Chapter I - Faith or Coincidence

There were only a few families of Noble blood remaining in England, one of which were the Churchill family, who were considered the most prestigious and powerful among the Nobility. Despite this, its Duke —or head— gave the name a bad impression. At least, that was what others believed. Levi Churchill, the Duke of house Churchill, was known as a lazy, condescending, foul, and troubled child in the past, whom despite having excellent intellect and being regarded as a genius and a prodigy, put zero effort into anything he did and never worked hard for anything in his life. "Never going the extra mile," his late teachers would describe it, or "A genius in the head but still lacking the effort." He had no goals and barely attended any of his classes and often skipped school to do whatever. Hence, he was often the one causing the most if not all the trouble in his family. Thus, his siblings resented him for how much of a delinquent he was.

This played a key role in why Levi dropped out when he graduated from secondary school, shortly after his parents died in a car accident; he was only sixteen. Levi was the youngest of four in his family but it was stated in the will of his mother and father that the eldest son would inherit at least seventy percent of their wealth and land while the remaining siblings would receive only the remaining thirty percent left, and they would all split it equally. However, Levi was the only boy and he only had older sisters and no brothers. Thus, more than half his family's possessions were given to him.

Because of his overwhelming inheritance, Levi saw absolutely no need to continue his education and get an actual job. Levi had no plans for the future but knew one thing; with his wealth and status, then surely he'd be fine for the rest of his life and could live peacefully with much leisure; he could do whatever he wanted whether that was to drink his days away or have a different woman in his bed every night.

———

LEVI'S POV

"Sweet mother of Jesus fucking Christ..."

I was awoken by Cosette's —my elder sister of four years— disappointed sigh. I laid on my back, letting out an exasperated groan as the random woman next to me whom I forgot the name of opened her eyes. I met her at my local pub and took her home for the night just after buying her a drink. Then the next thing I knew, here we were, hungover and naked under the blanket. I stared at my sister and examined her features. It was the usual; she had a slim build with an hourglass figure and stood at 5'10", with very smooth tanned skin with too many freckles on her face, long and wavy dirty ginger hair that ended at her hips, and small amber eyes. To anyone, Cosette would appear very beautiful but to me, I've seen better-looking women.

People often mistook us for a married couple as we lived together and looked nothing alike. Unlike Cosette, I had hair as black as soot, bright blue eyes, large and round glasses, a few freckles on my nose and cheeks, and stood at 6'2". However, a few similarities we had were our tall bodies and tanned skin.

"Levi, you cannot be serious!" Cosette exclaimed, analyzing my bedroom floor that consisted of my and the girl's clothes and used rubbers. "I take the night shift one fucking time and I strictly advised you not to bring any sluts into the house in my absence! You are a Nobleman for the love of God; have some decency!"

"Don't start, 'sette, it is too early for this," I complained. My sister stared at me as if I was a buffoon. "It is 1 PM, you dick," she said. "You missed breakfast and lunch," The girl I slept with awkwardly excused herself and rushed to pick up all her belongings before exiting my room, and hopefully my house after she was dressed. "You scared her off, Cosette," I snapped at my sister. "I wanted to get her number." Cosette sighed and rubbed her nose bridge. Damn, I pissed her off quite well. "I will go make you something to eat, so go clean up!" Cosette ordered me before stomping out of the room, leaving me.

Shit. Why did I think living together would be a good idea?

On some days it was, some not. After the death of our parents nearly five years ago, I didn't want to continue living in our old mansion for certain reasons, so I wanted to move into one of the many houses my parents owned since they were smaller and were perfect for one person to live in. I chose a house uphill that was just ten minutes away from the main manor. And while I wanted to live alone, twenty-one-year-old Cosette at that time didn't want that because I was too "irresponsible." Thus, she demanded to come live with me and promised to move out once I was a "person fit for society." Honestly, I didn't see anything wrong with it. Ever since then, she had been nagging me to work and not make stupid decisions. While Cosette wanted to go with me, our other sisters were happy to see me leave. And I didn't blame them.

Now, turning twenty-one and still living with my twenty-five-year-old sister who was studying to become a child psychiatrist. At the moment, she was on break from college but still had a few years left before she graduates. Cosette had a full scholarship and paid for her own essentials, so she was very financially independent despite my offering to pay for everything. Well, it was the least I could do for the only sister that didn't hold a grudge against me for my past.

I couldn't afford for 'sette to get even more upset at me, so I got up from my bed and cleaned up my room and threw away all the rubber I used the night prior, as I think I had just traumatized my sister. I mean, she had seen me laying down with several other women in the past and she even dragged me out of a pub once when I got too drunk. But never after a long night of work. I felt bad. I threw on a fresh new pair of trousers but couldn't be bothered to find a top, so I left my room without one.

