Chapter 18: A Home of Strangers

  The morning passed in a blur of routine—bathing, breakfast, small talk—but the weight of the impending act never left Cassian’s chest. The moment they stepped outside, the real test would begin.

  As Cassian adjusted the cuffs of his borrowed jacket, Sky bounced beside him, practically buzzing with energy.

  “We’re leaving now,” Cassian said, pulling the front door shut behind them.

  “Yeahhh!” Sky cheered, before his expression turned more serious. “And Brother, do you remember the people working in the mansion? You have to! You’ll need to be perfect in your role as Cassian Starfall.”

  Cassian smirked slightly. “I read the entire diary. I know what I need to.”

  “Really?” Sky’s eyes gleamed with curiosity. “Then tell me! Just to make sure!”

  Cassian let out a small sigh, shoving his hands into his pockets. “The head maid, Miss Vera—she’s kind to you, you said. Your brother trusted her too.”

  Sky nodded eagerly. “Uh-huh! She’s nice! And she makes the best cookies!”

  Cassian continued. “Then there’s Mr. Malcolm, the head of security. You think he looks scary, but your brother wrote that he’s fiercely loyal.”

  Sky made a face. “He does look scary. He’s like a big bear who doesn’t smile much. But he’s nice… I think.”

  Cassian’s gaze darkened slightly. “And then there’s Mr. Aldric.”

  At the name, Sky’s cheerful expression faltered.

  “He works for your father,” Cassian said slowly, “who, I guess, is now my father too.” The words felt strange on his tongue, but he pushed past the discomfort. “You said Aldric gives you a weird feeling.”

  Sky hesitated before nodding. “Yeah… I don’t know why, but whenever he looks at me, I feel weird inside. Like… like hmm.... I don't know how to explain.”

  Cassian frowned, processing the information. The diary had been full of meticulous notes, but even the previous Cassian Starfall hadn’t written much about Aldric—only that he was “useful.” That alone made Cassian wary.

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” he muttered.

  Sky grabbed his hand and tugged him forward. “Come on, Brother! We need to go before it gets too late!”

  Cassian let himself be dragged along, his mind already calculating the steps ahead. The Starfall Villa wasn’t just a mansion. It was a battlefield.

  And he was about to walk straight into it.

  The ride to the Starfall Villa was quiet.

  Cassian and Sky had taken the most inconspicuous transport they could find, keeping their faces obscured under the hoods of their cloaks. The last thing they needed was attention, especially with Cassian’s face still a mystery to those who might be hunting him.

  Sky, at least, seemed unfazed, swinging his legs as they sat in the vehicle, humming to himself. Meanwhile, Cassian kept his posture rigid, his eyes constantly scanning their surroundings. He knew this was paranoia—but paranoia kept people alive.

  They paid for the fare using the money Sky’s family had left behind in the run-down house. It was enough to cover their journey, but Cassian noted they would need to manage their funds carefully going forward. The Starfall fortune might be vast, but until he was fully established in this role, he had no way of controlling it.

  Cassian sighed inwardly, rubbing the bridge of his nose. One problem at a time.

  As the vehicle finally stopped, Sky grabbed Cassian’s wrist and practically dragged him out onto the road.

  “Brother! This way! We’re almost there!”

  Cassian let himself be pulled forward, eyes narrowing as he took in their surroundings.

  The Starfall estate loomed in the distance, a sprawling, gothic structure with towering iron gates and high stone walls. The path leading up to it was lined with ancient trees, their branches curling like skeletal fingers against the cloudy sky. The air smelled of damp earth and something faintly metallic.

  For a moment, Cassian was taken aback. This place… it was more like a fortress than a home.

  “Are you sure we’re walking into a house and not a military base?” he muttered under his breath.

  Sky giggled, though there was a nervous edge to it. “It does look a little scary, huh? But it’s our home! You’ll get used to it.”

  Cassian wasn’t so sure about that.

  The closer they got to the main entrance, the heavier the atmosphere became. The weight of history, of generations before them, pressed into the very air. This wasn’t just a house. It was a legacy.

