I Kidnapped My Adoptive Brother

The day after I found out I was the imposter daughter, I finally lost my grip on the sick, desperate obsession I had for my older brother.

I locked him in the basement, wrapping my arms around him, refusing to let go.

By day, I pretended nothing was wrong. I joined the rest of the family in their frantic search for him, acting just as worried as they were.

I was like a rat in a gutter, letting myself sink deeper and deeper into a swamp of my own making.

An imposter daughter is already easy to despise.

If they ever found out I was in love with my brother, it would make them completely sick to their stomachs, wouldn't it?

Until one day, when my family gathered right in front of me to conspire:

"Hey, Una, theres this international board meeting Kevin absolutely has to attend. Can we let him out just for a little bit?"

"Just half an hour! We promise well lock him right back up before you get home!"

Me: ?

...

At seven in the morning, I walked down the spiral staircase.

My parents, my younger brother Toby, and Zoe were already seated at the dining table, laughing and chatting.

I stood there for three seconds, waiting for the dull ache in my chest to subside, before slowly making my way over.

Zoe was the first to notice me. She looked up and smiled.

"Why are you up so early today?"

She was looking more and more like me.

Three days ago, Zoe had been brought back to the Calloway estate. She had arrived carrying a massive rucksack, covered in dust, the hems of her cargo pants completely frayed.

We were told she had been injured during a wilderness research expedition and was admitted to the Calloway private hospital. That was how they discovered she was the family's biological daughter.

She had hugged everyone in the family, and then, she turned her gaze to me.

Her eyes had lingered on my face for an uncomfortably long time.

While I stood there, clenching my fists against my thighs and fighting a wave of panic, she had reached out and gently ruffled my hair.

"So, youre Una?" she had said. "You look much younger than me. Your skin is so pale."

She had studied me from head to toe, smiling. "What kind of shampoo do you use? It smells nice."

The next day, I smelled that exact same woody fragrance on Zoe.

By the third day, she was wearing the same style of hoodie and sports watch that I wore.

I understood what she was doing.

Zoe wanted to replace me. She wanted to be the only true daughter of the Calloway family.

I didn't hate her for it. My heart just felt heavy and hollow.

These past twenty-one years of luxury had been stolen time anyway. It was only natural for her to want them back.

But there was one thing I refused to yield.

He was currently locked in a pitch-black basement where no one could ever steal him away.

I picked up a butter knife and began spreading butter onto my toast while listening to my mother talk about the welcome gala she was planning for Zoe.

"We'll host it the day after tomorrow. Ive ordered new jewelry and gifts for both of you."

Then, my mother sighed in exasperation. "I dont know whats gotten into Kevin. He said he was going on a business trip, but to not even show his face or answer his phone when Zoe finally came home... And with his condition, I don't even know if he's taking his medication on time."

I pricked up my ears, desperate to catch any other detail.

Toby interrupted with a grin. "Maybe he got kidnapped?"

The table erupted into laughter. "Hes built like a tank and stands at six-four. Who on earth could kidnap him?"

Only my hands froze.

A heavy stone sank into my stomach. The bite of toast I had just swallowed threatened to come right back up.

It took everything I had to force my lips into a faint smile.

I lowered my head and murmured, "I'm full. I should get to campus."

Zoe looked up instantly. "You ate so little. I baked some cookiestake them with you to eat on the way."

I politely declined and grabbed my backpack.

As I walked out of the dining room, I caught Tobys teasing voice behind me: "So, how does copy-pasting feel?"

Zoe seemed to snap, telling him to shut up.

In the foyer, I practically ran into my second-oldest brother, Luke.

He was wearing a perfectly tailored suit, his wire-rimmed glasses resting on his sharp nose. He had a lean, academic build.

"Heading to class?"

He took my backpack with one hand and slung it over his shoulder. "Come on. Im heading to the clinic anyway. Ill give you a ride."

Sitting in the passenger seat of his Rolls-Royce Cullinan, I watched the sycamore trees lining the street blur past.

