Chapter 2: Chapter 2

- Oh, Logan. – instead of getting scared or angry with his reaction, Megan's face just became even more sympathetic and pious. – It is something that is out of your control.

Yes, he'd always known it wasn't under her control. And that was the part that infuriated him the most and, as much as he hated to admit it, it also terrified him. Over the past few years, he had seen the curse take effect before his very eyes, surrounding him more and more, as if warning that he would be next.

The first was Diana. She had accompanied him six years ago when he visited the office of a security firm he planned to hire for his modeling agency. They were about to enter the meeting when one of the doors to the adjoining rooms burst open, nearly hitting her sister in the face in the process. And Diana, as temperamental as he was, was clearly ready to make the person responsible for that regret having been born... Until his eyes met Paul's, who quickly left his office apologizing, and Logan turned around. to happen, before him, the curse he had heard about all his life – even though he was the only Knight who actually called it a curse.

Of course, at the time he wasn't upset that his little sister had found love. After all, it was a troubled time in Diana's life when she was still hanging out with her old high school sweetheart, a complete idiot named Jeremy King, who wasn't even worth the dirt under her shoes. And, even if he didn't have hard evidence to that effect, he was pretty sure that King had been violent with Diana, even if she refused to admit it. So for years, every Knight had been trying everything they could to finally convince her to be done with that big piece of shit once and for all... Until she exchanged just one look with Paul Bryant and it was finally resolved - especially after Jeremy tried to get in their way and Paul, being a very well trained private detective, gave him the lesson, which, to Logan and Devon's enormous delight, involved several broken bones on King's part.

Obviously, he was more than happy that Diana had found the happiness she deserved with a madly in love husband and a beautiful, sweet little daughter that she conceived just a few months after meeting Paul. Yet, even so, the intensity of the sudden love he had seen rise in his sister on that fateful day would haunt him forever. In the space of a few seconds, Diana had fallen deeply in love. And he would never forget the despair he felt when he looked into her dreamy blue eyes and realized that the curse had completely enveloped her. They were very lucky that Paul was an honorable and kind man, who took a short time to return his sister's love in the same intensity. But what if he turned out not to be a good man? What if he was an asshole like Jeremy, or even worse? Her sister would be irreversibly in love and devoted to a man who would make her life hell and there would be no way to get her heart back. He knew what that was like kind of misery. He had seen it happen with his own eyes. And would never forget.

Then, just over a month ago, he'd seen the curse manifest again. This time with Devon. They were in his office, discussing the profiles of some digital influencers that they could manage, when his brother had opened the file of one of the options chosen by his marketing team... And Logan saw it happen again. The drastic change in the look, the delighted smile, and the feverish expression, as if his brother's life had only started to make sense from that moment on...

And it was just one goddamn photo: one shot of that woman's image and Devon was already completely lost.

Lost and insane, since he didn't even rest until Megan agreed to participate in an interview at her agency and he could finally meet her in person. He would never know what really happened between the two of them that first day, but judging by Megan's incredulous look as she almost ran out of her brother's office and the dark lipstick smeared all over Devon's mouth, Logan had a few guesses. Unlike Diana, Devon had had to fight a little harder to convince Megan that he wasn't a complete lunatic with the whole love-at-first-sight thing, but then again, like their sister, he'd been lucky. Megan was level-headed and realistic, but she hadn't been able to stop falling in love with Devon, and in just a few short weeks, she'd finally given up completely, even though she'd managed to convince him to take things a little slower than he had. would.

And there were her brothers, in love and happy. With luck, they would stay that way forever, like their parents. However, despite all the joy and love that exuded from them, watching them, Logan couldn't help a little annoyance overwhelm him. There was no justice in those situations. They were forced to fall in love in that crazy way. There had been no free will or even the opportunity to say no. Maybe his father, Diana, and Devon didn't feel like they were forced to fall in love, but that's exactly how Logan saw it. His mother, Paul and Megan were fantastic people and he loved them, but still, how could he passively accept all of that when it came to himself? How could he just sit quietly and do nothing, waiting for "fate" to choose who he would love so deeply that he would rather die than live without? For years, he had made his own destiny. For years, he had been the one to build a future for himself and his family. And he had done it all with effort, opportunities, planning and logic. Fate and "magic", which his family loved to talk about, never gave him anything but the prospect of being affected by that stupid curse.

