Chapter 113 Am I Dirty
Liam was practically grinning now, as if he were looking forward to the moment Brian would strangle him.
The scene sent a chill through everyone present. These two men had gone absolutely mad.
People often said that the Steele family’s main branch was full of madmen, and that seemed to be particularly true for Liam and Brian. They might just be the most unhinged of them all.
“Mr. Steele!” One of the bodyguards blurted out, unable to hold back.
If Brian really killed Liam here, the entire Corvessia would be shaken.
The shout snapped Brian back to his senses. As his grip loosened, Liam stumbled back, coughing violently.
“Why?” he rasped. “Why didn’t you finish me off? Don’t tell me you’re afraid of being branded as a son who
killed his own father.”
Brian stared at his hand, which was still stained with Chloe’s blood.
He wasn’t afraid of the crime. What really deterred him was that if he killed Liam now, he would no longer be worthy of Chloe.
She was pure and upright. If he crossed that line, how could he dream of spending the rest of his life with
her?
“I’m not going to kill you,” Brian said at last, his expression cold. “But just like Grandpa did, I’ll make sure you’re locked away where you can’t touch her.”
“What?” Liam’s expression changed.
“Guards!”
The moment Brian’s voice rang out, dozens of men suddenly appeared in the hall.
Liam was stunned for a moment, but then realization dawned on him. Chuckling, he said, “So that’s it.
You’ve been planning this all along.”
The secret guards of the Steele family were a force only the head of the family could command. Years
ago, when Emily died and Liam spiraled into madness, he’d nearly beaten Brian to death.
Martin had stepped in and ordered these same elite guards to keep Liam under watch. That order had naturally died with Martin when he passed, and Liam had returned once more.
Brian had known all along that Liam was using the other branches of the family against him. He hadn’t minded before, but now, things were different.
“From now on, this man isn’t allowed to leave White Island without my permission,” Brian ordered coldly.
“Yes, sir,” the secret guards boomed in unison.
Liam, however, showed no signs of struggle.
“You really think locking me up on White Island is the solution?” he said with a sneer. “You think that makes you clean? Brian, you’re my son–your hands are already dirty, and they’ll only get dirtier. One day, that woman you hold so dear will only look at you with nothing but contempt!”
Brian’s expression hardened. Ignoring Liam, he turned toward the secret guards and ordered them to take Liam to White Island.
Only after they’d taken Liam away did Brian lower his head again and stare at his hands.
“Say, do you think she’ll really come to despise me?” he murmured.
The bodyguard beside him was stunned at first, then said quickly, “Mr. Steele, you treat Ms. Quall so well.
Why would she leave you? She even risked her life for you this time.”
Brian’s eyes flickered. Yes, she’d risked everything to protect him. But if it had been someone else in danger, would she have done the same?
Chloe woke the next morning to find Brian in her hospital room, asleep at her bedside.
Her eyes lingered on his face. Below his strong brows, his long lashes cast shadows across his skin. Even as he slept, there was a faint knot between his brows, as if he were constantly worrying about something.
Instinctively, she reached out to smooth the crease on his forehead. But before she could touch him, his eyes snapped open, and he caught her hand.
Realizing what he’d done, Brian released her at once. “Sorry. Did I hurt you?”
“It’s fine. I woke you, didn’t I?” she asked. “When did you get here?”
“This morning. Not long ago,” he responded.
“Did you have trouble sleeping last night?” she asked. He’d fallen asleep at her side so quickly even though he’d arrived just minutes ago.
“Yeah.”
Brian didn’t mention the trip he’d taken to Corvessia and back to settle matters with his family overnight.
“How are you feeling? Did you sleep well? Does it still hurt?” he asked gently.
“I’m fine. The wound doesn’t really hurt,” Chloe replied.
Just as she was about to go freshen up, he scooped her up and carried her to the bathroom.
“What are you doing?” she asked. After all, she’d injured her arm, not her legs.
“You’re injured. Let me help you.” Brian set her down carefully by the sink, poured some water into a cup for her, and then squeezed toothpaste onto her brush.
If she hadn’t insisted on brushing her own teeth, she felt like he would’ve done that too. When she’d finished, he wrung out a towel to wipe her face, then picked up a comb to fix her hair.
“You know how to tie hair?” she asked, surprised.
Most men could only manage a basic ponytail. Even if they could, it would most likely be crooked. But
Brian was different. His movements were a bit awkward, but he clearly wasn’t a novice.
“I used to help my mom with her hair,” he said. “On her good days, she’d let me do her hair.”
He cherished those rare moments when Emily had been kind to him. He’d always tried to make her happy by doing her hair well.
“You and your mother…”
“We weren’t close,” he said evenly. “Most of the time, she didn’t even want to see me.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”
“Don’t be. Even if you hadn’t asked, I would’ve told you someday.”
After tying her hair, he bent down, resting his chin lightly on her shoulder. Their eyes met in the mirror.
“Chloe, you don’t think I’m dirty, do you?”
“Dirty? You’re far from that!” She giggled.
“Yeah,” he murmured. “I’m not dirty.”
He was different from his father.
In a cafe downtown, Sonya sat across from a man in his 30s.
“So you’re the one helping Curtis investigate what happened eight years ago at the river?”
“That’s right,” he said. “I’m Peter Lawson, a private detective. I’m an old friend of Mr. Green’s. You can call me Peter,” he said with a sly smile, eyes roaming over her.
“I didn’t expect you’d steal the credit for someone else’s deeds and let Mr. Green believe you were the one who saved his life.”
Sonya’s expression shifted as her face immediately drained of color.
