My Brother and I, Both 14

14 

The four men practically filled up the entire courtyard of our little house. I stood there, 

panicked, silently begging for my brother to show up. 

Four CEOS! There was no way I could handle this! 

“Luna, tell us–who do you like?” 

All their eyes turned to me at once. 

I forced an awkward smile. Was it even possible to tell them I didn’t like any of them? 

Most of them weren’t even friendly toward me, except for Holden. 

As my potential future brother–in–law, I instinctively turned to him for help. 

“Please, help me out here, and I’ll tell you where my brother is.” 

Holden immediately stepped in front of me. 

“Anything you have to say can wait until I find him,” he stated firmly. 

His tone left no room for argument. 

Under his protection, I finally escaped the burning stares of the other three CEOS. 

Hunter, however, looked worried and tugged at Holden’s sleeve. 

11:25 Sun, 15 Jun 

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“Bro, don’t take her near the water,” he whispered urgently. 

93% 

I froze, my eyes widening. I couldn’t believe it–Hunter had promised not to say anything 

about my secret! 

Thankfully, he didn’t say more, but my heart was racing. 

For now, the priority was finding my brother. 

I led Holden through the village, the other three men trailing behind us. 

Our village was made up of mostly elderly folks, so you could imagine the commotion caused by a group of well–dressed, important–looking men walking around. 

The grandmas and grandpas all came out to watch, gossiping loudly. 

“Luna, are these all your city boyfriends? You’re really something!” 

I panicked, waving my hands. 

“No, no, not at all!” 

But the men behind me all responded at once, trying to outdo each other. 

“I’m Luna’s boyfriend. Hello, ma’am, sir,” one said politely. 

At this point, the situation was spiraling out of control. I quickened my pace, desperately calling for my brother. 

“Ryan! Ryan, where are you?!” 

Finally, I heard his voice calling back. 

“Luna! Over here!” 

I turned and saw him standing on a small boat near the water. 

We locked eyes, and in that instant, I knew–he’d done it. He’d secured the island. 

< 

Excitement bubbled up in me, but Holden’s reaction was even stronger. 

“Ryan! We need to talk! I’m serious about you!” 

His words hung in the air, leaving everyone–including me–stunned. 

The other three men exchanged confused glances, clearly caught off guard.