The Brother I Was Never Supposed to Want

Chapter 25

Ava’s fingers tightened around her phone, Nathan voice still faint on the line. The woman standing in the doorway looked every bit the polished magazine spread- silk blouse, designer jeans, and that practiced smile that once fooled Ava for years.

“Erica,” Ava said flatly. The name tasted like ash.

Erica’s smile widened as if they were long-lost friends. “Ava. God, it’s been too long. You look incredible.” She stepped forward, arms half-raised for a hug that Ava blocked with a single sharp movement.

“Don’t.”

Erica dropped her arms, tilting her head with feigned hurt.

A couple of gallery staff lingered nearby, pretending not to watch.

Erica’s voice softened into the performance Ava knew too well. “I know I messed up. Sleeping with Ethan… it was the worst mistake of my life. I was jealous. Stupid. You’ve always been the golden one, the talent, the attention, even Dad’s pride when he bothered to look our way. I let it twist me. I’m so sorry, Ava. Can we please talk?”

The apology sounded perfect. Rehearsed. Ava’s stomach turned. She could see the calculation behind Erica’s eyes, the way her step-sister scanned the room for witnesses, for sympathy.

“I don’t forgive you,” Ava said, voice low and steady. “You didn’t just sleep with my boyfriend. You smiled in my face for months while doing it. We’re step-sisters, Erica. That made it worse, not better.”

---

Erica’s lower lip trembled. Within seconds, tears welled up, perfect, glistening drops that caught the light as she let them fall. “I know,” she whispered, voice cracking just enough to carry. A few passersby slowed on the sidewalk outside the open studio door. “I’ve been carrying this guilt for so long. You were always the strong one. The artist. The one everyone loved. I was just… the mistake. The other daughter.”

Her voice rose, drawing more eyes. A woman across the street paused, phone in hand. Someone whispered, “Is that Erica Carter?”

Ava’s chest tightened with old, toxic guilt. They shared blood, however diluted. Their father’s indiscretion had created Erica in secret, then left both daughters fighting for scraps of his attention. For a split second, Ava wavered, memories of childhood sleepovers, shared secrets, the fragile bond they’d tried to build.

But then the betrayal crashed back in: finding them together in Ethan’s apartment, the way Erica had laughed afterward like it was nothing. The career sabotage attempts. The lies.

“No,” Ava said, stepping back. “You don’t get to cry your way back into my life. Not after what you did.”

Erica’s tears flowed freely now. “Please, Ava. I’m lost without you. You’re my sister...”

The small crowd murmured. Phones hovered. The performance was masterful.

---

Headlights swept across the front of the studio as a sleek black car pulled up. Nathan stepped out, tall and composed in a dark coat, his presence immediately shifting the air. Alex wasn’t with him yet, probably waiting at the restaurant, but Nathan’s timing was impeccable.

His sharp gaze took in the scene: Erica’s tear-streaked face, the gathering onlookers, Ava’s rigid stance. He didn’t storm over. He didn’t bark threats or throw his weight around. Instead, he walked to Ava’s side and stopped just behind her shoulder, a quiet pillar of support.

“You okay?” he asked, voice low enough for only her to hear.

Ava nodded once, drawing strength from his calm. Nathan respected her enough to let her fight her own battles. In that moment, it meant everything.

Erica’s tears slowed as her eyes locked onto Nathan. Recognition flickered, followed by something darker, calculation sharpening into hunger. She knew exactly who he was. Walker. Power. The kind of man who could rewrite lives.

“Nathan Walker,” Erica murmured, wiping her cheeks with delicate precision. “I’ve heard so much about you. Thank you for being here for my sister. She’s been through so much.”

Nathan offered no reply beyond a cool, assessing look. He placed a gentle hand on Ava’s lower back, support, not possession, and waited.

Ava lifted her chin. “We’re done here, Erica. Leave.”

Erica’s gaze flicked between them again. The jealousy that had always simmered beneath her polished surface ignited into something vicious. If Ava can have him…*

She lowered her eyes in apparent defeat. “I understand. I’ll go. But I hope you’ll think about what I said, Ava. Family is everything.”

---

Nathan guided Ava toward the car without another word to Erica. As they pulled away from the curb, Ava let out a shaky breath, glancing in the side mirror. Erica stood on the sidewalk, watching them go. The tears were gone. In their place was a small, private smile that sent ice down Ava’s spine.

Nathan reached over and laced his fingers with hers. “You handled that well.”

“I almost didn’t,” Ava admitted. “She knows exactly how to twist the knife.”

“She won’t get close again unless you want her to.” His thumb brushed over her knuckles, steady and warm. “And if she tries anything else, you tell me. But only if you want me to step in.”

The respect in his voice steadied her. This was what made Nathan different, dark edges and all. He didn’t need to dominate every situation to prove his strength. He simply stood beside her.

They drove toward the restaurant where Alex waited, the city lights blurring past. For a few precious minutes, the tension eased. Nathan told her a quiet story about Alex’s latest school project, his voice softening whenever he spoke of his son. Ava leaned her head back against the seat, letting the sound of it wash over her.

In the rearview mirror, Erica’s figure grew smaller.

But she didn’t move.

---

Erica watched the taillights disappear around the corner, her smile deepening into something colder, more determined.

“You’ve always had everything I wanted, Ava,” she whispered to the empty street. The wind caught her words and carried them away. “The talent. The attention. And now him.”

She touched her lips, remembering the way Nathan had looked at Ava, with quiet intensity, with possession wrapped in respect. A man like that didn’t come along often. And if her perfect step-sister thought she could keep him…

Erica turned on her heel, already pulling out her phone.

“Let’s see how long you can keep this one.”

The game had changed. And this time, Erica wouldn’t settle for scraps.