|Carmen's POV
God! I had forgotten what a maniac he could be!
Enough to make me slowly lower the piece back to my plate, hating the way my hands trembled as the fork clinked hard against the plate.
Meeting his gaze with as genuine an expression as I could convey.
"I'm sorry," I told him, surprised that I actually meant it. At least a part of me did.
"I know apologies cannot make up for what I did," I began, making fucking certain that I got the message across, especially now that my stepbrother was clearly a powerful and rich man.
The wheels turning in my head as I realized that if by some miracle I could win him over, then it would make things easier for me.
"…I…I was jealous! Father loved you and… and he was going to make you heir!" I whispered, my voice low and repentful. What I did was bad, enough that I had nightmares for months.
Worse, Nico had been sent out without a single penny, irrespective of how much Bianca begged and pleaded.
"I…I would make up for it if I could!" I said in a rush, regretting the words the moment they slipped out of my lips.
There were some sort of mistakes that shouldn't be made with Nico. Moreover, it was hard to forget the kiss they had shared, something I had promised myself to never recall.
"You never know! There's still time!" he responded, leaning back into his seat, ignoring what was on his plate as it soon became clear that he had no plans to eat it.
Meanwhile, I very much had plans to eat once he gave the okay that the food was safe.
I mean… he wouldn't really spice the food with drugs, would he?
I mean, it would be insane, wouldn't it?
"…If I could go back, I would do differently," I finished, lying through my teeth.
"Brother…" I whispered, stretching my hand out close enough to almost grab his, but not quite enough to do so.
Expecting him to flinch at my words or show a hint of disapproval, only to be taken aback when I felt his long fingers slide into my hands, holding them firmly with a smile on his face.
"Fa…father is dead. Our father is dead! We need to find out who killed him!" I said with a severe expression on my face, ignoring the way my heart seemed to riot as I felt him slightly caress the corners of my hands with his fingers.
"You mean the man I only knew for a few years, who beat me, whipped me, then threw me out? That man?" he asked, a sly smirk on his lips that made me want to pull my hands out of his but didn't dare to.
Legally, he was adopted by my father, but it was clear from his blue eyes that he was simply my father's secret child.
"Why should I go out of my way for such a man?" he asked in an almost sultry tone, his gaze holding mine.
It was clear that we had already gotten to the segment where I listed all the things I could do for him since he practically owned me.
"You're rich and even though you don't need money, once I return and become the Don of the northern district, I'll give you half the territory," I directly told him without mincing words.
A frown flickering on my face as I heard his instant response mixed with a silent chuckle on his lips.
"IF," he enunciated, tilting his head to the side as he held my gaze. The gentle caress of my hands was starting to get to me as I forcefully continued to pretend that it didn't.
A dangerous look flashed in his eyes as he continued to speak in a more commanding manner that made him seem fiercer than before.
"…In the meantime, we should also discuss how you're going to pay me back. A billion dollars? If you sold the entirety of the Castillo's territory, you still won't be able to pay me back!" he directly said, and at that point I could take it no longer. Jerking my hand out of his, he let me.
Scratching away the itchiness that remained as my breathing became a bit heavier.
"Figured you'll want to, unless you wanted to remain my slave for the rest of your life," he said, leaning back into his chair with legs spread apart like he would lounge on a sofa.
Completely relaxed, unlike the forceful calm I pretended to have.
"…Moreover, you see me as family, but I might have to start selling your organs to recoup your debt. It's the rules… you know this…" he said, and I knew he was right, though I desperately wanted to beg that he reconsider.
I had apologized, but I also knew that actions meant more than words, especially after what I did. He didn't have to help me.
The fact that he wasn't actively trying to break me to pieces in a cell beneath his house was more than enough.
"What do you want?" I directly asked him, hating the way my heart skipped a bit as I balled my hands tightly together in preparation for what he was going to say.
'I can do anything but that which would defile my body by lying with my brother,' recognizing the same look I had seen in him all those years before he kissed me.
It was evident in the way he instantly leaned forward the moment I asked.
My lashes fluttered in anticipation and fear as I waited to hear what he had to say.
Aware that if he insisted on that, then the only way would be for him to force me.
'Then spend the rest of my life hunting him down,' a fierce look in my eyes as I made up my mind, swearing on my mother's spirit that I would do exactly as I thought.
But barely had I made the decision when I watched the features on Nico's face soften.
His eyes looked at me with a soft, amiable smile on his face, the same one he had that looked like a hungry dog staring at its master.
The same one he had when they were younger, when he followed me around.
But it only made me wary, knowing that whatever it was, it wasn't going to be good.
"What I want is simple! I want us to make a Binding deal!"