Page 44 of Billionaire’s Heartbreak

Dannie and I answered at the same time. I caught it a second too late. She wasn’t asking me. The look she gave me confirmed it—cold, distant, still angry. At me. At this. At everything.

The door closed behind her, and the room fell quiet. Too quiet.

“What do you need me to do?” I asked, going straight to the point before he could say something I didn’t want to hear.

“I need you to look after June,” Dannie said. A beat passed before he added, “And our child.”

Something sharp shot through me, fast and violent, like lightning down my spine. I stiffened. “Why?” I asked, my voice tighter than I meant it to be. “Where are you going?”

Even as I said it, I regretted it.

“You know,” he said, a faint grin pulling at his lips. His tone was too light, too easy. “To hell.”

A cough broke through the smile, cutting it short.

“Of course you are,” I said, forcing a scoff. “But not today.”

“Tomorrow then,” he said, almost playfully.

My chest tightened, and the words that came out felt weak. “Not tomorrow either.”

He looked at me then. Really looked. “Kai,” he said softly. “My brother.”

The word landed heavier than anything else he’d said. Brother.

Years ago, I had wished that word would be true. I had wanted it more than I ever admitted out loud. There had always been something between us, something neither of us could explain, like we had known each other long before we actually met.

Because of that, I couldn’t stay angry at him. Not for June. Not anymore. He was my brother, and apparently… we shared the same taste. Even in women.

The thought should have made me furious. It used to. I used to hate him for the way he looked at her, for the way she looked back. But now, I couldn’t hold onto that anger. Not when he was sitting here like this. Not when he was already saying goodbye.

“You’re not doing that,” I said.

“Doing what?” he asked, too calm.

“This,” I snapped, gesturing between us. “This goodbye bullshit.”

A faint smile touched his lips. “This is my reality.”

“No,” I said, sharper this time. “You’re not done.” The words came out harder than I expected. “You can have my liver,” I added, my voice tightening. “I know there are treatments. There are options. You’re not out of time.”

He didn’t react or argue, which somehow made it worse.

“Why are you giving up?” I pushed.

“You don’t understand,” he said quietly.

“What don’t I understand?” I shot back.

His gaze held mine, steady and tired. “I’ve spent my whole life fighting,” he said. “Fighting for things I didn’t even want. For people. For responsibilities. For everyone… except myself.”

“Back then, I had to step up for my grandparents,” Dannie continued. “But now… they’re gone.” A faint smile touched his lips. “My job is done.”

I let out a short, disbelieving breath. “What a hypocrite,” I said. “What about the speech you gave June? About the members of the triad? If you really didn’t care, why not just let your uncle and Laura take over?”

“I thought about it,” he admitted. Then he looked at me. “But now I have you.”

My stomach tightened.