Claimed And Marked By Her Stepbrother Mates - Chapter 357

Chapter 357: 357-Taking The Right Stand
Norman:

The moment she said that, I couldn’t help but do something reckless. I grabbed the glass and spilled the water on her face to wake her up.

Why the heck did she think I would want her, of all people, to be my brother’s toy?

She seemed shocked, her mouth open, water dripping down her face.

Well, I regretted doing it, but it was a reflex.

“For not freaking defending yourself when all the accusations were being thrown your way,” I told her, explaining why I did it. “And then half of it—for thinking I see you as a toy. You need to wake up now. Why the hell would I be okay with it?” I yelled.

She rubbed her face clean, and I couldn’t help but bite my tongue awkwardly. Why did it affect me so much that she thought so low of me? I had never acted like this with anyone. Why was I so obsessed with what she thought of me, and why the hell was I so angry with my brother?

I mean, she wasn’t wrong. I had never interfered in Maximus’ love life before. I never cared when a girl approached me, asking me to tell Maximus to return her calls and all. But Helanie… she wasn’t just some girl. She was someone I knew.

In a very calm way, she leaned down and grabbed a glass of water. I waited for her to respond to me after she drank the water, but instead, she threw it in my face.

“Now we’re even,” she hissed.

My suit was ruined, my hair was a mess, yet… I wanted to smile?

I held it in tightly, not wanting to look amused, but her reaction gave me so much satisfaction. Whenever she stood up for herself, I felt relieved.

“Why would you do that?” I had to act tough so she wouldn’t think I was melting at the sight of her adorable pout.

“You did it too. As for standing up for myself—I just know people wouldn’t believe me. But I didn’t play your brother. He played me,” she finished in a confident tone.

Of course, I believed her. Part of the reason was that my mom had first asked me to do something to ruin the engagement ceremony. But when I didn’t do anything, she approached Maximus.

What struck me as odd was that I thought I knew my brother too well. The pain in his eyes didn’t seem like an act to me.

So I was all set to do my own investigation, make them sit down together, and talk it out. There was a huge misunderstanding, and the lack of communication between them had caused this mess.

As for Kaye, I mean, he pretty much ruined it for himself when he put Kesha as an option. Did he not understand that it’s a big turn-off for a woman to be put on a list of other women?

I guess I somehow failed my brothers by always siding with them. I did it out of love, but now their behavior was not only hurting them but also Helanie.

I mean, I never cared about other people before, but Helanie—what was it about her that made me ready to call out my brothers for doing something wrong?

She walked away while I remained glued to my spot.

I instantly called Maximus to have a word with him. He picked up, but it seemed like he was around other people. I kept hearing voices in the background.

At least he was fine. Was that why he wanted to go to Mom’s place yesterday?

“Where are you right now?” I asked sternly, walking out of the breakfast room with my shirt and face still wet. I noticed the maids looking at me, gossiping with their eyes. They wouldn’t dare say anything, not even in a whisper.

“I’m with Mom, why?” he inquired.

“When are you coming back home?” I asked, making my way to my room and unbuttoning my shirt with one hand.

“I’ll be home by lunch, why?” The way he kept questioning me just made me believe something was seriously wrong.

“Okay, come soon because we’re going to sit down and have a talk,” I muttered, feeling bad that I had to confront my brother about this.

He wasn’t a child anymore. I was ready to support him, take care of him in any way possible. But it pissed me off that he was now playing games like this.

“About what?” he insisted.

“Just come home,” I said before hanging up to change my shirt and get some work done until he returned.

The day was so hard to get through, and I couldn’t figure out why. I felt uncomfortable the whole time.

And then finally, lunchtime arrived, and I got back home to meet Maximus. But the vibe today was different.

Emma was dressed up really well, as if it was some big occasion. She mentioned something about it, but I couldn’t guess what it could be.

“Kaye! Are you okay?” I was surprised to see Kaye sitting on the couch with Kesha next to him. She had her arm wrapped around his arm and her head on his shoulder. He looked much more at peace whenever he was with her.

“I’m good,” he smiled, making me feel relieved for him.

I looked around, noticing Ursula wearing a fancy dress and the others looking confused.

“By the way, Jessica is coming over with Mom,” Kaye said, sounding very relaxed and casual, as if he didn’t have a meltdown yesterday.

“Okay, why?” Even though I had to give Jessica one more chance like she asked, I still felt weird being around her. The only reason I gave her a second chance was because of how caring she was towards my brothers.

She was the only one who understood their pain and never judged them. In fact, there were times when she stayed beside me during a full moon night, not caring about the danger she might get herself into. It made me appreciate her.

“Mom said they are going to make an announcement,” Kaye shrugged, and it made me believe he didn’t know what it was about either.