Trapped Between Two Brothers
1456 Words
Elena dragged herself through washing up and putting on makeup, using a thick layer of foundation to hide the dark circles under her eyes.
Marcus’s driver showed up downstairs at eight sharp and took her to his private villa.
Her morning schedule included a piano lesson.
Elena slipped into the white dress the butler had picked out for her and sat neatly at the piano, like some delicate doll.
She really had better musical instincts than most people.
After six months of grinding practice, like a soulless machine, she’d gotten good enough to fool anyone who wasn’t an expert.
Her teacher that morning was Annie, a world-famous piano master.
Annie was very pleased with her performance.
“Elena, you played beautifully. You can totally stand on your own now. If Mr. Marcus hears this, he’s going to be so happy.”
“Thank you.”
She believed Marcus would like the way she was now.
The version of her he wanted.
That kind of pretending was her strongest skill.
According to Marcus’s assistant, he was planning a private recital for her soon, to help her fulfill her “dream.”
Which was a joke.
Her actual dream was making money every day and becoming seriously rich.
Elena didn’t dare slack off.
She practiced like crazy just to keep her sponsor happy.
But after what happened last night, her mind was a mess.
Once Annie left, Elena stared at the sheet music, already running the numbers in her head.
Her old debts in London, plus everything she’d spent since coming to New York.
Altogether, at least ten million dollars had been poured into her.
Which meant if she left Marcus now, she’d owe him ten million—without even counting that so-called life-saving favor.
Her head ached.
She wasn’t a good person, and she sure wasn’t an innocent girl.
She wasn’t a genius either, but she knew how to weigh the pros and cons.
Looks could bring money, but they could also bring disaster.
And now, the disaster seemed to hit first.
Her thoughts spun out of control.
Fear, anxiety, regret, and then anger, like a wild roller coaster.
In the end, she reached one conclusion.
There was no way she was going to take this loss herself.
If anyone had to pay, it should be Julian.
Why did he get to have his fun and walk away while she was stuck here panicking?
He knew she was his brother’s woman and still came after her.
How was that her fault?
If anyone was to blame, it was that psycho.
Still, she shook her head. She couldn’t bring herself to leave Marcus.
He gave her way too much. If she just walked away, she didn’t even want to imagine how bad it would get.
A chill ran down her spine as she tried to reassure herself.
Marcus was known as a perfect gentleman—soft-spoken, polite, always in control. He wouldn’t do anything to her.
As for Julian… she’d have to find the right moment to tell Marcus the truth.
Just as she was thinking about Marcus, she heard a car engine outside the villa.
Elena fixed her expression right away, put on a sweet smile, and went out to greet him.
Marcus stayed in the back seat. The driver came around and opened the door for her.
She was a little surprised.
“Are we going somewhere?”
“Yeah. I’m taking you out for lunch.”
She asked nothing else and got in.
They went straight into a reserved private booth at the restaurant.
While Marcus was ordering, the phone in her bag kept vibrating against her leg.
She shoved it deeper inside, but not before she glimpsed the screen.
The message nearly scared the life out of her.
“Elena, I miss you so much.”
“Are you with my brother? When are you going to come see me?”
Luckily, the music in the restaurant covered the buzz. Marcus didn’t notice, though he noticed her face.
“Elena, you look awful.”
“Do I?” She forced a smile. “I probably drank too much last night. Still feeling kind of sick.”
His expression cooled.
“Don’t drink again. I don’t enjoy seeing you like that.”
She nodded obediently.
“Okay.”
Seeing how uneasy she looked, Marcus put down the menu. “You got something you want to tell me?”
Elena took a breath and tested the waters. “Marcus, if… is someone really close to you betrayed you…”
His brow twitched, and his eyes went cold.
“Did you betray me?”
Her heart slammed as she shook her head fast.
“No. I didn’t. I swear.”
Marcus looked at her, then smiled, though his eyes stayed icy.
“Right. You’re such a good girl. You’d never do that, huh?”
She nodded quickly, not daring to say a word.
The server showed up just in time, and the deadly topic finally dropped.
Halfway through the meal, Elena said she needed the restroom.
The second she got inside, she locked herself in a stall, switched her phone to silent, and shot back a message.
“Don’t text me again. I mean it.”
Just as she was about to block him, a reply popped up.
“If you block me, Elena, I can’t promise I won’t do something crazy.”
“What do you want?”
She was still typing when Julian’s call came in.
Elena fumbled and answered.
His annoying laugh came through the line.
“Wow, you picked up fast. Missing me already?”
“I hope you drop dead.”
“Damn, even when you curse, you’re cute.” He chuckled, then sighed. “What do I do? I think I’m falling for you more and more.”
“Spit it out.”
“When are you coming to see me?”
“I’m busy.”
“So cold.”
“Julian, please, just stop. I really am busy.”
His voice turned sharp.
“Busy eating with my brother?”
“Yes. So please, just let me eat in peace.”
“Oh.”
His tone suddenly dropped, almost sulky.
“I’m jealous.”
Elena felt her brain short-circuit.
“He’s my boyfriend. Why are you getting jealous?”
Honestly, what right did he even have?
That she even thought that made her flinch.
Since when had she started accepting his place in all this?
But Julian clearly didn’t think like a normal person.
He got even more stubborn.
“I don’t care. If you’re eating with him, then I’m eating with him too.”
“What?”
Before she could react, he hung up.
When she called back, the line was busy.
Elena shoved her phone into her bag and rushed out of the bathroom.
This whole secret-affair feeling was suffocating.
She had a bad feeling it was all going to come back to bite her.
Then she saw it.
A man was sitting across from Marcus.
All the blood drained from her face.
It was Julian.
He was sitting in her seat, laughing and chatting with Marcus.
Marcus seemed to sense her stare and looked up, puzzled when he saw her frozen a few steps away.
Elena forced her stiff legs to move.
When she reached the table, Marcus gently took her icy hand.
“Why are your hands so cold?”
Not just her hands—her heart felt frozen too.
She forced a smile. “I’m fine.”
He studied her pale face. “You feeling sick?”
Before she could answer, Julian spoke up in a lazy, teasing tone.
“Elena, you’re not mad because I took your seat, are you?”
The way he said her name was full of flirtation.
It made her skin crawl.
She wanted to snap back, but with Marcus right there, what could she even say?
Inside, she wanted to strangle Julian.
On the outside, she smiled sweetly.
“Of course not. You’re just joking.”
Julian’s eyes narrowed for a second before he smiled again.
“Hey, bro, since Elena isn’t mad, I’ll just eat with you guys.”
Marcus gave a quiet “Mm.”
Julian slid over and patted the empty seat beside him.
“Elena, here. You can sit.”
He looked polite, but really, he was making her sit right next to him.
Marcus took a call and turned aside, missing the tension between them.
With the mood already like this, she had no choice but to sit.
The second she did it , a warm hand slipped over from under the table and grabbed hers.
Their fingers locked together.
Elena went completely stiff.
- Writer
