Chapter 379: Dear brother
KAEL
The moment Aria’s hand curled around Sarah’s wrist and tugged her toward the restroom, I knew I’d lost my chance to pull her out of this mess.
I watched her disappear through the archway, her voice low, careful, while Sarah’s heels clicked along after her.
It left me alone with him.
Andrew.
He was still standing there, all polished ease and quiet malice, the kind of man who could make a smile look like a threat. Just like the man who raised him. He raised a brow at me, swirling the glass of scotch he’d been handed by some oblivious waiter.
"Your woman doesn’t seem to approve of me," he said conversationally, like he was commenting on the weather. "She’s only met me twice, and yet I could feel her disdain from across the room. Almost like her mind’s been... poisoned."
I leaned back in my chair, voice low. "It’s not exactly poison if it’s the truth."
That earned me a soft laugh. "Ah. So it’s your doing then. Typical. Always so desperate to paint me as the villain."
"You do that yourself," I said.
Andrew tilted his head, regarding me with faint amusement. "You sound just like him when you talk that way."
I went still.
He smirked. "Our father, Kael. You know what I’m talking about, don’t you? The great Ewan Roman, preacher of control, discipline, brutality. You hate him. But deep down, you’re still his perfect little echo."
I scoffed, leaning forward on my elbows. "Maybe for me. But not for you. You were his golden boy, remember? His masterpiece. The one he parades around like a goddamn trophy while his greedy wife clings to his arm."
He chuckled quietly, eyes glinting. "Ah, there it is... Shall we call it jealousy?"
"You can keep your delusions."
"Oh, I don’t think I need to." His tone shifted, low and deliberate. "Tell me, little brother, is that why you tried to kill me once?"
The words dropped like glass shattering between us.
My throat locked. My fingers stilled by my side. For a moment, all I could hear was the sound of the sudden rain hitting the roof, muffled by glass and piano music.
It wasn’t true—or at least, not the way he meant it.
He knew it too.
I remembered the sunlight reflecting on the pool that day, the sound of splashing turning frantic, the sudden silence that followed. I’d been standing a few feet away, frozen, my shadow trembling on the surface while Andrew’s small hands clawed at the water.
For one terrible second, I’d thought, ifhe sinks, maybe Father will finally see me.
Maybe he’ll care.
And then someone screamed, and the staff rushed in, pulling him out coughing, while I stood there with guilt and relief fighting in my chest.
Back to now. I forced my voice even. "It wasn’t my fault you fell into the pool."
Andrew’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. "Of course not." He said. "Just like it isn’t your fault every time someone close to you ends up hurt."
My jaw tightened. "Careful."
He ignored the warning, gaze flicking to the direction Aria had gone. "Relax dear brother. I’m not here to start a war."
"Then what the hell are you doing here... and with her?" I asked, nodding toward the restroom where Sarah had vanished along with Aria.
At first, Andrew tilted his head slightly, like he was trying to recall something trivial.
"Oh right," he said, his voice dripping with that usual mockery, "your girlfriend’s best friend, isn’t she?"
I ignored him, my jaw tightening.
He smiled wider, pleased with himself.
"Relax. I simply ran into her," he said casually, rolling the words around like smoke. "Had a little chat. She’s... charming. Beautiful, too. Though I must say... the desperation reeking off her—god, it’s almost palpable."
The moment the words left his mouth, something inside me went still.
"You should watch yourself Andrew," I said, my tone low, a quiet threat under every word. "Stay away from me. Stay away from Aria. In fact... stay the hell away from this country. Go back to your goddamn parties, your orgies, your lines of coke—whatever you do best. But stay out of my life."
Andrew’s expression darkened for a moment, but then he stepped forward, closing the gap between us just enough to make the air tense. The faintest smirk lifted his lips.
"I came here," he said quietly, "because I got your message."
My brows furrowed. "What?"
"You told me to stop hiding," he continued, eyes glinting. "So I did. I finally took your advice, big brother. Thought you’d be happy to see me." His smile sharpened. "After all, I’ve always looked up to you. Maybe now, I can learn from you. Be closer to you..." He paused, his voice dipping lower, crueler. "...and maybe even get a taste of Aria’s incredible body while I’m at it."
The world blanked out for half a second.
The lights, the music, the voices around us, all gone. All that was left was the pounding in my veins and the flicker of his mouth as he said her name like that.
I didn’t even try to resist the bait. I couldn’t.
Before I even realized it, my fist had already connected with his face.
The impact cracked like a gunshot. The force sent him stumbling backward, crashing into a glass table with a shattering sound that ripped through the restaurant. The table splintered, glass raining onto the floor, and Andrew hit the ground hard.
A woman screamed. Someone shouted. The entire room lurched into chaos, chairs scraping, silverware clattering, gasps spilling into the air.
Andrew lay there for a second, his hand wiping the blood at the corner of his mouth, his lips twisting into that same damned smirk even as red stained his teeth. Then, unbelievably, he laughed.
A slow, hoarse sound that sent every muscle in my body coiling tighter, aching for more than just one punch.
"Still the same, brother," he said softly, wiping the blood with the back of his hand. "Always so easy to provoke."
Security began to rush toward us, and still he laughed, eyes gleaming with that unholy light that said this—this chaos—was exactly what he wanted.
And I stood there, chest heaving, fists still clenched, eyes burning black.
Ready to hit again.
But her voice snapped me out of it.