Married To My Billionaire Stepbrother - Chapter 280

Chapter 280: Promise Chapter 280: Promise Sebastian noticed Natalie standing on the staircase and quickly looked away, perhaps embarrassed that he had been beaten up by his brother.

He was equally tall and well-built like Justin, except his youthful face which showed that he was younger.

It was both sad and comical to see such a grown man sitting quietly in front of his older brother, visibly defeated.

Not wanting to embarrass him further, Natalie decided to retreat to the room.

However, Justin, who had noticed Sebastian glancing in her direction, turned his gaze to her and said, “Come here.” Natalie froze in her tracks, looking at Justin, then at Sebastian, who stubbornly refused to meet her eyes.

“I have some work to do,” she said, already taking a step back.

“You two carry on.” Before Justin could respond, she had already disappeared back into the room.

I thought I was violent with my siblings just by slapping them a few times, but these people€¦ they’re on another level.

Poor guy-his handsome face is swollen everywhere.

—- Meanwhile, in the drawing room€¦ Justin pulled out his phone, snapped a picture of Sebastian’s beaten-up appearance, and did something with it.

Moments later, both his and Sebastian’s phones began ringing with a flood of notifications.

Sebastian picked up his phone, his eyes widening in disbelief as he scrolled through the messages.

“You sent my picture like this to the group?” he asked in shock.

Justin ignored him and read the responses from others, which were satisfying to his senses.

It included a few cousins and friends of Justin and Sebastian.

The group, where Sebastian had shared the information of Justin finally having a woman, in that same group Justin had sent an image of beaten-up Sebastian.  All the members who had previously been speculating wildly about Justin’s mysterious woman suddenly went silent.

After seeing Sebastian’s state, their tones changed completely-they all knew exactly who must have been responsible for his bruises.

“I don’t know who this beggar is.” “I don’t know this man either.” “I don’t trust whatever he says.” “Yeah, just ignore him.” Sebastian read these messages, his jaw tightening in frustration.

He angrily typed back: “I don’t know you all either.

Forget about getting any more information from me.

I don’t even understand why you’re all scared of him!” His message sent, he tossed his phone onto the sofa and crossed his arms in frustration.

Justin put his cell phone aside and said, “Your stay has been arranged at Rowan’s hotel.

You can move there after dinner.” “A hotel?

Are you serious?

You have this massive mansion, and you want me to stay in a hotel?

Are you even my brother?” He exclaimed dramatically.

Justin remained cold and unfazed, “The position of head is vacant in Riveron’s project.

You’ll receive the appointment letter soon.” Sebastian’s eyes widened in horror.

“What?

Are you sending me to the desert now?

You might as well kill me here instead of sentencing me to suffer and die out there!” “Sure?” Justin replied, only to see Sebastian’s face turn sullen.

“I was here to warn you about something, but it seems like there’s no place for goodwill here,” Sebastian mumbled.

“I’ll just enjoy seeing you marry Evelyn when Uncle James asks you to.” “What did you say?” Justin asked coldly.

Sebastian stood up.

“My poor sister-in-law€¦ she might end up being betrayed.” “Are you going to say it, or do you want me to use my way?” Justin warned.

“Want to beat me?

Go ahead,” Sebastian said.

“I was here to help you, but you€¦ You know, only I can help you when it comes to Evelyn,” he sighed.

“Anyways, I’m leaving.” “You can stay here, but in the side house, not in the main one,” Justin said to him.

“Oh, now you want me to stay, huh?” Justin shot him a cold glare that clearly said, Say one more word, and you’ll be banned from entering this home for life.

“Umm€¦ Side house will do,” Sebastian said quickly before Justin could change his mind.

He picked up his bag.

“I’ll find my way there.” Just as he turned to leave, Justin spoke again, “What trouble did you get into this time?” Sebastian froze in place and slowly turned to face his brother.

With an awkward smile, he said, “What trouble?

I’m just here to help you in case you need it.

That’s it.” In response, Justin simply stared at him in silence.

Under the weight of his brother’s gaze, Sebastian quickly spun around and hurried off to find one of the side houses-because he was certain there had to be at least a few.

Justin returned to the room where Natalie was working in her laptop.

“It’s evening.

You should stop working,” he instructed.  Natalie put the laptop aside and said, “I didn’t know you have cousins.

As an outsider, I have only heard of your father and his mysterious son Justin Harper.” “Our family prefers to stay out of the limelight.

That way it’s more peaceful for other family members,” Justin replied, “But if you want to know, I can tell you about them.” “Sure,” she was ready to hear it.

