17
I paced anxiously outside the hospital room, where my brother had just been taken into
surgery.
Hunter draped a jacket over my shoulders and said softly, “Don’t worry. This is the best hospital in the country. Your brother will be fine.”
My chest tightened, and I couldn’t hold back the tears anymore.
“He can’t be hurt. I only have him! He’s all I have left!”
Hunter pulled me into a comforting hug, his expression full of concern.
But the one who looked even more worried was Holden. He sat silently in the corner, his
face pale and tense.
Finally, the doors to the operating room opened.
When the doctor announced that my brother was out of danger, it felt like all the strength left my body.
The next thing I knew, I was collapsing.
Just before I passed out, I saw Hunter’s panicked face hovering above me.
Maybe… maybe I could try liking someone again.
We merfolk heal at a speed far beyond that of humans–at least ten times faster.
In just one day, my brother was already fully recovered.
When he opened his eyes. I couldn’t hold back anymore. I threw myself on him and
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11:26 Sun, 15 Jun THEA
sobbed uncontrollably.
He was my only family, after all.
Being hugged so tightly clearly made him uncomfortable..
It had been so long since I’d held him like this–probably not since we were kids.
Even though he was embarrassed, I could tell he was a little happy, too.
Despite his quick recovery, Holden refused to let him leave the hospital.
That’s when I started noticing something strange between them.
Really strange.
My brother was acting… different.
He’d become softer, almost delicate.
93%
I didn’t fully understand what was going on until one day, I accidentally walked in on the
two of them kissing.
It all clicked.
Everything suddenly made sense.
After everything they’d been through, after narrowly escaping death together, my brother
and Holden had finally realized their feelings for each other.
They were together now.
I didn’t care that my brother’s partner was a guy. As long as he was happy, that was all that mattered to me.
But then I realized something else.
I was rich.
<
Ever since my brother “married” Holden, my bank account had been filling up every
week.
At this point, I could probably afford ten islands.
If I’d known my brother was this valuable, I’d have married him off to Holden ages ago.