After so long being the only one to chart his own path, was it fair that his ability to choose was ripped from him like this? That he was forced to love forever a person he didn't even know if he would be worthy of his devotion?

Of course it wasn't. And that was why he hated that damn legacy so deeply, no matter what his family said. He didn't want to love any woman, let alone forever. He didn't want to belong to anyone. He wanted to remain the only one who had control over himself and that curse could ruin everything he had built for himself after years of fighting.

All because he had no control over “true love” or whatever other ridiculous name his ancestors called that nonsense. Maybe Megan was wrong to call him a skeptic: he believed in the existence of things that couldn't be explained. Being a Knight, it would be impossible not to believe. The difference was that he despised them with all his might and would despise them forever, especially if the curse caught up with him and he was forced to love any woman against his will. Because, even if his family liked to try to make him believe that his “predestined soulmate” would certainly be someone worthy of being loved, the truth is that there was nothing that could give him absolute guarantees about that.

And, in the blink of an eye, he could be destroyed by love.

As his grandfather had been.

And frankly, even if the woman the curse decided to trap him with was the best person in the world, a part of him would still hate her. She would hate that she wasn't the one he would choose. She would hate that she'd messed up the whole life he'd worked so hard to rebuild since he was a teenager.

He would hate her simply for existing.

So even if everything that was coming out of Megan's letters was already complete irrelevant nonsense, she was wrong about that too: he had gone through the last 30 years unscathed by that curse. It was the furthest a Knight had ever gone, as far as he knew, without find a partner in that horrendous way. And even if everything turned against him and the woman destined to ruin him came along, he would fight it. Heavens, he'd beaten so many worse things. Maybe he didn't need to fear his own heart so much.

He would certainly be able to beat him too, if unfortunately the moment came.

After all, even if all the other Knights disagreed with him about it, it wouldn't be true love when it happened to him. It would be a spell warping reality. A curse affecting his senses. For centuries, Knights had suffered from it, falling irreversibly in love and simply accepting their fate without complaint. But not him. He would prove immune to the curse, one way or another. Because even if she tried to force him to love someone, he would prove stronger.

Long ago, he had promised himself that Logan Knight's heart and life belonged only to himself.

And to no one else.

- The whole world could get out of my control someday, Megan. But if there's one thing I can guarantee you... - His voice turned cold and rough, almost as if this was a threat, not to his sister-in-law, but to any otherworldly force he might think could make him act. against your will - Is that I control myself. And I will never allow anyone to change that. – Megan's eyes became even sadder when he snarled that last part – If you don't mind, could you show me which is the last card? I want to get this over with. With an irritated sigh, he leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest to try to disguise the tension in his muscles.

Megan, however, remained a few more seconds just looking at him intensely, almost as if she was trying to read his soul. Fortunately for him, after several endless moments of pure silence, she turned her attention to the last card and turned it over, revealing an image of a huge moon with the profile of a woman's face emblazoned on it. Beneath the bright moon, there were what appeared to be two howling dogs, standing right next to a river where a species of crustacean, which looked to be something between a scorpion and a lobster, seemed about to attack them.

- The moon. Megan's eyes, instead of widening like the other two times, were now narrowed with doubt and concern. - It's the card that represents what can solve your problem... But its meaning talks about issues that are not yet well delineated and illusions... - now almost exasperated, Megan raised her distressed gaze to him - Logan, the The future of this situation is still very unclear. You have many mistakes in your past and they will impact your present soon. – Her sister-in-law chewed her bottom lip, as she watched the first two letters with pure uneasiness – You have to be careful. If you don't start fixing these mistakes as soon as possible, they will define your future and maybe you'll end up missing something very important. Maybe one of the most important things you can have in your life. – Megan spoke each word slowly, regret and concern permeating each letter, as if she really was revealing to him the greatest of prophecies.

“Don't waste your worry on me, Megan. - With a sneer, Logan just got up from the chair - I know what I do. And, believe me, if I really lose something, as you said, know that it was because I wanted to lose.

- I really hope so, Logan. – Megan shook her head, looking exhausted as she gently collected her letters and put them back – I'm already starting to think of you as the brother I never had and I'd hate to see you suffer. – The way she said that last part sounded like she was already ready to see him cry, which only made him laugh even harder.

“Like I said, Megan, don't waste your concern on me. I know how to take care of myself. And, above all, I know how to make my choices.

She looked ready to take a breath and say something else to him when the doorbell rang, interrupting her.