  And Cassian Starfall—the real one—had belonged to it.

  The guards standing at the front door immediately took notice as they approached.

  “Halt. State your name and your purpose.”

  Cassian barely had time to react before the guard’s gaze landed on Sky and him, and his expression changed instantly.

  The man’s eyes widened in shock, his posture stiffening as if he had seen a ghost. Then, in the next second—

  “Young master… Young master, you’re back!”

  His voice trembled with something between relief and disbelief before he suddenly spun around and shouted—

  “Sir Malcolm! Sir Malcolm! Both the young master and little master are back!”

  Cassian barely suppressed a flinch at the sudden loudness. He turned to Sky, who had frozen in place, gripping his sleeve. The boy’s face was unreadable.

  Cassian’s mind raced. This is it. There’s no turning back now.

  Within seconds, hurried footsteps echoed through the open courtyard beyond the gates. More voices, hushed and urgent, followed in a ripple of commotion.

  And then—

  The heavy front doors of the villa slammed open.

  A towering figure strode out with long, powerful steps. The moment Cassian laid eyes on him, he knew—this was Malcolm, the head of security.

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  His presence was suffocating. A man built like a wall of pure muscle, with sharp, piercing eyes that scanned the two of them like a predator assessing a threat. His uniform was immaculate, his expression unreadable.

  But Cassian caught the brief flicker of emotion that passed through his face as he looked at Sky.

  “Young Master…Little Master.”

  His voice was gruff, but there was something in it—something protective, something familiar.

  Sky blinked up at him, his small hands tightening into fists. “…Mr. Malcolm.”

  For a moment, neither of them spoke.

  Then, without warning, Malcolm dropped to one knee before the boy, bowing his head.

  “Welcome home.”

  Cassian felt the weight of those words settle into his bones. Home.

  But this wasn’t his home.

  It never would be.

  Still, he straightened his shoulders, keeping his face calm and unreadable. If he was going to pull this off, he had to be convincing.

  Malcolm’s eyes shifted toward him.

  The intensity of the man’s gaze felt like it could strip flesh from bone. Cassian forced himself to hold it, cool and unaffected.

  “...And you, Young master” Malcolm said at last, his tone unreadable.

  Cassian’s fingers twitched at his sides. Here it comes. The first real test.

  Malcolm’s voice was quieter now, but sharp enough to cut through the tension.

  “Where were you?”

  The air between them was thick, the weight of Malcolm’s stare pressing down on Cassian like a vice. Every second stretched too long, as if the head guard was measuring him, testing the edges of his presence against the memory of the real Cassian Starfall.

  Cassian forced himself to stand tall, exuding the confidence he knew the original heir would have. He crossed his arms over his chest and lifted his chin slightly, his voice steady and relaxed.

  “Had something to deal with. No need to look so worried, Malcolm.” He smirked faintly, tilting his head. “I’m alive and kicking as usual.”

  Malcolm’s expression didn’t shift, but his eyes darkened, scanning Cassian’s face as if searching for something—some fracture in the mask, some tell that this wasn’t the same boy he had sworn loyalty to.

  Sky, standing at Cassian’s side, stiffened slightly.

  For a brief moment, Cassian saw the flicker of something in the child’s expression—shock. It was subtle, just a brief widening of those bright eyes before Sky quickly schooled his face into something more neutral.

  Cassian understood immediately. He sounded too much like the original Cassian Starfall.

  A cold chill ran through him. Had he nailed the act too well?

  Sky quickly tugged at Cassian’s sleeve, drawing Malcolm’s attention away. “We just want to go inside now, Malcolm! It was a long trip, and I’m hungry.”

  Malcolm hesitated, his sharp gaze flickering between them, then finally gave a short nod. “Of course, Little Master.”

  He turned, stepping aside and motioning to the other guards at the entrance. With a single wave of his hand, the massive iron gates creaked open, revealing the sprawling Starfall estate beyond.

