IN HIS BROTHER’S BED

CHAPTER 9: “Polite Poison”

Ethan had always been emotional distant. But this time, he seemed to have fallen for Olivia’s words. He was getting drawn to her in ways he couldn’t fathom.

“Maybe I’ve made the best decision of my life,” Ethan said, continuing to puff his cigarette as he reached for his phone and headed into the vestibule.

Looking out the window, the sun was scorching. The heat made the sky shimmer intensely.

Everything, for Ethan, was falling into the right place. Things were going to work out for him, he thought. He was finally going to be his own boss after signing under the unknown properties Olivia had talked about.

“I would have her all to myself—and the properties as well,” he said, giggling. He dropped the cigarette, forged a wicked smile, and headed back into the living room.

As he got into the room, his phone popped up with a notification. Thinking it was Olivia, he quickly grabbed it, eager to see what she had sent.

“On my way to your house, Ethan.”

He shook his head in disappointment as he saw the message. To his dismay, it was Daniel. He now seemed bothered by his brother’s message. What at all was coming over him?

Olivia was slowly stealing him away from his brother with her sweet words. For many years, Ethan had shown indifference toward Daniel’s text messages.

“Okay,” Ethan typed as he hit the send button. His reply came off colder than he intended.

He didn’t know exactly why he was pissed, but slowly, it seemed he found himself drawing away from Daniel. He was getting drawn to Olivia. The surprising part was that he wasn’t doing it intentionally — it was just happening.

“She hasn’t replied to my text,” he said to himself.

“It’s been a little over four hours now.”

Was Olivia playing with his feelings? he wondered, as he heard the sound of a car horn. Perhaps it was Daniel. Quickly, he went through his phone and deleted the conversations he’d had with Olivia over the past few days before Daniel found out.

As he continued deleting the messages, he heard a knock on the door.

“I’m coming,” he said, putting on a T-shirt and heading to open the door.

“Hey, darling.”

“What…” Ethan was stunned.

It was Olivia. She had come to his house without informing him first. Before Ethan could utter another word, Olivia walked into the room, banging the door behind her. She held his cheeks, rolling her hands over him. His body responded before his mind could protest.

“But…” he tried to speak, but Olivia wouldn’t allow him. She grabbed his lips and gave him a deep kiss that lasted for over two minutes.

Ethan realized he’d be in danger together with Olivia if he didn’t act fast.

“Olivia! Daniel is on his way here too,” he said, slowly pulling her off him and tightening his belt.

“Wait, what?”

“Yes, he’s on his way here. He texted me fifteen minutes ago,” Ethan responded, showing her the message Daniel had sent.

“You could have at least let me know before coming,” Ethan said, standing in the living room, confused.

“But I wanted to surprise you, darling.” Olivia walked up to Ethan, held him by the neck, and grasped his hand.

“You need to stop him.”

“But how, Olivia? Perhaps he’s almost here.”

Ethan, confused and tense, walked up and down the living room, looking out the window every passing second.

“I don’t know, but you need to stop him. You’re mine now, remember?” Olivia said, looking at Ethan with her seductive eyes.

Ethan fell for it. He grabbed his phone without a second thought.

“You can come in tomorrow, Daniel. I’ve got an emergency and just ran out of the house. An old schoolmate has been admitted to the emergency ward.”

Which old schoolmate was Ethan talking about? Daniel was confused, considering the fact that both of them went to the same school, which was far from the town they currently lived in.

“Oh, what! I’m almost there. I could wait for you,” Daniel responded, sounding pissed off.

“Sorry, I locked the doors and went away with the keys.”

Daniel was dumbfounded. For the past few days, Ethan had seemed to be acting weird.

“Ah well,” Daniel said to himself and drove back.

“Piece of s**t,” Olivia whispered to herself. She had nearly been caught, and that could have spoiled her entire plan.

“Did you say something, Olivia?” Ethan asked, his curiosity at its peak.

“I said, you’re amazing, darling.”

