Chapter 10

"Bro, what's not right about it?" Ryan asked carefully. Normally, he wouldn't dare question Lucian like this. But now, with the girl he liked standing right there, he couldn't just back down. "Everything's wrong with it!" Ariella stayed quiet, but her thoughts were all over the place. What right did he have to be this aggressive? Who Ryan dated was none of his business! It's only because they had an agreement that she played along - otherwise, she might've really gone for it, just to see what Lucian would do. Ryan's face flushed an awkward shade of red, nearly purple, as he stood there frozen, struggling for words. "Bro, you're always telling me to be serious about relationships..." Lucian waved him off before he could finish, his face still dark and cold. "Serious? You met her once and you're already acting like she's 'the one'? That's not being serious - that's being reckless! All you see is her pretty face. What else do you even know about her? Some girls might look sweet, but trust me, they've got a bag full of tricks..." "Lucian, Ariella's not that kind of person," Fiona cut in, frowning, clearly annoyed. "I didn't say she was," Lucian replied with a sigh, looking like he was trying to be the wise elder. "I'm just saying, Ryan doesn't know her well enough. He's rushing in blind." "Okay, maybe I don't know her that well yet, but shouldn't you at least let me try? People attract people like themselves - and if she's close with someone like Fiona, that already tells me a lot. I swear, I'd never hurt her." "No." Lucian was still firm, almost harsh this time. "Why not?" "Because I said so. That's it." Ryan was honestly thrown. His big bro was always strict, sure, but never unreasonable like this. Lucian had always been the composed, dependable type - someone Ryan looked up to and admired. But today? He was like a different person. Just flat-out shutting down a normal relationship like this felt way out of line. That harshness lit a flame in Ryan, and in one burst of frustration, he finally blurted what he'd been holding back for years. "Lucian... am I really your brother? If this were Liam, you'd be totally fine with it, right? Liam's great, sure, he looks like you and acts like you, but he's not your real brother. I am. Same mom, same womb - so why does it feel like I'm always the one falling short in your eyes?" "You..." Lucian always had the final say among the siblings, and no one ever pushed back. Being called out like that made something click for him - maybe he had been a bit unreasonable. But even he couldn't quite put into words why Ryan going after Ariella bothered him so much. Maybe it was because Ariella was his. And the idea of her being with his own brother? That just didn't sit right. "What nonsense are you spouting? I heard she already had a boyfriend, that's the only reason I said it wouldn't work," Lucian added, his tone softening. "When did Ariella get a boyfriend? I had no idea. Where did you hear that?" Fiona asked, clearly confused. "I just figured she must have one-she's beautiful," Lucian replied stiffly, silently cursing Ariella. She was the reason his brother was acting like this. She had to be doing it on purpose, trying to stir up trouble between them. He'd definitely have to deal with her later. "You guessed?" Ryan looked like he'd been hit by lightning. That wasn't just a flimsy excuse-it was basically nonsense and totally unfair. "Ariella, you do have a boyfriend, right?" Lucian ignored Ryan and turned directly to Ariella. If she dared say no, he'd make her regret it. All eyes zeroed in on Ariella. Ryan had already asked Fiona, who'd said Ariella didn't have a boyfriend. Still, he couldn't shake the worry-what if Fiona didn't know either? Ariella opened her mouth, hesitating. She wanted to say no, but knew that'd be giving Lucian what he wanted. If she said yes, Fiona would definitely press her for details. So she decided to dodge the question altogether. "I've got something really important to take care of. I need to go. See you guys later!" she said quickly, standing up. "I'll walk you out!" Ryan jumped to his feet too. No way he was staying under his brother's eye any longer. He'd done the polite hello thing-he could handle the rest from here. "That's okay, thanks," Ariella responded politely. "Come on, even if you do have a boyfriend, we can still be friends, right? A proper guy should at least see you off," he insisted. "Exactly, Ariella, don't be too formal. Lucian and I have to head home anyway-we can't walk you out, but he can," Fiona added. "After you," Ryan gave a small bow, totally playing the gentleman. Ariella couldn't refuse anymore and had no choice but to go with him. Behind them, Lucian's expression went ice cold, his jaw tightening. Inside Ryan's flashy sports car, Ariella sat stiffly, her mood heavy. She knew she'd pissed Lucian off, and badly. "Can I pursue you? Is that okay?" Ryan asked earnestly. "Sorry, I already have a boyfriend," she said firmly. She didn't want to give him false hope. "But Fiona said-" "She doesn't know." "Don't turn me down just because of something my brother said. It's my life, and who I date has nothing to do with my family's business. They won't get involved." "So you're saying Lucian and Fiona's marriage was business-related?" Ariella asked before she could stop herself. It sounded way too nosy, but the words were already out. "Yeah, there was a benefit involved. But they love each other, so it worked out perfectly." Just as he said that, Ariella's phone buzzed with a new message. "Be in bed waiting for me in twenty minutes!"