Chapter 1
Antoine

Opening the front door, Antoine braced himself for what felt like the most challenging moment of his life: a day of deception. His father, Robert—a man he’d only known for five days—was picking him up for some forced family bonding. Antoine was not happy. Not one bit.

“You ready, son?” Robert asked, his voice overly cheerful.

Antoine pushed past him, clutching his worn-out backpack.

“Who the hell is he calling ‘son’?” he muttered under his breath, not caring if Robert heard.

He was only going through with this charade because of his mother. Even then, it had been like pulling teeth. As he headed toward the car, Antoine glanced back to see Robert still lingering by the front door, exchanging words with his mother, Theresa. She stood there, arms crossed, her expression as cold as her words had been last night when she’d tried to convince Antoine this was a good idea.

“Honey, this will be good for you,” she’d said. “You need a male figure in your life to guide you in ways I can’t.”

“I couldn’t care less about Robert or his other bastard children!” Antoine had shot back.

She’d scolded him for that, but it didn’t change how he felt. His so-called siblings were just like him: alone, unsure of themselves, and now forced to deal with a father who had been absent for years.

Antoine slid into the backseat of Robert’s car. No way was he sitting in the front. That would just invite conversation, and he had no interest in talking. As Robert wrapped up his exchange with Theresa, Antoine noticed his mother’s icy glare hadn’t softened one bit. Whatever she’d said, it had clearly stung. Antoine almost smiled. Get him, Mom. Don’t let him think he’s won you over just because he’s dragging me off with him.

Robert’s face was tight as he approached the car, the forced smile doing little to hide his discomfort. He climbed into the driver’s seat, started the engine, and for a moment, the silence stretched between them like a chasm neither of them wanted to cross.

The drive was slow, every mile feeling like a lifetime. Antoine didn’t bother asking where they were going. It didn’t matter. Wherever it was, it wasn’t going to be pleasant.

“It’ll be nice for you to get to know your siblings,” Robert ventured, his voice dry, breaking the hour-long silence.

Antoine kept his gaze on his lap, focused on his phone. Video games were a good distraction from the awkwardness.

“What are you playing?” Robert asked, trying again.

“Game,” Antoine muttered, keeping his answer as short as possible.

“What kind of game?”

Antoine turned off his phone and locked eyes with Robert through the rearview mirror. The silence that followed was deliberate, pointed. Robert waited, hoping for some kind of response, but none came. Instead, they were left with the bland music Robert had playing on the radio, the kind that was meant to fill the space but only made the tension more obvious.

“I know this might be hard for you to understand—” Robert began.

“It’s not, actually,” Antoine interrupted, voice cold.

“This is hard for me, too, Antoine. So much harder than you or your brothers and sister might realize.”

“Right,” Antoine scoffed. “Was your whole life a lie, too? Because I spent mine thinking my father died in a car accident when I was a baby. Then you show up, uninvited, acting like I’m supposed to care. I don’t need you. None of us do.”

Robert winced but kept his voice steady. “It’s more complicated than you think, son—”

“Stop calling me ‘son’!” Antoine’s voice erupted, his anger sharp. The car jerked to a halt in the middle of the road.

Robert turned in his seat to face him. “I am your father, whether you like it or not, Antoine. I know I wasn’t there when you needed me. But I’m here now, and that’s what matters. In a few minutes, you’re going to meet your siblings, and you can’t sit there and pretend we don’t matter. Because we do. I know I have a lot to make up for, but I’m here. And when the time is right, I’ll explain everything.”

Antoine’s fists clenched. “Too late.”

“What?”

“You’re here too late,” he repeated, biting down hard on his lip to stop the tears threatening to spill.

“It’s never too late,” Robert said quietly, turning the car back into drive.

They pulled up to a campsite, the open air a stark contrast to the suffocating tension inside the car. The air was clean, free of city smog, and for a brief moment, the serenity of nature almost distracted Antoine from the turmoil swirling inside him.

“So,” Antoine began, chewing at his lip as he prepared to strike. “How many bastards do you have, Robert?”

Robert sighed, finally parking the car. He didn’t respond right away. Instead, he got out, beginning to unload camping gear from the trunk.

“They’re your siblings. Don’t refer to them like that.” Robert’s voice had a sharpness that surprised Antoine, a tone that felt like an invisible leash tightening around his neck. Antoine swallowed, instinctively reaching for his throat as the pressure grew.

“Well, that’s what they are,” Antoine said, pushing back. “What I am. I think it fits.”

Robert dropped the gear and turned, his glare hard. For the first time, Antoine felt a weight to Robert’s words, something almost unnatural. His instinct screamed at him to stop, but his anger kept pushing forward.

Robert stepped closer, his looming figure casting a shadow that seemed to grow with each step. Antoine’s breath quickened, fear mixing with confusion. He didn’t know this man—didn’t know what he was capable of.

“Stop,” Robert warned, his voice low and dangerous. “I can only take so much.”

Antoine’s resolve faltered, but his pride kept him from backing down completely. He turned away, grabbing his backpack from the car.

As they trudged through the campsite, the sounds of nature gave way to shouts and arguing from up ahead. Antoine’s palms grew sweaty.

What if they don’t like me? What if they think I’m weird—

He shook his head. It didn’t matter if they liked him or not. They were connected by one thing: Robert. And that was enough.