She got closer to Ethan and hugged him tightly.

“I’m the danger you never saw coming,”she smiled inwardly.

As Daniel drove back, he couldn’t stop thinking about what Ethan had told him. Something about the conversation felt off, but he trusted his brother. He always had. With a quiet sigh, he brushed the thought aside and focused on the road ahead.

Back at the house, Olivia and Ethan were lost in their own world. The air between them carried a dangerous warmth. Ethan couldn’t wait for Olivia to finally show him all the properties she had talked about. His mind was already racing with visions of wealth, power, and a life free from Daniel’s shadow.

“Maybe we can go have a good time outside?” Olivia asked softly, laying her head on Ethan’s lap. Her fingers traced slow circles on his arm, sending a shiver through him.

“Oh yes,” he responded, a hint of excitement creeping into his voice.

“Let me get dressed, then.”

Ethan got up and tiptoed into his room. Olivia leaned back and looked around the house. It was beautiful — elegant and quiet, yet filled with memories. Pictures of Ethan and Daniel were pasted all over the walls, glowing in colorful hues. She stared at one of them — the brothers laughing together. A faint smirk crossed her lips.

Not for long, she thought.

A few minutes later, Ethan emerged from the room. He looked sharp in a fitted black suit, stylish shades resting on his face. The faint scent of his cologne filled the air.

“Oh goodness, you look sweet, darling,” Olivia said, her eyes slowly scanning him from head to toe.

She walked closer, deliberately slow, her gaze lingering.

“You look so good, babe.”

“Thanks… can we go now?” he asked, trying to hide how much her attention affected him.

They both headed out of the living room. The silence between them felt charged, like something unspoken hovered in the air.

“You have a nice house, Ethan. How did you buy it?” Olivia asked casually, though her eyes studied him carefully.

Ethan glanced at her, pretending he hadn’t heard.

“Or did you rent the house?” she added, opening the car door and sliding into the seat.

She was curious to know everything about him — about what he and Daniel were doing behind closed doors.

“Nah, I bought this house a few years ago,” Ethan replied, starting the engine.

Olivia leaned slightly closer, her perfume drifting toward him.

“Oh… such a big house.”

“Yes, it is,” he said, choosing his words carefully.

Why does she seem interested in how I bought my house? Ethan wondered, but he quickly brushed it off. Her presence distracted him too much to think deeply.

Just then, his phone rang. Daniel.

Ethan hesitated before answering. “Not yet. In a few hours, I’ll be home.”

Olivia watched him from the corner of her eye, studying every reaction.

“Why is your brother so attached to you, Ethan? He calls you every time,” she said lightly, though her tone carried a subtle probe.

“Ah well… we’ve always been like this since childhood.”

Suddenly, a notification popped up on Ethan’s screen. Olivia’s eyes flickered toward it. The message flashed briefly before Ethan locked the phone.

But she had seen enough.

Boss.

Her heartbeat slowed, her thoughts sharpening.

Boss? Why would Daniel call him boss?

Or… did they both answer to someone else?

Her suspicion deepened. A cold realization crept into her mind. Something wasn’t right. Something darker was hiding beneath the surface.

She leaned back in her seat, looking outside as they drove along the busy road. Cars passed, horns blared, but her thoughts were far away.

Ethan reached for her hand suddenly, intertwining his fingers with hers.

“You’re quiet,” he murmured.

She turned to him and smiled softly, masking her thoughts. “Just enjoying the moment.”

He squeezed her hand gently, his thumb brushing over her skin. The gesture felt intimate… but to Olivia, it was just another step in her plan.

You’re walking right into my trap, she thought.

Doubts formed more clearly in her mind. Daniel and Ethan were definitely hiding something.

She watched him as he drove — confident, unsuspecting, completely under her spell.

“I’ll definitely find out,” she whispered inwardly, her lips curling into the faintest smile.

And as their fingers remained locked together, the silence between them grew heavier — filled with desire, secrets, and the quiet beginning of betrayal.