  Cassian swallowed down the tension in his throat as he followed Sky through the entrance, stepping past Malcolm’s towering form.

  The moment they were inside, Sky grabbed his hand, his grip small but firm, and whispered just low enough for only Cassian to hear—

  “That was really good, Brother.”

  Cassian blinked, glancing down at him.

  Sky’s voice was even softer when he added, “Too good.”

  Cassian smirked slightly, though something cold curled in his stomach. He knew what Sky meant. He was imitating a boy he had never met—almost too perfectly.

  And if Sky had noticed… who else would?

  Inside the Villa

  The Starfall estate was exactly what Cassian expected—and yet, not at all.

  The hallways were vast, stretching endlessly in every direction, lined with intricate black-and-gold wallpaper. Chandeliers hung high above, casting a soft golden glow over the polished marble floors. Portraits of the Starfall ancestors loomed overhead, their painted eyes filled with silent judgment.

  Servants and guards lined the halls, their eyes widening as they caught sight of Sky and Cassian. Some gasped. Others murmured among themselves in hushed voices.

  “The young master…”

  “He’s returned… after all this time…”

  “Lady Vera will want to know immediately—”

  Cassian kept his posture relaxed, but inside, his mind was racing. Each of these people had known the original Cassian Starfall. If even one of them noticed something was off…

  “Mr. Malcolm!”

  A sharp, commanding voice cut through the murmurs.

  Cassian turned toward the sound just as a woman emerged from one of the side corridors.

  She was tall and elegant, dressed in a perfectly pressed black uniform. Her silver hair was pinned neatly back, sharp green eyes narrowing the moment they landed on Cassian and Sky.

  The head maid. Vera.

  Cassian straightened subtly, instinctively preparing himself. This woman… she wasn’t just a servant. She was someone important in the household.

  And she looked like someone who could read lies as easily as breathing.

  She came to a sharp stop before Malcolm, her eyes scanning Cassian from head to toe before flicking to Sky.

  A pause.

  Then—

  “…Young Master.” Her voice was cool, calm, precise. She didn’t sound surprised. If anything, she sounded… expectant.

  Cassian tilted his head, offering a lazy smirk. “Miss Vera.”

  Her gaze narrowed slightly. “You remember my name.”

  Cassian’s smirk didn’t waver. “Should I not?”

  A beat of silence. Then—

  A ghost of a smile touched her lips.

  “…Of course you should.”

  Cassian wasn’t sure if that was approval or suspicion.

  Vera then turned to Sky, her expression softening instantly. “Little Master. You’ve had quite the journey.”

  Sky nodded, but Cassian could feel the way the boy tensed slightly beside him.

  Vera’s smile remained, but her eyes flickered back to Cassian, sharp as a blade.

  “The house has been waiting for you, Young Master,” she said smoothly. “We assumed you would return eventually.”

  Cassian raised a brow. “Oh? So you had faith in me?”

  Vera’s smile deepened, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

  “No. But I had faith that fate wouldn’t be so kind as to rid us of you so easily.”

  Cassian froze.

  A low chuckle escaped Malcolm at Vera’s words, though he quickly hid it behind a cough.

  Cassian’s smirk remained, but his mind whirred.

  She was testing him.

  And damn, she was good at it.

  “Guess I’m harder to kill than you thought,” Cassian replied easily.

  Vera studied him for another long moment before finally giving a small nod. “It would seem so.”

  She gestured toward the grand staircase leading deeper into the estate.

  “Your rooms have been prepared. We will discuss further matters after you’ve had time to rest.”

  Cassian gave a two-fingered salute before turning to follow Sky up the stairs.

  But just as he passed Vera, she spoke again—so softly that only he could hear:

  “You wear the mask well, Young Master.”

  Cassian’s breath caught.

  Vera’s voice remained light, unreadable.

  “But even the best masks… crack.”

  Cassian didn’t stop walking. He didn’t look back.

  But as he followed Sky deeper into the villa, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he had just stepped into something far more dangerous than he had ever imagined.