All Chapters of MY EX-HUSBAND'S BROTHER: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Evelyn's POVI sat at my father's desk with a blank sheet of paper in front of me, a pencil in my hand, and absolutely no idea where to start.Four years away from architecture felt like a lifetime.Vincent walked in with two cups of coffee. "How is it going?""It is not."He set a cup beside me and looked at the blank page. "Having trouble starting?""I do not even remember how to start. What if I lost it, Dad? What if four years was too long?"He pulled up a chair beside me. "Do you remember what I told you when you were eight years old and wanted to build a treehouse?""You said every great building starts with a single line.""Exactly. So draw a single line."I put pencil to paper and drew a straight horizontal line across the middle of the page."Good. Now what do you see?"I stared at the line. "The foundation. The ground floor of the warehouse.""Keep going."I drew another line above it. Then another. Slowly, the building started to take shape. Rough, simple, but there.Vincen

Benjamin's POVMy mother's house looked the same as it always did. Perfect gardens, perfect paint, perfect everything. The Harrison family specialized in perfect appearances.Too bad we were rotten underneath.Evelyn sat beside me in the car, nervous. "Are you sure about this?""No. But it is worth trying."We walked to the front door together. Before I could knock, it opened.Grace stood there, dressed impeccably as always, but her eyes were red. She had been crying."Benjamin. Evelyn. Come in."The house was quiet. No sign of Sylvia or anyone else.Grace led us to the sitting room and poured tea with shaking hands. "I am sorry for the dramatics. This week has been...""Difficult," I finished."That is putting it mildly." She handed Evelyn a cup. "I owe you an enormous apology, my dear.""Mrs. Harrison, you do not...""Yes, I do. I treated you abominably from the day Richard brought you home. I made assumptions about your character, your intentions, your worth. I was wrong about all

Benjamin's POVSylvia showed up at my apartment at seven in the morning, pounding on the door like the world was ending.I opened it to find her standing there in yesterday's clothes, mascara smudged, hair a mess."Can I come in?" she asked.I stepped aside and she walked past me into the living room."Coffee?" I offered."Please."I made two cups and sat across from her on the couch. She wrapped her hands around the mug but did not drink."I owe you an apology," she said finally."For what?""For everything. For the way I treated you when you left. For the things I said about Evelyn. For being a terrible sister."I set down my coffee. "You were not a terrible sister. You were just loyal to Richard.""Blind loyalty is not loyalty. It is cowardice." She finally looked at me. "Mom told me everything. About Richard's confession. About what he did to Vincent. About all of it.""How are you handling it?""I am not. Every time I think about my brother trying to kill someone, I feel sick.""

Benjamin's POVThe courthouse steps felt longer than they should have. Evelyn walked beside me, her hand tight in mine, her face pale but determined.Vincent and Grace followed behind us, along with Mirabel and Sylvia. Our whole unlikely family, united against Richard.Inside, Assistant DA Lisa Park met us in the hallway. "Everyone ready?"We all nodded."Good. Remember what we talked about. Answer honestly, do not elaborate unless asked, and do not let Richard's lawyer bait you into anger.""What about Richard?" Evelyn asked. "Will he be there?""Yes. He has the right to be present at the preliminary hearing. But he will not be able to speak directly to you."Evelyn nodded, but I felt her hand shake in mine.We walked into the courtroom. It was smaller than I expected, with wooden benches and fluorescent lights.Richard sat at the defendant's table with his lawyer, a sharp-looking man in an expensive suit. When Richard saw Evelyn, his whole face changed.The hatred in his eyes made m

Benjamin's POVThe sentencing hearing was supposed to be quick. The judge would hear statements, consider the verdict, and issue Richard's sentence.But nothing with Richard was ever simple.I sat in the courtroom with Evelyn, watching David Chen file motion after motion. Requesting leniency.Requesting probation instead of prison. Requesting anything to keep Richard out of jail.Judge Martinez denied them all."Mr. Harrison has been found guilty of serious crimes. He will serve prison time. The only question is how much."Lisa Park stood. "Your Honor, the prosecution recommends the maximum sentence. Twenty years for embezzlement. Ten years for fraud. Twenty-five years for attempted murder. To be served consecutively."Fifty-five years total. Richard would be an old man before he got out.David Chen jumped up. "Your Honor, that is excessive. My client is a first time offender. He has no history of violence. He deserves a chance at rehabilitation.""He tried to kill someone," Judge Mar