My Fiancé's Betrayal Led Me to My Possessive Brother
0Stupid villainess. Still admiring herself. Pierce is only marrying her to find out what happened to Jessamine Reed.0
0I can t wait to see him get revenge on Carys after he finds Jessamine.0
0Isn t Stellan supposed to be the Second Male Lead? Why is his storyline with Jessamine completely stalled? Why is he still obsessed with the villainess? Author, fix your plot holes!0
A flash of imagery, brutal and vivid, seared itself onto my brain.
My own body, mangled and lifeless on a rain-slicked street, the blinding headlights of a truck bearing down.
A visceral, gut-wrenching pain shot through me.
This wasn't a dream.
This was real.
Stellan, I stammered, my voice trembling, my eyes finding his in the reflection. The wedding is off.
His dark eyes, which had been storm clouds moments before, suddenly ignited with a brilliant light.
Stellan asked no questions.
His voice was clipped, decisive.
Good.
I looked at the diamond-encrusted gown in the mirror, a monument to a future that was now a death sentence, and squeezed my eyes shut.
Maybe it was just a hallucination.
But the feeling of my own blood pooling around me, the phantom agony&
When I opened my eyes, the live commentary was still there, scrolling faster now, a blur of taunting text.
0What s happening? Didn t the villainess spend her whole life obsessed with Pierce, scheming to marry him?0
0Without the Sinclair family s backing, can Pierce still beat his brother to become the Creighton heir?0
0Exactly. And if he s not in charge of Creighton Corp, how will he find Jessamine?0
0The whole plot is derailed!0
The silent words were deafening.
A wave of nausea and a splitting headache made me sway on my feet.
Stellan shot up from his chair, covering the distance between us in two long strides.
His large hands, veins mapping their surface, wrapped securely around my waist as I collapsed against his chest.
Stellan Sinclair. My adoptive brother.
He was all hard muscle and imposing height, impeccably dressed in a tailored suit that made him look less like a guest and more like the groom.
In the mirror, we looked like a perfectly matched couple.
He dipped his head, his gaze meeting mine in the reflection, intense and searching.
I didn t know this version of Stellan well.
My parents, initially told they couldn't have children, adopted him as their heir.
Then I was born, and Stellan s position became& awkward.
He was raised by a nanny in a separate mansion, a ghost in our family portrait.
My memories of him were a strange, foggy blank.
I only remembered a handsome, unsmiling older brother I always felt a little guilty around.
I assumed he had to hate me.
But according to the System s live commentary& he was in love with me?
My heart hammered against my ribs, the sound echoing in the silent, tense air.
I watched, mortified, as a blush crept up my neck and bloomed across my cheeks in the mirror.
But& the invitations have already been sent, I whispered, a feeble protest.
Stellan s response was immediate, as if he feared I might change my mind.
Don t worry. I ll handle it.
The commentary exploded.
0Damn, look at the veins on his hands. The tension is killing me. I m starting to ship them. Am I broken?0
0So, let me get this straight. Stellan cancelled all his meetings and spent an hour changing outfits just to watch his sister try on a wedding dress for another man?0
0His hand is huge& it s wrapped all the way around her waist& and she s turning completely pink. Why is this so cute?0
0Get a grip, people. The villainess bullied him his whole childhood and made Jessamine disappear. He s obviously confusing hatred for love. Stop shipping everything that moves.0
0You re the one who needs a grip. Hate and love are two sides of the same coin. This is gourmet-level angst. I need to see them act on that hate.0
0Yes! Do it! The kind of passion that s so fierce it s basically a fight!0
An interesting thought.
The Jessamine they mentioned had to be Jessamine Reed, a girl from my university.
I had been the center of my universe my entire life, until she appeared.
Jessamine was the classic resilient, doe-eyed heroine.
Her father was in prison for gambling, her mother for solicitation.
Yet, Jessamine not only clawed her way out of that mess but got into Atherton University, becoming a junior to me and Pierce.
The moment she arrived, the world tilted on its axis.
Everyone s attention shifted to her.
