Ethan POV 

I was furious when Dad dropped the bombshell: his girlfriend and her 19-year-old daughter were moving in with us. Without warning me first. To make matters worse, he'd proposed and wanted to marry her out of the blue, without even consulting me.

And then there was the daughter - a young woman, surprisingly. Her mom looked ridiculously young, making it hard to believe she had a teenager.

When Dad finally broke the news, I was livid. Now, I had to deal with this new woman in my life, and her daughter, who was suddenly my sister.

I'd always been okay being an only child. But now, I had to share everything - including my home.

When she was asked to tag along to the school party, I expected her to back down. But she didn't. Now, I couldn't care less if she had a miserable time. She'd brought it on herself. 

I was taken aback by a loud thud on the floor. My eyes widened as I saw Liam, my arch-nemesis and rival, standing over a guy who had been teasing Aria. Liam had clearly pushed him to the ground.

My anger simmered just below the surface. I wouldn't tolerate Aria talking to Liam. If she wanted to keep living in my house, she had to follow my rules.

I took a step forward, ready to intervene, but then I remembered that I couldn't reveal my relationship with Aria. Not now or ever.

Liam offered Aria a charming smile. "Are you okay?" he asked, and she nodded, returning his smile.

"Yes, thanks so much for saving me," she replied, her voice dripping with gratitude.

I seethed with anger, my fists clenched at my sides. How dare she talk to my worst enemy? I was boiling with rage.

Just then, the guy Liam had pushed to the ground stood up, his eyes blazing with anger as he glared at Liam.

"Did you have to push me for some new girl?" He asked, fuming and Liam scoffed, then hit him. Sending him crashing on the floor. More of the reason why most people hated him, always quick at throwing his fist, despite being a popular school swimmer he has got anger issue. 

"Did you have to push me for some new girl?" the guy spat, his face red with anger. Liam scoffed, his expression dismissive, and then landed a swift punch that sent the guy crashing to the floor.

This was exactly why most people hated Liam - his quick temper and tendency to throw punches. It was a wonder he'd never gotten into serious trouble, despite being the star swimmer on the school team.

Liam bent down, his eyes blazing with warning. "If I see you trying to bully anyone again, I'll make sure you get expelled," he threatened, his voice low and menacing.

Aria, that little devil, smiled at the scene unfolding before her. I couldn't help but feel a surge of disgust towards her. Her very presence seemed to grate on my nerves.

Liam stood up, smoothing his hair as his phone rang. He answered it and walked out of the room, leaving Aria to her own devices. I smirked to myself, wondering who would save her now.

But before I could revel in my satisfaction, Aria suddenly fell to the ground, and I couldn't help but smile at the sight.

Aria stood up, her face flushed with anger, and confronted the girl who had made her fall. "Why are you laughing? Aren't you supposed to apologize to me?" she demanded, her voice dripping with entitlement.

I couldn't believe her audacity. Did she really not recognize who was standing right in front of her? I was the minister's daughter, the one who wielded influence over the girls in school.

Aria's ill luck seemed to know no bounds. I watched with satisfaction as the scene unfolded before me.

The girl who had pushed Aria laughed again, her eyes glinting with mischief. "And why would I apologize?" she retorted, before pouring the wine from her glass all over Aria's clothes.

I felt a surge of satisfaction at the sight. Maybe, just maybe, this experience would be enough to deter Aria from ever setting foot in my school again.

Aria's face met mine, and I quickly turned it away, what did she expect. Did she expect me to fight for her. 

Aria's eyes met mine, and I swiftly turned away, uninterested. What did she expect? Did she think I'd jump to her defense?

Helena, my girlfriend, walked over to me and planted a gentle kiss on my forehead. "How are you, baby?" she asked, and I smiled, feeling a surge of affection.

Yes, Helena was mine, and I took satisfaction in knowing that Aria would finally learn her place and never dare to tread on the same ground as me.

"Did that lowlife stress you out?" I asked Helena, and she nodded, a hint of a smile on her lips.

"I managed to put her in her place," Helena said, her voice confident. "She won't dare try to use Liam against anyone again."

I nodded, feeling a sense of satisfaction wash over me. Aria had been put in her place.

Aria didn't utter another word and stormed out of the room. I was finally satisfied, letting her spend the cold night alone until I was done.

I arrived home around nine, without Aria, and found my father and his new wife waiting in the living room. I walked over to greet them.

"Ethan, where's Aria?" my dad asked, his brow furrowed with concern.

I scoffed, trying to brush it off. "She's not a baby, she'll find her way back home."

But my father's expression turned stern, and before I knew it, his hand connected with my face in a stinging slap.

"How dare you treat your own sister that way?" he thundered, his voice echoing through the room. "How could you leave her out on a cold night to find her way home? Did you even consider that she might catch a cold?"

My father's outburst caught me off guard. He hadn't shouted at me like that in years, and the slap still stung my cheek.