Chapter 36%
“But I didn’t expect Leo to go so far. To send you that disgusting video of him with Sara… That was beyond cruel. And now he’s fighting tooth and nail to get you back, dragging Ethan into this madness.“)
“Ethan…” I whispered. “You think Leo made a deal with Ethan to hurt you?“%
“Why else would Ethan help Leo?” Ryan’s eyes blazed with frustration. “He’s always wanted to destroy me. And if getting to you is how he plans to do it, he’ll stop at nothing”
The more Ryan spoke, the more pieces fell into place. His explanation made sense. The evidence he provided, the pain in his voice, the desperation in his eyes–it all seemed genuine.
The truth had been buried beneath layers of manipulation and secrets. And I was tired of being trapped in the darkness.%
“Ryan, I believe you,” I finally admitted.%
I stepped closer, reaching for his hand. “But you have to promise me something. No more lies. No more secrets. If we’re going to face this, we face it together.“%
Ryan’s expression softened, his fingers intertwined with mine. “I swear, Jocelyn, I’ll protect you, always. And I’ll never hide anything from you again.“%
The sincerity in his voice melted away the last of my doubts. Whatever Ethan was planning, whatever darkness lay in his past, I would stand by Ryan’s side.”
And that night, we made up, his arms wrapping around me like a shield, our bodies pressed together in a comforting embrace/
For once, I felt safe.”
But I still went to meet Ethan at the place he sent to me. I should make sure he would never disturb us anymore.
Ryan had been my rock, my shield, and my comfort. And if there was even the slightest chance Ethan intended to hurt him, I could not stand idly by.”
That time, I should save someone who had saved me countless times./
I had left the Donovan residence with only a vague plan. I asked the guards not to inform Ryan, trusting them only to act if I sent a distress signal. They nodded, their expressions grim as they spread out and hid around the estate.
As soon as I entered, I saw Ethan sitting on the couch as if he owned the place. His presence swallowed the room, his posture both relaxed and calculated.
“Alright, Jocelyn. Before moving to hairpin history, let me tell you about the tale of a helpless boy named Ethan.“%
He leaned forward, his voice low and strained, but his words flowed with harsh, bitter clarity.”
“Ethan and Ryan were born together. Not just brothers–twins. But even from the beginning, their parents thought Ethan was the problem child. He was sick, weak, constantly in and out of hospitals. While Ryan was the golden child. The perfect son who would inherit everything.“%
His eyes grew distant, lost in the shadows of memory. I could see the darkness coiling within him, the madness bred from years of isolation.
“But as they grew older, Ethan got stronger. Ethan started to surpass Ryan in certain things. Intelligence, strength, even charm. But the Donovans… they didn’t want two heirs. They only wanted one. And they had already chosen who that would be. So, they made their decision.“%
Ethan’s lips twisted into a bitter smile, a smile that spoke of years of suffering. “They locked Ethan away. Kept him hidden from the world. It started with restrictions, excuses about his health and how he needed to be protected.%
“But the truth was, they wanted Ethan gone. To make sure only Ryan existed in the family tree. And Ryan–he helped them erase Ethan.“%
I swallowed as I heard the sentence.%
Yesterday, Ryan’s mother mentioned a recording of Ryan and Ethan fighting, but she could not bring herself to show it to me–since it was like a nightmare etched into her memory.%
Seeing her trembling, I chose not to press further.%
But, here I was, listening to it from the perspective of someone who was directly involved in the madness.%
Ethan leaned closer, his eyes blazing with a fire I could not look away from. “By making sure Ethan would never be seen or heard again, he killed him. Then, they left him in that abandoned house.%
“Starting from that day, Ethan was nothing but a ghost to them.”%
The horrifying image of a child being left alone to rot twisted my stomach. I could not breathe for a second, but still tried hard to whisper, Then how did you survive?*%
Maybe, if I could hear about it, I could match the missing puzzle piece.%
Ethan’s laughter echoed in the mansion, “Survive? Of course, I should survive to kill them all. So, if you are still with Donovans, you will be part of it, Jocelyn.%
“That’s why, come with me. I know you remember me. You were the only one who ever gave me a gift–that hair clip. From that day on, you became my light, Jocelyn.“%
From the memories that resurfaced, I recalled that my encounter with Ethan was far from pleasant.
He probably thought I cared about him by leaving something behind.%
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But the truth was, my younger self had been so terrified of him that I didn’t care about anything that day.M
So, I shook my head, explaining, “That clip? I remember losing it. I never gave it to you, Ethan.“N
His jaw tightened, frustration flashing across his face. “Don’t lie to me. You were the only one who cared, when everyone else abandoned meg
“No, Ethan. We did meet once, but it was nothing like what you said. You were….” I swallowed, the memory clawing its way to the surface. “You were killing a cat in the yard. You said it was meowing annoyingly. I was so scared, I ran away and tried to forget everything about it.“8
He cut off, “You remember wrong! I was just trying to show you I wasn’t weak. I was just trying to make you understand that I could protect you.”
“I was never yours, Ethan.” My voice trembled, but I forced myself to stand my ground. I needed to buy time. Just enough for the guards to storm in and end this nightmare.N
But no one came. I discreetly sent the distress signal moments ago, and yet the silence only deepened around us.
Realizing my desperation, Ethan’s lips twisted into a triumphant smirk. “No matter what you said, I will make you mine, Jocelyn.” “After all, your ex–boyfriend is really amazing. He managed to paralyze your guards in an instant with just a sniper on the top floor. So, it’s only you and me now.”
