All Chapters of Brother-in-Law, I’m Your Dirty Secret: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

We talked for nearly ten minutes. Nathan was smart, charming, and clearly fascinated by my work. He made me laugh twice. He leaned in when I spoke, giving me his full attention. It felt nice to be spoken to like a professional and not like a piece of furniture.But the entire time, I could feel a pair of dark eyes drilling into the back of my skull from across the room. I did not need to turn around to know who it was. The heat of his stare was so intense it practically burned through my dress.I deliberately laughed at another one of Nathan's jokes. I touched his arm lightly while making a point about the research. I tilted my head in that way I knew made my neck look long and elegant.I was poking the bear. And I loved every second of it.Nathan eventually excused himself to greet another colleague. I walked toward the back hallway where the private restrooms were located. The corridor was dimly lit and completely empty. I barely made it past the second door before a large hand clos

LIAM'S POV"No, Liam. Listen to me." Mia lowered her voice to a sharp whisper. "You need to watch her closely. She has changed too much too fast. What if she is planning something against us? What if she is going to tell Marcus about us? What if she is trying to become the head of this family and turn everyone against us?""That is ridiculous. Jia does not have the guts for that.""The old Jia did not." Mia grabbed my hand, her nails digging into my skin. "But this new one? Something is feeding her confidence and we need to find out what it is before she destroys us."I pulled my hand away and said nothing. But her words crawled under my skin like tiny insects.Later that night, I went to Jia's room. She was sitting on the edge of the bed in a thin white nightgown, brushing her damp hair after a shower. She smelled like vanilla and something floral. For a moment, I actually remembered why I married her.I closed the door behind me and walked toward the bed. I sat down next to her and

Throughout the day, I noticed small things. When I approached a group of influential neurosurgeons, Marcus happened to introduce the topic of innovative surgical techniques to the man standing right beside them, which naturally opened the door for me to join the conversation.When I was struggling to find the right connection at the pharmaceutical panel, Marcus casually mentioned my arterial bypass research to a passing executive who then walked straight over to me.He never took credit. He never stood beside me. He never even acknowledged what he was doing. He simply moved through the room like a shadow, quietly clearing the path in front of me so I could walk through on my own two feet.By the end of the afternoon, I had exchanged contact information with seven top surgeons, received two collaboration offers, and been invited to present at a regional medical summit next month. All because of my own abilities. My own knowledge. My own voice.But Marcus built the stage for me to stand

Liam choked on his whiskey. He coughed twice and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "What did you just say?""I saw Jia coming out of Marcus's private office three days ago. Her face was red and her hair was messy. And Marcus has been visiting her hospital twice a week with no business reason." I paused, letting the words sink in. "I think they are sleeping together, Liam."Liam stared at me like I had just slapped him across the face. Then he let out a short, harsh laugh."You are out of your mind," he snapped, setting his glass down hard on the table. "That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. Marcus would never touch Jia. He does not even look at women. The man is a machine.""A machine that keeps showing up at your wife's hospital for no reason.""Stop being paranoid, Mia." Liam's voice turned sharp and annoyed. "Instead of spying on Jia, maybe you should try getting closer to your own husband sometime. Jack is your husband, remember? My brother? The man you act

All day at the hospital, Marcus kept appearing in my mind. His cold expression. His flat voice. The way he refused to give me even a crumb of warmth in front of other people. But then I remembered other things too. The way he looked at me across the room at the gala. The way his fingers trembled when he touched my face in the dark sitting room. The way his breathing changed every single time I stood too close to him.He was not cold. He was controlled. There was a massive difference.When I returned to the mansion that evening, I found Marcus in the living room. Liam was on a phone call in the other room. The maids were in the kitchen. For thirty seconds, it was just us.Marcus did not look at me. But he spoke quietly, his voice barely louder than a breath."What happened between us cannot become careless, Jia. We cannot afford a single mistake."I set my bag down on the nearest chair. I turned to face him, keeping my voice just as quiet."Is that your way of saying you wish it did no