Chapter 76: Storm.

Steven sighed deeply as he stood at the door to Shane's bedroom. He hadn’t heard a word from his brother since their painful confrontation—the one that had led to Dua fainting. Taking a breath, he pushed the door open and stepped inside, only to be met with Shane's icy glare.

“How dare you barge into my room?” Shane snapped, arms crossed defiantly.

Steven had entered Shane's room unannounced plenty of times before, but today, Shane wasn’t in the mood for jokes.

“This is my house, after all…” Steven started, attempting to lighten the mood with a tease, but the fierce look in Shane’s eyes made him falter.

“I’m sorry, bro. I really am. I didn’t mean to hide it from you,” Steven admitted, his voice earnest.

“This is what I was trying to prevent—your pain.” He took a step closer.

“But it happened anyway.” Shane finally spoke, and the weight of his words hung heavily in the air.

“How did it happen?” Shane pressed, his curiosity piqued despite his anger. “Tell me everything.”

“Crystal's sister’s strike ended your life. But Crystal… she did something miraculous. She brought you back at the expense of her own life,” Steven explained, his voice trembling with emotion. “But she couldn’t break the curse. All she could do was give a remedy: find her reincarnation and swap her life for mine, but only if I find her before a thousand years are  up. If I fail, I die on the one thousandth year of the curse… But that remedy only applies to me. You—”

“I get it,” Shane interrupted, disbelief etched in his features. “The law of the living and the dead.”

Steven nodded, his eyes casting down to the floor. “I didn’t believe it until a few years ago when I got sick. They found a hole in my heart,” he confessed, feeling the sting of the truth.

“I hid everything to protect you,” he continued, glancing up again, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. “I didn’t want you to lose hope… didn’t want to see you hurt. I’m so sorry, bro.”

Shane held his brother's gaze with steady resolve. “How much time do you have left?”  He asked.

“Not much,” Steven’s voice came as a whisper, his gaze dropping to the floor.

Sighing, Shane stood up and walked over to him.

“I'll accept it if you want to beat me up,” Steven offered, locking eyes with his brother who was only a few inches away.

“You’ll die soon anyway, so there’s no need for me to kill you myself,” Shane retorted with a hint of sarcasm, pulling Steven into a tight embrace.

Although he understood Steven's reasons for hiding the truth, anger simmered beneath Shane's surface.

“Thanks, bro,” Steven murmured, wrapping his arms around Shane.

“I didn’t say I’ve forgiven you,” Shane shot back, but a chuckle escaped Steven, knowing deep down his brother meant the opposite.

“So what’s next?” Shane asked as he released his brother from the hug. “Your wife is pregnant now, and you’re going to be gone soon…” His voice trailed off, laden with unspoken fears.

“That’s why I need you here,” Steven replied earnestly.

“I’m your baby’s uncle, not the father,” Shane reminded him, a wry smile creeping onto his face.

“So you’re not even going to consider—” Shane began, but Steven interjected firmly.

“I won’t.”

“Even if she asks you to?” Shane probed, searching his brother’s expression.

“Even if she asks me to,” Steven affirmed, a flicker of worry crossing his features.

“You know Dua; she’s not going to just sit around and watch you fade away,” Shane cautioned softly.

“And that’s why I need you to stop any crazy ideas she might discuss with you about making me stick around longer,” Steven replied with a resigned sigh. Shane nodded, recognizing the gravity of their conversation.

A knock on the door broke the heavy silence, and Shane quickly permitted the person to enter. The door creaked open, and Denise stepped in, her demeanor sheepish as she jolted at Steven's presence. “Looks like you both are busy,” she said, her eyes darting between the two brothers.

“No. I’m off,” Steven replied, making his way out of the bedroom.

As the door clicked shut, Shane turned his full attention to Denise, a silent inquiry hanging in the air between them.

"I wanted to know what we would be having for dinner," Denise said.

Shane leaned against the doorframe, his intent gaze fixed on her. "The one who can answer your question just stepped out, and you know that."

"Did you come to see me for something else, then?" He asked.

Denise rolled her eyes, half-heartedly defensive, a scoff escaping her lips.  "Don’t get ahead of yourself. I don’t feel anything for you," she asserted.

"I didn't ask you that," he said and her gaze faltered to the floor under the weight of his eyes.

A chuckle escaped Shane's lips, his confidence palpable as he stepped a little closer. "If you’re already starting to like me, denying it won’t change anything... just take my hand." He extended it toward her, the warmth radiating from his touch.

Denise hesitated, her thoughts whirling as she stared at his open palm. "I really don’t have any feelings for you," she muttered, her pulse quickening despite her words.

"You do... it’s beginning to show," Shane replied, the glint in his eyes playful yet earnest.

Her cheeks flushed as she shook her head. "My heart doesn’t even race when you're near."

"I didn’t ask you about your heart," he countered, a hint of challenge in his tone.

Denise cursed herself silently for the flutters in her stomach as she looked away, frustration mingling with confusion.

“If you truly don’t like me as you claim, then push me away when I do this,” he said, his gaze locking onto hers with undeniable intensity.

"Do what?" she faltered

Before she could fully absorb his question, Shane leaned in, capturing her lips with his. The kiss was warm and electric, igniting something deep within her. Within moments, she melted into him, their tongues dancing with unexpected passion. She entwined her fingers around his neck, pulling him closer as her mind raced with conflicting emotions.

When Shane finally pulled back, Denise remained still, her eyes fluttering open in a daze. “And yet you say you don’t like me,” he teased, a smug smile gracing his lips.

Denise's eyes widened in shock as she processed her own actions. "No... I didn't mean to..." she stammered, desperately trying to explain herself.

Shane silenced her with a gentle finger on her lips, his gaze steady and warm. "Thank you for finally opening your heart to me," he said softly, his voice filled with sincerity.

Denise felt a swirl of emotions in her chest, and she struggled to find her words. "I..."

"Let's date," Shane proposed, extending his hand toward her. His eyes sparkled with a mixture of hope and determination. Denise looked at his outstretched hand, feeling a wave of emotions crashing on her. They had now become relatives due to Dua's and Steven's marriage.

"Please..." he urged, an earnest plea in his voice that slowly crumbled her defenses.

Denise took a deep breath, weighing her thoughts. "Fine, but just don't regret this decision one day," she finally replied, her voice tentative yet resolute as she placed her hand in his.

"I promise I won't, and I’ll do everything I can to make sure you won’t either," he assured her, a sincere smile breaking across his face.

A small, hesitant smile crept onto Denise's lips as she locked her gaze with his, feeling the weight of uncertainty lift just a little. In that moment, amidst the swirling doubts, there was a flicker of hope. Together, they stood at the edge of uncharted territory, ready to take a leap into something new.

But she couldn't help but voice out her fears. "But... don't you think what we're about to do is wrong?... We're relatives now," she said.

"Are you in the 10th Century or what?" Shane laughed. "People don't consider this factor anymore, and besides we aren't blood related," he said.

"People still do...my sister would. And the day she finds out about us is the day our relationship ends... just remember that." Denise countered.

Shane gave a little chuckle that had no humor, one of disbelief. "Dua isn't like that."

Denise scoffed, "you don't know Dua as much as I do, she's my elder sister."

The stakes and complications of their relationship sank deep into Shane, but still he perserved. Pulling Denise into a hug, "we'll overcome any storm that comes our way," he assured her.

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