Chapter 164 CHAPTER 164:DAMAGED BREAKS
~Wayne's Pov~
Wayne didn’t tell Elara he was going to the hospital.
Not because he wanted to lie.
But because he didn’t want her worrying about something minor.
It was supposed to be simple.
The hospital had called about final documentation related to her earlier medical assessments insurance clearance, follow-up scans, paperwork before her next prenatal appointment. Nothing urgent. Nothing dramatic.
“I’ll be back in an hour,” he told her, kissing her forehead.
She studied him carefully.
“You’re still tense.”
“I’m fine.”
“You say that too quickly.”
He smiled faintly. “Rest. I’ll handle it.”
She nodded slowly.
But as he walked out the door, something in her chest felt unsettled.
The morning was quiet.
Clouds hung low, heavy but unmoving. The roads weren’t crowded. Just a few scattered cars, distant traffic lights blinking lazily.
Wayne’s hands rested steadily on the steering wheel.
But his mind wasn’t steady.
Calvin’s face from the night before replayed in fragments.
“You’d choose her over blood?”
Yes.
Without hesitation.
Wayne inhaled slowly.
He didn’t regret saying it.
But he knew Calvin had heard the challenge.
And Calvin had never taken rejection well.
The first few minutes of the drive were normal.
The engine hummed smoothly.
The steering responsive.
Nothing unusual.
Until
He approached a red light.
Pressed the brake pedal.
And the car didn’t slow immediately.
His eyes sharpened.
He pressed harder.
The pedal sank lower than usual.
The car jerked slightly before finally slowing down.
Wayne’s heartbeat shifted not panic.
Recognition.
That didn’t feel right.
The light turned green.
He continued driving, alert now.
Testing lightly.
Pressing the brake again.
There was delay.
Subtle.
But there.
The pedal felt soft.
Too soft.
He didn’t jump to conclusions.
He drove another block.
Then tested again.
This time, approaching a turn.
He pressed down.
The car hesitated before responding.
Wayne’s stomach dropped.
That wasn’t wear and tear.
That wasn’t coincidence.
That was tampering.
His mind moved quickly.
When was the last time the car was serviced?
Last week.
Full inspection.
No issues.
The vehicle was new.
Regularly maintained.
And parked overnight in their secured driveway.
Where security had been posted.
Unless…
Unless it happened before the guards.
Before they realized the threat.
His jaw tightened slowly.
Calvin.
The thought didn’t come emotionally.
It came logically.
Calvin knew where he lived.
Calvin had already proven he was watching.
Calvin had resources.
Calvin had access.
Wayne’s grip tightened around the steering wheel.
He approached a downhill stretch of road.
Pressed the brake again.
This time—
The pedal nearly hit the floor.
The car barely slowed.
His pulse spiked sharply.
Not fear.
Focus.
He immediately downshifted.
Engine braking.
Controlled the wheel.
Eased the car toward the side of the road.
Another press.
Barely responsive.
That confirmed it.
This wasn’t malfunction.
This was failure.
Intentional failure.
Up ahead, traffic was beginning to build.
If the brakes fully gave out—
It wouldn’t just be him.
Other drivers.
Pedestrians.
Innocent people.
Wayne’s breathing steadied.
Think.
There was a side access road about 300 meters ahead.
Gravel.
Slight incline.
If he could reach it
He could use resistance to slow the car.
He adjusted his speed carefully.
Avoided pressing the brake unnecessarily.
Kept distance from the vehicle ahead.
Every second felt stretched thin.
He lightly tested the pedal again.
Nothing.
Almost nothing.
His suspicion hardened into certainty.
This wasn’t accident.
This was a message.
He saw the access road.
To the right.
Narrow.
Unpaved.
He signaled calmly as if nothing was wrong.
Then turned sharply into it.
The sudden shift onto gravel caused resistance.
He downshifted again.
Let the engine strain.
The car began slowing.
Not enough.
He aimed the vehicle slightly uphill.
Pressed the brake one final time.
The pedal hit the floor.
But friction from the incline and gravel dragged the car down to a shuddering stop.
Silence.
The engine hummed softly.
Wayne sat there for a moment.
Hands still on the wheel.
