Chapter 31%
The man sitting across from me wore a face so hauntingly familiar. But it left me breathless.
It was as if Ryan was right there, staring at me with eyes that held none of the warmth or kindness I had grown used to.
Instead, those eyes were sharp, calculating, and filled with a bittemess that seemed to seep into the air itself.
So, it was Ethan. The twin brother Ryan had pretended never existed. The man I had been warned about, but also the man who claimed to know the truth.
I felt my body stiffen as Ethan’s smile curled at the corners of his mouth. It was not indeed the charming, gentle smile Ryan always
gave me.
It was twisted, as if he was amused by my shock and confusion. The way he lounged back in his chair, his posture deceptively relaxed, only heightened my anxiety.”
Despite his resemblance to Ryan, there were differences. His gaze was colder, more intense, and the scar on his wrist–partially hidden beneath the cuff of his shirt–was a glaring reminder that this man had been through hell and survived.”
“Let me guess,” Ethan’s voice was smooth, calculated, but with an edge that left me uneasy. “You must have watched the hotel footage from your last day in the US, right?”
I nodded, my fingers trembling as I gripped the tablet Leo had handed me earlier. “Yes. And the footage of Ryan orchestrating my departure,” I replied, my voice barely steady.
Leo, who had been silent all this time, suddenly tensed. His eyes darted between me and Ethan, as if unsure whether to speak or run. I realized then just how much power Ethan held over him. Leo was terrified, and that alone told me Ethan was no ordinary man.” Ethan chuckled darkly. “Well, that’s how cunning he is. No wonder, growing up with the Donovans–people who were willing to abandon their own child.“§
His words hit me like a slap. “But… they thought you were dead. How can you say they abandoned you?“}
The instant the words left my mouth, Ethan’s expression twisted. With a sudden movement, he slammed his fist down on the table. The sharp noise echoed through the small café, drawing startled glances from other patrons.
Leo flinched, and I instinctively recoiled.”
“I’m not dead, Jocelyn,” Ethan hissed, his voice a venomous snarl. “That’s just what they wanted. They tortured me, locked me up like some filthy secret. They pretended I never existed. And when they thought I was too broken to fight back, they finally got rid of me.“>
He laughed then, a chilling sound that sent icy tendrils crawling down my spine. As if to emphasize his point, he dragged his nails across the scar on his wrist, tearing the wound open again until blood seeped from the broken skin.
It was as if he felt nothing. Or maybe the pain was just something he had long grown used to.
I swallowed hard as he continued, “And Ryan,” Ethan’s gaze sharpened, his lips pulling into a mocking smile. “He took everything from me.S
“The life that should have been mine, the parents who should have loved me, and…” His eyes bored into mine, a depth of rage simmering beneath the surface. “And the person who was meant to be mine.”
I flinched at his words.
“My own brother, the one who was supposed to protect me, tried to kill me instead. He made sure I was left to die in that empty house. But they didn’t count on my hatred being the very thing that kept me alive.”}
I felt cold, the blood draining from my face.”
“So, Jocelyn, I’m giving you a chance to walk away before it’s too late,” Ethan wamed, his gaze never leaving mine. “Because if you don’t, you’ll end up just like me. Broken, betrayed, and with nothing left but the desire to destroy everyone who wronged you.“>
Ethan’s eyes flared with frustration, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. And for the first time, I truly understood what madness looked like.
“So, you’re saying since Ryan abandoned you, he will do it to me too?“}
Ethan’s laugh was cold, sharp. “Not just abandoned. He erased me. Because as long as I existed, I was a threat to him. To his inheritance. To his perfect little life.”
My heart pounded painfully, each beat echoing with doubt and fear. Everything Ethan was saying… could it really be true?!
But Ethan was not finished. “Ryan has everything he wants. And now he’s taken you, too. But I’m here to take back what’s mine. Including you.
it.“2
“So, get out of that house. You’re not safe there. Not with him. Not with the people who would lie to your face and smile while doing
For a moment, I thought he might lash out again, but then he took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
“If you want me to believe you, then tell me everything. Make me understand why you hate Ryan so much. Because right now, all I hear are accusations with no proof.”
I met his gaze, refusing to back down despite the chill that crept up my spine.
Ethan’s jaw tightened, his eyes hardening like stone. But then something in him seemed to break, his shoulders slumping as if the weight of the past was dragging him down.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the familiar heart–shaped hair clip, holding it out like it was a lifeline. “I kept this up all these years. Clinging to the memory of you. To the hope that you might still care about me.“%
I could not tear my eyes away from the small, innocent object
lost from my memories.
“If you want to know more, come to my place. It’s too public and many ears are listening. Save my number and I will call you once I’m ready. I should go now,” Ethan continued before leaving.&
The more I thought about it, the more my mind became a tangled mess. Ethan’s words were like poison, seeping into the crevices of my memories, challenging everything I thought I knew.
