All Chapters of One Heart, Which Brother?: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

Lia's POVThe sea was the deepest blue I’d ever seen, stretching endlessly into the horizon.Our private villa sat perched over the ocean, the glass walls catching the soft afternoon sunlight. It was paradise, the kind you only read about in books or watch in movies. And yet, a small knot nestled tightly in my chest.“Like it?” Ruben asked, wrapping his arms around me from behind, resting his chin on my shoulder. He smelled like salt, spice, and something entirely him.“I love it,” I whispered, and I meant it… mostly.He kissed the side of my neck, his lips lingering. “Good. Because for the next seven days, it’s just us.Just you and me.”It sounded like a dream. It felt like one too. Every dinner under the stars, every long walk on the beach, every swim in the infinity pool it felt like we were starting over.Maybe we really could start again.That evening, after a quiet candlelit dinner on the deck, Ruben pulled me into a slow dance, no music, no phones. Just the sound of waves crashi

Lia’s POVI hadn’t seen Ken since that day… since that almost-moment when I had nearly given in to something I knew was wrong.Since I saw the pain in his eyes the pain I put there.But today, none of that mattered. My guilt would have to wait.I needed the truth, and I needed it now.The café was almost empty, barely six customers scattered across the polished wooden floors. The air smelled of strong espresso and cinnamon, the peaceful hum of soft music making it feel like the world hadn’t started unraveling yet.Ken sat by the window. Alone.He looked... older. More tired than I remembered. He wasn’t smiling. He wasn’t teasing. He wasn’t even pretending. Just sitting there in all black, sunglasses pushed up on his head, one arm resting along the back of the booth as if he'd been waiting for me for years.I approached slowly.“Hey,” I said, unsure if I should sit or stand.“Sit, Lia,” he said calmly, his voice quieter than usual. Almost… cautious.I obeyed.There was silence for a mo

Lia’s POVI closed the distance.Because I knew in that messed up, confusing, terrifying moment that I didn’t want anyone else.“I don’t want to lose myself trying to be okay with everything,” I whispered, placing my palm over his chest. His heartbeat thundered beneath my fingers.“Then don’t,” he murmured, his hand covering mine. “Let me carry the weight. Let me do what I’ve always done, protect you. Even if it’s from the truth.”“But the truth is mine now, Ruben.”He nodded slowly, stepping closer, until we were nose to nose. “Then tell me what to do… and I’ll do it. Whatever it takes.”I didn’t answer. Instead, I leaned up and pressed my lips to his.Not out of passion.Not out of lust.But out of pain, and hope, and the sick, twisted feeling, that maybe we were both too far gone.His arms wrapped around me instantly, like he’d been waiting for permission. The kiss deepened, but not like the others. This one was slow, burning like kindling catching fire.But I was the one who pulle

I wasn't expecting company especially not in the middle of a honeymoon that was finally beginning to feel like something out of a fairy tale. Ruben and I had just returned from a peaceful walk along the lemon grove paths behind the villa when a familiar laugh echoed from the front garden.I turned, confused… then froze.“Daph?”She stood there grinning in oversized sunglasses and a crop top that screamed confidence, pulling a bright yellow suitcase behind her like she owned the Amalfi Coast.“Oh my God!” I rushed forward, nearly tripping over the gravel as I ran into her arms. “What are you doing here?”“You think I’d miss a chance to crash your honeymoon?” she teased, squeezing me tight. “Ruben told me you missed me. So I hopped on a plane the moment I got the greenlight.”I turned to Ruben, who was now standing at the doorway with that faint smirk he wore when he wanted me to know he’d done something good.“You did this?” I asked.He just shrugged casually. “You’ve been smiling more

Lia’s POVIt started with a drawer.Not a scream, not a gunshot, not even one of Ruben’s terrifying moods. Just… a drawer he thought she wouldn’t open.He had been called away for an urgent meeting, something about one of the warehouses, and while he left in a storm of hurried footsteps and hushed voices, she remained behind, trying to shake the unease that had been gnawing at her lately.Ever since the visitors with sharp suits and colder eyes. Ever since she heard whispers behind closed doors. Ever since Ruben started acting more like a man with walls than a husband with a heart.She wasn’t snooping at least, that’s what she told herself. She had wanted to get her book from the study, the one she left during her late-night attempt to study.But the drawer was slightly open. Barely. Like an invitation.Her fingers hovered.Her gut screamed.She pulled it open.Stacks of documents. Files labeled with names she didn’t recognize. Maps with red markings. Schedules. Photos some grainy, so