Today was finally my day off making me hurry to get ready for Lucas coming over. I was debating on telling him why I needed to see Ethan's family or if I should tell him the truth in case things get hairy.

"Morning." Ian said as he ate breakfast making me smile weakly. "Lucas is coming over again. Are you going out with Lily today?" I asked hoping he wouldn't be home when I asked Lucas for help.

"Yeah." He answered instantly making me ease as I let out a breathy smile. "There is leftover pizza from yesterday if you get hungry when you get home." I stated as I anxiously waited for Lucas to get here.

"You won't be home?" Ian asked making me silently scold myself. "Oh, yeah. Yeah, I will be. I just wanted to remind you." I lied making him nod doubtedly before looking back down at his phone.

"I'll probably be sleeping over. I'll text you." Ian stated making me nod lightly as I fought to apply a smile. "How are things with Lily? Has she gotten bored of you yet?" I teased hoping he would get annoyed and leave early.

"Surprisingly, no." He replied through a smile making me smile weakly. "I can't wait until school starts and we can finally talk about you behind your back. Maybe she will ask me for advice on how to deal with you." I continued making him roll his eyes as he stood.

"You better not embarrass me." Ian threatened as he placed his cereal bowl in the sink. "No promises." I replied making him roll his eyes.

"I'll see you." Ian said before walking towards the door making me let out a breath of relief as I heard the door close. I looked down to check my phone for messages from Lucas when I heard the door knock.

I quickly walked towards the door before opening it quickly. "Sorry I'm late." Lucas said as he moved past me. "You aren't. Ian just left." I replied as I closed the door behind him.

"Why are you dressed? I thought we were going to finish 'A Star Is Born'." Lucas asked making me look away trying to find the words. I was about to reply when his eyes glazed over in realization.

"No. We aren't going." Lucas stated sternly making me frown. "Why not? I need to talk to his parents and the council." I stated as I stepped towards him making Lucas shake his head.

"Ethan will literally kill me. My only job is to keep you safe at home. Not drive around to be your errand boy." Lucas stated sternly with hardened features making me fill with annoyance. "I am not going to fulfill and errand, Lucas. I need to talk to them to fix things between us all. All they know about me is what I told them at the Christmas party. I have questions and I am sure they do too. I will be fine I can protect myself from them." I replied never tearing my eyes away from his deep blue ones making him huff as he turned away from me.

"What did Ethan say when you told him you'd be meeting with them?" Lucas asked as his eyes burned into mine again making me look away. "You didn't even ask him first?" He beamed making me look up at him to scoff.

"I don't need his permission to speak to someone about my wellbeing. I am perfectly capable of handling this myself. If I were to ask him, I already know what his answer would be. And besides how would anyone be able to hurt me? I am going to speak to his family. I am sure that have loads of security at every entrance." I stated making him roll his eyes as he looked away from me again to think.

"And you owe me for working with Cynthia to break us up." I continued after a few moments making him snap his head to me before glaring at me. "Fine." Lucas growled before grabbing his keys and gun he placed on the counter earlier.

"But I swear to God if you get hurt-" He started making me cut him off. "I won't. You will be by my side throughout." I stated as my annoyance and anger subsided making him nod as he ran his fingers through his dark blonde hair.

"Fine. Let's just go." Lucas said in defeat as he grabbed my elbow making me walk with him towards the door. "Are you mad?" I asked hesitantly as we drove in silence.

"Just annoyed with Ethan for falling for someone as stubborn and infuriating as you." Lucas stated not looking away from the road making me smile. "I can only imagine what Allison has to deal with." I teased making him roll his eyes as he fought his smile.

"How did you two meet?" I asked after a few more minutes making him smile softly again. "We met in high school." He answered making me look over at him confused.

"You have been dating for that long?" I asked making him chuckle as he nodded. "I'm obviously better at keeping a secret then you guys are." Lucas stated making me frown as I looked away from him.

"We don't have a secret." I lied making him laugh lightly. "You just proved my point." He replied making me roll my eyes.

"It wasn't until after I heard what you said at the Christmas party that I decided to just rip the band aid off and introduce her to everyone." He confessed after a few moments making me smile softly. "I'm glad someone took something from all that." I said making him chuckle.

"Why aren't you close with you parents?" I asked making him grow silent for a moment. "The same with Colton and Sarah. I never wanted to be a part of this life. Yet here I am still a part of it." Lucas answered in fake amusement making me frown as I looked over to him.

"What's keeping you?" I asked softly making him sigh. "I don't even know. Obligation?" He asked more than answered making me frown further.

"Can't you just leave? You should be able to leave this life if you wanted. You have every right to leave and be happy with Allison." I said making him smile weakly. I quickly frowned realizing he couldn't leave because of the rules that are set in place for them. "If only." Lucas scoffed making me frown as I looked away from him.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Lucas pulled into a gravel driveway making me frown as I looked up at the largest home I have ever seen.

The mansion was a plain white color with no life around it besides the grass on either side of Lucas and me. There were too many windows to count making me wonder how someone living here doesn't get lost on a daily basis.

"Ethan may be here so we have to hurry and get to the council's office." Lucas stated snapping me out of my thoughts making me nod. "Hold you head high and pretend you know where we are going and no will ask questions." He continued as we started walking up the short steps making me nod nervously again.

