The Brother I Was Never Supposed to Want

Chapter 31

The emergency family meeting Richard had called without Nathan sent shockwaves through the Walker empire. Victoria filled Ava in over a tense breakfast at the penthouse the next morning, Alex happily drawing at the table beside them.

“Your father-in-law is playing dirty,” Victoria said quietly, eyes sharp. “He’s trying to freeze Nathan out of key decisions in the legitimate businesses. Ethan is whispering in his ear about how Nathan’s ‘distractions’ are making the family vulnerable to Rossi and every other shark in the water.”

Ava’s grip tightened on her coffee mug. “And you?”

“I stand with my son,” Victoria replied firmly. “And with you. Nathan has carried this family on his back for years. Richard forgets that.”

Alex looked up, sensing the tension. “Is Grandpa mad at Dad again?”

Ava smoothed his hair. “Grown-ups argue sometimes, sweetheart. But your dad is the strongest man I know.”

When Nathan returned from his own counter-meetings that afternoon, exhaustion lined his face. He pulled Ava into a crushing embrace the moment he saw her, kissing her like a man who had been starving for hours.

“They’re trying to bleed me,” he murmured against her hair. “Richard wants control of the shipping contracts. Ethan is offering himself as the ‘safe’ alternative. But I’m not backing down.”

That evening, Nathan took a rare night off. He surprised Ava and Alex with a private dinner at a rooftop restaurant overlooking the city. For a few hours, they felt almost like a normal family, Alex chattering about school, Nathan’s hand never leaving Ava’s thigh under the table, soft laughter cutting through the tension that had defined the past weeks.

Later, back at the penthouse, after Alex was asleep, Nathan’s control snapped. He backed Ava against the floor-to-ceiling windows, the city lights sparkling behind her as he dropped to his knees. His mouth was relentless, tongue and fingers driving her to the edge twice before he stood and took her hard against the glass.

“Mine,” he growled with every deep thrust. “No one takes this from us.”

Ava came with a cry that echoed through the penthouse, nails raking down his back. Nathan followed, burying himself deep and whispering dark promises of forever against her throat.

---

The temporary peace shattered the next day.

Erica escalated.

Ava was at the gallery again, Lena had reluctantly agreed to a small showcase after all, when photographers swarmed the entrance. Flashes popped. Questions flew.

“Is it true you’re dating Nathan Walker?”

“Are you aware of his alleged criminal connections?”

“Sources say your sister Erica has evidence of..."

Ava’s blood ran cold. Erica had leaked everything she could. Photos. Rumors. Half-truths twisted into weapons. The gallery event turned into a circus. Lena looked horrified as potential buyers fled the chaos.

Ava escaped through a back exit, heart pounding, only to find Ethan waiting in the alley beside a black car.

“Get in,” he said urgently. “We need to talk somewhere private. This is spiraling out of control.”

She refused at first, but the desperation in his eyes, and the growing crowd at the front of the building, made her agree to a short drive to a quiet coffee shop across town.

Ethan looked terrible. “Erica is unhinged. She’s feeding stories to the press because she can’t stand seeing you happy. But she’s not entirely wrong about Nathan. He’s dangerous, Ava, and Richard is about to pull funding from several of Nathan’s legitimate projects unless he steps back from you.”

Ava’s temper flared. “You cheated on me with my sister. You don’t get to play saviour now.”

“I know,” Ethan said, voice breaking slightly. “I f****d up. But I still care about you. Nathan will destroy you. He’s already got Rossi breathing down his neck. If they find out how much you mean to him...”

The door to the coffee shop opened. Nathan walked in, flanked by two men. His expression was thunderous.

“Step away from her, Ethan.”

The confrontation was icy. Words were exchanged accusations of betrayal and threats of retaliation. Ethan finally backed down, but not before delivering one last warning.

“You’re choosing the devil, Ava. Don’t say I didn’t try.”

Nathan drove her home in silence, jaw clenched. When they reached the penthouse, he slammed the door and pulled her to him.

“Did he touch you?” he demanded, voice low and dangerous.

“No,” she assured him. “But Erica is trying to ruin my career. The gallery showing was a disaster.”

Nathan’s eyes softened. He cupped her face. “I’ll fix the gallery. And I’ll handle Erica. No one hurts what’s mine.”

He took her to bed with fierce tenderness, stripping her slowly and making love to her until she was trembling and boneless beneath him. Every touch felt like a claim, every kiss a promise.

But the cost was mounting.

---

Richard made his next move the following afternoon.

A formal letter arrived at the penthouse, an ultimatum. Nathan was to step back from several key board positions or face a public split that would damage Walker Enterprises’ reputation. The subtext was clear: End things with Ava or lose everything you’ve built legally.

Nathan read it once, then burned it in the fireplace while Ava watched.

“I’ve sacrificed enough for that man,” he said coldly. “If he wants war, he can have it.”

Victoria arrived shortly after Alex in tow. The boy had picked up on the tension and was quieter than usual.

“Grandpa says Dad has to choose,” Alex whispered to Ava later. “Between family and… us.”

Ava’s heart shattered. She spent the rest of the evening with him, reading stories and promising that no one would ever make him choose. When Nathan joined them, the three of them fell asleep together on the couch, a small island of warmth in a sea of rising threats.

But in the early hours, Nathan’s phone vibrated. Rossi had sent a new message.

They wanted another meeting.

And this time, they mentioned “personal vulnerabilities” in coded language that made Nathan’s blood run cold.

Ava woke to find him standing at the window, silhouetted against the city. She went to him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

“We’ll face it together,” she whispered.

Nathan turned and kissed her fiercely. “Together.”

Yet as the sun rose over New York, both of them knew the lines in the sand had been drawn. The Walker family was fracturing. Erica and Ethan were circling like vultures. Rossi was preparing to strike.

And Ava, the woman who had only wanted to paint, now stood at the very centre of a war she had never asked for.

Now she would have to fight to keep him.