Serena POV

Serena Holt hated mornings like this. The kind where the sun was barely up, yet the world seemed determined to drag her into chaos before she even had her first coffee. Her heels clicked sharply against the marble floor as she stormed toward her office, phone in hand, mentally preparing for the day ahead.

“Fiona,” she barked the moment her assistant appeared, “did you confirm the car arrangements for my siblings’ visit today?”

“Yes, Ms. Holt. Damien is here, ready to drive them wherever you need,” Fiona replied, careful to keep her voice calm.

Serena’s eyebrow arched. “Finally. I don’t have time for incompetence. I need someone reliable.”

She had barely finished the sentence when Damien Reid walked in – tall, confident, and annoyingly composed, dressed too casually for her liking. Jeans, sneakers, a hoodie… and that smirk that immediately grated on her nerves.

“I’m Damien, your driver,” he said smoothly, flashing a smile that seemed to say, I know more than you think.

Serena’s eyes narrowed. “Your job is to drive. Not joke. Not smirk. Just drive—and don’t make mistakes.”

Damien tilted his head, the smirk unshaken. “Understood… I think.”

That was all it took. Serena clenched her jaw. This was going to be a long day.

****

Her siblings arrived shortly after, Vanessa bounding in first, followed by Clara and Liam, their cheerfulness filling the office. Serena groaned internally. She hadn’t lived with them for years, but they still had the uncanny ability to drive her up the wall instantly.

“Serena!” Vanessa shouted, hugging her tightly. “We’re so excited to be here!”

Nora danced around them, her energy uncontainable. Liam, the only boy, leaned casually against the wall, already smirking at the tension in the room.

Serena pinched the bridge of her nose. “Can we keep this civilized? We have a schedule.”

“Schedule?” Nora scoffed. “You sound like a robot.”

Vanessa laughed. “Please, Serena, can we get ice cream after this? Just a little?”

Serena’s blood pressure spiked. “Absolutely not! I have work! Deadlines! Meetings! Ice cream is not happening!”

Liam started singing some ridiculous made-up song about ice cream, further escalating her irritation.

Damien, calm as ever, stood by the car keys, clearly unbothered by the chaos around him. That only made Serena grind her teeth harder.

“Get in the car,” she barked. “Now.”

****

The drive should have been simple. Damien behind the wheel, Serena in the passenger seat, siblings in the back. But chaos seemed determined to follow her everywhere. Vanessa leaned forward, squealing at every turn. Clara laughed, making exaggerated comments about Damien’s “driving skills.” Liam, naturally, joined in with obnoxious chants and hand gestures.

Serena’s grip on the dashboard tightened. “Focus, Damien! I do not want another… incident,” she said, her mind flashing uncomfortably to the accident years ago—the one that had changed everything.

Her siblings had been in the car with her that day too. The accident had left Vanessa grieving a lost pregnancy, Clara in a coma for a month, and Liam with lingering injuries. Serena had escaped with minor scratches, but the guilt and blame from her mother had never left her. Every chaotic moment behind the wheel still made her heart race.

And now, with Damien and her siblings, the tension was back.

A sudden honk from another car startled everyone. Vanessa shrieked. Clara grabbed the seat in front. Liam yelped, flailing slightly. Serena’s heart jumped. “Damien! Watch the road!”

Damien’s calm voice cut through the panic. “Relax, Ms. Holt. I’ve got this.”

Serena wanted to scream. His composure, his smug confidence, it was maddening. And yet… it was also the only thing keeping her from panicking completely.

****

By the time they reached their destination, Serena’s nerves were shredded. Her siblings spilled out of the car, still giggling, while Damien stepped out, hands in pockets, giving her that irritating smirk once again.

“You survived your siblings,” he said lightly. “Congratulations.”

Serena stared at him, speechless for a moment. Then she muttered, “Don’t get used to it.”

But as she walked into the building, phone ringing in hand, heart still racing from the near-chaos, she knew something. Today wasn’t going to be simple. Not with her siblings around, not with Damien behind the wheel, and certainly not with the past she tried so hard to bury threatening to surface at any moment.

And maybe… just maybe… this was only the beginning.

Damien watched Serena disappear inside, smirk tugging at his lips. This is going to be fun.