I tried to sound casual. "By the way, Luke... what exactly is Kevin's illness?"

When we were kids, I used to cling to Kevin constantly. But when I turned eighteenand Kevin was twenty-threehe was diagnosed with a rare condition. He started spending long stretches of time abroad.

Over the last three years, I had barely seen him.

Every time I asked what was wrong with him, the family brushed it off. It was a closely guarded secret.

Luke kept one hand on the steering wheel, expertly navigating the heavy traffic. "I wouldn't dare leak Kevin's medical privacy. Ask him yourself when he gets back. Though God knows where he ishe won't even pick up my calls."

"Oh," I whispered, squeezing my fingers together.

I looked up through my eyelashes, stealing a glance at him.

Luke was the smartest person in our family. He had entered college at fifteen, finished his medical doctorate by twenty, and now managed the family's private hospital system. I had always been close to Kevin, but I was always a little terrified of Luke.

Just like now.

Luke glanced over, his eyes locking onto mine.

Behind his gold-rimmed glasses, his eyes felt like an X-ray machine, stripping away my defenses and exposing my deepest secrets.

He said softly, "Do you think he actually got kidnapped?"

"Kevin served in the Special Forces. The only person who could possibly catch him off guard would have to be someone he trusted completely. Like... a family member."

I sat up straight so fast that the seatbelt locked, snapping against my collarbone and pulling me back into the leather seat.

Luke arched an eyebrow. "It's just a hypothesis. Why so tense?"

My heart was pounding against my ribs. I forced a dry, awkward laugh. "Who would ever dare lay a hand on Kevin? Ha-ha."

Luke turned the wheel, his tone light and conversational. "I'll drop you at the university gates, then head to the hospital. We're partnering with the state on a wildlife rehabilitation project, testing some heavy-duty restraints. They're lightweight but incredibly secure. Even the strongest predators can't break out of them."

I turned my head to look at him.

Luke kept his eyes on the road. Behind his glasses, there was the faintest trace of a smirk.

"They're stored in the warehouse behind the clinic."

The Cullinan pulled up to the campus gates.

Silence settled over the car.

I took a deep breath, my fingers clutching my purse. "I have a seminar tonight. Ill be staying in the dorms, so I won't be coming home."

Luke let out a low hum. "Keep it in moderation."

"What?"

His eyes crinkled. "I mean, don't stay up too late studying. It's bad for your health."

That night, I obviously didn't go to any seminar.

First, I made a stealthy detour to the hospital warehouse.

After a long, agonizing moment of hesitation outside a convenience store, I went inside and bought a few specific items, feeling like a thief the entire time.

Finally, I took a cab out to the quiet suburbs.

My parents had bought this villa in my name when I turned eighteen.

At the time, they had said, Our little girl is growing up, and shes going to have her own secrets. This will be Unas secret sanctuary. Whenever youre feeling down, you can come here.

They could never have imagined who I was currently hiding inside it.

I walked down the stairs into the basement.

Taking a deep, trembling breath, I unlocked the heavy door.

"Kevin," I called out softly.

Dim, warm light spilled into the room.

The tall, broad-shouldered man was sitting on the edge of the mattress.

He wore a faded black tank top that hugged the powerful lines of his chest and shoulders. Faint, jagged scars from his military days stretched from his collarbone down to his forearms, only adding to his rugged, intimidating presence.

But right now, both of his thick wrists were chained securely to the iron headboard.

He lifted his heavy eyelids, his dark, piercing gaze locking onto me.

"Una. You have completely lost your mind."

His voice was low, laced with the commanding, authoritative tone of a man used to being in charge.

I stood by the doorway, my heart hammering wildly in my chest.

I bit my lip, offering him a small, pleading smile. "With you here, Kevin, how could I?"

The moment Kevin heard the news that Zoe and I had been switched at birth, he had caught the first flight back from New York.

