I should have known tonight would be a disaster the moment Ethan walked into the house. He looked calm, too calm.
For anyone else, that might have been a good sign—cool under pressure, unfazed by what was coming—but for me, it just confirmed that he had no idea what he was up against.
We sat in the family's dimly lit dining room, a space fit for royalty, with chandeliers casting a warm, golden glow over the long mahogany table.
Priceless art lined the walls—abstract paintings, sculptures of all shapes, and probably a hidden camera or two, knowing Dante.
A grand feast was laid out in front of us, but I knew the real spectacle tonight wouldn't be the food.
Ethan glanced at me as he pulled out a chair, offering a reassuring smile. I winced, mouthing, "I'm sorry", but he just grinned as if this were any other family dinner.
Clearly, he'd never dined with the Alcove boys before.
As soon as Ethan sat down, Marcus, the oldest, stood, his face expressionless. He was the ringleader, the one with the final say on everything. If anyone could make this night unbearable, it was him.
"Ethan," Marcus began, his voice carrying that authoritative tone he reserved for boardroom negotiations and family interrogations. "Welcome. I trust you're ready for an evening of... family bonding."
Ethan didn't flinch. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."
I grimaced. That would change soon enough.
The moment the appetizers hit the table, Marcus raised his hand, signaling everyone to go silent. The kind of uncomfortable, stifling silence that felt like a trap.
I knew what this was.
He called it the unspoken code, a method of gauging someone's ability to handle pressure through pure silence.
No talking, no distractions—just uncomfortable stares.
Marcus leaned back in his chair, folding his arms as we all stared at Ethan. I couldn't help but squirm in my seat. Ethan, however, remained composed. He picked up his glass of water, took a slow sip, and looked Marcus dead in the eye.
The tension was palpable, the silence suffocating.
I glanced at Dante, who had already pulled out his phone, probably planning his next move. Julian was swirling his wine, clearly enjoying the show.
And Theo? He was examining Ethan like a lab specimen, no doubt planning to offer unsolicited medical advice later.
Marcus's face didn't change, but I saw the slightest nod of approval as the silence stretched on.
"He didn't crack," Marcus said, breaking the silence at last.
I rolled my eyes. It's a dinner, not a hostage negotiation, I thought, but kept my mouth shut.
Of course, Dante couldn't wait to turn up the heat. As the servers cleared our plates and brought out the main course, he leaned across the table, tapping something on his phone.
"So, Ethan," Dante began, a mischievous grin spreading across his face, "how well do you handle... unexpected events?"
Before Ethan could respond, his phone buzzed, followed by his watch. Then his Bluetooth earpiece, which I hadn't even noticed he was wearing, started playing random sounds—first an airhorn, then a foghorn, and finally, Dante's voice whispering in a distorted, eerie tone: You're not worthy.
The lights in the room flickered, a telltale sign that Dante had hacked into the system. Classic. I buried my face in my hands, too embarrassed to even look at Ethan.
To my surprise, Ethan just chuckled. "Well, this is... certainly an experience."
He looked directly at Dante, a smile tugging at his lips. "But you might want to tighten up the security on your back-end interface. I spotted a few vulnerabilities in your hack."
Dante's smug expression faltered for a moment, and then—much to my surprise—he laughed.
"Alright," he said, leaning back in his chair, "I didn't see that coming."
I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. Maybe, just maybe, Ethan had a shot at surviving this night.
Julian was next. He'd been lounging in his chair like a king surveying his kingdom, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. When dessert was brought out, he stood up dramatically, motioning for us all to follow him to his private art gallery.
"This way," he said, leading us through the mansion to the gallery. "Ethan, there's something you need to see."
I sighed. Julian had a flair for the dramatic, and I knew what was coming.
Inside the gallery, we were met with one of Julian's massive abstract paintings, this one of me—if you could call it that. My features were wild, distorted, and intense, the colors swirling in a chaotic storm. It was unsettling, to say the least.