Despite being my inferior in every way.
I lost the student government presidency to her two years in a row.
My friends started skipping our afternoon teas to listen to her talk about her charming rural life.
Even Pierce began orbiting her, his attention drifting.
I d been in love with Pierce for so long. My diary was filled with entries about him.
For the first time in my life, I tasted the bitter poison of jealousy.
Soon, I found myself resorting to clumsy, petty tricks, driven by a fog of obsession.
But anything I tried to do to Jessamine would backfire spectacularly.
I d trip in front of everyone or find myself blurting out something idiotic.
After graduation, I saw Jessamine once.
Then she vanished from my life.
My world returned to normal.
Pierce had asked about her, and I d simply said she moved back to her hometown.
What had I actually done?
I couldn t remember.
I tried to scan the live commentary for clues, but my head was throbbing.
The system s users had moved on.
0Someone just bought the SSSSVIP package! Who wants to see what s going on in Stellan s head right now& 0
0ME!0
0OMG YES PLS!0
0Bless you, SSSSVIP mommy!0
0He wants to rip her wedding dress off and f*** her against that entire wall of mirrors.0
0Ahhh, why does the SSSSVIP feed have censors too!0
0Carys is having a nosebleed& this is getting spicy& 0
0Wait, wasn't Stellan supposed to be the aloof, devoted Second Male Lead who gets redeemed by Jessamine s kindness? Why is he such a deviant? My image of him is shattered.0
My self-image was shattered too.
I was practically going into spontaneous combustion.
0You weren t paying attention to the lore.0
0According to the original plot, Stellan was supposed to offer to become Jessamine s sugar daddy after presenting her with a scholarship.0
0Then, over time, he would have been moved by her sunny, optimistic disposition.0
0But for some reason, he just handed her the award and walked off. He probably doesn t even remember who Jessamine is. So much for redemption.0
0Just wait. Jessamine s main character halo is absolute. Even the villainess fell for her after just a few interactions.0
Stellan pulled me tighter against his chest. Seeing my flushed face, his brow furrowed in concern, and he pressed his other hand to my forehead.
His nose brushed against the loose strands of my hair.
I was completely enveloped in his embrace, surrounded by the scent of sandalwood.
It felt strangely familiar.
And I didn't feel the slightest bit of revulsion.
Are you running a fever? he murmured, his breath a warm puff against my ear that sent a shiver down my spine.
I shook my head, glancing at the commentary.
It was a blizzard of asterisks.
I managed to find one readable comment.
0The villainess isn't even that bad. Her evil plans always backfire. There s a kind of 'the harder I try, the unluckier I get' clumsiness to her. I kind of feel for her.0
& Thanks, I guess.
I d rather you just hated me.
Someone immediately replied:
0Are you a professional apologist? She made Jessamine disappear, and you re still defending her?0
0New here. How did Jessamine disappear?0
0We didn t get to see it. The feed cut to black after they entered the coffee shop.0
That doesn t mean it was me!
0The author s notes confirmed that Jessamine suffered greatly because of the villainess.0
Oh.
Never mind, then. It was definitely me.
I sagged against Stellan, defeated.
An unreadable emotion burned in Stellan s eyes.
He swept me into his arms, carrying me bridal-style up the stairs.
Stellan, I mumbled into his chest, I think I did something terrible.
He placed me gently on a plush bed, kneeling beside it to meet my gaze.
His large hand covered mine, his dark eyes calm and steady.
Tell me, he said. It doesn t matter.
0I m sorry, I m switching sides. Pierce the golden retriever is fine, but who understands the appeal of a stoic, quiet man of action?0
0I m about to faint from the shipping& 0
0No way, is he really going to cover for her? He has such a bright future. He s throwing it all away!0
0Villainess, confess while he s still head over heels! With his resources, he might actually be able to save you.0
Confess?
I wanted to. I just knew less than they did.
Stellan was undeniably brilliant.
He joined the family company right after graduation, and under his leadership, the business expanded to an unimaginable scale.
He held very little equity and worked tirelessly without a single complaint.
