CHAPTER 28: MY ELIAS?

Jace stepped out of the home gym, sweat dripping down his back, his muscles aching from the heavy weights and endless reps.

The Voss estate was massive... marble floors, high ceilings, and walls lined with family portraits that made him feel more like a ghost than a son. His family was extremely wealthy, the kind of wealth that came from real estate, tech deals, and discreet collaborations with mafia families like the Dragos. But wealth didn’t mean love. His parents barely noticed him, and his siblings treated him like an afterthought.

As the youngest, he was the "problem child", the bully at school, the one who got into fights... but they didn’t care as long as he didn’t drag the family name through the mud.

"Keep it quiet, Jace," his father always said. "We have deals to protect."

Jace wiped his face with a towel, tossing it over his shoulder as he headed down the hall. The house was quiet, the kind of silence that felt empty, not peaceful. His older brother, Ethan, stood in the study, adjusting his glasses as his eyes were glued to his phone.

Ethan was the golden child... the heir, the one their parents were grooming to take over everything. Ethan was tall, quiet, with the same sharp features as Jace but none of the fire. He didn’t talk much, avoided family dinners, but in business meetings, he was a machine, closing deals with words that cut like knives.

Jace paused in the doorway, furrowing his brows. Ethan looked more focused than usual, his thumb scrolling fast. He has never seen his brother that concentrated before, except when it’s business-related.

"Hey, what’s up big bro?" Jace asked, leaning against the frame. "Is there a problem? You know you can discuss with me..."

He wasn’t expecting an answer... Ethan rarely gave them... but to his surprise, his brother looked up, sighing.

"I found someone," Ethan said, his voice flat. "For the heir thing."

Jace raised a brow, stepping inside.

"Heir thing? You mean that app you’re using? The matching one?"

Ethan nodded, handing over his phone to his brother to take a look.

"I offered a ton of money. But I’m not sure if it’s real."

Jace took the phone, scanning the profile. The description was cocky, demanding...

"I’ll tell you who I am, but you’d have to agree with my terms. The pay is more than enough... A million dollars... all I want is for you to concieve my heir. I’ll wait till you’re ready."

The profile name was "SpicyBites," with a picture of some pasta dish.

Jace snorted, trying to look more into the person’s description. He had only signed in a few hours ago and claims he’s a dominant omega.

"This sounds fake as hell. Dominant omega? What the hell? Those are rare... they are like, three or four in the whole country. Trust me, they wouldn’t just throw themselves on an app like this unless they’re desperate or stupid."

Ethan took the phone back, rubbing his chin.

"I know. But I’m running out of time. Mom and Dad want a grandchild before they hand over the company. Just to prove I’m responsible."

Jace already knew about that. He’s the problem child and also the last child, so he wasn’t expecting anything to be given to him. He crossed his arms, leaning against the table.

"You’re the smart one. Why’s this so hard? Just find someone and date the person like normal people do."

Ethan’s eyes flicked to the phone, then back to Jace.

"Normal doesn’t work. I don’t... connect with people when it’s related to that. Business is easy. This? Dating is a mess."

Jace nodded, understanding more than he let on. He knew the kind of brother he had. Ethan was quiet, isolated, the opposite of Jace’s loud, bullying ways. Their parents didn’t care about that... Ethan was the heir, Jace was the spare.

"Look, if it’s fake, move on. There are plenty of omegas out there."

Ethan sighed, pocketing his phone.

"Easy for you to say. You’re not the one they’re pushing." He pulled an envelope from his jacket, handing it to Jace. "Here. Invitation to Viktor Drago’s engagement. We’re going together."

Jace took it, flipping it open. The gold-embossed card gleamed, Viktor’s name in bold letters. He wasn’t interested in mafia parties, but he was sure Elias would be there. After all, he’s the one Jace couldn’t stop thinking about.

"Yeah," he said, grinning. "I’ll go."

Ethan raised a brow. "You? To a Drago event? What’s got you excited?"

Jace shrugged, playing it cool.

"Just curious. Free food, right?"

Ethan didn’t buy it but didn’t push.

"Fine. Get ready. It’s in two days."

Jace nodded, heading to his room. His sweat had dried, sticking to his skin, and he needed a shower. The water hit him hot, steaming up the glass, but his mind was on Elias. He wanted to know more about Elias, maybe it could build something more than friendship between them. Jace thought, rinsing shampoo from his hair.

’I guess there’ll be a lot of bonding during the school sightseeing,’

His phone buzzed on the counter, and he stepped out, wrapping a towel around his waist. A message from Elias:

E:Hey, Jace. Can we talk about my sister? I need your help finding a private hospital, somewhere no one can find us. Viktor owns too much here.

Jace’s heart skipped, a smirk tugging at his lips. Elias was turning to him, trusting him, the guy who’d bullied him for a year. It made Jace feel special, like he was the only one Elias could count on.

’Of course, he has no one else,’ Jace thought, his chest warming.

J:Yeah, I’ll look into it. I know a few spots off the grid. Give me a day.

Elias’s reply was quick...

E:Thanks. You’re the only one I can ask.

Jace grinned, drying off and heading to his closet. He pulled on jeans and a shirt, his mind on doing whatever Elias wanted.

’My Elias,’ he thought, the possessiveness surprising him. He grabbed his keys and headed out, ignoring the empty halls of his house.