Hard to Endure Chapter 09

Hard to Endure Chapter 09

When Vanessa saw Knox, her face lit up. She rushed over, rose up on her toes, and gazed up at him, her voice

sweet and soft. “Knox, did you come back just for me? I knew you still had feelings for me.”

Then she played it coy. “If you really came back for me, I guess I could say yes.”

I stared hard at Knox, and I remembered the first year he was abroad. I’d hired someone to take photos of

him, and I’d found out that a girl was always by his side back then. I couldn’t sleep for nights.

Now I finally had a face to match. It was Vanessa.

My mouth twitched. Then Knox let out a cold scoff. “I came to tell you to stay away from Summer.”

He threatened her point-blank and told her to delete her essay. “If you post anything else about Summer online, I won’t go easy on you.”

I rolled my eyes. He was still so stubborn. Inside, I was a little pleased, and I didn’t notice Adrian’s face going

cold.

Vanessa looked just as humiliated. She glanced around and spotted Adrian and me.

I didn’t care. I walked straight over to Knox’s side. But Adrian stared at Vanessa, and it took him a long time

to force the words out. “So you went abroad back then for him?”

Vanessa didn’t answer him. She fixed her eyes on me instead.

I found out later that Vanessa had heard it from a junior assistant who worked under Knox. Knox had gone

overseas to get away from his own sister.

The story went that she’d confessed to him and backed him into a corner until he had no choice but to leave

and build up the overseas business.

Vanessa was also sure Knox couldn’t stand that sister. That was why she looked at me and laughed coldly.

“So you’re the sister who’s been lusting after her own brother? Summer, you really know how to play games.

Does Adrian know?”

When he heard his name, Adrian didn’t catch on right away. Vanessa kept mocking me without holding

anything back.

“Some people are seriously twisted. She’s got a thing for a brother she’s not even related to, and when she

can’t have him, she finds a stand-in. Oh, right, Adrian. You’re the stand-in.”

The moment she finished, I opened my mouth, but Knox beat me to it. He pulled me behind him and gave

Vanessa a cutting look. “Vanessa, you have no right to talk about her.”

“Keep this up, and I’ll make sure there’s no place for you in this country either.”

Vanessa went white. Seeing her like that, Adrian stepped in to defend her on instinct. “Isn’t that a little

much?”

It was a standoff. I spoke up almost at once. “Whatever’s going on between my brother and her has nothing

to do with you.”

Even after I pulled Knox away, Adrian stood rooted to the spot, his fists clenched so hard his knuckles turned

white. From the look on his face, old details were rushing back and piecing together an absurd truth.

But so what? He was the one who’d said it was love at first sight in the first place. We were both to blame,

and it couldn’t all be my fault.

On the way home, Knox kept his lips pressed together and didn’t say a word. I got a text.

Unknown Number: [Summer, in more than two years, did you ever feel anything for me at all?]

It was Adrian. He’d switched numbers again.

After thinking about it, I didn’t reply. If I said I’d never felt anything, that would be a lie, and if I said I had, that

would be a lie too. I couldn’t say either one.

Even strangers who spent every day together left a mark on each other. On top of that, he’d filmed so many

videos with me.

But he really had been a stand-in. From beginning to end, the only person in my heart had been Knox.

Knox glanced at my phone and gave a cold huff through his nose. I looked at him without meaning to, and

the words that came out of my mouth were pure bait. “Knox, do you still want me?”

Knox stilled. He turned to look at me, his eyes restrained and distant. “What do you think? Summer, we’re

brother and sister.”