"Colette rang me earlier," Cosette informed me as she placed down a plate of baked salmon with broccoli on the table for me. "What did she say?" I asked, grabbing a cold beer from our refrigerator. Colette was her twin sister who moved away to the U.S. to jumpstart her modelling career. "She was just calling to ask about...our plans for this Christmas. It's the only time she gets to visit, after all,"

"Did she say our plans or your plans?" I questioned, opening the can. "I doubt she or Eponine would want me to be part of the holidays. You know how they feel about me," Cosette deeply sighed, shaking her head at me. "Do not be so hard on yourself, Levi, you know you're trying to learn from your past mistakes,"

"Don't even try and sugar-coat it, Cosette," I insisted before taking a seat at the table. "Besides, did Colette talk about my birthday? Which is on the same day as Christmas?" Cosette hesitated, avoiding eye contact with me. "No," she simply answered. I looked down at my food as I suddenly recalled how strained and broken my relationship was with my two other sisters. "Colette and Eponine hate me," I sighed with a forced smile. "Do you blame them?" Cosette asked straightforwardly. "No, no I don't, 'sette. I honestly wouldn't hold it against them," I answered truthfully before I begin eating my sister's cooking. "Moving on..." Cosette took a seat across from me. "I see your body has become more defined; quite impressive,"

I smirked at her compliment, especially because I was quite proud of how much I built my body over the years. "I appreciate it. I've gotten one hell of a workout these past few months not to mention I began a no-sugar diet," But Cosette only stared at me, unimpressed. "I see," she started. "I guess you can have the time to do a strict workout every day but never make space for your actual work," I paused and avoided her gaze. She knew. "Cosette..."

"William, your ever-so hard-working secretary, rang me earlier this morning and informed me that you haven't been to our manor at all this week and you weren't answering him every time he attempted to contact you," she continued in a scolding tone. "Levi, why on Earth are you avoiding work again? I understand you can be lazy, especially when we were kids, but this isn't like you. This very high and impressionable position you are in is the only way you make your money and you and I are both aware that you make a lot from not only being the Duke of Churchill but also from your duties as a Nobleman. So, why run away?"

I still used our old childhood manor but only for work. Since Nobility is right below Royalty, I mainly only managed British military bases and the land they were occupying, as per the history between my family and the military. My father was a military veteran and served in the Royal Marines for ten years before stepping down.

Honestly, I had no idea why I decided not to work for an entire week and why I ignored my secretary's calls. I thought I'd gotten past my laziness. I suppose I've always had this mindset that as long as I had my inheritance money, then I'd be fine but I always forgot to consider what position I was in. Even as a child, I've only ever thought about the money I was going to get off this job I inherited from my father and almost never what I had to do. I've tried to change that ever since I was sixteen. "I don't...know, 'sette," I answered. "I guess I just haven't felt like it recently," Cosette shook her head. "Perhaps if you stopped drinking so much then it will help," she suggested, whether sarcastically I would never know. I scoffed. "Sure, I will make sure to look into that, dear sister of mine."

It wasn't that money was all I cared for but I just never bothered to put in the extra work in anything I did. "I'll tell you what," my sister continued. "I ran into Ross earlier and he asked me to tell you he wanted to invite you out for a drink later at around three at the pub you two are always staying at. He said you weren't picking up your phone nor answering his messages, so he couldn't tell you himself," Ross, or Ross Lee, was my...best friend ever since we were both twelve. Even with how I was he still stayed with me like Cosette and never left my side. Damn, I owe those two so much.

But the look on Cosette's face and her tone made me suspicious. "Cheeky bitch, you just want me out of the bloody house today, don't you?" I accused with a smirk. Cosette's smile faded quickly before heaving a heavy sigh. "Okay, fine," she took a sip of my beer. "Julia is coming here later for our date and I cannot have my little brother in the house when that happens!" I stared at her and said just for the purpose of spiting her, "So, if I bring girls home and hook up with them, then that is taboo. However, when you do it with your girls, then that it is apparently acceptable?"

"I-I never said such things, you swine!" Cosette defended herself hysterically. "I-I never said such things, you swine!" Cosette defended herself hysterically. "And this is a date! You know I don't like sex after a date! Julia wouldn't like that either!" To which I howled out a teasing laugh and sat back in my chair. "Calm down, 'sette, I'm joking and I am aware she isn't like that," Cosette glared daggers at me but dismissed my attempt at humour. "Whatever, just be home before dinner and you need to get back to work starting tomorrow,"

"Whatever it is you ask, 'sette,"

———

LEVI'S POV

"Levi, over here!"