- It must be Missy! – Megan jumped out of the chair, her face now completely lit – I'll get her! - She warned Devon, almost bursting with joy - I'm sure you all will love her! And, wow, she's going to love being a part of this family...! Megan continued to speak to no one in particular as she headed for the front door, quickly moving away from them.

- Hey! - Logan exclaimed when he felt a punch on her arm, turning to see Devon staring at him with irritation.

- Why do you always want to be like this? – Her brother rolled his eyes, clearly more possessed with her behavior than Logan had expected – The tarot means a lot to Megan. Her paternal grandmother was also a tarot reader and she created the YouTube channel and later her brand of products just to honor her. And, mainly, in addition to the younger sister, the therapeutic tarot was one of the things that helped her the most not to fall into depression after her father died. That's why, Logan... - Devon growled, looking at him seriously - I hope you have more respect from now on! And above all, treat Missy with as much courtesy as that heart of stone of yours will allow!

- And why wouldn't I? She will be part of the family after all. – Logan rolled his eyes, already annoyed by his brother's exaggeration – Are you afraid I'm going to bite her, or what?

- Missy is one of the most important people in Megan's life and I want her to feel welcome in our family! And, now that you've been able to offend something as harmless as my girlfriend's tarot just because of your irrational fear of the family legacy, I don't doubt anything else from you.

- I already told you it wasn't on purpose. – Logan sighed, not even bothering to mention that what Devon was calling “legacy”, for him was nothing more than a great punishment – Come on, Devon, you know I would never hurt anyone in the family on purpose. And I already consider Megan my sister.

The truth in his words seemed to calm Devon's temper a bit as his shoulders relaxed and he took a deep breath before speaking again.

- I know so, brother, sorry. I just don't want Megan to feel like she's not welcome here. – Devon sighed, looking worried – Introducing her sister to all of us is a big step for her. Missy has never met any of her other boyfriend's family and I know it will mean a lot to Megan if we all welcome her as one of us too.

- And we'll take her in. – His mother spoke for the first time, calling Logan's attention to the rest of the family, who remained there, even after all the commotion between him, Megan and the letters. “If everything Megan tells you about her is true, then we won't even have to try.

- She's really a very sweet girl. Devon smiled; the kind of brotherly smile Logan had only seen him use when he was talking about Diana—and a very smart one, too. I know Megan repeats this all the time, but she got her Masters in Software Engineering in record time. It's amazing what she can do at just 23 years old. I even thought of inviting her to develop some program that could help us at the agency...

- Trying to win over your sister-in-law with nepotism? – Logan couldn't help but tease his little brother, earning a sour look from him.

- Logan! – the voices of both his parents scolded him, in unison.

- It was just a joke. – With a laugh, he placed his hand on his brother's shoulder, giving him a supportive squeeze – If she's that talented, then of course I won't be against hiring her. And you have nothing to worry about: - Logan assured, his smile widening even more when he heard the sound of footsteps approaching the garden - Mom is right. To me, Melissa Sutton is family too. And you know that for me nothing is more important than our family.

- Folks! - Logan smiled fondly when he saw Devon's face light up when Megan's voice came and her passionate eyes fixed on him over his shoulder, where she certainly was; as much as he loathed the supernatural punishment that came with his family name, at least there was a silver lining to it: his younger brothers, whom he had often even seen as his own children, had been given the opportunity to of knowing unparalleled happiness - That's my little sister, Missy!

Flashing his best smile, Logan turned, preparing to welcome the newest member of the family...

And then it happened.

Even with the many years he'd spent wondering what the curse felt like, fearing if his reactions would really be uncontrollable, trying to convince himself that maybe he wouldn't even be hit... Nothing could have prepared him for the intensity of that feeling. It was sudden and dizzying, like being struck by lightning. It was desperate and desperate, like the feeling of drowning. The only difference is that it was pleasant. No, that wasn't the right word. It was splendid. He suddenly found himself wanting to be riddled with that feeling forever. Yearning to drown in the sublime feelings that just the mere sight of that woman smiling shyly provoked in him. And when finally her bright brown eyes met his, Logan felt as if someone had destroyed a wall inside his chest. As if a glacier were enveloping her heart and Megan's sister had suddenly melted her. Thanks to her, everything about him now felt warm and warm.

Hot, warm and alive. His hands ached from touching her. Her legs demanded that he go to her. Her arms clamored to wrap around her. Her lips tingled, thirsting to find hers. It was as if every part of his body had truly awakened the first time in your life. As if they had a mind of their own. And his only desire was for Missy Sutton.

