Alex’s POV
Ethan was still leaning against my desk, blinking rapidly, like he was trying to hide the fact he’d teared up. I pretended not to notice — we all had our pride.
"Inform the others," I repeated, already grabbing my jacket.
Within minutes, they were in my office.
Xavier came in first, tall and sharp-eyed, his presence immediately cooling the air. Xander followed, leaning casually against the doorframe like he had all the time in the world. Luca slammed the door behind him, restless energy radiating off him.
I didn’t bother with small talk.
“Lily is coming home,” I said.
The room went still.
Xavier’s jaw tightened, but his face didn’t change. Only his eyes — sharper, darker. “Explain,” he demanded, his voice low.
“Lisa is dead. The police called. They were going to send her to an orphanage.” My tone was flat, but I could feel the weight of it pressing into the air. “I told them I’ll be her legal guardian.”
Xander’s easy posture stiffened. He smirked faintly, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Ten years later and we’re finally getting her back? About damn time.”
Luca didn’t speak right away. His fists clenched. “She’s been out there… without us… for ten years?” His voice was rough, dangerous.
“We agreed to Father’s decision,” Xavier reminded him coldly, though I caught the flicker in his gaze — guilt.
“That was when she was five!” Luca snapped, taking a step forward. “She cried for us, remember? And we—” He cut himself off, breathing hard.
Xander moved between them like it was second nature. “Calm down, Luca. She’s coming home now. That’s what matters.we don't have any choice during that time. At that time enemies are try to find out weakness but now they can't mess with us"
“Exactly,” I said firmly. “But understand this — she’s not the same little girl. Don’t overwhelm her.”
Xavier’s eyes narrowed slightly. “She’s our sister. She belongs here.”
“She belongs safe,” I corrected, my voice dropping. “Me and Ethan going to Milan tonight. ”
Luca cracked his knuckles, muttering, “Anyone hurts her, I’ll kill them.”
Xander gave a lazy grin. “You’ll have to get in line, little brother.”
Xavier didn’t speak again, but when I glanced at him, his jaw was still tight, his eyes far away — like he was already calculating every threat that could possibly touch her.
And in that moment, I knew — the second Lilly stepped foot in this house, the world would burn before any of us let her go again.
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The mansion felt quieter without Alex and Ethan, though “quiet” was a deceptive word. The air still carried an undercurrent of tension — the kind that only happened when all three younger Morretti brothers were in the same room without a buffer.
Xander was sprawled sideways across the leather couch in the lounge, idly tossing a stress ball in the air. “So, gentlemen,” he said lazily, “our dear sister’s return is about seventy-two hours away. Any thoughts on making her room more… personal?”
Luca, pacing near the fireplace, stopped dead. “Why are we even discussing this? We should just give her the biggest room in the house, right next to mine. Done.”
Xander smirked. “And have her suffocate under your overprotective paranoia? Tempting, but no.”
Luca’s hands curled into fists. “Paranoia? It’s called keeping her safe.”
Xavier sat in the armchair opposite them, one long leg crossed over the other, flipping through a file. His eyes never left the page when he spoke. “The size of the room doesn’t matter. What matters is that it’s quiet. She needs space to adjust, not constant noise.”
Xander tilted his head. “You mean like the constant noise of Luca yelling at anyone who breathes near her?”
“I’m not yelling,” Luca snapped, then immediately scowled when he realized the irony.
Xavier didn’t look up, though the corner of his mouth almost — almost — twitched. “You’re yelling.”
“And you,” Luca shot back, pointing at him, “act like you don’t care about any of this. But you’re sitting here instead of in your office, pretending to read while you listen to every word.”
Finally, Xavier’s gaze lifted, sharp and cool. “If I didn’t care, I wouldn’t be here at all. But unlike you, I don’t need to announce it every five seconds.”
The tension in the air tightened like a wire.
Xander chuckled low, breaking it. “Alright, before you two tear the place down, let’s just split responsibilities. I’ll handle décor — something comfortable, maybe a few touches from her childhood, but not so much she feels like we’re freezing her in time.”
Xavier closed the file and set it aside, his tone still flat but his eyes sharper than before. “Neutral colors. Soft lighting. She always liked having a desk by the window. Put it there.”
“Noted,” Xander said, pretending to jot something on his palm. He knew better than to point out how quickly Xavier’s “not interested” act was slipping.
Luca folded his arms. “I’ll deal with security. Cameras outside her room, sensors on the windows. If anyone — and I mean anyone — tries to get close without permission, they’ll regret it.”
“Try not to terrify the staff,” Xander said dryly.
“They should be terrified,” Luca said. “That’s the point.”
Xavier exhaled, not quite a sigh. “Just… make sure she feels safe. Not caged.”
The words hung in the room, heavier than either of them expected. And though Xavier leaned back in his chair like the conversation bored him, his gaze had gone distant — already picturing a room where she could sleep peacefully.
They talk about her favourite food,dress and so on .
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Is lilly know about how much they love her?
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Words: 945
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