Kyler's POV— Six years old {Fourteen years ago— The past} " It's been six good years now. Don't you think the boys deserve to know the whole story surrounding their birth? Don't you think they deserve to know the truth about what happened to their father, then their mother? " I heard from inside the room and immediately, I identified the voice. It was that of Nanny Carlota but I couldn't figure out who she was talking to. The door was closed and probably locked up and as expected, I shouldn't be hanging around, I should be sleeping in my room like the rest of my brothers. After having dinner, Nanny Carlota had made sure we brushed our teeth before tucking each of us in bed but just before she left my room, someone had visited and she needed to leave without making sure I was asleep like she always does. She had rushed out even without closing the door properly and being paranoid, I went to close it myself when I overheard her talking in whispers. Not that I cared or it was any of my business, I was only a small boy but something I overheard them say had gotten my attention. " The boys should never hear about this until it's decided upon. If possible, we hide the truth from them forever " After saying that, I heard a door open and close without knowing if someone had walked or come in but either way, I got down to check only to find out that they had retreated into another room to carry on with their conversation. What truth were they talking about anyway? " Them not knowing that their parents died and they are orphans is already too much for them to know Carlota " " But one of those is a lie. We need to tell them the truth while they're still children " Nanny Carlota insisted and I could sense the worry in her voice. Did she just mention that part of what we were told about our parents were lies? My eyes widened as I stared at the closed door incredulously. " Carlota, their mother poisoned their father to death and also attempted to take their lives just when they were three days old. You know the story, you were there. Those boys, the four of them would've been buried alive by those men if not for your intervention. You pleaded for their lives to be spared and went into hiding with them until you were sure their mother was gone. Is that the story you want to tell them? How would you even go about it, Carlota? " The shock from hearing all of those was enough to throw me off my feet as I dropped on my butts. My nerves were quivering, my skin sweaty and my heart was pounding heavily against my chest. My throat suddenly felt dry like a drop of liquid hasn't gone through it for years and at that moment, I felt so cold that I started shivering. In all our six years on earth, we've been made to believe that our parents just died and we were orphans. That our father died of cancer and our mother had taken her last after giving birth to us due to a huge loss of blood but now... Now, what were they saying? What was this new story I overheard? " Their mother had always been evil and thought of no other person but herself. Too bad their father's obsession for her led him to his early grave but right now, we have more concerns than worry about telling them the truth. Let's just hope she's resting in peace and out of their lives forever " I couldn't listen to any more of what they were saying and getting a hold of myself, I sauntered up to my room. I felt so weak and dizzy at the same time with this heat radiating from my head. My mind felt muddled as tons of questions piled up in my head. I still couldn't believe what I had just heard. Growing up, I learned that the greatest love of all was the mother's love for her child and throughout the past years, we all cried and wished she was here. Why did she die? was always the question on my mind, why did they die, leaving us in a world where everyone mocked and laughed at us for being the bastard sons of the late rich lord? The other kids in school used to make jest of us, everyone did and we'll end up crying. Why did our own story have to be different? Nanny Carlota was the only person we had in our lives who showed us love and cared for us. As the story had it, she had worked for our father as his nanny and when he died, she decided to take care of us but was that even true? The story had been one-sided as they had ripped the other part off. The other part of her begging for our lives and saving us. The other part of which she had also kept a secret from us but why? Why would a mother want to kill her children? Didn't she have the least thing as love and compassion for them? To what height of sin did we owe such a manner of wickedness? Even before finding out the truth about our mother and everything she must have done, I had sworn to protect my brothers at all costs. I learned to fight using a penknife and sticks and even when I kept hurting myself in the process, I wouldn't stop. I had to be their shield and protector. When they were crying about being bullied and laughed at, I made sure I found whoever hurt them and kicked them hard on the ass. That way, no one dared to mess around with them anymore. No one dared to mess with me cause as the pain had come, it made a demon.