I felt Lucas grab my hand before opening the door making me hold it back in comfort in this unfamiliar home.

My eyes widened as I looked around at the large luxurious home before me. My thoughts we cut short as I felt Lucas pull me up the large staircase. My legs started to ache before we were finally met with the top making me catch my breath as we continued.

As Lucas pulled me up and down hallways, I silently prepared myself for what I will say and what they will do. Ever since the moment with Ethan and I in the kitchen I have been thinking and debating on what I will say to them all when the time comes. And I guess today was the day I finally had the nerve to ask Lucas for help.

I knew they would ask for what I knew to try and impress them. I had no problem with showing them just how much information I knew about them all. I was only worried that all my plans wouldn't work making them even more upset with Ethan and I.

"We're here." Lucas breathed quietly as he stopped in front of two white double doors. "Please tell me I am doing the right thing." I pleaded looking up at him as all my nerves and worries caught up to me.

"You're doing the right thing. You're right this is the only way to make sure his family won't come after you. Now is your chance to prove to them how much you care for and love Ethan. Don't be intimidated just because they have authority and money. They technically have no power over you so use it to your advantage." Lucas replied sternly never tearing his eyes away from mine.

I was about to reply when the double doors across from us opened.

"May I help you?" A young woman asked as she held the two doors open making me stare at her like a fish out of water. "I-I am here to speak to the council." I stated nervously making her frown as she began to close the doors.

"You'll have to make an appointment." She stated making me step towards her to stop the doors from closing. "They'll want to speak to me." I stated sternly making her frown as she debated on letting us in.

Eventually she opened the doors wider for us before motioning us over to her receptionist desk. The woman walked towards one of the other adjoining rooms before peeling her head through to speak to them.

"There is a man and woman here insisting to see you." She stated in a hushed tone making me sigh as I ran my sweaty palms over my jeans. "Oh, okay. Bring them in." Cynthia replied on the other side of the door making the receptionist turn as she opened the door wider for us.

I sighed heavily as I began walking with Lucas by my side. It looked to be about ten people seated at a circular table. They all faced me as all the chairs in front of Lucas and I were empty as they waited for their next meeting.

No one looked up to see who we were making me roll my eyes as I spoke. "Are you too busy to hear what I have to say? Should I come back at another time?" I asked making Cynthia's head shoot up recognizing my voice.

"Amelia." She breathed making everyone stop looking at me to stare at her. "Do you know this woman?" One of the men asked making me smile amused as she continued to stare at me in confusion.

"I'm dating her son." I stated making her confused features morph into anger. "She is just a gold-digging girl looking to gain from Ethan." Cynthia spit as she stood placing her palms on the table in front of her.

"Would a gold digger really rip a million-dollar check?" I asked making her features harden as everyone's glazed over in realization. "You were at the Christmas party." Another young woman stated making me nod lightly.

"I know you both haven't seen Ethan since that night, so I came here on our behalf. I want to try everything I can to restore your relationship and hopefully show and explain to you how serious I am about Ethan. I am not a 'gold-digging girl who wanted to gain' from him. I love him which is why I am here without his knowledge. Because I know he misses his parents very much and I don't want to deprive him of you both. If he knew I was planning on coming he would never have agreed. I will do anything I can to prove myself." I explained sternly never tearing my eyes away from Cynthia's.

"Before you stated that you knew about our families and work. Can you elaborate." The man said making me look away from Cynthia. "I spent weeks studying and memorizing your generations of people in this business and what each of you all do. I also learned all of your rules." I stated trying to not make it obvious how nervous I was around them.

"Every rule? There are almost a hundred, young lady." He stated amused not believing me making me smile sarcastically. "Are you saying you are all able to remember each rule but a civilian like myself can't?" I asked as I slowly frowned in annoyance making him smile amused at my reply.

"Then show us." Another younger man said making me look at him confused. "What?" I breathed making him smirk. "What are the rules?" He asked making me fill with even more nerves.

"Unless of course, you can't." Cynthia replied through a wide smile seeing my nervousness making me fill with newfound confidence. "Never look at the wives of friends. Never be seen with cops. Always be available for the council. Appointments must absolutely be respected. Women must be treated with respect." I started as I put emphasis on the last one. Causing the older man to frown in frustration as everyone burned holes into me waiting for me to mess up.

"When asked for any information, the answer must be the truth. Money cannot be appropriated if it belongs to others or to other families. People who can't be part of the family: anyone who has a close relative in the police, anyone with a two-timing relative in the family, anyone who behaves badly and doesn't hold to moral values. When born into our gang you must stay in the gang born into. You must marry into an alliance and never be seen with civilians alone. Everyone must always have guards around at all times. Second borns take the responsibility of first borns if renounced or if not able. These rules may only be changed by a council member or by vote." I started making the young woman interrupt me.

"It seems you do know our rules." She said making me look over to her. "Seems like the only rational rule is the last one I stated." I replied making them all avoid my eyes in annoyance and frustration of not knowing what to say.

"You love my son?" Cynthia asked after a few moments making me nod. "Yes, I do." I answered sternly making her smirk softly.

"Even if you learned about everything he has done in our organization? All the laws he has broken at our command. How many men and woman he has killed? And why. Would you still love him then?"