My Brother, The Devil ✔

10

Blair POV.

The next day, I am on an IV when someone else comes to visit me. A group of people walks into the ward, each carrying gifts. A middle-aged woman, elegantly dressed, walks in the middle, pushing a boy in a basketball jersey towards my bed. Then I recognize it's Eli and his mother.

Eli keeps his head down, not daring to look at me. His mother warmly greets me, inquiring about my health with concern, and keeps apologizing, "Ms. Blair, I originally wanted to come to visit you earlier, but I was worried that you were recovering and didn't want to be disturbed, so I came here today."

"I wasn't sure what you liked, so I bought some random gifts. Please accept them."

I glance at the luxurious gift boxes in the hands of the people behind her, then turn to her, "These gifts are all very nice, but they won't help with my recovery. Please take them back."

"Do you have any other preferences? I can buy more."

Eli was shot in the thigh, had his ear bruised, and his shoulder was injured. Now his leg is bandaged and in a cast, and he no longer has the arrogant look he had in the bar.

I look at him and then look away, "No need."

Eli's mother bows to me, "It's my fault for not educating my son well. He made a big mistake. I brought him here today to apologize to you in person..."

"I won't forgive him," I interrupt her, "He's standing here fine now because of attempted rape; it's also because the Emerson family doesn't want this matter to escalate into a scandal."

"But personally, I will never forgive him."

Eli's mother's intentions for coming today are clear; her husband is under investigation, and the family business is in jeopardy.

"And I'm just a insignificant foster daughter of the Emerson family. If you need anything, you can go to the current head of the family." I take a deep breath.

The woman in front of me blinks, her eyes reddening. "What if I kneel down for you?"

I'm stunned. I never expected her to do this.

A woman old enough to be my mother suddenly kneels in front of me, apologizing for her son's foolishness.

"I'm just a housewife, I don't understand business, but I just want my son to have a father. Please."

She tugs at Eli's clothes, "Kneel down, too."

"Mom..."

"Kneel down, don't make me say it a second time."

Eli couldn't bear this humiliation, shouting angrily, "No! It's dad's fault for not managing the company well. Why should I kneel down?"

Eli's mother turns to have her bodyguard hold him down, Eli struggles. Amidst the chaos, Eli's mother almost goes insane; she grabs Eli's crutch and raises it to hit his knee. Eli's gunshot wound starts to ache, and he begins to scream in pain.

I quickly get out of bed to intervene, pressing the call button and yelling for the guards outside to come in and remove these people.

"Miss. Blair, my husband cannot get into trouble. Please help us..." Eli's mother continues to plead, while Eli, dragging his bleeding leg, curses me with tears streaming down his face, "You'll damn well get what's coming to you! You bastard—"

His voice still echoes in my ears as I return to bed, seeing blood flowing from the vein on the back of my hand into the IV bag.

Maybe he's right.