Darn Stupid Brother You Are by Mairee

Chapter 74

(Ava's POV)

The journal felt heavier than it should as I clutched it to my chest and my palms grew damp with sweat. I had done it. The little idiot thought hiding it under her mattress was clever, but Angel didn't understand the rules of this place-not like I did. Not like I had been forced to.

I made my way to the rendezvous point and my heart pounded with every step. The corridor was dim and the flickering lights made everything feel eerie. I hated how familiar this path had become. I shouldn't have had to do this, but Dr. Joe... Dr. Joe never gave me a choice.

When I handed over the journal to the person waiting in the darkness, I felt nauseous. It was done. I had sealed another piece of Angel's fate, but more than that, I had cemented my own.

•

(Flashback)

"You'll do as I say or your mother's debt becomes your burden." Dr. Joe's words echoed in my mind like a twisted mantra.

I was fifteen when I realized what kind of man he was. My mother had always been a fighter, but even the strongest people had their weaknesses. For her, it was gambling. One bad choice turned into a cycle of desperation and when the debts piled up, she turned to him for help.

had said as her voice trembled while she signed the papers.

But we never did.

Dr. Joe came to our house was the day I stopped being a child. He wasn't angry or loud. He didn't threaten. He didn't need to. "Your mother owes me and now, so do you." His blue eyes were calm and calculating. "You'll work it off," he had said and I had no choice but

tasks-keeping tabs on people and reporting back. But then the requests became darker and more personal. Like

•

on my usual smirk. The girls in my dorm laughed at something ridiculous, but I didn't even hear it. My mind was too loud. The lines had become so blurry that I

...

(Angel's POV)

me. At first, I thought I was imagining it, but now it was painfully obvious. He was quiet during meals, distant in the hallways, and every time I tried to talk to

than I wanted to admit. After everything-after all the stolen moments and the confessions-I thought we were finally on the same page. But now? It felt like

as I headed to the lounge. Thomas waited for me, his warm smile immediately putting me at ease. "Hey, you," he said and his voice

the silence between us felt oddly comforting. But then he leaned in and brushed a strand of hair from my face. "You

I wasn't sure how to put everything into

to talk about it?" he asked and his tone was genuine. I found myself softening under his

he actually cared about what I had to say. His kindness disarmed me and I couldn't help but remember

staring," he teased and broke me out of