The clatter of dishes and soft laughter echoed as Erin and Xander entered the dining room with two plates stacked high with pancakes, eggs, and toast. The scent of freshly brewed coffee filled the air, and the relaxed atmosphere wrapped around them like a warm blanket. A second later, Elliot walked in from the living room, his expression teasing the moment he laid eyes on them.
"Well, well," Elliot drawled, raising a brow. "You two look suspiciously domestic. Should I start calling you Mr. and Mrs. Morning Sunshine?"
Erin nearly dropped her plate, but Xander only rolled his eyes. "Elliot, shut up and sit."
"Aw, come on. I'm just appreciating the bonding time. Makes my cold heart feel warm," Elliot teased, sliding into a seat.
Erin chuckled, still a little pink from earlier. Xander leaned in close to her ear, murmuring, "Ignore him. He's had too much sugar this morning."
Just as Erin was about to sit down, Xander straightened. His tone was calm but firm. "Erin, wait for us here. We'll be back in a bit."
"Huh? Where are you going?" she asked, looking up at him.
"Just something quick we need to handle. Shouldn't take long," he said.
Before she could question it further, the three brothers exited the dining room. The casual way they left might have fooled anyone else, but Erin felt it — that underlying tension in Xander's voice, the glance Evan gave him before walking out.
Her curiosity sparked and intensified. Heart thudding, she set her plate down and moved quickly, keeping her steps light as she followed them down the hall. She hid behind the corridor wall, just close enough to hear their voices as they stopped in the study.
Evan's voice was the first to pierce the silence. "Any progress on the files? The real ones. Something the authorities can actually use?"
"Yes," Xander replied, his voice low and resolute. "The new documents Erin found helped fill the gaps. We're close. We just need one final confirmation and then… they'll have no choice but to act."
Erin froze. They were talking about the documents she'd found in the warehouse. Her mission.
Elliot spoke next, sounding uncertain. "Are you really going through with this? You know what'll happen if the council finds out the empire's rulers have been embezzling. Total severance. The fallout will be—"
"I don't care," Xander cut in. "They deserve to rot behind bars. What they've done… it's unforgivable."
There was a heavy silence. Then Evan spoke, quieter. "They're still our parents."
"They stopped being our parents the day they used us as bargaining chips. This empire? I'd rather see it burn than let them go free."
Erin couldn't breathe. Her chest tightened. This wasn't the Xander she'd known. He wasn't protecting a corrupt throne — he was preparing to tear it apart.
Before they could come out, she swiftly turned and hurried back to the dining room, taking her seat and pretending nothing had happened, though her heart was still racing.
Moments later, Elliot returned. He flopped onto the couch in the living room just adjacent to the dining table.
"They'll be back soon," he said lazily. "In the meantime, how about I share some of Xander's baby stories?"
Erin blinked, grateful for the distraction. "You have those?"
"Oh, I have a whole vault. Did you know he used to sleep with five stuffed animals and named every one after himself?"
Erin burst into laughter. "No way."
"Swear on my last pancake," Elliot said, grinning.
They were still laughing when Xander and Evan returned. Xander walked in just in time to catch the tail end of the story.
"I didn't name them after myself. That's slander," he said, deadpan.
"Sure you didn't," Erin said between giggles, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye.
Xander gave Elliot a look of pure betrayal. "You're many things but I never would've thought that traitor was one of them?"
"If I must fall, let it be by the sword of truth," Elliot replied, dramatically placing a hand over his chest.
They all sat down to finally eat, the energy at the table light and easy. For the first time in a long while, Erin felt what she assumed was a kind of… peace. But under the table, her fingers curled against her skirt. Xander was fighting battles on more fronts than she'd ever imagined, and the weight of that truth hadn't quite settled in her heart yet.
Later that morning, after breakfast, Evan lingered behind in the hallway while Xander picked up something in the adjacent room.
"So," Evan began, watching his brother carefully. "What's going on between you and Erin?"
Xander didn't respond right away.
"You're serious about her. I can tell."
Xander's jaw clenched slightly, but he gave a quiet nod.
Evan sighed. "You know you can't. Not while Lillianne's still in the picture. Even if you find a way to call off the betrothal — and that's a big if — the public backlash will fall on Erin. They'll call her a homewrecker. A mistress. You know what Lillianne's reach is like."
Xander finally looked at him, his voice even but heavy. "I'll handle it. If Erin feels the same, I'll protect her from everything. I'll burn it all down if I have to."
Evan didn't answer. He just looked at his brother for a long moment, then nodded once and walked away.