บททั้งหมดของ THE WRONG BROTHER : บทที่ 121 - บทที่ 130

Charlotte Rhys nods slowly, starting the car. "Let's get you home."I stare out the window, watching the city pass by in a blur of buildings and traffic. My mind is still racing, replaying the confrontation over and over. The things I said. The things Elena said. The looks on the Anders family's faces.By the time we pull into the driveway, exhaustion is starting to seep into my bones. The adrenaline from earlier is fading, leaving me hollow and drained.I drop my bag by the door and head straight for the couch, sinking into it like I might disappear into the cushions.Rhys disappears into the kitchen, and I hear him moving around, the sound of glasses clinking, water running. He returns with a glass of water and hands it to me."Drink."I do, even though my throat feels tight and swallowing hurts.He sits beside me, close but not touching, giving me space to breathe."I need to call my mom," I say after a moment. "Before she hears about it from someone else.""Do you want me to call

Charlotte The same year she told me she had issues with Michael.She settled quickly. With an NDA.And now she's defending his son.It doesn't make sense. Unless...Unless the settlement came with strings attached.Unless Michael used it as leverage.I keep scrolling, looking for more information, but the article ends there.No follow-up. No deeper investigation. Just those basic facts laid out like breadcrumbs.My fingers hover over the keyboard. I want to search for more, want to dig deeper into Elena's past, into the settlement, into everything.But what good would it do?The article said the settlement is sealed. NDA means neither Elena nor Michael can talk about it. Court records are confidential.I close the laptop again, but this time I don't walk away.I sit there, staring at the closed screen, my mind racing.Elena sued Michael.Elena settled with Michael.Elena is now defending Michael's son.The pieces are there. I just can't see how they fit together yet.My stomach growl

Charlotte I'm sitting on the couch, wedged between my mom and Rhys, feeling like a child being scolded by her parents."You can't just disappear like that," Mom says for what feels like the tenth time. "Do you understand how dangerous that was?""I know...""No, I don't think you do." Her voice is sharp, edged with fear. "Charlotte, someone left a threatening note at this house. Someone knows where you live. And you thought it was a good idea to go wandering around the neighborhood alone?""Wait.... how did you find out about the note?""Of course Rhys told me about it," She says."Right. I'm sorry, Mom. I wasn't thinking clearly.""That's exactly the problem!" She turns to face me fully. "You're not thinking clearly. You haven't been thinking clearly since that courthouse incident. Maybe even before that.""Greta," Rhys says quietly."No." Mom shakes her head. "She needs to hear this. Charlotte, I understand you're under an enormous amount of stress. I understand you're scared and a

Charlotte "A few days," I repeat. "That's good, right? More time to prepare?""More time for everything," Rhys says."Or more time to worry," I say.Mom squeezes my hand. "Or more time to rest. To take care of yourself."I don't respond to that."We should go," Rhys says, standing. "Get you a new phone. Then, take your old one to see if they can recover anything.""Now?""Yes, now. The sooner we get that data recovered, the sooner we can give it to Sullivan."I nod, standing up slowly. My body feels heavy, exhausted from everything.Mom stands too. "I should get going. Let you two handle this." She pulls me into another tight hug. "Call me tonight. Just so I know you're okay.""I will.""And Charlotte?" She pulls back to look at me. "No more walks for now. Please.""Okay, okay."She kisses my forehead and heads for the door. Rhys locks it behind her, then turns to me."Ready?""Not really. But let's go anyway."I look down at myself, still in the sweatpants and oversized sweater I th

RhysHe's gasping, holding his stomach, blood dripping from his face onto the pavement."Tell your boss or anyone that sent you," I say, my voice cold and hard, "that if anyone comes near us again, this will look like a fucking massage compared to what I'll do to him. Understand?"He nods weakly, unable to speak through his split lip and broken nose.I turn away, grabbing Charlotte's arm and pulling her back toward our car."Get in."She does, sliding into the passenger seat without argument. I slam her door shut and move around to the driver's side, my knuckles throbbing where they connected with his face.I slide behind the wheel and start the engine, my hands shaking slightly with leftover adrenaline.Through the rearview mirror, I can see him still on the ground beside his car, struggling to sit up. Blood stains the pavement beneath him.I pull away, tires squealing slightly as I accelerate.Charlotte is silent beside me, her hands clenched in her lap, her breathing still coming f