All Chapters of Her Craving, His Brother : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Briggs’ POVI should leave.The thought settles in the moment the door slides shut behind me, quiet and firm, like an instinct. It’s the same instinct that has kept things simple for years: step away before something becomes complicated, before attention turns into expectation, before control slips into something else. It has always worked, until now. Because I’m still here.Standing in my own space, glass in hand, the city stretching endlessly beyond the windows, and none of it holds my attention. She does, out there on the balcony.I take a sip of water, letting the cold settle on my tongue, hoping it does something for the heat sitting under my skin, It doesn’t.She doesn’t perform, that’s the first thing that stays with me. No calculated movements, no attempt to soften herself, no effort to hold attention. She doesn’t care, and she’s not afraid.That’s what doesn’t sit right, because most people are. Especially with everything that comes with me. I should leave. Instead, I set th

Lumi’s POVThe door shuts behind him. And just like that, he’s gone. I don’t move, because my body hasn’t caught up. My breathing is uneven, my hands gripping the railing like if I let go, I might actually lose balance.Everything still feels…unfinished.“He really just left…”The words come out low, disbelieving. A part of me expects the door to open again. For him to walk back in, and finish what he started. He didn’t.I drag a hand through my hair, exhaling sharply.“That’s crazy.”“…Lumi?”I froze, then turned. Clover is standing there, and the first thing she does is curse. “Oh shit.”Her eyes widen as she looks at me.“Wait—wait—”She walks closer, squinting slightly like she’s trying to process what she’s seeing.“Why do you look like that??”I blink. “What do I look like?”She gestures at me wildly.“Your hair is a mess, your lips are—girl, your lipstick is gone—and your eyes??”I instinctively touch my face. “…oh.”“OH?” she repeats. “That’s all you have to say??”She grabs

Lumi’s POVThe courthouse feels cold, it doesn’t feel like a place where truth lives, more like a place where things are arranged. Where words are sharpened, twisted, polished until they sound like something else entirely. And right now, I’m the something else.I pause just outside the courtroom doors, my fingers tightening slightly around the strap of my bag. Breathe in, hold, breathe out.“You good?”Clover’s voice is softer than usual beside me.I nod. “I’m fine.”It’s a lie, I’m not fine, I didn’t even have time to collect myself before coming here. But I don’t need to feel fine, I just need to look like it.“Remember,” Clover adds quietly, leaning closer, “don’t react to anything stupid they say.”I glance at her. “That depends on how stupid it is.”She gives me a look. “Lumi.”“I won’t break,” I say, more to myself than to her.Her expression softens slightly. “That’s the spirit. Because that’s exactly what they want.”I nod once, then push the door open. The courtroom is alread

Briggs’ POVI don’t belong in places like this. Not because I can’t sit through them, or because I don’t understand them. But because I don’t need them.Courtrooms are controlled chaos, rules pretending to hold power, when in reality, power decides which rules matter. And I’ve never needed permission to move.Still, I’m here.Standing at the back of the courtroom, hands loosely in my pockets, quiet enough to disappear into the room, but not unnoticed.My attention isn’t on anyone, but her. Lumi. She’s still sitting even after the judge has left. Her hands are still, her face composed. But I can see the tension, restraint, the way she’s holding everything together by force.“She’s holding it together…” The thought settles slowly. “…but not for long.”Interesting.I shift slightly where I stand, my weight leaning back just enough to stay comfortable, but my attention never leaves her. Because this is the version of her I didn’t see last night.Last night was fire, a challenge. This? Th

Lumi’s POVFor a second, I had thought: Clover? But she’s right beside me. And now, seeing Briggs standing there like he didn’t just disappear on me last night. Like he didn’t leave me unfinished. A mix of emotions had hit me all at once.“…what?” Clover leans slightly, trying to see past me. “Oh—”I don’t give her time to react. And he hasn’t answered me either. Just looking at me, like he’s taking something in. And that—that alone—irritates me.“You followed me?” I pressed, clearly irritated. His lips twitch slightly.“You gave me a three,” he says calmly.I blink. “…what?”“I couldn’t just move on with that,” he continues.I stare at him. Is he serious right now?“That’s not what I asked,” I say, my tone sharpening. “Are you stalking me now?”“No,” he replies easily. “I just happened to be here.”I let out a short laugh, not quite real.“You expect me to believe that?”A pause. Then, he raises his hands slightly.“Okay,” he says. “Fine.”I narrow my eyes.“Yes,” he admits. “I fol