After entering through the door of the pub, I saw an all-too-familiar face waving at me from the wooden counter. I made my way over there as I kept my chin high, avoiding eye contact with anybody. It wasn't every day you randomly saw someone of a high status walking amongst the commoners. However, I've always kept a low profile since I was young, so you could hardly ever see pictures of me from paparazzi, hence not many people knew Levi Churchil's face. "Why were you not answering your phone earlier?" Ross asked me as I sat next to him. "Don't worry about it, mate," I asked for a glass of whiskey from the barman and it took less than a minute for him to slide a glass of my requested alcohol over to me.

"So, how is work? I haven't been hearing from Cosette regarding you lately," Ross informed me. I considered telling him the truth but decided against it and just lied. "The usual. How about you?" Ross simply smiled at me. He was an attractive man, I would admit. Hazel hair, light black eyes, and a gentle smile that could light up a room. Ross was an inventor and was the head of a large, multinational, industrial company where they specialized in engineering and creating various weapons for the British military. It was a family business of which the child of the current CEO would be next in line to inherit everything and was founded during the 1930s by the great-grandfather of Ross. He wasn't a Nobleman like me but he came from a wealthy background, considering his family made a lot of money from doing what they did to assist the military. "Tiring, I will admit, but what else could I expect really?" Ross chuckled. He took a long sip of the bourbon he was drinking and smiled. "Good thing alcohol exists," I smirked at him, "Alcoholic," Ross scoffed before saying back to me, "Says you,"

"Fuck off," I rolled my eyes at him teasingly. Ross laughed at me before remarking, "Swearing like a sailor as always. Oh, how is your sister by the way?" I fiddled with my glass as I answered, "Cosette is doing alright but is rather busy with university and all. Her grades are outstanding, though," Every semester, Cosette just got better and better each time. "That is probably because she has you as a tutor," my friend winked at me. I shrugged in response and said, "Well, I'm out of school, so I have to use my intellect somehow,"

Suddenly, Ross locked his gaze on my neck before giggling to himself. "That's a bruise. Did you bring another girl home last night?" I silently cursed to myself and tried to cover the majority of my neck with my collar to hide the bruise. How could I forget to cover it? Hell, did 'sette notice it and just didn't inform me? Moving on, as Ross and I chatted, I noticed something was bothering him as if he wanted to tell me something but couldn't. "Are you alright? What's on your mind?" I asked with concern. For a moment, Ross stayed silent, holding his glass in his hand. Finally, he took a big gulp of the alcohol before flinching from the strong flavour. "Alright, mate, I won't stall for much longer. She might get impatient with me,"

I tilted my head in confusion. "Who is she?" But before Ross could respond, a short yet attractive young woman approached us from behind and took a seat next to Ross. "Red wine, please," she requested from the barman. I looked at the lady and my eyes widened in shock. "Eponine?" I called my sister's name. I thought to myself, what is she doing here?  My older sister of two years looked at me with an awfully bored expression yet smiled. "Good afternoon, Levi, I see you have been doing well," she greeted me ever so kindly. No matter how friendly that smile seemed, I could always, always, sense some unfiltered rage and hatred towards me buried beneath her.

I haven't seen Eponine in some months. She looked almost identical to Cosette, except she had my eyes and her height was only 5'6".  Eponine worked as a detective in the Metropolitan Police and she mainly worked on homicide cases, so you could already tell she was very smart. Hell, our relatives in the past often remarked that her intelligence could be at par with mine (if I wasn't such a sloth back then).

"How is Cosette?" Eponine asked me casually as the barman gave her the alcoholic beverage. I looked over at Ross with an extremely perplexed expression on my face. "What is my sister doing here?" I asked. The two looked at one another and Eponine gave Ross a subtle nod before the two suddenly intertwined their hands together, making me spit out my drink as I got the idea. "Levi," Ross started. "Listen, I promise we wanted to tell you sooner that...Eponine and I are dating but we were worried about how you would react to it,"

I blinked thrice, hoping it was all a joke but reality hit quickly when Eponine kissed Ross' cheek. "Blimey...how long have you two been in a bloody relationship behind my back?" I asked, rather angrily. Ross hesitated, swallowing the lump in his throat. "Since last year, actually..." he answered quietly. That long? And I was never told? I didn't know why but I felt angry at not only Eponine but Ross as well. But why? I mean, it was their relationship, not mine. "Ross, you're sleeping with my sister— I mean, you're dating Eponine, my sister, and you never even informed me!" I snapped. "We just weren't certain how you would react, Levi!" Eponine stated, furrowing her eyebrows. "And besides, there is nothing wrong with our relationship anyway!"

