Dangerous Secrets (Dangerous Series: Book 1)

Chapter 1 - From rags to riches

The car stopped. Even though it was spacious, Stella was stiff from sitting still for so long. She stretched her arms while Ed and her mom stepped out. She couldn't see the house, but based on Diana's scream, it was probably above all expectations. Stella scratched Winston behind the ear. He woke up, looked up at her with his big, brown eyes and wiggled his tail.

Stella was excited to see her new home. She hoped it would be a new beginning for her. A chance to rebrand herself. To get friends, to go to school and maybe even get a boyfriend. Above all, she was excited to meet her new brother. The only thing she knew about him was that his name was Benjamin and that he was twenty years old. Even though he was a bit older, she hoped they would still get along.

Stella didn't have any friends and had never had a boyfriend. It was strange to think that when Diana was seventeen, she was already pregnant with Stella. Even though they had similar physical features, they couldn't be more different.

Stella had a bubbly personality and a gentle heart, but was very shy. She often disappeared in the background while her mom always caught the spotlight. Diana loved attention and expressed her feelings better with her body than with words.

There was no doubt that Diana loved Stella, but she was not ready to become a mom when Stella came along. She tried her best, but always ended up prioritising her own needs above Stella's. She was more of a wild older sister than a mom.

Ed opened the car door for Stella.

"Welcome home sweetheart," he said. He was so excited it looked like he was about to burst. "I truly hope you will like it here. I'm so happy we're finally gonna live together."

Winston quickly jumped out of the car and Stella followed after giving Ed an encouraging smile.

When Stella saw the house in front of her she had to grab the car for stability. It felt like the ground beneath her disappeared. She knew that Ed was rich, but the house in front of her was more than she could have dreamed of. In front of her was a modern mansion with a large garden and a private beach. There was a gazebo that was almost as big as her old apartment and a small harbour with several boats.

Stella was used to living in a worn apartment with rats running across the floor boards. Electricity and warm water used to be a luxury, but it didn't matter, thanks to her grandma Evi she loved that place.

Diana had always been too free spirited to keep a job for more than a few weeks, so she and Stella used to live with Stella's grandma. She was the one who tucked Stella into bed, helped her with her homework and made sure she got a warm meal each evening. Diana was always too busy looking for mr. right.

Stella noticed a guy on one of the boats by the harbour. Even from far away, his handsome looks were overwhelming. He was only wearing shorts and his muscular, tanned torso was wet and shimmering in the sunlight. She realised it must be her brother, Benjamin. He smiled and waved welcoming towards them. He put on a shirt and started walking towards them. Stella could feel her neck and cheeks turn red and quickly sat down changed her focus to Winston.

"Benjamin," Diana sighed and threw herself around his neck. "I'm so excited to finally meet you. I've heard so many nice things about you!"

Benjamin looked surprised, but politely laughed and returned the hug.

"The pleasure is all mine. I've been curious about the lady that's been making my dad so happy. And please, call me Ben."

"Ben! I will. You can call me mom, or whatever you want."

"Come on sugarbear," Ed said, "now it's my turn to hug Benny boy."

Diana unwillingly let go of Ben and Ed took over.

"Finally dad! It's been too long."

"It sure has. These lovely ladies have kept me occupied in the city. It's a shame you haven't been able to visit."

"I know, I blame work."

Stella could feel Ben changing his focus to her. She knew she should stand up and introduce herself, but she couldn't. She was too flustered and overwhelmed.

Ben let go of Ed and sat down next to her. She felt the warmth of his body and the scent of his perfume. It was intoxicating. He tried to make eye contact, but when she wasn't ready to meet his eyes. Just like Ed, he didn't give up on her. He started scratching Winston behind the ear.

"I guess that means that you are Stella?"

She took a deep breath and prepared to answer, but just as she was about to open her mouth Diana said:

"That's correct. That's Stella. She is very excited to meet you, but she is also very shy."

Ben nodded friendly to Diana.

"What's this guy's name?" he asked Stella.

Their hands accidentally touched when entangled in Winston's fur. It felt like a lightning shot through Stella's body. It gave her courage. She raised her head and saw his hazel eyes. She opened her mouth, but once again her mom interrupted her:

"Winston. The dog's name is Winston."

Ben rolled his eyes. He did it in a kind and funny way. Stella was the only one who saw it and she couldn't resist giggling. It already felt like they had a special bond.

"Come on," Ed said. "It's time for a tour of the house."

The inside of the house was just as impressive as the outside. Everything looked expensive and Stella felt as if she was at a museum. She even tried her best to not touch anything.

On the bottom floor were the common areas and Ed and Diana's bedroom. Ben's and Stella's rooms were on the upper floor together with the home office and a second living room.

"I saved the best for last," Ed said and opened the door to Stella's bedroom. "Welcome to your new room sweetheart. You have two small gifts waiting on the bed. Both of them are limitless."

Stella was speechless. The room had great windows overlooking both the forest and the ocean. There was a big bed, an armchair, a bookshelf, a desk with an office chair and in the corner a bed for Winston. As if that wasn't enough, there was a phone and a credit card laying on the bed and on the desk there was a computer. She even had a walk-in-closet. She wanted to thank Ed, but no words could describe her gratitude. Instead she hugged Ed as hard as she could.

After the tour of the house Stella took a nap in her new room. She was exhausted from all the new impressions and the bed felt like a soft cloud. After only a short moment, she was woken up by a knock on the door. She rubbed her eyes and turned arounds. Ben stood in the doorway with a sexy, crocked smile on his face.