3
Ayana’s POV
The next morning, I had barely woken up when Stellan pulled me along to the prison.
My younger brother was being held there, awaiting an uncertain fate.
Stellan gently stroked my hair, his eyes filled with endless tenderness.
“Ayana, promise me,” he coaxed softly, “when you see your brother later, don’t get too emotional, alright? I just want you to understand what he’s been going through these past few days.”
A chill of foreboding rippled through me at his words.
Before I could ask what he meant, Jayven limped into view.
I had never seen him in such… a miserable state.
His clothes were so filthy that their original color was unrecognizable. His arms, knees—any part of him I could see—were covered with bruises and wounds. Even his once-handsome face was swollen and bloodied, his lips split with dried crimson at the corner.
My chest clenched in unbearable pain. My knees gave out, and I collapsed against the glass partition, the wound on my body throbbing dully.
“Who did this? Who hurt you?”
Fury blazed in my eyes.
Jayven’s gaze flickered with pain. He glanced toward Stellan before forcing out hoarsely, “No one... I accidentally fell.”
Rage boiled over, clouding my mind. I wanted to tear every person in this place apart!
Those injuries—there was no way he had done that to himself.
I was about to demand answers from the guard beside him when Stellan pulled me back firmly.
“Darling,” he murmured, his voice full of false coaxing, “you promised me you wouldn’t lose your temper. You know who’s really behind your brother’s injuries. It’s my failure. I couldn’t protect him. If you don’t want him to suffer like this any longer, then let’s withdraw the lawsuit. Record a clarification video, alright?”
His hand closed over mine, pressing it against his chest.
“Seeing you in such pain feels like knives cutting into me, too.”
On the other side of the glass, my brother struggled to press closer, desperation etched on his battered face.
Tears blurred my vision. Then I heard the guard sneer, “You think you’re still the great lawyer you once were? If you don’t want another leg broken, you’d better think carefully about what to do.”
Something inside me snapped. I slammed against the glass, my voice raw with anguish.
“He’s innocent! It’s you people who hurt him! I swear, I will not let you get away with what you did to my brother!”
Before I could finish, Stellan clamped his hand tightly over my mouth.
“Ayana,” Jayven rasped, bracing his palms against the glass as if trying to touch me, “don’t worry about me. Do what you think is right. I can endure it.”
The next moment, the guards dragged him away without mercy.
I thrashed against Stellan’s hold, but I couldn’t break free. Only a broken, helpless cry tore from my throat as I watched my brother vanish from sight.
When had he ever been reduced to such humiliation?
He had always been the model student, later a respected lawyer. If not for me, he would never have been dragged into this nightmare!
My tears fell uncontrollably.
As if scalded, Stellan abruptly released me. His eyes filled with contrived sorrow.
“Darling, I know how much you’re hurting. I’m hurting, too. But your brother’s situation—it’s beyond my control. Please, just withdraw the lawsuit.”
At last, hatred sharpened my gaze as it fell on him.
For Zella, he had caused the death of our baby, smeared my brother’s name, and now even had him beaten within an inch of his life—just to force me to withdraw the lawsuit as soon as possible.
He was doing all of this only so Zella wouldn’t go to prison.
But years ago, when Stellan was down and desperate, it was Jayven and me who saved his life!
The thought filled me with bitter regret. If only I could go back, I would have left this monster to die!
Clenching my teeth, I spat out, “Stellan. If I refuse to withdraw, will you really stand by and watch my brother die in there?”
My voice was hoarse, like words scraped raw against sandpaper.
His eyes darted away, evasive.
“Ayana, this isn’t up to me.”
“Liar! This is all you—”
Before I could finish accusing him, his phone rang.
He seized the chance to escape, answering quickly. “Darling,” he said hastily after a pause, “I’ll try to see if I can smooth things over. Take care of yourself.”
With that, he left me standing there, abandoning me without glancing back.
Tears poured down my face like rain.
But I saw it—the name flashing on his screen.
The call was from Zella.
Stellan was fucking lying to me again!
