Brother David

Ivy's pov

I’d only been married to him for a day, and I was already over it.

I barely slept, and yet, with the house staff standing around, he had me make his breakfast before storming out of the mansion without a word about where he was going.

I couldn’t care less. His absence was the only peace I had. In a few months, I’d be walking out of here a millionaire, and that was all that mattered.

A loud knock on the door pulls me out of my thoughts. I blink, disoriented and irritated. Who could it be now? It’s only been a day.

The house guard went to answer the door, but from my room, I could hear the sound of struggling. A loud, familiar voice yelled, “Let me in!” The guard’s voice followed, firm but shaking, “You can’t get in without the master’s permission!” The commotion grew louder, and my skin crawled. What the hell was going on?

I rushed down the stairs, my heart pounding, unsure of what I’d find. And then, to my shock, I saw him—my abusive older brother, David, Struggling with the guard at the entrance, his face was twisted in rage. My breath caught. What was he doing here?and how did he know I was here ?

David’s finger shot toward me, his voice was filled with hatred . “You thought I wouldn’t find you? You thought you could just run away from the family, leaving us to drown in debt?” His words hit like a slap, and my stomach churned. He was never one to let go of anything, least of all control.

My mouth went dry, the words stuck somewhere deep in my chest, unable to break free. Fear crawled up my spine, choking me from the inside. My body felt frozen, like I couldn’t escape his glare, even though every part of me wanted to run.

He shoved the guard aside, his force knocking the man back with ease. He pointed a finger at me, eyes dark with anger. "Can't you answer?" His voice was sharp, cutting through the silence. He looked around the mansion, his gaze lingering on the luxury that surrounded us. "Wow... you really did it, huh? Married into wealth." His words dripped with disbelief, a mix of resentment and mockery.

"Please, David, can you just get out of here?" I

pleaded, my voice shaky. I tried to stay calm, but my mind was racing. If Harry walked in now, I'd be in deep trouble.

"You thought you could just leave us behind in Alabama, huh? Start a new life in New York and forget about everything?" His words hit harder than I expected, his voice cold with anger. "I’ve been trailing you for weeks. Thought I’d surprise you, but I’m not leaving here without you." His eyes locked onto mine, a twisted grin pulling at his lips. "You're coming back with me."

He grabbed my arms tightly, his grip digging into my skin. "Let go of me!" I cried, but he didn’t budge. Tears blurred my vision, mixing with the raw fear that churned inside me.

David had always been like this—always controlling, always cruel. Ever since we were kids, it had been the same. He used to get angry at the smallest things, his temper flaring before he'd turn it on me. And now, years later, nothing has changed.

He’d drained his savings, sending me to law school, all to make sure I was the one who could lift the family out of debt. I knew that’s what he thought—that I owed him for what he’d done. But he didn’t see that it was his mistakes that had gotten us here in the first place.

I struggled, but his hands tightened around my neck, making it harder to breathe. My chest tightened, panic rising as everything around me started to blur. I tried to pull away, but his grip only grew stronger, each second feeling like an eternity.

My hands gripped at his wrists, desperate and weak, but it felt like my strength was draining away. His face was filled with rage, and all I could do was fight for air.

This was it. I couldn’t hold on much longer.

Just as my chest tightened, suffocating under my brother's grip, the door burst open. The sound hit like a slap, dragging me back to the present.

"Let her go."

It was Harry's voice—cold, sharp, and full of command. My brother froze, his fingers loosening just enough for me to gasp for air. I couldn’t focus on anything but the rush of oxygen in my lungs, but I felt it—the sudden shift in the room.

Through blurred vision, I saw Harry. Tall, angry, like a shadow filling the doorway. His eyes were locked on David, and it was like the room got colder. My brother stood there, eyes flicking from Harry to me, calculating and deciding his next move.

"You've got one chance to walk away," Harry said, his voice husky and dangerous.

I didn’t know how to process it, but I knew one thing—Harry had come at the right time I knew how dangerous David was.

My brother didn’t back off. Instead, he laughed, cold and taunting.

"Oh, you must be the stupid husband," he sneered, his words dripping with mockery.

Harry didn’t flinch. His eyes never left my brother, even as the words hung in the air, sharp like a threat.

David stepped closer, his hand twitching at his side, probably itching to do something. But Harry? He stood there, unbothered, like my brother was nothing more than a nuisance.

"You think I care what you call me?" Harry said, his voice still quiet, but there was a quiet power in it that made David pause.

I couldn’t move. Fear had a grip on me, but there was something else too—relief. Harry was here. He wasn’t leaving me to face this alone.

David pulled out a gun, pointing it in my direction. My heart froze in my chest.

Before I could even react, Harry stepped in front of me, his body shielding mine.

“Move,” David growled, his voice trembling with anger.

Harry didn’t flinch.

The room felt suffocating.

Harry pulled out a gun out of nowhere, and my body froze.

I couldn’t bear to watch. I squeezed my eyes shut, crouching low, my hands covering my ears, desperately trying to block out the sound of impending danger.

Then, a loud shot rang through the room—Paa!

My heart stopped. The world went silent for a split second, but I still couldn’t bring myself to open my eyes. I had no idea who shot who.