Wrong Brother But Make Him Mine Chapter 04

Wrong Brother But Make Him Mine Chapter 04

Over the next few days, my relentless campaign paid off, Adrian’s tolerance for me grew higher and higher.

He drove me to and from campus every day, told me bedtime stories whenever I demanded them, and playing the part of the doting brother every time I hit the mall.

He even let me replace the dark gray curtains in the living room with butter-yellow ones.

I also filled the couch with a pile of collectible star-themed blind box figures.

The entire house went from cold minimalist black-and-gray decor to bright, cozy, girly chaos.

When Mr. Whitaker saw the pink throw blanket on the couch, the expression on his face was truly something.

“Adrian used to hate even one extra pillow on the sofa,” Mr. Whitaker whispered to me. “You’ve managed to do the impossible, Stella. You’ve made this place a home.”

Just when I thought everything was getting better, Sunday afternoon arrived.

I only had two classes that day, so I came home early.

The moment I walked in, I felt something was wrong. The silence was heavy, like the air before a storm.

Mr. Whitaker stood near the entryway, looking worriedly upstairs.

When he saw me, he rushed over, his voice a frantic whisper. “Stella, the physics competition results are in. He took silver. His father called ten minutes ago…”

He paused, then sighed.

“Every time his father lectures him, Adrian locks himself in the study and goes into a dark place. Last time, he didn’t eat for two days. I’m afraid he’s…”

Unease tightened in my chest. I ran upstairs before he could finish.

The study door was closed. A faint strip of light leaked from underneath.

I pressed my ear to the door and listened. Through the wood, I could vaguely hear a phone on speaker.

A middle-aged man’s voice came through, cold and cruel, tearing Adrian apart word by word.

“Useless.”

“Humiliating.”

“What was the point of raising you?”

The insults drifted out in broken pieces.

I took a deep breath, then pushed the door open because I could not take it anymore.

The lights in the study were off, and the curtains had been pulled shut.

The phone on the desk gave off a pale glow, and the abuse kept pouring from the speaker.

Adrian sat in the chair, his whole body swallowed by the darkness. I could not see his expression.

Several white prescription pill bottles lay scattered across the floor near the leg of the desk.

His left arm was exposed, and the faint, red lines along his forearm made my stomach turn.

My mind went blank with a sharp, roaring buzz.

Without thinking about anything else, I rushed over and grabbed the phone from the desk.

“What gives you the right to talk to him like that? He got second place, not dead last. Do you even understand how impressive second place is? If you’re so amazing, why don’t you go take the exam yourself?”

“What right do you have to call yourself his father? No wonder your wife left you and never looked back. You don’t deserve a family.”

“Who the hell are you? That’s bullshit. How do you know my wife left me…”

The man on the other end seemed to have been hit where it hurt.

“I’m your worst nightmare.”

After shouting that in one breath, I hung up and slammed the phone onto the desk.

Adrian seemed to finally come back to himself. He lifted his eyes to me, his gaze dark and unreadable.

I turned back around, bent down, opened my arms, and hugged him.

His entire body was like granite.

Like a cold stone statue, he stayed motionless in my arms.

I stroked his hair, letting my own tears fall onto his hoodie.

My tears started falling again, useless and unstoppable.

“Adrian, you’re perfect. Do you hear me? You’re the top of your class, you’re brilliant, and you’re the kindest man I’ve ever met.”

“You’ll always be Mom’s and my pride.”

“No one can compare to you.”

After I said all of that, the study stayed quiet for a long time.

At last, the person in my arms responded.

Adrian’s arms slowly, slowly wrapped around my back. At first, they only rested there lightly, as if he was afraid of breaking something fragile.

Then they tightened a little.

And then a little more.

Until he had pulled me completely into his arms.

His hands were trembling.

But he held me very tightly, his chin resting on the top of my head. Against my ear, his heartbeat sounded deep and heavy in his chest.

I whispered , “Promise me, no more of this. No more hurting yourself because of him.”

“I’ll stay with you.”

“I’ll always stay with you.”

Adrian held me even tighter.

He did not answer.