Chapter 12 He...is your brother?
769 Words
This was supposed to be a decision he'd made long ago, yet in that moment, Nelson still hesitated.
After a beat, he gave a soft reply. "I promised you, didn't I? I'm not going back on that."
Serena finally broke into a smile through her tears and threw herself into his arms.
"That puts me at ease. I'll be better from now on, I swear. I'll even talk to Claire and apologize, okay?"
Nelson's body tensed, his brows tightening. "…Yeah."
Serena didn't push her luck. She let go of him and gave a sweet smile. "Go ahead, I'll take my meds and rest up, promise."
Nelson gave her one last look, nodded, and turned to leave.
As his tall figure vanished from sight, the innocent smile on her face faded instantly.
"That b***h! I should've thrown her out years ago. I looked like a damn clown in front of Nelson—and the whole damn party saw it!"
"Alright, alright. She's divorced from Nelson now anyway. Once you marry into the Cooper family, what can a low-ranking woman like Claire do?" Elena tried to calm her.
Serena scoffed, visibly upset.
"You said tossing her out would ruin the family name—well, guess what? Now she's married to Nelson and living the life that should've been mine! And none of you had the backbone to stop her!"
"It's not that I didn't want to. Nelson's grandfather liked her, and I had to think about the bigger picture."
Elena wasn't too happy either. Raising a girl she had no blood ties with for so many years—she'd never felt quite right about it.
If not for his grandfather's fondness for Claire, and the risk of the Coopers pulling out of the marriage deal if they threw her out, she would've kicked her to the curb a long time ago.
She lived under their roof, ate their food, and now dared to turn against them? Ingrate.
"But now that his grandfather's gone, and Nelson's treated you well these past three years, that marriage is as good as locked in. Still, tonight's mess—Serena, you were too impulsive. You can't confront her directly anymore, got it? Next time anything comes up, stay out of it yourself. Understood?"
Serena pouted. "I just didn't feel at ease, that's all."She'd already messed up twice, and still had no clue where Claire had found those nobodies who managed to bail her out every single time.
Seeing Elena about to say more, she quickly put on a sweet tone, "Alright, Mom, once I'm married to Nelson, everything will calm down. I just didn't want accidents this time, so I made sure she wouldn't get back up. I won't do it again—and look, Nelson didn't say a word about it."
"Just because he didn't say anything doesn't mean he's not thinking about it."
Elena looked at her seriously. "These next few days, stay close to Nelson, act pitiful like before, okay?"
Serena nodded obediently. "Got it. Thanks, Mom."
-
As Claire stepped out of the villa, the first thing she saw was an obnoxiously eye-catching red sports car parked by the curb, and the guy leaning against it in a loud pink floral shirt.
Instantly, she wanted to turn around and walk the other way.
Too late.
Adrian had already spotted her. He grabbed the huge bouquet of red roses on the passenger seat and walked over with a grin that was way too bright.
"Happy birthday, my princess!"
Claire felt her scalp tighten as she forced a smile and accepted the flowers. "If you weren't my brother, I'd pretend I don't know you."
"Hey now, watch your mouth," Adrian said, half serious, half amused. "The car's for you. Celebration, you know? And the roses… well, you like them. First time I've ever done this, so just... try to look touched or something."
Claire couldn't help but laugh. "Okay, okay, I get it. Thanks, Adrian!"
She turned and didn't forget to wave goodbye to Alyssa beside her.
"Miss Grant, my brother came to pick me up. Gotta dash!"
Behind her, Alyssa was completely frozen.
She hadn't moved since seeing who brought the flowers.
"He… he's your brother?"
Adrian Fields, CEO of XR Entertainment—it felt like all the big-name celebs came from his agency. Their first movie had smashed box office records with 4 billion, and their previous dramas were still fan favorites online, constantly rewatched.
The dream company she had always wanted to sign with.
And now, the boss himself was right in front of her—Claire's brother?
Alyssa was floored.
- Writer
