I Married His Brother to Save Him

Sylvia Snow never expected to see Julian Hugo again—least of all at her husband's funeral. His first words were cold and detached. "My condolences, dear sister-in-law." Agony lanced through her chest, and hot tears stung her eyes before she could stop them. She tried to pull away, but his iron grip clamped around her wrist, holding her fast. Memories crashed over her in an instant. Three years ago, a devastating fire nearly took her life. Julian had thrown himself into the flames to rescue her, leaving him badly burned and comatose. The cost of skin grafts and intensive care was staggering—way beyond what she could afford. They were both orphans, and she was only a college student then. Raising millions for his surgery was utterly impossible. Desperate and cornered, she met Camilla Hugo, who struck a cruel deal: Sylvia would marry her vegetative son Leon in a luck-bringing union, and the hefty bride price would fund Julian's life-saving surgery. She knew this marriage would end any future with Julian. Once she confirmed he was on the road to recovery, she cut all ties and vanished from his life completely. She thought they would never cross paths again. Then Leon Hugo died suddenly, and the shocking truth came to light: Julian was the Hugo family's long-lost eldest heir. "Sylvia," Julian snarled, tightening his grip until her wrist throbbed, rage and betrayal lacing his voice. "Do you disdain me, or are you afraid?" He'd been willing to die for her, but she'd left him at his lowest to marry into wealth. How could he not hate her? Sylvia lifted her head, and her tear-glistening eyes pierced his hardened facade. One tear fell onto his hand, burning like acid. He almost reached to wipe it away—only to freeze mid-motion and shove her roughly back. His face hardened with fury. "Not a word for your brother-in-law? Do you look down on me?" "Julian, that's enough," George Hugo interjected, guilt etched on his face as he glanced at his long-lost son. "Sylvia can't speak. The fire damaged her throat—she's mute. It's not that she's ignoring you." Years ago, he was forced into a loveless arranged marriage. His beloved first love vanished without a trace, and he never knew she carried his child—the bitter reason behind their long separation. Julian stared at Sylvia, stunned. Shock, guilt and raw pain warred in his eyes. How had she lost her voice? Once, her soft, sweet whispers had been his greatest weakness. Sylvia dropped her gaze, trembling all over. She'd delayed her own medical care to scrape together every penny for Julian's surgery. The toxic smoke had scorched her throat beyond repair, stealing her voice forever. "Go pay your respects to your brother," George urged, leading Julian to the tombstone. The funeral drew to a close soon after. When the funeral drew to a close, Julian could not erase the image of that solitary tear from his mind. He needed answers—he had to know why she had abandoned him without a word to marry another man. That was when he overheard Camilla's vicious whisper, "Give that illegitimate brat this drug and lure him to your bed. I want him disgraced and cast out of the Hugo family for good." Julian's fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Watching Sylvia accept the small vial of pills, his heart turned to ice. No explanation was needed. If she had left him for money all those years ago, she would surely drug him now to secure her position in the Hugo family. She had always been this greedy, this materialistic. With icy composure, he turned and retreated to the guest room assigned to him. Moments later, a soft knock sounded at his door. Just as he expected, Sylvia stood on the other side. He leaned lazily against the doorframe, a bitter, mocking smile playing on his lips. "You left me for a wealthy dead husband, yet you crawl back now that I hold the power? Never. I love another woman—far superior to you in every way." Sylvia's mind went completely blank. She had braced herself for the possibility that he had moved on, but hearing those words spoken with such cold disdain still shattered her heart. She turned stiffly, desperate to flee the agony of his rejection. Julian grabbed her arm, his jaw clenched with suppressed rage. "Stop! Don't you have anything to say to me?" Sylvia's thoughts spiraled into chaos, visions of him with another woman clouding her mind. She struggled frantically to break free, and in her haste, the vial of pills from Camilla slipped from her pocket, clattering to the floor. Julian bent to pick it up, his gaze turning arctic and blazing with fury. "Sylvia, are you really that desperate? Your husband just died, and you're already plotting to drug me and climb into my bed?" Sylvia snapped back to reality, shaking her head wildly, her eyes wide with panic. No. It wasn't like that. She had come to warn him—to save him from Camilla's trap. She scrambled for her phone, desperate to show him the pre-written note explaining everything, but Julian swatted it out of her grasp before she could unlock the screen.