The issue soon spreads amongst the brothers.

Louis drives back home from work, resuming everything important at hand to check up on his precious gem.

Cassandra had reached home swiftly and didn't even bother to remove her clothes while she dumped herself on the bed and screamed into the pillow before crying her heart out.

How insolent can people be? How low they can stoop for revenge? Was it even her fault for Sharon to be taking revenge on her? She was a gold digger anyway.

"I hate you! I hate you!" Tearing the pillow apart, Cassandra screams atop her lungs as she couldn't perceive the noise of the front door opening with a thud and the door to her room too.

Someone quickly embraces her from behind. Startled, she begins thrashing her body around and a slight fear of someone kidnapping her occurs to her.

But it was only Louis who embraces her to calm her down, she identifies him by his infamous Dior cologne.

"Leave me! Get away! Ugh!!" Fighting against the strong man with her weak body, she finally gives up as he whispers sweet nothings into her ears. Louis personally couldn't manage himself when his dear ones cried in front of him.

Not to mention, someone else follows them inside as Louis was genuinely surprised by the male.

"Cassie? What happened, my dear?" The voice of the old man filtered with love and affection lingers in the air until Cassandra was able to get her senses back.

Her sobs slow down in intensity, she turns and tilts her neck to see their father with his luggage dumped in the room by the men who traveled with him to the estate.

"Papa..." her broken voice breaks more than one person as she quickly runs towards the tall male and is pulled into the warmest and the most affectionate hug in the entire world.

There was nothing that could harm her when she is in the safest place on Earth and other worlds. A father's embrace is the pinnacle of safety, calmness, and tenderness.

Stroking her hair softly, the old man, Johnson Sr looks at his eldest son and the ruler of his self-built empire.

Louis nods softly, and soon, all the brothers gather on the couch of the living room with Cassandra gently being patted to sleep on her father's lap.

"What do I do with Ms Denver? It's not like we can't remove her from the campus either. She is a good and reputed teacher." Zayn says, thinking about how the head of the department will disapprove to remove their good teacher from the profession.

Even if there was an influence, other students will be under pressure from new teachers and new atmospheres. It was in the middle of the semester too, they have to come up with a better idea.

"Darla and Sharon, they're a menace to her. I'm glad Ravine never was a problem."

"She might become one, Alex. Keep her in check and at bay from Cassie. She's going through too much. And the exams..." he looks at Cassandra whose lips were quivering at the mention of exams.

Dan kneels in front of her as her eyes follow his hand which tucks her loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"You have to tell us what to do, Cass. We can't live your situation."

"Let me deal with this my way. I don't want you guys to be involved. Please, just let me be." She says to the five who were shocked at her answer. Alex scoffs as he receives a few glares from the people.

"You're being stubborn now. Tell us exactly what happened." He rather demands. When Johnson Sr gives a hard glare at him as he corrects himself with a sigh that follows after, "Please?"
Sniffling, she begins to say what happened in tids and bits.

"So your whole class doesn't like you." Nick comments and adjusts his spectacles as Cassandra turns away from them to remain calm. Watching them makes her feel way too safe but she cannot afford that at the moment.
If they step into the rink to protect her from battles of her own, not only will they expose her to the world but she will also become the center of attraction.

Too many problems to count.

"Cassie, you have to change your schools. I don't care how that happens but-"

"No dad. I have to stay here. My progress is all here." Zayn stands back up as the eldest brother takes in a sharp breath and loosens his tie.

"Cassandra, you're suffering there! Why don't you-"

"Because I'm sick of you all protecting me all the time! I'm sick of how all of you are somehow the most handsome men and boys on earth while I'm just a skinny bitch who can't even lift my bed to clean under it! I'm no special than a rag doll!" Bursting out unexpectedly, the five stepbrothers look at Cassandra in absolute shock.

"I said what I said." Saying that, Cassandra gets back to her feet and with a banger of a headache trying to explode her skull, she makes her way out of the house in nothing but a coat around her school dress and house slippers.

The five brothers look at each other and at their father who was equally shocked at the girl's outburst.

Johnson Sr closes his eyes and approaches the eldest one.

"You were not supposed to shout at someone who is in distress themselves." He places his palm on Louis' shoulder and says to which the CEO lowers her head in shame.

"I'm sorry, papa."

"Say that to her." He tilts his head towards the main door from which she ran away.

A minute of silence passes by.

"Is there a place that she goes a little too often?" He asks the brothers, hoping for them to know since they all live together.

"I know where it is, papa." Dan takes the initiation, even if all the brothers do know the little spot beside the park.