Lahat ng Kabanata ng TAMING THE BILLIONAIRE; My Brother's Best Friend : Kabanata 191 - Kabanata 200

Kyle’s POVThe silence after the call felt heavier than the concrete walls around us.Aaron didn’t move.Didn’t speak.Just sat there with the burner phone resting loosely in his palm, staring at absolutely nothing like the world had shut off behind his eyes.I shifted on the chair, my head throbbing in that dull, miserable way, the aftermath for all the substances I took in a few hours ago.My temples pulsed like they were syncing up with the buzzing light above us.That call must’ve really wrecked him.I’d been locked in this cell with him for hours now, and I still couldn’t figure him out. Not really. Every time I thought I had him pegged—cold, arrogant, detached—he did something that cracked the image just enough to mess with my head.Like that phone call.Whatever happened on the other end of that line was alot.And I was so fucking curious.I wasn’t stupid. I’d already pieced together a few things. He was rich—wealthy wealthy. The kind of wealthy you didn’t just stumble into. H

Aaron's pov Two days laterWhen I woke up, I could practically feel the broth in my mouth from the soup they had served me last night. It clung to my tongue, thick and sour, like it was now a part of me. Being a prisoner was starting to tell a lot on me. Or maybe it was the other way around—maybe it was reminding me of why exactly I was here and how much I actually deserved it.I hadn’t had a bath since I got here. I hadn’t brushed my teeth. My skin felt tight and grimy, like it didn’t belong to me anymore. When I rubbed my face, my fingers brushed over a rough stubble. I could barely even recognize myself when I caught my reflection in the dull metal of the sink. I looked… feral. Like someone who had stopped trying.The cell smelled like sweat and disinfectant and old food. I sat up slowly, my back aching, my head still heavy from sleep that didn’t really feel like sleep at all.Brody was on duty this morning. Like he usually was. Adam took afternoons. I’d started noticing things

Aaron’s POVThe shower was cool.Not cold enough to shock me, not warm enough to make me sleepy. Just cool. The kind that sinks into your skin and reminds you that you’re still here. I stood there longer than I needed to, water running down my back, my arms, my chest. I let it hit my face. Let it wash over my eyes.Four days.Four days without a proper shower. Four days of sweat, fear, metal, and stale air. I shaved slowly, carefully, like if I rushed it I might mess something up. I washed my hair twice. I didn’t even know why. I just needed to feel clean.When I finally turned the water off, my body felt lighter. My head felt quieter. Like something had been loosened inside me.I wrapped a towel around my waist and stepped into my old bedroom.It looked the same.Too much the same.The bed was neatly made. The curtains were drawn just the way she used to draw them. The room didn’t feel abandoned. It felt preserved. Like my mother had kept a version of me alive in here. Like she neve

Aaron’s POVI couldn’t speak.The words felt too heavy in my mouth, like if I tried to say anything at all, it would come out wrong. With Connor asking if I wanted a drink and Sandra offering that I stay for dinner. I didn’t know how to accept any of it without feeling like I was doing something I shouldn't be doing.Like I was manipulating them again.Or worse—taking advantage of their kindness.Especially Sandra.She had already done so much for me. More than I deserved, more than I could ever ask for. She was like the glue holding the family together from breaking into pieces andI didn’t want to be another burden she carried out of pity or habit.So I shook my head“It’s okay,” I said quietly. “I should go.”My heart tugged painfully as my mind drifted back to Ethan. The way he looked on that bed was burned into me. Pale. Tired. His eyes meeting mine, broken and frustrated all at once.I could kill myself just to take away that look.To terminate the possibility that he was lying

Aaron’s POVWhen I woke up the room was still dark, the kind of dark that told me it wasn’t even dawn yet. My body felt heavy, slow, like it hadn’t caught up with the fact that I wasn’t on a cold bench anymore or counting minutes in a cell.For a second, I thought I was still dreaming.Then I felt it.A hand, warm steady and familiar, draped over my shoulder.My chest tightened instantly.I blinked once.Twice.The hand didn’t disappear.It was real.Slowly, carefully, like any sudden action might break the moment, I turned my head. My mum was asleep beside me on the couch, her breathing soft, her face turned slightly toward mine. Her hand rested on my shoulder like it belonged there. Like it had always belonged there.Confusion hit first. Then shock.She hated me.Didn’t she?She didn’t want me near her. Everyone didn’t. That had been the silent rule for a while now. I’d accepted it, carved it into myself so it wouldn’t hurt as much.And yet—after last night, after the way Connor ha