Darn Stupid Brother You Are by Mairee

Chapter 107

(Dennis's

POV)

I stared at the schedule for the upcoming inspection visit as I traced the outline of my itinerary with trembling fingers. The sharp font printed across the page was a chilling reminder of how far I had come and how far I had fallen. Every step of the inspection would be critical. My presence would be scrutinized, my authority questioned, and any slip could expose everything I had sacrificed. My decisions weren't just paper trails; they were blood-soaked bargains. Aurora's name was ever present in my mind, like a shadow I couldn't escape. The sound of her soulless laughter echoed in my memory and pierced through the years.

I remembered the feel of cold steel against my skin, the unrelenting glare of surgical lights above me, and the stench of painkillers mixed with the metallic tang of blood. My screams had been swallowed by the walls of the center as Aurora's mocking and commanding voice rang in my ears.

"Resist, and you'll regret it. Obey, and you might just survive."

My breath caught in my throat as fragments of the past clawed their way to the surface. The torture, the experiments the way she'd watched me like a scientist with a rat in a maze. They had stripped me of everything-my dignity, my autonomy. They had remade me into their puppet.

I looked at my reflection in the glass; my face was hardened and unrecognizable. Angel's face flashed in my mind. Her soft eyes were so much like her late father's.

I couldn't let her suffer. But how could I protect her when I was chained to this nightmare?

•

The thought of Angel haunted me as I prepared for the inspection. She didn't belong here. None of them did. But my hands were tied. The center owned me, body and soul, and Aurora's control was absolute. What would Angel think of me if she knew the truth?

No. I couldn't think like that. Not now. There was too much at stake.

I clenched my fists and tightened my nerves. "One step at a time, Dennis. Just one step."

(Eddie's POV)

and her gaze was firmly fixed on the far wall. She was ignoring me, which was fair, considering our fight. But I wasn't about to let this go unresolved. "Hey, Hande,"

"Go away, Eddie."

forgive me." I leaned closer and made a

she quickly

love it," I teased, nudging her

this is serious. We can't afford

I really do. I just... I don't always know how to handle things.

before her expression softened. "You're lucky I have

grinned. "I know.

and wanted to open up. "Hande," I said quietly, "can

nodded and put on a

parents were always fighting. And when they weren't fighting, they

Hande's eyes softened. "Eddie..."

forced a smile. "Anyway, I guess I've just carried that with me. But I want you to know

was firm but kind.

warmth of her touch grounded me, and for a moment,

then my voice dropped to a playful whisper. "Does

rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her smile.

I repeated, grinning.

she leaned in and kissed me softly. It was short but electric, and

I said teasingly. "That

she warned, though her

I laughed. "Noted."

expression and leaned back. "You know, I feel bad

agreed. "It's