And the second he stepped off the plane, I had tricked him into coming here. He hadn't even brought his luggage.

For the past two days, I had been bringing supplies to the villa like a frantic squirrel storing food for winter.

I set my backpack down and began unpacking my purchases one by one.

Two cartons of blueberries. A bunch of bananas. Three bottles of whole milk. A loaf of brioche.

Two sets of fresh loungewear.

A pack of men's cotton boxers.

And a few tubes of cute, strawberry-scented hand cream.

Kevin's eyes fell on the hand cream, and his expression instantly hardened. "What is that for?"

I looked up at him through my eyelashes, my voice barely a whisper. "I noticed your hands looked a little dry. I wanted you to use it."

Silence stretched over the basement for five agonizing seconds.

Then, a harsh, humorless laugh escaped Kevin's throat. "I'm your brother."

I clenched my jaw. "Not biologically."

The muscles in his jaw tightened, the atmosphere in the room turning dangerously cold. "You are completely out of control, Una. I watched you grow up. How could you do something this reckless?"

I let out a soft, sad sigh and shook my head. "Maybe you don't know me as well as you think, Kevin."

They say the quiet ones are always the most dangerous.

Personally, Ive always thought of myself as the kind of dog that doesn't bark before it bites.

The only person who had ever seen through me was Toby. He had grown up on film sets, achieving fame at a young age, and was three years younger than me.

Once, when I went to visit him on set, the producers eyes had lit up when he saw me. He had said, Your sister is gorgeous. I have a role for a sweet, innocent girl that would be perfect for her.

Toby had practically choked on his laughter. That is the funniest thing Ive heard all year. Dont let her quiet, sweet face fool you. Shes got a million calculations running in her head at any given second. In our house, shes actually the one with the biggest balls.

He was right.

I was daring enough to fall in love with my brother, and reckless enough to kidnap him.

And now, I was about to do something even more outrageous.

I walked over and sat on the edge of the mattress.

His skin radiated a fierce heat, and I could hear the steady, powerful rhythm of his heartbeat.

I looked up at him, my eyes filled with an intense, agonizing yearning. "Kevin, I love you. I want to be with you."

I pressed the strawberry-scented hand cream into his palm. "And you should be the one teaching me how to use this."

The air pressure in the basement plummeted.

Without a word, Kevin lifted his arm, the metal chains clinking violently.

With a sharp flick of his wrist, he slapped the tubes of hand cream off the nightstand, sending them scattering across the floor.

"Don't even think about it."

I stared at the tubes on the floor, my lips trembling slightly.

A wave of disappointment washed over me, and I let out a soft sigh. "Okay. If you don't want to use them, we don't have to."

I shifted closer, moving to a spot right next to him.

I leaned in, my heart in my throat, completely terrified but desperate.

My lips brushed against his earlobe as I whispered, "Do you want to be with me forever, Kevin? When we're finally together, will people call you my brother... or my husband?"

Before I could finish the thought, a heavy hand gripped my jaw.

His grip was firm, his thumb and forefinger pressing hard against my jawline, forcing my face up.

Kevin narrowed his eyes, a dark, turbulent storm swirling in his black pupils. "Una, you seriously need to be put in your place. How old are you, filling your head with this nonsense?"

With his hand clamping my face, my cheeks were puffed out. My eyes instinctively darted downward.

I looked at the hand holding my chin.

Then at his wrist.

It was bare.

Where were the handcuffs?

My eyes widened in sheer panic.

How on earth had he gotten out of them?

Kevin let out a cold sneer. "If I couldn't pick a lock in under three seconds, my years in the Special Forces would have been a joke."

He flipped his grip, grabbing my wrists instead.

His fingers felt like bands of solid iron. They were long and thick, the veins on the back of his hand bulging under the strain. "Locking me in a basement for three days, talking all this garbage..."

He sat up fully, bringing his face level with mine.

He was so close I could see my own terrified reflection in his dark eyes.

"Did you actually think about how this was going to end?"