She was always curious about what kind of a person he was with his family.

She had seen how much he cared for Julia and wondered he was the same with others.  “My father have two younger brothers and one sister.

All of them are well settled in what they are doing, married and have kids,” Justin replied in short, “The day when I officially declare our relationship, you will get to meet them all.” “Are you close with your siblings and other family members?” she asked.  “Can’t say close.

More like I was always so, I do not have much interaction with them,” Justin answered.

“It’s more like I just know they are my family.” Natalie hummed and realised Justin was more like aloof kind of man and must talk really less in the family and was more like a listener and taking care of others in silence.

On the other hand, Justin was always aware of his reality that he was not Harper this always made him act responsible and not so open to everyone, though in his heart and mind he always treated everyone as his own family.

As he looked at Natalie, he realised he was still hiding something from her and then that promise he had once made to James Harper flashed in his mind.  In that, James Harper was looking at the weak looking boy on the hospital bed who had been recovering for a month now.  “I am going to adopt you as my son, but everyone will think you are my real son who I had kept in hiding for ten years,” James deep voice reached young boy’s ears as he could only look at the man who was his saviour.  “You would get everything that my real son would get along with my name, my protection, my wealth.

You will live as no one but my son, understood?” The young boy nodded weakly.  “But, in return I want you to make one promise to me,” James said, “You are not allowed to reveal to anyone that you are my adopted son.

Never!” The young boy nodded.  “If there is a day, you break this promise, everything between us would be over,” James said again, “Whether to reveal it, it would be entirely my decision.

Do you accept it?” The young boy nodded again.

Till date he had been keeping his words, but now he was not sure how long he could keep it.

James was someone who gave a chance to that little boy the second chance at life and Justin couldn’t be ungrateful to him.  He could only wonder, only if Natalie was not James’ biological daughter, things would have been easier.

—– Briena had finally managed to reach Ivan, who was swamped with company work.

He was forced to sell some important assets of his company to recover the losses caused by his mother’s thoughtless actions and to pay for the hefty settlement amounts with Mia and Natalie.

He was so busy that he had little idea of what was happening outside, let alone what had happened with Briena during the perfume competition.

Briena had dressed up in a beautiful red dress-the same dress that Natalie had liked in one of the shops at the mall a while back, but Briena had insisted on buying it.

In the end, Ivan had paid far more than the dress’s original cost to buy it back from Natalie.

Ivan, exhausted, was resting in his private space.

When Briena arrived, she found him lying on the couch.

The table in front of him held empty wine bottles.

Briena immediately understood he was drunk.

“Ivan,” she called softly, but there was no response.

Briena leaned down slightly and gently removed the arm covering his eyes.

“Ivan, are you alright?” she asked softly.

Slowly, the drunken man opened his eyes, and a beautiful woman in a red dress appeared in his blurred vision.

He reached out, his hand moving to touch her soft cheek.

In response, her hand rested on his, and she called his name again, “Ivan?” “I knew you would come back to me,” he mumbled in a slurred voice.

“You loved me for so long.

I know you would never give up on me.” “Of course, I won’t, Ivan,” Briena spoke, smiling in delight as she leaned closer to his face.

“You know how much I love you.” “I love you too, Nat,” Ivan replied, shocking Briena.

Did he just say Nat?

“You look beautiful in this red,” Ivan continued, still thinking it was Natalie in front of him.

“That day in the mall when you were wearing this dress, you stole my heart right there.

I couldn’t take my eyes off of you.

You looked beautiful, like an angel.

But why didn’t you wear such dresses when we were together?

I never got to see how beautiful you truly are€¦” Briena gritted her teeth in anger.

That bitch Natalie-she still keeps seducing Ivan.

“Ivan, I am€¦ Umm€¦” Before she could correct him, Ivan pulled her into a kiss, cutting her off and leaving her unable to speak.

When he finally let her go, he said, “Now that you’re back to me, I won’t let you go.

I should have you for myself, just like always.” He kissed her again.

Briena, baffled and overwhelmed by his strength despite his drunken state, didn’t know how to react.

They had done things before, but Briena always made sure to not take it to the end, keeping him expecting for that day and not be so easy to him.

But as jealousy clouded her mind, she made a decision.

This is the only way to keep him with me.

Once he knows we’ve crossed that limit, he’ll have no choice but to accept me.

He’ll have to give up on Natalie.

With that thought, she kissed him back.  CREATORS’ THOUGHTS Sera_b17 I am traveling for the next three days with family, so updates might not be there.