Dangerously In a Heartbeat

Chapter 17: Stepfather

☼
sᴛᴇᴘғᴀᴛʜᴇʀ

ʜᴇʟᴇɴ's ᴘᴏᴠ
୧‿︵‿︵  ✾  ︵‿︵‿୨

𝐈 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍'𝐓 seen Ace since he confronted me about everything: he wasn't my real brother, he's the heir of our greatest enemies, and I'll be engaged to him in five months. I told everyone that Ace has told me about it, and they seem to be relieved that I know now. Ryan cracked jokes about how he cringed every time I called Ace 'brother', and Ren agreed.

Axel told me Ace had some things to deal with and that he'll be back in two days. However, it's been almost a week, and I begin to wonder if he's alright.

I still don't understand why Grandpa let Ace Valente enter our family. After all, his family was the cause of my grandma's death. I wanted to ask Grandpa why he trusts Ace, but I also understood that he didn't have a choice but to entrust Ace with our family since my real brother ran away.

"What are you thinking about?" Ryan lazily waves his hand in front of my face, pulling me out of my trance of thoughts. I glance at him, wincing when I see his mouth filled with pancakes. I shrug, not bothering to say anything and apply Nutella on my bread.

"How's your fever now?" Grandpa asks. After Preston's men attacked Granpa, he's been staying over here as there were few things to reconstruct. Ace's hand must be filled with all the work, especially trying to figure out the one's spying on us. After all, it's his job.

I grunt out 'fine' under my breath before taking a huge bite from my slice of bread. A thought crosses my mind, and I lift my gaze, concentrating on Grandpa.

"Grandpa, can you tell me our real eldest brother's name?" I direct my question to him. No one was fazed by my question, but Ren sighed, finally lifting his gaze from the book in his hand and looking over me from across the dining table. Gosh, I think it's his fourth time reading The Shatter Me series.

"Grandpa never told us his name and never described how he looked like." His gaze was indifferent as he said, but there was a frown on his lips. "We don't bother asking about our eldest brother now."

I looked at Grandpa trying to confirm it, and he apologetically smiled at me, which meant he clearly didn't want to discuss this.

"That's unfair. He's our brother, and I believe we at least deserve to know his name." I scowl.

"We're not a normal family, princess." Grandpa looks at me and purses his lips together. "We do dangerous work, and even uttering your older brother's name is dangerous. His identity has been well hidden ever since the day he was born. He was kept in isolation for years and wasn't allowed to see any of you." Grandpa continues.

"He is trained to kill, to protect, and to survive. He bears a wretched fate. I don't blame him for escaping."A soft smile makes its way to Grandpa's face as he gazes at all of us. "I just hope he's still alive."

Grandpa's words managed to squeeze my heart a bit in my chest. I began to wonder what my brother went through. It must've been a lot. I somehow understood it.

We ate in complete silence.

⊶⤟  ❦  ⤠⊷

"Seriously, crocodiles cannot die from gunshots," Kalen says, narrowing his eyes at Ryan who clearly disagrees on the matter.

"How are you so dumb? A crocodile can die from gunshots, dumbfucker." Ryan smacks the back of Kalen's head. Kalen jerks his head up, rubbing the back of his head while glaring at Ryan.

"You're so dead." He screams and jumps at Ryan, who is comfortably lying on my bed. Ryan curses under his breath, grabbing Kalen's hair.

"Ouch, Ouch! Let go of my hair!" Kalen screams, throwing his hands at Ryan.