Though she was right, it just felt very odd for my best friend of eight years to date my sister. I knew I wasn't imagining all the times Ross was staring at Eponine when we were young. It was weird because Eponine and I were so distant and yet I cared for her so much, which was probably why her relationship with Ross felt...somewhat wrong and especially because they hadn't told me shit. "Does 'sette know about this?" I asked. The couple paused, remaining silent, seemingly nervous to answer. I looked down at my half-empty drink, still in denial about what I was hearing. "She does, doesn't she?" I spoke, letting out a forced chuckle. "We live together and yet even she didn't tell me anything either. I bet even Colette knows as well,"

"Levi, we both know how...complicated your relationship is with Eponine, so it will complicate things more if you knew she was dating your best friend," Ross explained. I sighed and finished the rest of my drink. "I need a smoke," I paid for the alcohol before going out of the pub, leaving the two. I was more upset about the fact that they were dating rather than not informing me for a whole year for some reason. God, what was wrong with me? I went outside and sat down at a bench next to the pub before taking out a pack of fags from my pocket along with a lighter. I pulled a fresh one out from the box and lit it. Afterwards, I placed the end in my mouth, then inhaled the fumes into my system and blew out a heap of smoke as I stared into nothingness.

I never liked the taste or smell of fags but smoking became a habit. I first began when I was fifteen after seeing my father do it all my life without end. After that, it just never ended. It was ironic that I was smoking because my mother was literally a doctor. Since I obviously couldn't purchase my own pack due to my age back then, I stole from my father whenever I got the chance. If I truly felt like I needed an escape from reality (or just felt like getting high), I would turn to weed that I bought from kids at my school. Nowadays, I acquired them from acquaintances. Cosette smoked as well, hence we often shared fags over everything. She'd been trying to get me to quit but seeing as though she couldn't stop smoking herself, I didn't see what was her right to stop me.

Fags always cleared my head whenever I found myself in a stressful situation, so I grew a custom to the smoke. It numbed my pain equally as alcohol did, which was why Cosette often called me an addict, saying how I was constantly either drunk or high every other week. Whatever could I do? These things helped make the weight of the world feel a lot lighter.

"Damn..." I sighed as I sat back, covering my face with my hands. "I must have overreacted but surely I also deserved to know that those two were seeing each other. I knew Eponine and Ross were close but I never took them for a couple..."

All of a sudden, I heard light footsteps running towards me and before I could turn my head to see what it was, I felt someone, someone very small, tripping on my feet. "Hey, be careful!" I scolded as I turned my head but what I saw was a little girl whose expression made my heart sink. She fell to the ground and the girl looked as though she was scared for her life; her eyes were wide as she panted from the exhaustion of running, a fountain of sweat was dripping from her forehead all the way to her chin, and tears in her eyes that at any second would start to stream down to her cheeks.

"I...I'm sorry for bumping into you, sir..." the little girl stammered, her voice coming out as a frightened squeak as if she was a mouse. Hell, she looked like a tiny little mouse stuck in a cheese trap at that moment. The girl had a well-structured face but she was tiny, so she looked to be about four or five-years old. I examined her; long and wavy apple-red hair that covered most of her back, small emerald-green eyes that almost looked as though they were glowing, rosy cheeks with a medium-sized scar on her left cheek, and a very round face. She wore an oversized white hoodie that looked ten sizes too big for her, black shorts, and black trainers. The little lass was also very pale and tiny and looked like she could be at least 115cm if she stood up.

The little girl looked so scared and seeing as though she was running away, somebody was chasing her. "Are you okay, lass?" I asked the girl with deep worry in my voice. She did not answer and I finally noticed that her whole body was trembling from fear. I could sense that something was seriously wrong, very wrong, and this little kid needed help. I recalled the time Cosette explained to me the signs that children were being abused at home.

"Quite simple, really. If they have any bruises on their body that could be caused by a beating, or maybe even their behaviour if they tend to act more anxious and skittish around other people. Perhaps the child is withdrawn or they know things that children their age have no business knowing,"

I looked at her legs and noticed that she was covered in bruises and scars and it was all I needed to see. I bent down to the girl's height and asked as I looked straight into her eyes, "Little girl, do you need help?" The unnamed girl gulped, staying silent for a moment as she thought over her words. "Sir, c-can you help me...?" she asked with desperation in her eyes. I nodded my head and said, "I shall try my best," With that, the girl smiled, almost as if a new kind of hope swept over her. "Then..." she spoke in a whisper.

"Do you know where my mummy is?"