Heart pounding once.
Twice.
Then steady again.
He had just been seconds away from a highway collision.
He exhaled slowly.
And whispered one word.
“Calvin.”
Wayne stepped out of the car calmly.
Walked to the side.
Kneeling slightly, he looked beneath the chassis.
Fluid.
Leaking.
A thin line trailing toward the rear wheel.
Brake fluid.
Cut line.
Not ruptured.
Cut.
Clean.
Deliberate.
His jaw flexed.
There it was.
Proof.
Not paranoia.
Not imagination.
Attempted harm.
Not warning.
Not intimidation.
This could have killed him.
And Calvin knew it.
Wayne leaned back against the car slowly.
The betrayal shifted.
This wasn’t jealousy anymore.
This wasn’t obsession.
This was escalation.
Calvin had crossed from watching…
To risking life.
And if he was willing to risk Wayne’s life—
What would stop him from targeting Elara directly?
Wayne’s blood ran cold at the thought.
He immediately pulled out his phone.
Called Victor.
“Emergency,” he said calmly.
“What happened?”
“Brake line cut.”
Silence.
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
“Where are you?”
Wayne gave the location.
“I’m sending people now.”
“And Victor?”
“Yes.”
“Double the security at my house.”
“Understood.”
“And notify the police.”
“You think it was him?”
Wayne’s voice dropped.
“I don’t think.”
As he waited for assistance, Wayne’s mind drifted not to himself.
To Elara.
What if she had driven today?
What if she had decided to go somewhere alone?
What if
He clenched his jaw.
This wasn’t just an attack on him.
It was a vulnerability test.
Calvin wanted to see how far he could push.
Wanted to see if Wayne would break.
Wanted to see if fear would fracture him.
Instead
It sharpened him.
His phone buzzed.
Elara.
He answered immediately.
“Hey,” she said softly. “You okay?”
He paused for half a second too long.
“Yes.”
“You sound different.”
“I’m fine.”
“Wayne.”
He exhaled slowly.
“There was a minor issue with the car.”
Her voice tightened instantly.
“What kind of issue?”
“Brake malfunction.”
Silence.
“Are you safe?”
“Yes.”
“Where are you?”
“Pulled over.”
Her breathing grew uneven.
“That’s not normal, Wayne.”
“I know.”
She understood immediately.
“Calvin?”
He didn’t answer.
“Wayne.”
“Yes.”
Her voice broke slightly.
“He wouldn’t…”
“He did.”
Silence.
Heavy.
Shaking.
“Oh my God.”
“I handled it.”
“You could’ve died.”
“I didn’t.”
“That’s not the point!”
Her fear cracked through the phone.
He closed his eyes briefly.
“I know.”
“Come home.”
“I will.”
“Now.”
“I will.”
By the time Victor’s men arrived, police were already informed.
Evidence photographed.
Brake line examined.
Confirmed sabotage.
This wasn’t suspicion anymore.
This was attempted murder.
Wayne stood calmly while officers asked questions.
“Do you suspect anyone?” one asked.
“Yes.”
“Name?”
Wayne didn’t hesitate.
“Calvin Brooks.”
The officer blinked slightly.
“Relation?”
“My brother.”
When Wayne walked through the front door, Elara ran to him immediately.
She grabbed his face with both hands, scanning for injury.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
“Anywhere?”
“No.”
She wrapped her arms around him tightly.
Her body trembled.
“You could’ve”
“I didn’t.”
“Don’t say it like that.”
He held her firmly.
“He won’t touch you.”
Her voice was small.
“He tried to touch you.”
Wayne’s eyes hardened.
“And now he’s finished.”
She pulled back slightly.
“What does that mean?”
“It means I’m done handling this privately.”
That night, Wayne stood by the window, watching the street.
Security doubled.
Patrols increased.
Police involved.
But something had shifted inside him.
Calvin didn’t want reconciliation.
He wanted destruction.
And he had just declared it.
The road hadn’t taken Wayne’s life.
But it had taken something else.
Any remaining hesitation.
If Calvin thought cutting brakes would scare him
He miscalculated.
Because Wayne no longer saw a brother.
He saw a threat.
And threats were eliminated.