Chapter 7 The Other Ravengard

Ella's POV

"How could you leave me alone with your brother, Marga?" I complained as I returned to our table.

Miles had excused himself when his father called him over to join a group of guests who were clearly part of the Ravengards' business circle.

Margarette looked at me innocently as I sat beside her.

"What? You survived."

"Barely."

"Oh, please." She laughed. "I think you should be thanking me. From where I was standing, you and my brother seemed to be having a very nice conversation."

I rolled my eyes, though I couldn't deny that she was right.

To my surprise, talking to Miles hadn't been as awkward as I expected. After the coffee incident, I was just relieved I hadn't embarrassed myself again.

"He was just being professional," I said. "Besides, I found out why your father transferred me from Marketing."

Margarette immediately became interested. "Why?"

"Apparently, your father decided I'll be working directly under Miles as one of his executive assistants."

Her entire face lit up.

"Seriously?"

"Unfortunately."

She stared at me as though I had just said something completely absurd. "Ella, do you realize what this means?"

"That I'll probably embarrass myself in front of your brother every day?"

"No." Her grin widened. "It means you'll have plenty of opportunities to keep an eye on him."

I narrowed my eyes. "Why would I want to keep an eye on him?"

Margarette casually glanced toward the other side of the garden. I followed her gaze before I could stop myself.

Miles was standing with his father and several guests, but Sonia had somehow found her way back to his side. She was smiling at him while he listened to something she was saying.

I quickly looked away.

Margarette caught me anyway. "See?" she said. "At least now you won't have to be jealous of his ex from a distance."

"Marga! I'm not jealous."

"Of course you're not." She laughed, and I glared at her. I hated that she knew me so well.

Despite Margarette's teasing, I enjoyed the party and managed to forget about Miles for a while. Still, my eyes occasionally searched for him, and Sonia always seemed to be nearby.

I knew their closeness shouldn't bother me. They had known each other for years and once dated.

But seeing them laughing together still made me jealous. It was ridiculous. Miles had only returned today, and he didn't even know I'd admired him for years.

"I think I'm going inside for a while," I told Margarette.

"Why? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Just a little tired."

It was easier than admitting the truth. Before she could ask more questions, I slipped inside the mansion and sighed in relief as the noise faded behind me.

I had barely taken a few steps when someone suddenly appeared from the hallway.

I almost jumped.

"You scared me, Max!"

He laughed at my reaction. "Seriously, Ella? Do I look that terrifying?"

"When you appear out of nowhere like that, yes."

Maxwell Ravengard grinned, clearly amused.

Unlike the always polished Miles, Max looked more careless, with his jacket open, tie loose, and dark hair slightly messy. Still, his strong features made him unmistakably a Ravengard, only with a more rebellious edge.

His eyes moved toward the garden behind me.

"And where do you think you're going? The party just started."

"It did not just start. You're the one who arrived late."

He ignored that. "Dad will probably look for you."

"I doubt it. There are hundreds of people outside."

"That doesn't mean he won't notice you're missing."

I smiled faintly and tried to walk past him, but Max caught my wrist.

"Come on. Don't hide inside."

"Max."

"What?"

"You know I'm not very comfortable around your family's circle."

It was partly true.

The Ravengards were always surrounded by powerful and wealthy people, and despite living with them for years, I never completely felt part of their world. But tonight, that wasn't the real reason I wanted to escape.

The real reason was outside talking to his beautiful ex-girlfriend, and there was no way I was telling Max that.

He studied me before shaking his head. "Stop acting like you're a stranger, Ella. You've lived here for years. Dad treats you like a daughter, Mom cares about you, and Margarette considers you a sister. You're part of this family."

"That doesn't make me a Ravengard."

"You've been with us long enough. You're practically a Ravengard."

I laughed. "I don't think it works that way."

"It is now. I just decided."

"Getting into trouble doesn't give you that authority."

He placed a hand over his chest. "That was cruel."

"But true."

We both laughed, and I relaxed. That was the thing about Max. Despite all the trouble he caused, being around him had always been easy.

"Speaking of trouble, why did you arrive so late? It's your brother's welcome party."

His smile faded as he released my wrist and slipped his hands into his pockets.

"They didn't miss me anyway."

"Max."

"It's true. Miles is back. The perfect eldest son finally came home."

"Your parents still care about you."

He gave a humorless laugh. "Do they?"

I fell silent as he looked toward the garden, where Marcus was proudly introducing Miles to one guest after another.

Max watched them for a few seconds.

"Look at him," he said quietly. "He hasn't even been home for a full day, and everyone is already acting like the king has returned."

"Max..."

"I'm not blaming him."

That surprised me.

He leaned against the wall and folded his arms.

"Miles didn't do anything wrong. He worked hard and became everything Dad expected. Even while he was abroad, Dad constantly talked about his achievements and how he'd eventually take over the company."

There was no anger in his voice, only hurt, which somehow felt worse.

"And then there's me."

I frowned. "What about you?"

He looked at me and smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"I'm the son everyone expects to cause trouble."

I knew exactly what he meant. People had been calling Max the black sheep of the Ravengard family for years.

He was handsome, intelligent, and charming, but he had a talent for trouble. He partied too much, avoided responsibility, and occasionally landed in scandals that made Marcus furious.

But I had known Max long enough to see what most people didn't.

He wasn't stupid.

And I didn't believe he was bad.

Sometimes I wondered if getting into trouble was simply the easiest way for him to make sure his parents noticed him.

Miles had always been the heir.

Even from thousands of miles away, his presence filled the house. Marcus proudly spoke of his accomplishments, his mother often mentioned his success abroad, and everyone knew he would eventually return to lead the Ravengard empire.

Max had grown up in his shadow.

He had everything money could provide, but attention was different. Being cared for wasn't the same as feeling seen.

Sometimes, I thought that was all Max really wanted.

"You know what I think?" I asked.

He raised an eyebrow. "This should be interesting."

I stepped closer and looked directly at him.

"You act like you don't care what anyone thinks, but you do. Especially your father."

His smile slowly disappeared.

"You want him to notice you, Max. You just don't know how to ask for it without doing something that makes him angry."

For once, he had no clever response and simply looked away.

"You think you know me that well?"

"I've known you for years."

"That doesn't mean you understand everything."

"No," I agreed. "But I understand enough."

He became quiet.

For a moment, the only sounds between us came from the music and conversations drifting in from the garden.

Finally, Max looked at me again.

"That's why I like you, Ella."

I smiled. "Because I lecture you?"

"No." His expression softened. "Because you're probably the only person in this house who looks at me and doesn't immediately see Miles's disappointing younger brother."

My heart tightened.

"I've never seen you that way."

"I know."

Something about the way he said it made me pause.

His eyes remained on mine for a second longer than usual before his familiar grin returned.

"Now come back outside before Margarette starts looking for you and accuses me of kidnapping her best friend."

I laughed. "I'm still tired."

Before I could protest, he took my hand and led me toward the garden.

"Come on, Ella."

I shook my head, laughing as we stepped outside.

My eyes immediately found Miles.

He was no longer talking to Sonia. Instead, he was staring at us, his gaze fixed on Max’s arm around my shoulders.

His expression remained calm, but when our eyes met, his jaw tightened.

Was he bothered?

That didn’t make sense. Max had always been playful and affectionate with me. There was nothing unusual about it.

At least, not to me.

But judging by Miles’s expression, he didn’t seem pleased.