, when he was giving me trouble, Theo was the one who drove him away.”

Miles's hands stopped moving. “That was him?” Theo was the mystery man?

“Yes. Caleb kept blocking me and wouldn't let me leave, so Theo beat him until he couldn't even get up.” Elise sounded both pleased and proud.

Miles seized on that. “He couldn't get up?”

Caleb played basketball and worked out regularly; even Miles would have had a hard time fighting him. Yet people who'd witnessed the incident said the mystery man had come away almost unhurt, with only some skin scraped off his knuckles.

Theo could fight that well? Miles was supposed to be the toughest fighter at the plaza. Was Theo even better than him?

His eyes widened. “How did you manage it? With that build?”

Julian and Adrian were surprised, too. They knew Theo's schedule: he stayed up until three or four in the morning like a gaming addict and slept until noon. How could someone living like that fight so well?

Theo laughed at Miles's undisguised shock. “It's easy. Even if you don't have much force behind a punch, find an opening and a pressure point and you can put him down in one hit.”

Miles's eyes lit up. Here was someone who knew how to fight. He got to his feet and walked over to Theo. “Come on. Want to spar?”

“Another day.”

“Okay.”

Miles looked the fiercest of the brothers but was also the most straightforward. He'd been young when Theo left home, and he held the least prejudice against him.

With only a few words, Elise had brought them closer. She lifted her cup and drank, very pleased with the scene. The distance between her brothers couldn't vanish all at once, but this rare moment of harmony made the trip feel worthwhile.

Theo glanced at her and shook his head with resigned amusement. He might as well play along. None of it was a particularly difficult concession.

Julian continued grilling and placed the food on the table for everyone to take. Theo helped himself to food and drink without hesitation. The group exchanged a few words now and then, and Miles moved to sit beside him, eager to learn what other fighting tips he had.

Jade and Nora watched in amazement. Elise had changed the whole atmosphere between her brothers in no time.

Julian grew more confident at the grill and seemed ready to take over the entire operation, vegetables included. When he set down a plate of grilled mushrooms, Elise's eyes lit up. She picked up a skewer and put it on Theo's plate.

“Here. Your favorite.”