A gasp escaped me as my brother’s head whipped to one side and he fell heavily to the floor.
Sebastian Forrest had clearly not held back. My brother’s left cheek immediately started to swell. He clutched his face in utter disbelief, seething, "You... you actually dared to hit me?!"
"You’re damn right I did!" Sebastian Forrest sneered, his eyes as vicious as a wolf’s as he swung another brutal punch!
Sebastian Forrest grew up on a military base; my brother was no match for him. Every punch landed solidly on his face.
"Senior Forrest, stop!" I cried out, terrified Sebastian Forrest would beat my brother to death if he kept going. I rushed forward to pull him away.
The moment Sebastian Forrest saw me approach, he froze. But his eyes remained locked on my brother, his entire being radiating a brutal, terrifying killing intent.
I quickly pulled Sebastian Forrest off my brother and looked at him, my face etched with worry. "Brother, are you all right?"
By now, my brother was bleeding from his nose and mouth, a truly wretched sight.
"I’m not your brother! I don’t have a sister like you!" he spat, glaring at me viciously before shoving me away.
Quick as a flash, Sebastian Forrest stepped in front of me, shielding me. His brow furrowed, and he looked ready to hit him again.
I quickly held him back, terrified he would.
My brother grabbed a towel from the sofa to wipe the blood from his face. His chest heaved violently; he was clearly furious.
I couldn’t help but take a deep breath, wanting to talk to him calmly and rationally.
Dad died young, and now Mom was gone too. We siblings were all each other had left.
My brother was now my only family in the world.
"Brother, Clara Langley is a truly awful person. If it weren’t for her, how could Mom have..."
But before I could finish, my brother cut me off coldly. "Shut up! You’re the one who killed my mother! You jinx! Dad should never have saved you and brought you home! If it weren’t for you, he wouldn’t have died!"
I froze, completely stunned. For a moment, I couldn’t process his words.
’My brother... what did he mean by that?’
’Didn’t Dad die in a car accident?’
’Why would my brother say I killed Dad?’
’And why did he say Dad shouldn’t have saved me?’
"Brother..."
"Get out! I don’t have a sister like you! Both of you, get out!" he roared, starting to shove us toward the door.
I stumbled backward, still wanting to say something, but my brother gave me no chance. The door slammed shut with a loud BANG!
I stood outside the door in a daze, my mind reeling. I turned and stared blankly at Sebastian Forrest.
"What did he mean just now? Why did he say I was the one who killed Dad?"
Sebastian Forrest’s lips pressed into a thin line. An unreadable emotion flashed in his dark eyes.
"Don’t listen to his nonsense. He was just saying things in anger." As he spoke, he looked me over with concern. "How are you? Are you hurt anywhere?"
"I’m fine." I shook my head, but my expression remained distant.
’But my brother’s expression just now... it didn’t seem like nonsense. It felt more like he’d let the truth slip in a fit of rage.’
Just as my mind was spinning, the elevator beside us opened with a DING.
I instinctively glanced over and saw a woman, bundled up from head to toe, step out of the elevator.
Even though only her nose and mouth were visible, I recognized her in an instant.
Clara Langley!
Clara Langley looked furtive, and the moment she saw Sebastian Forrest and me, she instinctively turned to flee.
But before she could take more than a few steps, Sebastian Forrest cut off her path in a few long strides.
"And where might you be off to?" A mocking smile played on Sebastian Forrest’s lips. "Why the rush?"
Clara Langley was an actress, after all. A flicker of panic crossed her face, but she quickly composed herself. Lifting her head to look at Sebastian Forrest, she smiled. "I was just trying to avoid an awkward encounter! Coming to a hotel to get a room in broad daylight..."
As she spoke, Clara Langley turned to me. "Chelsea Joyce, I never realized you were so brazen. You’re not even divorced from Theodore Grant yet, and you’re already getting a hotel room with another man?"
"Oh, so you *do* remember that I’m not divorced from Theodore Grant yet?" I sneered at Clara Langley. "Then where did that baby in your belly come from?"
Clara Langley pursed her lips, her tone still self-righteous. "I’ve already told you, this baby was an accident..."
I had no desire to hear her excuses. I cut her off coldly, getting straight to the point. "How do you know my brother?"
"I don’t know what you’re talking about." Clara Langley played dumb. "Who’s your brother? I don’t know him."
"Weren’t you supposed to meet him right here?"
"Don’t make baseless accusations. I could sue you for slander," Clara Langley warned, her brow furrowed. "You need evidence when you make claims like that."
Seeing her act so brazenly self-righteous, I actually laughed out of sheer anger.
’Evidence?’
’With her talent for twisting the truth, you could catch her red-handed in bed with someone and she’d still argue they were just having a friendly chat under the covers.’
"I’m warning you, stay away from my brother! Otherwise, I won’t let you off easy!"
Clara Langley smirked. "Putting aside the fact that I have no idea who your brother is, why don’t you tell me first: how exactly are you going to make me pay?"
I sneered. "What goes around, comes around, Clara Langley. Do you really think no one knows about all the disgusting things you’ve done?"
At my words, a flicker of panic crossed her face, but she quickly regained her composure. "Go on then, tell me. What disgusting things have I done? Talk is cheap, isn’t it?"
I pressed my lips together. I knew she was just trying to bait me.
But with less than two weeks until my divorce was final, I didn’t want to tip my hand and create unnecessary complications.
"Clara Langley, you’d better watch your step."
With that, I turned to Sebastian Forrest. "Senior Forrest, let’s go."
But as Sebastian Forrest and I were taking the elevator down, I couldn’t help but stomp my foot in frustration. "We let her off way too easy today!"
Sebastian Forrest chuckled at my fuming expression. "I have to admit, I’m surprised you managed to hold back."
I gave him a helpless look. "What choice did I have? I have no solid proof, just my word against hers. She’d most likely just twist it around and turn the tables on me."
"Who says there’s no evidence?" Sebastian Forrest smiled. "We have some ready-made."
"Are you talking about the baby in her belly?" I shook my head. "It’s not the right time. Besides, if we expose the truth now, what if Clara Langley fakes a miscarriage? She could easily frame me for it..."
At this, a sarcastic smile touched my lips. "She is more than capable of pulling a stunt like that..."
Sebastian Forrest watched me, a grin spreading across his face. "No, I mean that *I* have the evidence."