<<>> " You are fired, Leigh-Ann. Please leave to avoid more troubles " Leigh-Ann recounted as she walked tiredly on the street which led to her house. It’s been one hell of a hectic day tryna find a new ideal job. Just yesterday, she got fired by her boss because she refused to strip for some worthless man. She couldn't still believe her so-called boss had asked her to do that. Before her dad died, he had made her promise to keep her dignity for the right person and so far they’ve been none because every guy who comes her way wanna see her in their beds. Leigh-Ann is a high school student who is struggling to survive and is a workaholic. She has been fired and hired countless times and the rest of the time, she quits before anyone would notice. She lost her mum when she was a baby, she died of ovarian cancer while her dad died six years ago in a fire outbreak. It’s not been easy taking care of herself especially when people who try to help her go after her body instead. "Here, you're cold. You should take the hot tea" Catherine said and proffered a cup to Leigh-Ann who took it from her without hesitation. She took a long sip and closed her eyes slowly, savoring the mouthful. "Thanks, Cat, I really needed this" " Don't mention, my dear" Catherine said and waved her off. She got over to sit on the other side of the room, facing Leigh-Ann. "How did it go today? Did you find a job?" She shook her head negatively before answering "No, I couldn't. Turns out that I've worked in all those places already" A brooding silence stepped in and none of them uttered a word to each other as they both had different thoughts running through their minds. How was she going to survive? Leigh-Ann thought over the cup of tea. She still had a whole lot of debts to settle and more were piling up for her. The next school session was almost rolling in and she needed money so badly for it. "Well, you should try as a maid then. You've worked at bars and clubs and coffee shops, you need a safer place to work in. You could be a nanny or a chef or maybe a babysitter" Leigh-Ann sighed and rolled her eyes "I can't. I need a job I can keep and still go to school. You know I've always wanted to complete Senior year" Catherine nodded and looked away. She was Leigh-Ann's only friend and the only person who looked out for her. Even in her early fifties, she still looked much younger than her actual age. "You know I once worked as a maid, my dear. I worked in a mansion that was occupied by four boys with different personalities. They are quadruplets and they're identical. Working there newly, it was really hard cause I didn't know who was who but I did know that one was cold-hearted and heartless, he was feared by everyone in the mansion, including his brothers. The second one was my favorite among the four brothers. He was very friendly and lovely, unlike the rest of his brothers. The third one was arrogant and reckless. He did so many unspeakable things." "Unspeakable things like what?" Leigh-Ann asked and leaned closer. She was enjoying the story and that was one of the reasons she loved dropping by to see Catherine. She always had the perfect story to ease her mood. "He was a playboy who loved sleeping around with lots of girls. He'd have sex with them until they pass out and when they do, he'd order one of the guards to throw them out. He loved causing trouble and was always fighting his last brother. Those two never got along with each other and he made sure of that" Leigh-Ann scoffed and shook her head. She always heard of sibling rivalry from her classmates but she never believed it was true cause she never had one herself. Even if she had one, why would she even take him or her as a rival? "Then the last one had so many characters, combined in one soul. He could be cold, friendly, arrogant, grumpy, or a flirt but he was never reckless. He was the most handsome amongst the brothers and was also smart." "So why would his third brother take him as a rival? He doesn't sound that bad to me" "Yes, he doesn't but the third brother was just envious and I still don't know his reasons for being that way. He was always complete against him and guess what, the last brother was always the winner" Catherine continued and chuckled lightly "I guess that is what always made him mad and angry" Leigh-Ann took a sip from her cup of tea which had turned warm already before turning back to Catherine "So what of their parents? Didn't they know about this? What did they do?" Catherine took in a deep breath and shook her head "They didn't have parents. Just like you, they lost theirs when they were little" It was now Leigh-Ann's turn to take a deep breath. Although she also lost her parents, her heart always went out to people who were like her. Who were also left in the world to suffer alone. "I don't know how they grew but I guess it must've been tough. Whoever took care of them really tried cause it's not easy taking care of four boys with different personalities such as theirs" "Sometimes I think I'm the only person in the world who lost both parents" Leigh-Ann joked and chuckled lightly. "Oh dear, how can you be the only person huh? They're thousands of others all over the world, you never know" "They're thousands in the world but none is like me. I have to work my ass out before I can get what I want" She sighed dejectedly and placed her chin on her palm "And did I tell you the reason I got fired last time? It was because I wouldn't let some random jerk smack my ass and go scot-free. Those punks, what do they really think of me huh?" Catherine sighed and scrutinized the ash-haired girl in front of her. She was just a young girl who was yet to complete her Senior year but so far, life had dealt mercilessly with her. "It's late, I should go," Leigh-Ann said and stood to her feet. Catherine did the same and got the cup which was now empty from her "Thank you so much for everything" "Shush my dear, it's nothing." Samantha replied and watched as Leigh-Ann yawned tiredly "You should sleep here tonight. Your power supply was cut