My mind went completely blank.

I felt exactly like a child caught red-handed doing something terrible.

My heart hammered so hard against my ribs that my ears buzzed. My fingers shook.

Instinctively, I reached into the very bottom of my backpack.

I pulled out the heavy-duty wildlife restraints I had stolen from Luke's warehouse.

With a sharp click, I snapped the metal collar around Kevins wrist again.

Kevin stared down at the new, high-tech restraint on his wrist, laughing in disbelief. "You came prepared, didn't you? This is a specialized lock. Who gave this to you?"

I bit my lip, desperately trying to change the subject. "Kevin, youve been completely off the grid for three days. Mom and Dad are worried sick. Shouldn't you text them back first?"

I grabbed his phone from the nightstand.

There were dozens of unread messages in the family group chat.

From Mom: Where on earth are you? Youre not answering your phone. @Kevin

Dad had forwarded an email about an international board meeting, tagging Kevin: Your presence is required for this deal. Friday at 3:00 PM. Do not miss it.

Toby had sent a meme of a dog holding its own leash with the caption: Can't find my owner.

Even Zoe had sent a message: Una, do you prefer the blue or the black dress? I want us to wear matching sister outfits.

Then, ten minutes ago, Mom had sent another text: Una isn't coming home tonight?

My heart skipped a beat.

My fingers felt incredibly stiff as I typed: My seminar ran really late. Im just going to crash in the dorms tonight.

Mom replied almost instantly: Of course, sweetie. Don't push yourself too hard. Mom loves you! @Kevin you absolute brat, reply to me right now.

Before I handed the phone to Kevin, I hesitated.

"Kevin... you wouldn't want the family to find out that your little sister has you locked up in a basement, would you?"

Kevin: "..."

A vein throbbed on his temple.

He quickly sent a professional reply to the work emails, then dropped a quick message in the family chat to let them know he was safe.

Only then did he look back up at me.

He let out a long sigh, his voice softer than it had been all week. "Una. Come here. Let's talk."

"Even if we aren't blood-related, we've been brother and sister for a long time. Why do you have these feelings for me? Did I do something to lead you on?"

"Or is it because of everything thats happened recently? Are you feeling insecure? Did someone say something to make you feel like you don't belong?"

"Mom, Dad, and I have already talked. You and Zoe are both our daughters. The Calloways can easily support two girls."

I bit my lip, staying silent for a long time.

Why did I fall in love with Kevin?

When I was fifteen, I was kidnapped by one of my father's business rivals.

I was blindfolded, my hands and feet bound, locked in a freezing, pitch-black warehouse for what felt like an eternity. I had cried until my throat was raw and bleeding.

It was Kevin who broke down the door, completely alone, and pulled me out.

He had been wearing tactical gear soaked in sweat and blood, his face covered in cuts. He had held me so tight I could barely breathe.

Don't be scared, Una. Your brother is here.

I had buried my face in his chest, sobbing hysterically.

For the next year, I suffered from severe PTSD. I couldn't sleep. The only time I felt safe was when Kevin was near me.

I wanted him to eat with me. I wanted him to take me with him whenever he left the house.

And when he did, I wanted us to share a bed so I wouldn't wake up screaming from the nightmares.

And then?

I felt lost.

There was a massive, empty void in my chest that made me want more. I wanted to possess him completely.

But what else could I do?

Until the day Zoe came back.

It was like a bucket of ice water poured over my head.

I finally woke up.

I didn't want to be his sister.

I wanted to be his wife.

Slowly, I raised my head to look at him, my voice barely a whisper. "No one said anything to me, Kevin."

"I'm just a bad person. That's why I fell in love with you."

I looked at him, my eyes begging for a shred of hope. "Since we aren't actually siblings... could you ever love me? Even just a little bit?"

Kevin stared at me for what felt like an eternity.

Finally, he closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh.

"Una," he said softly. "There is already someone else. Someone I've loved for a very, very long time."