Julian spread his arms wide in front of the painting. "This is the real Xandria," he said cryptically. "Can you handle her complexity, Ethan?"
Ethan didn't hesitate. He walked up to the painting, studied it for a moment, and smiled. "I love it," he said. "It's like you captured all the layers of who she really is—strong, passionate, unpredictable... and beautiful."
I blinked, feeling my cheeks flush. Ethan wasn't just playing along; he was serious. And for once, Julian didn't have a snappy comeback. He just stared at Ethan, looking genuinely surprised.
Back at the dinner table, it was Theo's turn. He leaned in, his face cold and calculating.
"Ethan," he began in that clinical tone of his, "I've noticed some subtle physical cues—sweating, slightly elevated heart rate. These could be signs of stress. Are you sure you're healthy enough to be dating Xandria? She requires a partner who can handle... pressure."
I groaned. Theo was going to scare him off with his medical nonsense.
But Ethan just smiled. "Well, considering I've passed every health check at Ascension Corp, I'd say I'm in great shape."
He looked at me, his smile softening. "Come to think of it, I will only have those symptoms with someone I really like."
I couldn't help but smile. Even Theo seemed momentarily thrown off, though he quickly recovered.
"I guess that could also be the reason," Theo said, completely serious.
I stifled a giggle, while Julian and Dante exchanged amused glances. Even Marcus looked like he was trying not to smile.
As dessert was served, the room fell into an unusual silence. My brothers had thrown everything at Ethan, and yet, here he was—calm, composed, and even charming.
I could see it in their eyes. They were impressed, even if they wouldn't admit it.
Ethan took advantage of the lull, leaning closer to me and lowering his voice. "You know, I've never been good with first impressions," he said. "But ever since I saw you getting out of that black-and-pink Rolls-Royce on the first day of school, I couldn't stop thinking about you."
I blinked, surprised. "You noticed me then?"
Ethan chuckled. "How could I not notice? You looked embarrassed, but I thought it was cute. Plus, your Rolls-Royce is just like mine. Except mine's all black—pretty basic and dull compared to yours."
He paused for a moment before continuing. "I didn't approach you at first because I had so much going on with work, but when I heard people making bets about who would take you to prom, I couldn't stand it. I agreed to the bet, but not for the reason they think. I just didn't want anyone else talking about you like that."
My heart fluttered at his words, and I felt my face flush again. Ethan turned to my brothers, his grin widening.
"And now, after surviving this... interesting dinner, I think it's safe to say I'm not going anywhere."
The brothers exchanged stunned looks, clearly caught off guard by Ethan's resilience. Even Marcus looked mildly impressed. Without thinking, I leaned over and kissed Ethan on the cheek, much to my brothers' horror.
"Did we just... fail?" Julian muttered to Dante.
"Yeah," Dante said, shaking his head. "Yeah, we did."
Theo, ever the medical professional, immediately launched into a lecture about bacteria and public displays of affection. "Xandria, kissing in public without proper precaution can spread a number of bacteria and viruses. You're potentially exposing Ethan to—"
"Theo!" I groaned, burying my face in my hands. "It was a kiss on the cheek, not a medical procedure!"
Ethan just laughed, his voice light and teasing. "Should I book an appointment now, or will you personally handle the follow-up?"
Theo, as serious as ever, nodded. "I'll keep my schedule open."
Julian and Dante burst into laughter, and even Marcus cracked a smile. I couldn't help but laugh along, feeling lighter than I had all night.
Leaning toward Dante, Julian whispered, "He's so serious, it's terrifying."
As we wrapped up dinner, Ethan leaned over again, his eyes soft and warm. "And just so you know," he whispered, "I figured it was your brothers I had to watch out for."
I laughed, shaking my head. "Yeah, they made sure of that."
Ethan grinned. "Well, I think I passed the test."
I glanced at my brothers, who were still watching us like hawks but didn't seem ready to chase him out. "Yeah," I said softly. "I think you did."