out even after all my pleas. I tried to pay so they won't cut it out but they said you've been owing for months now" "Oh, goodness! Where do I get such money to pay huh?" "Don't worry, dear" Catherine said soothingly and smiled "Just go to bed, everything is going to be okay" * Leigh-Ann yawned lazily and woke up the next morning. She stretched out of bed, feeling a lot better than the previous mornings. Maybe because she had a sumptuous dinner that Catherine had prepared along with a cup of hot tea for the night. And maybe because she slept on a comfy bed with the bright lights on. She got into the bathroom and brushed her teeth before walking out to join Catherine in the kitchen. Catherine was a widow who lost her husband a year after their marriage. Since then, she couldn't remarry because she found it hard to forget what happened to her beloved husband. She was Leigh-Ann's neighbor and acted more like a mother to her. She attended to her whenever she was ill and made sure she ate properly. Catherine took care of her like a daughter she never had. She tried taking full responsibility for her but Leigh-Ann didn't want that. She didn't want to be a burden to anyone so she insisted on working to get whatever she wanted. "Good morning, my dear, did you sleep well?" Catherine asked once Leigh-Ann had walked into the kitchen "You know I came in twice to check if you were comfortable with the lights on" "Of course. I had to enjoy it while it lasted cause it'll be a really long time before I had such an opportunity" Catherine chuckled lightly and after preparing breakfast, they sat to eat together. "You should take a day off today, you should rest" "I know but I can't. Next school session is almost rolling in and I don't even have the money for my fees. I really need to get different jobs, Cat. It's disheartening how I stay without doing anything" Catherine dropped her cutleries and excused herself to get something. She returned with a piece of paper and gave it to Leigh-Ann "A friend called early this morning. She said that they'll be hosting a party at some place she mentioned there. They need young girls like you as waitresses so I told her that I had a young girl who was willing to work, provided the pay is huge" "And?" Leigh-Ann asked eagerly. "Of course, the pay is huge. It's one of these well-known companies so you shouldn't expect less" * <<>> "Everything is all set for the party, Sir" Orlando announced to Kyler, the first brother but he didn't respond. Instead, he walked into the dining room with both hands in his pocket to meet his brothers already having their dinner. "Why are you smiling at the maids, Kash? They're just ugly servants, that's all" Kenver, the third brother snapped with an eye roll. Kash just chuckled lightly and continued eating. Kash is the second brother and everyone in the mansion knows how friendly and warm he is unlike the rest of his brothers who treats the maids and guards as slaves. They punish them for the slightest mistake they make and sometimes fire them whenever they want. Kael stood up and went into the kitchen to get a bottle of drink. He is the last brother and sometimes, he acts differently. No one could understand him cause this minute, he could be smiling and the next, he's not. When the maids saw him, they all rushed over to attend to him but he didn't pay attention to any of them. Due to his handsomeness, every girl seems to have a crush on him including the maids who always wanted to serve him. Kael got over to the fridge and took out the drink he needed but before he could close it, Kenver grabbed the bottle from him. Kael glanced at him and took out another drink but Kenver got it again and smirked. He was always ready to cause trouble. After getting the third bottle from him, Kael slammed the fridge shut and walked away. He knew that Kenver was there for trouble but he wasn't ready for it, not tonight.

“Here are the admission letters, Sir” Orlando, the boys' manager, announced , placing the documents on the table. There were four of them, each belonging to each of the brothers. Kyler Shal’kan, Kash Shal’kan, Kenver Shal’kan, And Kael Shal’kan were boldly imprinted on each envelope. Those were their names. “Congratulations Sir, CamBridge High is one of the best so far” He added and smiled softly, hoping he had been able to get the job perfectly done as Kyler asked. It had been a simple but hard job which was for him to find one of the best schools for the brothers but seeing the indifferent look on Kyler's face, it was hard to tell what was going on in his mind. Kyler picked one of the envelopes and stared blankly at it. “You may leave” He ordered and Orlando bowed before walking out. Once again, he was left alone in the office. He had arrived at the company for the party but he decided to stay in. He heaved in relief and dropped the envelope before going to the window where he stood to stare outside. For years now, he and his brothers have been studying at home. They had a special class and the best tutors but recently, his brothers objected to it. He had been able to keep them in with the help of their late father’s officials who are loyal and submissive to him as the first brother. They were more like guardians and helpers. Kyler knew he couldn’t be of much protection to them but he still had to try and when they all objected to studying at home with reasons that they all wanted to study in a school environment along with other kids, he had no choice but to go for it. They didn’t have friends, no families to look after them, just the loyal officials who worked for their father when he was alive, and with the way things went, Kyler needed no one to tell him that he had to shield his brothers from the world, he had to be a protector. Their father was a rich Lord and after he died, the brothers had everything to themselves as his children. Sometimes the other brothers nagged about Kyler being so strict and cold but they don’t know either. They don’t know what made him this way and for some reasons, he prayed they never knew. There