Caspian’s grip tightened on the phone as he spat venomously, “Your sister has a death wish, and I’m going to make it come true.”

Orion’s response came after a slight pause, his tone bemused. “You mean my half-sister. And what the hell did she do now?”

“Let’s start with how she ambushed me at a restaurant, accused me of ditching her at an abortion clinic, claimed I assaulted her and broke her arm, then scared off the woman I was with. That woman happens to be the daughter of a man I was negotiating a fifty-million-dollar deal with, and your fucking sister just torpedoed it!” His foot slammed into the sidewall of his car tire, the metallic thud somewhat satisfying but nowhere near enough. Around him, curious eyes from nearby patrons stayed glued to the scene, making Caspian grit his teeth. Losing his temper in public wasn’t an option, as much as he craved to punch something.

“Well, you did break her arm,” Orion chuckled lightly, as if this were just another anecdote from their shared history.

Caspian glared at the empty air in front of him. “It was a damn accident.”

“Yeah, well, my dad’s convinced you were trying to murder her. I’ll admit I don’t care much for Perdita, but even I thought you were going a bit overboard.”

“Focus, Orion!” Caspian snapped, his frustration mounting. Their friendship had cooled significantly over the years, ever since Orion had moved away. While they used to share an unshakeable bond, the distance and lack of regular visits had taken their toll. He hadn’t been back to Vancouver in years, and though Orion’s occasional trips to Toronto had kept them in touch, those visits often left Caspian drained by Orion’s chaotic energy. The man was as scattered as ever, which only added to Caspian’s irritation. “Your sister’s stunt just cost my company millions. I need her address—now. She and I are having a serious conversation about boundaries.”

“I don’t have it,” Orion admitted casually.

“You don’t know where your sister lives?” Caspian asked incredulously.

“Half-sister, and yeah, I don’t know. Don’t care, either.”

“Fine. Then give me her phone number. My IT team will trace it.”

“I don’t have that, either.”

“How is it that you don’t even have her number? She’s your sister.”

“Half-sister,” Orion corrected again. “And we don’t talk. Ever. We share one meal a month because my dad’s will stipulates I have to, but that’s it. She’s not in my phone, not in my socials—nothing. I couldn’t even tell you where she works if my life depended on it.”

Caspian ran a hand through his hair, trying to process the absurdity of the situation. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Not at all. And frankly, I don’t give a damn. I tolerated Dad’s occasional weekends after court orders dictated it, and I played the dutiful son long enough in college to get him to foot the bill, but that’s as far as it goes. Perdita and her mother mean nothing to me. They never have. The only reason I show up at all is because my grandfather’s trust requires it or I lose my stipend. But Perdita? Screw her. She’s not family.”

“She’s biologically your sister, Orion,” Caspian retorted, his voice tight.

“Don’t care.”

Caspian let out a sharp exhale, clamping down on his rising anger. “I want her head on a goddamn spike.”

“Look, man, as much as I’d love to help, me calling my dad out of the blue to ask about Perdita would raise some massive red flags. Try talking to Ambrose—his little sister Sabine is friends with Perdita. She might know how to find her.”

“Great,” Caspian muttered before releasing a frustrated growl. “I swear, I’m going to kill her.”

Before Orion could respond, Caspian noticed a group of police officers approaching. He hissed into the phone, “I’ve got to go,” and ended the call. Turning to face the officers, he forced himself to rein in his temper. “Can I help you?” he asked, though his tone was loaded with irritation.

One of the officers, who had stopped a few paces ahead of the others, spoke up. “We received a report of a disturbance in this area.”

Caspian clenched his jaw as another officer, visibly uneasy, muttered, “Roid rage, maybe?” His hand hovered near a weapon—was that a taser?

He scoffed, his incredulity plain. “Roid rage? Seriously? I’m not on steroids.”

“We’ll need to see some ID,” the lead officer stated. “Have you been drinking tonight?”

Caspian immediately shot back, “No. I mean, yes—I had a couple of sips of wine, but only because that same glass was dumped over my head. Along with another one, for the record.”

A voice came from a passerby who was recording the interaction on their phone. “It wasn’t his date who threw it. It was his girlfriend. Caught him sneaking around with another woman after he abandoned her at a clinic earlier today.”

Caspian’s eyes squeezed shut as he battled the urge to scream. “She’s not my girlfriend!” he barked, his patience gone. “She’s my best friend’s insufferable little sister, and she’s trying to ruin my life!” His voice climbed in volume by the end of the sentence. Reaching slowly into his jacket, he added, “I’m getting my wallet to show you my ID. Don’t lose your nerve.”

“Nice and slow,” one officer cautioned, hands twitching near his weapon.

As Caspian handed over his wallet, his mind raced, incredulous at the absurdity of the situation. “Let me get this straight,” he said, his voice dripping with disdain. “After getting publicly humiliated, doused in wine, and having my entire evening ruined, I’m the one getting grilled by the cops? Meanwhile, the real culprit is nowhere to be found?”

The officer took the wallet and stepped back, holding up Caspian’s license under the glow of a streetlamp. Caspian’s lip curled as the man rifled through its contents, pulling out items without permission—a business card, a condom, and a worn photograph of Caspian’s mother.

Anger surged through him. “No drugs,” he stated flatly, before the officer could even ask. “And you’re not searching my car without a warrant.”

“We can arrest you for causing a disturbance,” the officer replied, undeterred.

Caspian crossed his arms over his broad chest and stared them down. “Go ahead. Arrest me. I’ll be out within hours, and by then, your department’s legal team will already be drowning in lawsuits. My lawyers are sharks, and trust me, they’d love to sink their teeth into this. You really want to test me?”

The officers exchanged uneasy glances as Caspian added, “Maybe you should look me up before you decide to keep this circus going.”