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10 — OF CLOSE CALLS AND ESCAPES
publish date:
2026-02-12 22:12:16
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12 Days of Christmas with My Brother’s Rival 26 — OF LINGERIES AND PARTY INVITES
ANAHERANobody warned me that the drive to the spa resort was going to be a three-hour drive. We went in one of Bella’s cars that she forced me to take, alongside her driver. And she didn’t want to hear nothing of me turning down her offer. Seated right next to me, yapping away about some boy band from South Korea was Eleanor. I should have known taking her along was a bad idea. Well, maybe not entirely bad. Who else would keep me company with such bubble personality? “…and people don’t notice because they’re always quick to judge before they try to listen to them. I call them the Seven Kings of Korea.” I was paying attention to her, noticing a lot of things I hadn’t about her. Probably because she was often too closed off around my brother. That made her come off as bashful. Or maybe it was the pregnancy doing its thing. Whatever the reason, this side of her was something I wanted to keep seeing. Perhaps some day, my brother would too. “Here,” she passed me a small note wit
12 Days of Christmas with My Brother’s Rival 25 — OF DISTANCE AND SECRETS BETWEEN US
ANAHERAMy brother’s car backed out of the driveway as I waved at him. “Thank you for dinner. Make sure you take care of Eleanor. Goodnight, love you.”I stood there, watching his taillights blink at me and fade out in the distance, then I continued inside. My phone lit up with a message from Noel: where are you?A snarky response would be fitting. So I typed in: Anywhere you’re not.Three things lingered in my mind as I dropped my purse on the couch. An update in my patient note with which I kept record of Noel’s therapy, Bella’s vague message and Eleanor’s pregnancy.Scratch that–four. The last one being that my brother did not know Eleanor was carrying his baby.She asked me to keep it a secret from him. I hoped she’d say it on time before I got too excited and blurted it out.And speaking of patients, when I went to my room, my duffel bag was nowhere to be seen.In the middle of tearing my room apart for it, my phone lit up again with Noel’s text. Sometimes I liked to think of
12 Days of Christmas with My Brother’s Rival 24 — OF LIES AND PREGNANCIES
ANAHERAHours later, I was done with Noel’s therapy and packed my duffel bag to leave, more than willing to put distance between us before my poor heart spiralled out of control.Nearly two weeks and you’d think I had already learned how to be in Noel’s presence without sweating a river.As I walked out to the foyer, I overheard Noona saying to Noel, “She’s grown up nicely. Why don’t you go out on a date with her?”“Whatever, ma. Take your vitamins and don’t skip your morning strolls. Love you.”I hurried my steps to wait for him by the car, straightening my posture as though I wasn’t just eavesdropping. He opened the car.“I’ll come over to yours tomorrow morning to pick you up. No excuses,” he stated in a no-nonsense tone. That was impossible. “You know you cannot come to my house, my brother will kill you if he sees–”With an exasperated sigh, he turned to me. “I’m not going to put my life and career on hold because you and your brother have refused to have the hard conversation
12 Days of Christmas with My Brother’s Rival 23 — OF GRANDSONS AND THEIR NOONAS
ANAHERA It wasn’t until the car parked in the driving lot that I realized where we were. Imagine my happiness when I learned that the place had changed from what I used to know. Managing a sideways glance at Noel, I noticed how the shadow of anger on his face while we drove here was nowhere to be seen and what remained was sadness. I quickly looked away before he turned and said, “Come on. Or do you need me to come carry you, princess?” Jerk. Ignoring him, I climbed out of the car at the same time he did. Together, we went down a familiar road that led to a small apartment. “This place…” I couldn’t help myself. “Isn’t this where you lived before you and your mom moved out?” A tick in his jaw before he answered, “Yeah. Funny how you remember these things but don’t recall those that matter.” Again, I ignored that jab as I focused on the apartment in front of me. It used to be a rundown two bedroom apartment and when they moved out, no one else took the place. There
12 Days of Christmas with My Brother’s Rival 22 — OF OVERSIGHTS AND PAST MEMORIES
ANAHERABy the time the sun came up, I’d tried to call Bella more than a dozen times using my landline. For the first time, I think my brother invested in something of worth. It was the same thing; sending me off to voice mail every time.I was beginning to worry for her safety. Noel had assured me that she was fine and probably at her own house, so I decided I’d go over to hers before heading off to work — if I still had a job. Her garage was locked, and her cars were nowhere in sight. Maybe this meant she was out?You don’t leave with two cars at the same time. My bet was probably indoors. I could not really tell. So I tried her door, only to find it locked. I knocked a few times, praying she would answer. Nothing. In the middle of contemplating whether to kick the door down or go over to her neighbor’s, a click echoed from behind me. I turned to see the door was open. “Bella, God, you had me worried!” I grabbed her shoulders, looking her over if she was hurt but she shrugged
12 Days of Christmas with My Brother’s Rival 21 — OF BIG BROTHERS TO THE RESCUE
ANAHERA Fuck. Dominik was going to wring me like a rag doll, toss me to mars and then kill — no, pummel Noel into a bloody pulp before killing him and burying him in my front yard.Putting myself together, I got out of the car, jittery nerves and jelly legs, to meet my brother whose face would not stop contorting into various shades of anger.Before I got to him, he was marching to meet Noel who had also gotten down from his car. Wise fricking decision by the way.I tried to stop him. “Dom, it’s not what you think. He only–”The rest of my words got swallowed up in the loud crunch that came as a result of Dom’s heavy punch. His hands always seemed to fly before his brain thought.Noel crumpled against his car’s hood with his hand over his mouth.“What are you doing with my sister? I thought I told you to stay away from her but you never listen,” my brother thundered despite the silence in the neighborhood.Noel looked at him, then at me. “I just had to help her get home safely. Woul
12 Days of Christmas with My Brother’s Rival 20 — OF DRINKS AND LUSTFUL THOUGHTS
NOELIt felt like a trick of the mind when Hera walked into the party, dressed in that pretty number. The same party I’d invited her to which she not-so graciously turned down, forcing me to go with Jax. She is a true goddess of beauty you never want to stop staring at. My mind wandered as she wa
12 Days of Christmas with My Brother’s Rival 19 — OF TALL HANDSOME STRANGERS
ANAHERA The bass thumping all the way from inside the building to where we were parked made me nervous. Wiping sweaty palms against the very short dress Bella persuaded me to put on, I grabbed my mini purse and stepped out with her. I looked at my best friend as we walked side by side, I thought
12 Days of Christmas with My Brother’s Rival 18 — OF SECRETS AND PARTIES
ANAHERAThree days later and I was on the verge of pulling out my hair from its roots. “If I have to deal with that jerk for one more day, I’m going to fly down a hill. The man has absolutely refused to make my life any easy since working with him,” I moaned. I expected a response from Bella but
12 Days of Christmas with My Brother’s Rival 17 — OF NOEL AND FRAUD
ANAHERA“What is going on here?” I asked, approaching the couple, looking between both of them while they fixed their eyes on anywhere else that was not my face. Not even a glance. A dull thud echoed in the room behind me, breaking the tension, and their gazes shot toward me. Dominik spoke first.
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