He swallowed hard, forcing himself to steady his breathing, but the feeling wouldn’t go away.
His heart thudded painfully in his chest, and he closed his eyes for a moment, willing himself to let it go. Don’t be , he thought bitterly. She’s happy. That’s what matters, right?
But no matter how hard he tried to convince himself, the heavy knot in his chest refused to loosen. He stood there, frozen in his own thoughts, feeling stressed and hurt.
"Julian," Ruby’s voice called out. He froze for a moment, startled that she had noticed him. Quickly, he adjusted his emotions, forcing a gentle smile onto his face before turning to her.
"Please don’t be angry," he said, stepping forward and offering her the glass of water he had brought. "Have some water."
Ruby looked at him for a moment, her expression softening as she took the glass from his hand. "Thank you," she said simply, her voice carrying a hint of warmth.
Julian shook his head, his smile trembling slightly. "Please... don’t say thank you," he murmured, his tone quiet but sincere.
Ruby smiled at him, and that small, effortless curve of her lips felt like a bolt of lightning to Julian’s chest.
His heart thudded painfully, as though it might leap out of his ribcage. What is this feeling? he thought, struggling to maintain his composure. Her smile wasn’t extraordinary, yet it carried a weight that seemed to crush every defense he had carefully built around his heart.
For a fleeting moment, Julian forgot about everything else—Milo, his jealousy, his insecurities. All he could think about was how her smile had completely stolen his breath, leaving him standing there, utterly helpless.
"Are you okay?" Ruby asked, tilting her head slightly as she looked at him.
Julian blinked, realizing he had been staring. "I’m fine," he said quickly, his voice a little too firm. He looked away, trying to hide the emotions swirling in his chest.
"I’ll start preparing dinner," Julian said softly, his voice gentle as he turned and walked out of the room.
"I’m coming too!" Milo shouted enthusiastically, dashing after him with his usual energy.
Ruby stood there, watching their backs as they disappeared down the hallway.
"I got a helper job," Adrian said as Julian and Milo entered the living room.
Both of them froze, their eyes widening in shock.
"Brother Adrian! Are you telling the truth? You really got a job?" Milo exclaimed, practically bouncing on his feet, his honey-brown eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Yes," Adrian replied, his usually calm and expressionless face showing a rare hint of joy. His dark eyes sparkled as he added, "I’m starting tomorrow."
Julian’s brows furrowed slightly, a mix of surprise and confusion crossing his face. "But how? We’ve tried so many places before, and everyone rejected us... How did you manage to find one?" he asked, genuinely curious.
Adrian looked at them, his lips twitching into a faint smile. "I helped brother Kenji with his delivery today, and he talked to someone at the small company he delivers food to. They said they needed an extra pair of hands, so I offered," he explained simply.
Milo clapped his hands together, grinning ear to ear. "Brother Adrian, that’s amazing! You’re so lucky! I’m so happy for you!"
Julian’s expression softened as he nodded. "That’s great, Adrian. I’m glad something worked out for you. Even if it’s a small job, it’s a step forward."
Adrian gave a slight nod, his face calm but his heart feeling lighter than it had in a long time. For once, he felt like he wasn’t a useless.
"But which company?" Karl asked, his baby-blue eyes curious as he looked at Adrian.
"Jonas Raw Production, I think..." Adrian replied after a moment, his voice calm but thoughtful.
Hearing this, Julian’s face lit up with happiness. "Let me make something for a celebration! I’ll cook all your favorites," he said cheerfully, already heading toward the kitchen.
Milo’s excitement bubbled over as he turned to Adrian. "Did you tell wife this good news?" he asked eagerly, his honey-brown eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Adrian’s expression darkened immediately, his jaw clenching tightly. "Why do I need to tell her?" he replied, his voice low and cold, his dark eyes narrowing.
The cheerful mood in the room shifted slightly, and Karl glanced at Milo nervously. Milo opened his mouth to say something but stopped, sensing the tension radiating from Adrian.
Adrian turned his head away, his fists tightening at his sides. He didn’t explain further, and the silence lingered awkwardly until Julian called from the kitchen, breaking the heavy atmosphere. "Milo, come help me to wash rice!"
Milo hesitated, glancing at Adrian one last time before nodding and scurrying off to the kitchen. Karl, however, stayed back, his concerned gaze fixed on Adrian, who stood stiff and quiet, lost in his own thoughts.
"You feel that too..." Karl bit his lip, his voice barely above a whisper as he looked at Adrian hesitantly.
Adrian snapped his head toward him, his dark eyes narrowing. "What?" he asked, his tone sharp but curious.
"Guilty," Karl admitted, his voice breaking slightly. He lowered his gaze, his hands clenching at his sides. "I... I was unable to speak with anyone. I felt ashamed. I didn’t even feel this way when I stole Sam’s ecto-bike... but now... now I feel it."
He ran his hand through his thick black hair, ruffling it until it became even messier. His baby-blue eyes were clouded with unease as he muttered, "I don’t know why, but it’s eating me up. This... guilt. It’s different. It’s worse."
"I feel it too," Adrian finally admitted, his voice low but steady. "Not just guilt... but shame. Like everything I’ve done before doesn’t even compare to how wrong this feels now."
Karl looked up at him, surprised.
Adrian sighed deeply, his dark eyes glinting with a hint of determination. "Although... everything we did was because we were thinking about the future. So, maybe we should let it go," he said, his voice steady but thoughtful.
He paused for a moment, glancing at Karl, before continuing. "And now that I’ve got a job... once I earn enough, I’ll return what we took to her. How does that sound?"
—To be continued...🪄