Competitors often joked with envy that Stellan Sinclair was the Sinclair family s single greatest return on investment.
I had moved into his house after I graduated.
My parents intention was for me to learn from him and gradually take over the family business.
I had zero interest in running a corporation.
I had a nagging feeling that I was the reason Stellan had been cast aside by our family a second time.
And now, I was supposed to take away his life's work, too.
Seeing his cold, stern face every day only deepened my guilt.
So I started sneaking out to see Pierce.
And Stellan caught me.
He was truly terrifying that time.
Looking into Stellan s eyes now, I realized the missing pieces of my memory about him were likely not pleasant.
I bit my lip.
Stellan& I think I have amnesia.
I looked at him earnestly. I suspect I have a second personality.
I watched his face anxiously for any change in expression.
There are so many things I don t remember.
0Wow. What a lame excuse.0
0No wonder they say the villainess is both stupid and evil. Korean dramas stopped using plots this dumb a decade ago.0
0So clumsy& 0
0It s over. The second male lead hates liars more than anything.0
Stellan froze.
He stared blankly for a moment, a storm of emotions flickering in his eyes.
Seeing me bite my lower lip, he reached out and gently brushed his thumb across it.
Don t bite.
I ll find you the best doctors.
The live commentary went blank for a few seconds.
Then it flooded back.
0I have six words to say about this& 0
0& Are you f***ing kidding me?0
0Stellan, you can t be this in love& 0
0How is he supposed to protect Jessamine now? This is so messed up.0
Stellan started to get up, but he d been kneeling for too long and stumbled.
His lips brushed against my forehead.
A rare flush appeared on his stoic face. He looked almost flustered.
Sorry.
But a flash of an image sparked in my mind.
Was that& a younger Stellan?
The fog in my brain began to clear.
I saw a small version of Stellan standing in a rose garden, looking at me coldly. He asked:
What are you doing here?
I grabbed Stellan s hand, my voice urgent.
Brother, kiss me again. I think& I think I can remember something.
Stellan s entire body went rigid.
The tips of his ears turned a deep crimson, and a shimmer of moisture appeared in his dark eyes.
I tugged on his collar, forcing him to lower his head.
I clumsily pressed my lips to his chin, a desperate attempt to unlock my past.
A few frantic pecks, and the memories became clearer!
Stellan s eyes had gone hazy, but just as my lips grazed the corner of his, he suddenly pulled away.
You& you need to rest.
He scrambled away, his body hunched as if in pain.
The live commentary was a solid wall of bolded: 0Ohhhhhh!0
0I underestimated her. I really did.0
0You have to hand it to the villainess. Her methods are crude, but they work.0
0I predict Stellan s fantasies are about to come true.0
0Did anyone else just see Stellan s& ugh, this girl is so damn lucky. Get up and let me act for a couple of scenes.0
I ignored the commentary, desperately trying to hold on to the newly surfaced memories.
As a child& I really did bully Stellan, didn t I?
Stellan handled the broken engagement with the Creighton family swiftly. The official story was that I was unwell and needed to recuperate.
After dealing with my parents questions, I ignored Pierce s calls.
I turned off my phone, a complete coward.
Strangely, as my memories of the past became clearer, my infatuation with Pierce faded.
A parade of specialists came and went.
They ran every test imaginable.
All my results were normal.
Stellan wouldn't let me kiss him anymore.
Every time he came to see me, he stood at the foot of my bed with a stern expression.
So petty.
If it weren t for the live commentary chattering away daily, telling me exactly what he was doing in the room next door, I might have actually been scared of him.
Knowing this, I reached out a hand to him, my voice a seductive lure.
Brother, just one more kiss. I m sure I ll remember everything then.
I had to get my memories back. I had to know what I d done.
If you do something wrong, you have to take responsibility.
An apology, compensation, even jail time.
I couldn t let this continue.
The commentary said Jessamine s main character halo was irresistible.
I d already seen proof of that with Pierce.
Stellan might be taking care of me now, but that could all change once Jessamine returned.
