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Torn Between Us

Name: Torn Between Us
Rating: 5.0 (1 reviews)

Miss Allyy

Billionaires | Ongoing

5.0

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When a captivating young woman steps into the world of the wealthy and powerful, she unknowingly becomes the prize both brothers are desperate to win. The older is the black sheep-brilliant and successful, yet trapped under the thumb of a merciless stepmother who's determined to destroy him. The younger, favored son basks in the family's spotlight but hides his own dark secrets. Caught between two brothers torn apart by ambition, betrayal, and twisted family loyalties, she must navigate a dangerous game where love is weaponized, and trust can be fatal. Will she survive the war for their hearts-or be consumed by the chaos they unleash?

Suspense Modern Playboy Attractive Drama Billionaires Forbidden love Second chance

Chapter 5 What Lies Beneath

Yesterday 21:34

Chapter 1 Enter The Wolf's Den

The moment Amelia set foot in the Hawthorne estate, she felt it-the weight of expectations, judgment, and secrets pressing down on her like the thick velvet curtains draping the tall arched windows. It wasn't just a house. It was a kingdom of power and pretense. Every corner whispered of history, money, and something darker that lived behind the grandeur.

Her heels clicked softly against the polished marble floor, echoing in the silence. Her suitcase, barely scuffed from the cab ride, suddenly felt like a mark of her lower place, her outsider status. It was too quiet. Too cold. As if the very walls had decided she didn't belong.

This wasn't her world. But she was in it now.

A distant clang of crystal-somewhere, someone was pouring a drink. A soft laugh floated down the long hall. But Amelia didn't move. She stood at the entrance like a statue, taking in the double staircase, the hand-painted ceiling above, the impossibly grand chandelier hanging like a crown.

And then they saw her.

Leo was the first to appear.

He leaned lazily against the railing on the upper landing, a whiskey glass dangling from his fingers. His shirt was unbuttoned just enough to show a hint of the ink crawling across his collarbone, and his dark, stormy eyes narrowed as they landed on her.

"New lamb to the slaughter?" he called out, his voice rough like gravel, tinged with something bitter and amused.

Amelia stiffened. She had seen photos-family introductions, carefully controlled PR images-but nothing prepared her for the real Leo Hawthorne. He was beautiful in a ruinous way. Like something built to be admired but destined to fall apart.

"Be nice, Leo," another voice said from behind him. "You'll scare her off before Mother gets her claws in."

Julian descended the staircase like he owned the house-and maybe he did, at least in the way a man owns a room by stepping into it. Blonde, polished, everything in perfect place-his cufflinks, his hair, his calculated smile. His confidence wasn't loud like Leo's. It was silent, practiced, dangerous.

"Amelia, isn't it?" he asked, reaching the marble floor and extending his hand.

She shook it, though something in her spine screamed not to trust the way his fingers lingered.

"Welcome to the circus," Leo muttered as he descended behind Julian. "We saved you a front-row seat."

"Leo," Julian said, warning in his tone.

Amelia took a breath, refusing to be intimidated. "I can handle myself."

Leo's lips curved upward, just slightly. "We'll see."

Before she could respond, a tall woman entered from the side hall, draped in midnight-blue silk. Victoria Hawthorne, the matriarch. Not her mother-in-law. Not yet. Just her future employer, if this trial went well. Her smile was like frost-beautiful, elegant, and capable of burning.

"Amelia. We've heard so much about you," Victoria said, crossing the floor with steps so smooth they barely made a sound. "You're even prettier in person."

Amelia forced a smile. "Thank you for having me."

"I didn't say I had you," Victoria replied softly. "Not yet."

The silence that followed was razor sharp.

"I believe in earning places here. No one is simply handed a role because they're charming or clever or-" she glanced at Leo- "ambitious."

Leo gave a mock bow. "A pleasure as always, Mother."

Victoria didn't look at him. Didn't even acknowledge the sarcasm. Her eyes remained locked on Amelia's, calm and steady.

"You'll be staying in the east wing. I trust you'll be discreet. This family... has many moving parts."

Julian stepped beside her. "I'll have someone show you to your room."

"I'll take her," Leo interrupted.

Victoria finally looked at him. Her expression barely flickered, but Amelia caught the twitch in her jaw.

"You've been drinking."

"I've been living. Don't worry, I won't break her."

"I said no," Victoria said, then turned to Julian. "You'll escort her."

Amelia's stomach twisted. She'd heard the rumors about the Hawthornes-the feuds, the buried scandals, the rivalry between the sons. But nothing could have prepared her for the way they moved, as if every breath was a move in a chess game she hadn't even learned to play.

As Julian led her down the hall, she glanced back. Leo was still watching. His expression unreadable.

Julian's voice was low. "Don't let him get into your head. That's his favorite game."

Amelia didn't reply. Because Leo already was.

Her new room was the size of her entire apartment back home. Heavy drapes covered the windows, casting the room in shadows even though it was still mid-afternoon. A king-sized bed with carved posts, a dressing table with gold trim, a walk-in closet full of empty hangers.

"This is... too much," she whispered.

Julian stepped inside with her, his hand brushing against the door. "You'll get used to it."

He looked at her then-really looked. And for a moment, Amelia saw through the polished veneer. There was something cold behind his smile. Something calculating.

"You're not what I expected," he said softly.

"What did you expect?" she asked.

He gave a small smile. "Someone easier to break."

Amelia's breath caught.

But then he stepped back, and the charm returned. "Dinner's at eight. Don't be late. Mother hates lateness almost as much as she hates Leo."

And with that, he left her alone.

The evening passed in a blur of whispered conversations and polite hostility. Amelia sat between Julian and Victoria at the long dining table, while Leo slouched at the far end, swirling wine in his glass like it held all the answers.

Victoria asked pointed questions-about Amelia's family, her education, her intentions. Every answer Amelia gave felt like a trap she might be walking into.

After dinner, Leo caught her in the hallway near the library.

"Nice performance," he said, stepping out of the shadows.

"I wasn't performing."

"Of course not. You're just naturally charming, intelligent, and oblivious to the fact that you're a lamb dropped into a den of wolves."

She crossed her arms. "I'm not a lamb."

Leo's eyes lit up, amused. "No, you're not. You've got claws. I saw it at dinner."

Amelia hesitated, then asked, "Why do you stay?"

His smile faded.

"Because someone has to burn this place down."

And then he walked away.

That night, Amelia stood by her window, staring out at the estate grounds bathed in moonlight. The Hawthorne house looked even more sinister under the pale glow-like a sleeping beast with too many eyes.

Her phone buzzed.

Unknown number: Watch your back. This house eats people alive.

She stared at the message.

A second buzz followed.

Leo: She's not what she seems.

Amelia looked down the hallway, heart pounding.

She was in deeper than she realized. But it was too late to turn back now.

And somewhere inside her, something stirred-not fear, but fire.

She didn't come here to be devoured.

She came to survive.

To uncover the truth.

To change the game.