were lots of secrets surrounding their birth but Kyler could only let them know a few which being rich orphans was among. Sometimes they even forget the fact that they had no parents. Who the fuck cared? He pulled out a stick of cigarette and lit it, ready to smoke and get his nerves chilled. This was what he did to distract and relieve himself. “Sir, there’s a lady here to see you” Madagascar, his chief guard announced but Kyler didn’t respond. He puffed out smoke from his mouth and nostrils instead. Madagascar knowing his boss as someone who doesn't talk much decided to go straight to the point. He knew better than to give a piece of vague information. “She introduced herself as Secretary Kim Alhandro” He continued but was surprised when Kyler paused smoking and turned to glance at him. He scoffed then looked away. Kim Alhandro. The name kept resounding in Kyler's head. It was a long time he heard such a name but not long enough to be forgotten. Who the hell let her in? The nerves she had to pull up at where he was. Just the nerves. “Am sorry Sir but she didn’t leave when we asked her to. She ran all the way here and insists on seeing you” “Kick her out of here” Kyler stated coldly not being able to comprehend why she had suddenly shown up. What the hell was she doing here? Who let her in? “Kyler...” The faint voice broke in and even after years, he still recognized it. “Kyler...” She called out again but this time, Kyler turned just before she could say another word. There was no way he was letting her speak. There was no way he was letting her lie to him again. “Don’t fucking speak” He thundered, clenching his fists. All seemed to have been lost at the moment and was suddenly replaced with anger and hatred. The type that tore at his lungs, plucked at his nerves until he wanted to twist her neck off. Kim dropped her head quietly while he turned back angrily to face the window. Kim was still the same and hadn’t changed much over the years. She was still the blonde-haired girl he once knew and grew up with until she disappeared. Until they said she was dead but here she was, standing right inside his office. “Take her out of here and make sure she doesn’t leave her footprints” Kyler ordered at once as he couldn't bear seeing her the next minute. His hands were itching to get a hold of her, to strangle her to death and that was what he was trying to prevent. “Kyler please, please you can’t kick me out, there’s something...” Kim cried and kept hitting Madagascar who had started dragging her out of the room. " They're hunting me. They're... She's gonna come for you, for... for all of us " Angrily, Kyler turned at once and matched towards her, making her flinch. “I can only listen to you when you’re screaming” He grabbed her neck with both hands, pressing it tightly till the file she held fell off her hand as she coughed out blood. “If I were you, Kim, I’ll leave and never return” Kyler warned and pushed her against the wall. She fell to the floor and began coughing and gasping for air. “Take her out of here if you don’t wanna carry her corpse” “Kyler... please... please you need to... to hear me out” She begged in tears which only infuriated him. “You need to leave” Madagascar advised but it didn’t do any good as she kept fighting to break free from his grip. “Kyler... Kyler, please listen to me. Kyler...” Without sparing her a glance, Kyler stalked over to the only drawer in the room and encoded it. It opened immediately and he pulled out a gun and aimed at her. “I swear I’ll blow your brains off Kim. I’ll give you ten seconds to leave” She shook her head negatively and whimpered. She had expected this but not when she hadn't passed the information to him. How does she make him listen? The look in his eyes was deadly, it only made sizzles run down her spine. “Please don’t do this Kyler, please... please...” She had left them years back without any words. She left when Kyler needed her the most. She left when he thought they were family but growing over the years, he realized she wasn’t and hadn't been part of the family as he had thought. She was a traitor and killing was what he did to people like her. “Three, two...” He counted and dropped my finger on the trigger ready to fire. He didn't make a mistake when he said he was going to blow off her brains. “She’s alive. She... She... your mother, she’s alive Kyler” On hearing that, he released his finger from the trigger as his hand suddenly went weak. What did she just say? Did he hear correctly or was he just hearing things? “It’s... it’s true. I came to... to warn you. She's back, she's alive and she's coming for all of you. For all of us Kyler” “Don’t fucking lie to me!” Kyler growled, breathing heavily. What the heck was she talking about? Whose mother? He just couldn't understand all that she was saying. “Kyler, it's the truth. It’s... it’s the truth” She affirmed, nodding her head repeatedly as tears rolled down her cheeks. She couldn't believe he had almost pulled the trigger. That he had almost killed her. What she had just said didn't sound new to Kyler as he always had that feeling that their mother was alive somewhere. It was just a feeling no one ever confirmed until now. “You’re lying. She is dead” Kyler countered wishing it was true. “No... she’s alive, Kyler. I... I can tell you where she... I can show you. She's back in full flesh to take back everything Including your lives" Kyler shook his head flippantly and Kim stared back surprised. Was he not believing her? Of all the reactions she had expected from him, she had not expected him not to take this seriously. " She's alive, you need to believe me! " “I said she’s DEAD!” He growled and shot the air which made her shiver. She clamped her mouth shut and didn't utter any more words. Deep inside, Kyler could feel the anger and hatred he had been bottling up for years now. To him, their mother was dead long ago as they were made to believe and they were motherless. They were orphans. “And if she’s alive, she’s better dig her grave cause I’ll kill her this time”