All Chapters of In the Arms of the Older Brother: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

CIARAI couldn’t sleep.The excitement and nervousness of knowing I was getting married tomorrow were too strong to even get a wink of sleep. I let out a sigh and shifted uncomfortably in my sheets, staring blankly at the ceiling as I tried my hardest to clear my head.Yet, sleep remained elusive.So, instead, I slipped out of bed and reached for the spare keycard to my hotel room. If I couldn’t get my thoughts to quiet down, maybe seeing Austin would help. I knew we weren’t supposed to see each other the night before the wedding because of that old superstition he oddly insisted on. But I couldn’t help it.The idea of tiptoeing down the hallway, keycard in hand, felt a lot more comforting than lying here, tangled in my own nerves.When I reached the right floor and found his room, I bit my lip, ready to press the doorbell. But even before my finger touched it, I noticed the door was open, causing my brows to knit together.I was pretty sure that most of the hotel doors were supposed t

CIARA“Are you alright, miss?” the makeup artist asked, dabbing a brush along my cheekbone. “You look pale… Maybe you didn’t get enough sleep because you’re excited?”“That’s right,” I replied, nodding. It sounded easy, casual, but the truth was, I hadn’t slept because of excitement, but because the memory of Austin and Yuri’s betrayal gnawed at me until dawn.I’d honestly expected to break down as soon as I got back to my room last night. However, I’d just curled up around my pillow, clutching it tight, wishing I could squeeze the thoughts and ache out of my chest.Questions kept spinning through my head, repeating in circles. Was I not enough? Why did they do it? How could they even stomach it? But no matter how long I mulled over those questions, I couldn’t come up with any answers.Neither my father nor I had ever deserved this. We loved our partners with everything we had, nothing but honesty and pure hearts. So why? Why would Austin and Yuri do something so cruel, something so ug

CIARA“Knock it off!” I snapped, frowning as I pressed my palm flat against Rowan’s chest, but pushing him was like trying to move a wall. He didn’t so much as flinch.After a few more pathetic shoves, I gave up, my arms falling limp at my sides. I half-expected him to try something, honestly, but he just stayed where he was, looming, but never crossing the line.“Well, at least you stopped crying,” he said, finally getting off the bed. For a second, he just stood there, staring down at me like I was some kind of pathetic insect that was slowly dying.I just bit my lip and put an arm over my eyes, wishing I could disappear, or at least have someone by my side who was normal for once.“Do you know how pissed your father was? He kept apologizing to my father earlier.” Rowan’s words made me peek up at him, and I jerked upright. “You might be his only daughter, but what you did is definitely going to put your family in the spotlight… Not to mention your father is one of the most famous CEO

CIARA“Good morning, Ma’am Ciara.” The employees greeted me as I stepped through the entrance of the building. Their smiles were bright as always, but I could see the caution and curiosity flickering in their eyes.They likely already knew about my dramatic escape from the wedding yesterday. After all, it was hard to miss the way their gazes lingered on me, filled with unasked questions. Still, I pushed aside their stares and walked confidently until I reached my office door.Despite the turmoil that twisted inside me, I knew I had to focus on work. As the managing director of the company, I had always maintained a clear boundary between my personal life and my professional responsibilities, and this separation helped me keep everything running smoothly.Once I settled into my chair, I buried myself in paperwork, the stacks of documents becoming my refuge. I worked for hours without pausing, moving through tasks like a robot. It wasn’t until a sharp knock interrupted my rhythm that I f

CIARA“So? Is this enough to convince you that I’m trustworthy? That I really do have plenty of evidence?” Rowan asked, but I didn’t answer. My eyes just locked onto his laptop screen as I sat in his study.It was all there—a whole folder, photos, and videos lined up in neat, damning rows. The sight of Yuri and Austin kissing made something cold twist in my stomach. Even just clicking through these files, knowing there was more, so much more, made me feel sick. Yet, I forced myself to keep going.Maybe if I saw enough, if I kept staring, my feelings for Austin would finally burn out and leave nothing behind.But the truth was, I still had feelings for him, even after all this. As much as I hated and denied it. After all, six years of loving someone doesn’t just disappear, no matter how furious you were.“You sure want to torment yourself. Is seeing one piece of evidence not enough?” Rowan’s voice broke the silence again. He was standing right next to me, close enough that I could feel