Then I d probably end up dead in a ditch for real.
0The test results are normal. He must know the villainess is a damn liar by now, right?0
0I support Stellan punishing her severely.0
0Agreed. Here are my suggested locations for said punishment: the bedroom, the bathroom, the living room, the dance studio, the piano room, the rooftop, the garden.0
0Not the garden. It s full of rose bushes. That would hurt her butt.0
& What is wrong with these people?
I gritted my teeth. Brother, I remember now. I used to run over to your house all the time.
You d ignore me, so I d draw turtles on your homework.
I forced you to tutor me, and when I didn t understand, I d bite you out of frustration.
And then, when we were teenagers, there was one time I snuck in while you were asleep and&
Enough, Stellan cut me off, his voice deep and resonant.
He walked closer, his eyes fixed on my outstretched hand.
I thought& you didn t want to remember.
I grabbed his collar, pulled him down, and pressed my lips against his.
They were soft and cool.
Stellan was still for a moment before he started to respond.
His large hand moved to the back of my head, holding me firmly as he deepened the kiss, leaving me breathless.
I could hear my own soft, broken sounds echoing in the quiet night.
A clear, cold voice sliced through the air.
Carys. Is this why you broke off our engagement?
Stellan and I whipped our heads toward the sound.
Pierce Creighton was sitting on the open windowsill of my bedroom, his handsome face devoid of its usual smile, his eyes bloodshot and dark.
Stellan s immediate reaction was to pull the blanket over me.
He remained half-kneeling on the bed, his arm a possessive cage around me, his dark eyes locked on Pierce, his voice like ice.
It seems my discipline was lacking.
Pierce. Do you make a habit of coming to see her like this?
Seeing Pierce, an irrational fervor surged through me again.
I had to have him, even if it meant using the most despicable means.
Why would I ever break up with him? Anyone who stood between us should&
Should die.
Sensing the change in me, Stellan cupped my chin with one hand, forcing me to look into his dark, obsidian pupils.
He leaned down and bit my lip.
Hard.
A jolt of Stellan s presence, his scent, his aura, washed over me.
I gasped, my sanity returning in a rush.
Oh god, that was terrifying.
What have I done?
I hid my face in Stellan s embrace, unwilling to face the reality of the situation.
Pierce clenched his jaw, leaping gracefully from the windowsill.
Stellan! You son of a bitch!
He threw a heavy punch aimed at Stellan s temple.
Stellan! I screamed.
Stellan just frowned in annoyance.
He sidestepped, his movements fluid and precise, catching Pierce s wrist in a grip of steel.
With an expert twist and downward pressure, he had Pierce immobilized.
Pierce struggled, craning his neck to look at me, his eyes pleading and stubborn.
Carys, just tell me one thing. Is he forcing you?
0Oh, I can testify that he is not.0
0Quite the opposite, in fact. You should have seen the way they were going at it. That did not look forced at all.0
0If anyone was being forced, it was Stellan.0
0Nah, that s just him playing hard to get with his little sister. A classic move.0
I avoided his eyes, focusing on the messy fringe of hair on his forehead.
Pierce, we shouldn t see each other anymore.
He flinched.
What am I to you, Carys?
A tool for you and your brother to spice up your little games?
Stellan applied a bit more pressure, his voice cold and toneless.
The Sinclair family s affairs are none of Mr. Creighton s concern.
Pierce broke out in a sweat from the pain but kept his jaw clenched, refusing to make a sound.
Bodyguards filed silently into the room and escorted Pierce out.
He didn t resist, but his expression was dark and unpredictable as they led him away.
His back disappeared through the door.
I turned my head, and Stellan was watching me.
Does your heart ache for him?
Back in my day, your ex-fianc? would have been carried out of here.
A flicker of what looked like genuine regret crossed his face before he smoothed it away, gently stroking my hair.
You still haven't answered my question, little sister.
Does he come to see you like this often?
First, search for and download the Novellia app from Google. Then, open the app and use the code "315260" to read the entire book.
MotoNovel
Novellia
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