Se connecterChapter 111DreydenThe moment the movie ended, I realised none of us had been paying much attention to it.We had been watching Aurelia instead.She sat quietly in her wheelchair between Dreyven and Drayton, her head resting against the cushion as the credits rolled across the screen. The tears from earlier had dried on her cheeks, but the redness around her eyes remained, making her look more fragile than she actually was.I knew better than to believe that fragility.I had seen the way she had looked at us before she started crying.I had seen the exact moment she realised her tears would work.She knew us too well.She knew that watching her cry would destroy every ounce of the distance we had spent two days pretending to build.And she had used it. Every single one of us had fallen for it. Again.I glanced at my brothers. Drayton was still sitting close to her, occasionally throwing some ridiculous comment into the conversation just to make her smile.Dreyven looked happier now
Chapter 110AureliaThe heavy silence that settled over the penthouse over the next two days was suffocating, and I was quickly realizing that I absolutely hated it.When I first set my plan into motion, I thought breaking their bond would be a slow, satisfying victory, but watching the four of them wander through the rooms like distant ghosts was turning into an utter nightmare. The warm, chaotic energy that used to fill the living room was completely gone, replaced by clipped greetings, silent hallways, and an uncomfortable tension that made the entire house feel entirely dead.Drayton no longer cracked jokes or made a scene in the kitchen, Dreyden spent almost all his time locked away in his private study behind shut doors, Dreyven walked around with a dark, defeated look in his eyes, and Dreylen retreated so far into his usual quiet corner that he barely seemed present at all.It was infuriating because their misery wasn't opening any doors for me to manipulate them further. If a
Chapter 109DraytonThe moment the nurse stepped in to sit with Lia in the living room, I stood up, walked down the long hallway toward Dreyden’s private study, and pushed the heavy wooden door open before stepping inside.Dreyden was standing right near the windows with a fresh cup of black coffee in his hand, while Dreyven was sitting deep in one of the leather armchairs rubbing his temples with both hands. Dreylen was perched quietly on the edge of the wide oak desk, casually tossing a silver pen back and forth between his fingers.I shut the door firmly behind me and let out a long, heavy sigh as I leaned my back against the frame. "Man, trying to act like I'm genuinely angry at you lot while holding a fork full of pancakes is definitely harder than going ten rounds in the ring," I muttered, shaking my head at the sheer ridiculousness of it all.Dreyden turned around slowly, a faint smirk touching the corner of his mouth as he looked at me. "You actually handled it quite well,
Chapter 108AureliaI spent the next morning sitting right near the edge of the large dining area, silently watching the bright morning sun reflect off the floors. The entire room smelled like freshly toasted butter and strong dark coffee, but the underlying silence between the four brothers felt completely different today. It was something quieter and much stiffer that made the entire atmosphere feel charged with hidden tension.Drayton stood right over by the stove with his broad shoulders visibly tense under a plain black t-shirt, carefully flipping pancakes onto a large white ceramic platter. Usually, he would be shouting across the open kitchen or bragging about his culinary skills, but today he barely uttered three words as he moved around the counter."Watch the butter, Drayton," Dreyden murmured dryly from his spot at the dining table without even bothering to look up from his tablet screen. His voice carried a clipped, cold edge as he added, "You're burning the outer edge
Chapter 108DreyvenI walked back into the living room holding the freshly warmed glass of milk, my chest still tight from snapping at Dreyden. I felt like a fool for losing my temper over something so small, but the way Lia had looked at me earlier was still ringing in my ears.I crouched down beside her wheelchair, holding the glass steady as she took a few slow sips through the straw. "Is the temperature okay now?" I asked gently.She nodded softly, giving me that quiet, vulnerable look that made my heart ache. "It's perfect. Thank you, Dreyven."I smiled, setting the glass on the small table beside her. As I turned my back to grab a napkin from the tray, I caught her reflection in the dark, glass of the patio doors.My blood turned to ice.The soft, tired expression on her face was completely gone. In its place was a tiny, sharp smile...cold, calculating, and full of satisfaction.I froze, my hand hovering over the napkin. I didn't say a word, and I didn't turn around too fast.
Chapter 106AureliaDreyven froze on his knees right beside my wheelchair, his mouth slightly open like I’d just handed him a winning lottery ticket.Out of the four of them, Dreyven was always the easiest to read. He wore his heart right on his sleeve. He was the brother who checked the temperature of my water three times before handing it to me, the one who looked like he was about to burst into tears every time I winced."You... you feel safest with me?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper."Of course I do," I said, keeping my tone gentle and quiet. I looked down at my lap, letting out a small, tired sigh. "Drayton is great, but he's loud. Dreyden treats everything like a business meeting, and Dreylen barely says two words a day. But you... you're always just here."That was all it took. I could practically watch the walls in his head collapse. He took a long, shaky breath and reached out, his big hand carefully covering my still fingers over the blanket."I'm not going anywhere