And for that, he hated her.

He hated everything about the situation: her insane body cravings, the disconcerting feeling in his chest, the insane concentration his mind – usually so rational – seemed to have directed at every detail about that girl. He hated the way that curse was stronger than he'd ever imagined. And he hated how indisputable it was that she really had irreversibly changed him.

But mostly he hated Missy Sutton.

Why did she have to exist? Why mess up a lifetime of comfort and freedom he had built up after so much suffering? He was proud of who she was and the things he had done. Never in his life had he allowed life's pitfalls to stop him. He had struggled with poverty, fear, uncertainty... Why did that curse have to be stronger than all that? Why did that woman have to be standing right there, making him want to surrender to everything he hated the most? Why did she make him want to let himself be carried away by that imposition of fate? It seemed so easy, so tempting: he had only to hold out his hand and she would enter his life. They would form a family, as Diana had with Paul, and she would forever become the center of his universe, as Megan was Devon's—damn it, in just one second, she'd already become the center of his universe, no matter how much. he hated to admit it. He would come to believe in true love and magic, like his family. He would stop calling a curse a curse and thank the family legacy for bringing Missy Sutton to him.

And he wouldn't even remember that it all happened against his will.

No, it wasn't true. He remembered. He remembered his hatred, his revulsion at losing his ability to choose. And that's what saved him, at least in part. A good part of his mind was occupied by thoughts of that damned girl, but not all of her. Part of him still reasoned. Part of him was still there, not erased by that false love that had taken root in his soul. The curse was strong, but luckily his willpower was too. He could still fight it all.

He would fight it all. Against that cursed legacy. Against this woman, who was now the embodiment of everything he despised most.

His body, soul, heart and mind might be intoxicated forever, but he wouldn't let himself be swayed by what they were begging for right now: her. Because Logan Knight was master of his own destiny. He would always make his own choices. And all those stupid stories that had been in the family for generations could go to hell.

Because it didn't matter if that girl was his soul mate, his fated love, or any other shit like that.

He had chosen to stay away from her. And he would.

That excruciating feeling of pain that gripped him at the thought of walking away from her could go to hell too.

- Hi. – Megan's sister greeted everyone around and her sweet and silky voice made him want to purr; an almost uncontrollable instinct, which made him hate her even more – It's a pleasure to finally meet you.

Damn it, he couldn't stay here, seeing her smile like that. Otherwise, he would do something he would surely regret later, like kiss her or ask her to marry him. Suddenly feeling like a caged animal – one that was inexplicably trying to resist the juiciest prey of all – he dropped his gaze to the ground, irritated to find that even that wasn't helping. Not only did her presence feel almost solid around him, drawing him in like a magnet, but he also felt his neck quivering, trying to get him to look at her again.

- I need to go. He forced the words out of his throat and they came out in a dry, possessed growl.

- Are you okay, my son? - Daniel, who for being sitting in the wheelchair could see his furious expression more easily, even if Logan was almost with his chin glued to his chest to disguise his reactions, asked, worried. And even without looking at them, Logan could feel his family turning all their attention to him.

- I have to go. – unable to stand to stay a single second longer in that place, knowing that he was losing control over himself more and more and could give in to the temptation to take that woman in his arms at any moment, Logan gave up trying to pretend any normality and hurried on. out of his parents' house, almost running past the Sutton sisters to reach the inside of the house and finally get away from it all.

However, even though he managed to contain his desire to pull Missy close to him as he passed beside her, he still wasn't strong enough to stop himself from looking at her one last time. And the scared expression in her pretty pale face, her cheeks flushed against her long dark hair... It made him feel like he was swimming against the strongest of currents, having to fight the excruciating urge to go back out there and do it. anything to replace that fear with a smile.

But he didn't. And he never would.

Getting into his car like he was being chased by hellfire, Logan drove away from that place, trying his best to ignore the uneasiness growing inside him, as if there was a current pulling him in the opposite direction, back to his sister. Megan. But he wouldn't budge. He would spend that day away from Melissa Sutton. I mean, the week. Or rather, the month.

Damn, what was he thinking? He had to spend the rest of his entire life away from her.

And he would. Of course yes. There was no doubt. Logan Knight was determined enough to get what he wanted.

All he needed now was to find a way to forget that so much of him wanted Missy Sutton.