Chapter 140 The Not So Logical One

Chapter 140 The Not So Logical One
Leon’s Point of View
“Our brothers are quite hot-headed,” Xavier began, his tone deliberately light, as though he were trying to inject some humor into the situation. I slipped my fingers into my pockets and leaned my back against the wall.
“So, I figured I’d have this conversation with you instead. You seem calmer.”
“Trust me, I’m not calmer,” I replied, making that clear immediately. I might have agreed to speak with him privately, but I wasn’t about to sell out my sister. “So please, make it quick. Hopefully, we can come to some kind of reasonable conclusion.”
“Which means—”
“I support Liam,” I cut him off. “And I want both of you to stay away from my sister.”
Xavier took a deep breath before speaking again.
“I understand how you perceive us.” His green eyes settled on mine, deep and almost painfully earnest. “We’re the bad people in this story. I get that. But you need to understand something—we were victims too.”
I laughed.
“Right.” My gaze traveled down his body, taking in the crisp black shirt fitted neatly against his frame. Then I noticed the other details—the expensive wristwatch, the polished shoes.
I might have been poor, but I knew enough about expensive things to recognize them.
“I don’t see you jumping from one menial job to another,” I said flatly. “The clothes you’re wearing right now are expensive enough to cover our rent. And that’s without mentioning your car... there is nothing so victim about you.”
For a moment, Xavier had nothing to say.
“Don’t bullshit me into believing you’ve lived even half as hard as Lana has these past few years,” I continued. “Lana has become this erratic, angry woman who doesn’t listen to anyone. She hides. She cries. She struggles. And there’s nothing we can do about it.”
“And I’m sorry!” he snapped.
His voice cracked through the room, stripping away whatever calm he had been trying to maintain.
“I’m fucking sorry. I know words aren’t enough to undo what was done to her, but don’t stand there and tell me we betrayed her, when you know nothing as well.”
His jaw tightened.
“Because we didn’t.” I fell silent.
“Christian and I would never betray her,” Xavier said quietly. “We love her.”
I folded my arms across my chest.
“Then who did?”
“We were framed, by a boy named Bobby.” His fingers ran through his hair, frustration evident in the movement. “He had something against us. He used Lana to try to ruin us—and my father…” He gritted his teeth. “That fucking asshole.”
He exhaled sharply before continuing.
“He made Lana take all the blame to protect us. So, yes, in a way, it was our fault.” My eyebrows furrowed. “And believe me, that’s the only thing we’re trying to do now.”
He stepped closer, reaching for my hands.
“We searched for her for years. We never gave up, not even when we had no idea where she was. Because we love Lana, and we want to make things right by her.”
“Make things right by her?”
“Yes.” He nodded firmly. “We didn’t have any power back then. But things are different now. We have the means to fix this. We can make things work.”
I shook my head.
“I don’t think so,” I muttered. “Lana worked too damn hard to climb out of that hole. She’s finally getting a chance to live again.”
I held his gaze, making sure he understood how serious I was.
“Please don’t come along and ruin that for her.”
I didn't want him to mistake my words for acceptance. At the end of the day, none of this was my decision to make.
Lana was the only person who had the final say.
“Okay. I understand how you feel, but please, at least—” He caught my hand before I could walk away.
“Let us help,” he pleaded. “We want to help. There was a reason you were fighting with those thugs, last night, wasn't there?”
I stared at him, my expression faltered. “For money, right?”
I bit down on my lip.
“Yeah.” I snapped. “And so what? It’s better than stealing.”
“I’m not trying to judge you, or your source of income,” He continued in that same soft voice. “I want to help you.”
I considered it for a moment, but then I shook the thoughts out of my head, unwilling to sell my dignity out for money.
“Don’t worry,” I said, pulling my hand free. “I’m sure we’ll figure it out.”
And that was it.
That was how our conversation ended.
Except I walked away knowing something I hadn't known before.
Lana had been working for Christian.
That was the job she had been so excited about.
The same job she'd eventually come home from looking completely miserable.
And suddenly, I understood why.
And now I understood.
Christian had told us he would let Lana rest for as long as she needed, and we were grateful for it. But I knew Lana well enough to know that the moment she recovered, she would leave that job.
Or at least, that was what I thought.
Because the moment I told her that I had called her boss, she freaked out.
“He’s willing to let you recover,” I explained.
She sank back against the bed, one hand pressed against her chest, her eyes closing in relief.
“Ah, thank God,” she mumbled. “And where’s Liam? I need to talk to him about the rent. You said he’s paying it, but how?”
Her eyes suddenly narrowed.
“Because, last time I checked, neither of you has a job. So how did you—”
She stopped herself, her brows lifting as she stared at me.
I knew that look.
Immediately, I shook my head.
“No, no. We didn’t steal it.”
“Then how?”
“I don’t think it’s my place to tell you.” I sighed. “Since I didn’t do much of anything, so I’ll leave that explanation to Liam.”
Lana closed her eyes briefly. Her red hair had fallen across her face, and she pushed it away with a tired hand.
“I met with the Blackwood brothers,” I confessed, and once again her eyes snapped open.
“Christian and Xavier,” I added. “They seemed to have been looking for you.”
“Stop.” Her voice was immediate and sharp. “I don’t want to hear anything about them.”
“Even if they were framed?”
She laughed.
It was bitter. Empty.
The kind of laugh that broke my heart.
“Framed?” she repeated. “And why would anyone frame them?”
“I don’t know. They mentioned a guy named Bobby. The whole story was messy, and I still don't know what to make of it.” I leaned back against the chair. “But don't you think you should at least listen to them?”
Her expression hardened.
They don't seem like horrible people, Xavier at least. He helped us even though he didn't have to. And when those thugs came after me, he was willing to defend me despite the fact that we were clearly outnumbered.”
I paused.
“Given everything that happened, you never got the chance to hear their side before things escalated. At least have one conversation with them. Find out why they did what they did.”
“And here I thought you were the logical one.” Liam's voice came from the doorway. He stepped inside, shutting the door behind him.
“It's only been a few hours since I left,” he continued, his gaze moving between us, “and already you're trying to convince our sister to go back to the very people who destroyed her.”