The Villain's Sister - Chapter 54

Linda said calmly, “I won’t stop you from doing what you do. I hate that it’s dangerous, but you must have your reasons. Still, I want you to take better care of your life.”

“Y-you knew?”

“Of course. How could I not? Even if no one else noticed, I had to. You’re my son. I can tell just from the way you stand, even with a helmet on.”

At the sound of Tristan’s rough breathing, Linda took his hand.

Tristan quickly turned his head away to hide his face.

His clenched fist was trembling.

“You’ve been living without a proper friend for years. I haven’t even heard you mention playing basketball, which you used to love. The newspaper says you’re out every night. When do you even sleep… It broke my heart.”

“…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hide it. I just thought you’d worry… or be hurt…”

“You don’t know how shocked I was when you suddenly quit the prestigious university we enrolled you in with your father’s inheritance and became a police officer. But I couldn’t get angry. It must have been painful for you to make that choice.”

Tristan clenched his jaw until the muscles in his face stood out.

Linda wiped her bloodshot eyes.

“We should’ve brought Myers too, but I didn’t have the confidence to take care of him, so I only brought you. That must’ve hurt you. Your parents had passed, and there were only the two of you left, yet I took you away…”

“…I was the one who abandoned Myers. Me… When I looked at him, I saw our biological parents. It was unbearable. It’s all my fault, so please don’t feel guilty.”

Perhaps the painkillers were wearing off, as Linda’s brow furrowed.

But the regret that passed through her eyes was more painful than any physical discomfort.

“No. It was your father and me who split you two up. We chose the easy way and now we’re paying for it.”

Swallowing hard at her words, Tristan squeezed his eyes shut.

The smell of tears filled his throat. A lump surged upward.

Tristan said pleadingly, “He ran away from the center twice because he couldn’t adjust. When you adopted me, he was already involved in a criminal gang as a low-ranking member.”

“That was our responsibility to correct.”

“No. Really, it wasn’t. Please, Mom, don’t think that way.”

A frail whimper escaped from his large frame.

Tristan wiped his damp face with his palm.

Tristan’s original name was Tristan Bernadette.

His biological parents had been drug mules for an underground syndicate.

They were addicts who used drug money to buy more drugs and inject themselves, until one day they died miserably on the street.

Myers resembled them.

He was reckless enough to throw his life into the trash, half-mad and utterly indifferent to the evils of drugs.

Linda gripped Tristan’s hand tightly. Her touch radiated a strong will—far too strong for someone on the verge of death.

“You’ve done enough.”

“Mom. I…”

Something was about to leave his mouth, but hesitated at his lips.

All that came out was a sorrowful breath.

“Tristan. Love yourself as much as you love your brother.”

A fading voice, weaker than breath itself.

Yet her gaze remained fixed on him.

A gaze overflowing with warm affection.

Tristan finally burst into tears.

He wept like a child and made a promise to Linda.

“I promise. I’ll make choices that will lead me to happiness, so please don’t worry.”

“Good. That’s enough.”

Haaa.

A quiet breath, like a sigh of relief, escaped her faintly lifted lips.

After that, Linda’s chest no longer rose or fell.

Tristan buried his face in her hand and sobbed.

“Mom. Thank you for being my mother. I love you.”

On that drizzly evening, Tristan Lindbergh was left alone.

***

After tossing and turning all night, I woke up suddenly.

The blanket was damp from cold sweat, and my throat stung—it seemed I had screamed in my sleep.

The bluish early morning air was chilly.

Fog clouded everything outside the window, making it hard to see anything clearly.

It looked like the afternoon would be hot.

I sat by the window in the second-floor hallway, where the sky was clearly visible, and waited for the sun to rise.

Watching the sunlight break through the indistinguishable dawn was quite romantic.

I turned on the radio, and the morning news began to play.

― The prosecution has declared war on the underground organization Two Star, which was allegedly connected to VIPs involved in the gambling gate scandal. Meanwhile, the city council has expressed concern over the central government deploying military forces.

― Mayor Maggie Giomatti stated that the central government’s move to criminalize hero activity infringes upon municipal autonomy…

As the gambling gate dragged on, the scope of the incident continued to grow.

With the central government stepping in to eradicate Two Star, Big Bear had grown increasingly edgy and violent by the day.

That was also why Raphael was becoming so busy.

Clunk.

The front door opened.

I hadn’t seen Raphael return; maybe he climbed over the wall.

I was heading downstairs to open the front door.

“I’ll go check.”

At some point, Johan had gotten up and pulled me back by the shoulder.

My gaze landed on the back of his head as he blocked the door and opened it. The back of his hair was flattened.

I had thought he was someone without blood or tears, but it turned out this man was human too.

“She’s inside.”

Johan closed the door and stepped outside to scan the surroundings.

He checked all the way beyond the gate, then returned holding something in his hand.

“Is there a problem? Did someone attack us again?”

“This was left outside.”

What Johan brought was a letter.

“No recipient is written.”

“That’s strange. I thought Raphael took care of the stalker, so why is there another letter…”

A bad feeling hit me.

I instinctively stepped back, feeling like a massive storm was approaching.

“Please read it.”

Johan opened the envelope.

The letter crumpled violently in his hand.

“We should discuss this with Mr. Raphael.”

“Is it the stalker? But that person’s dead… Let me see it too.”

I reached out my hand, but Johan shoved the letter into his inner pocket instead.

“It concerns me, so I deserve to know. I said show me.”

Damn stalker bastard.

The thought that Raphael might’ve killed the wrong person made me loathe the stalker even more.

How much more must I suffer before he disappears from my life?

I wanted to ask Raphael to burn him alive.

I hoped he would scream in pain just as much as I had suffered.

I couldn’t breathe from the rage.

“Giselle.”

Johan lowered himself and looked me in the eyes.

His face drew close enough that I could feel his breath.

“Johan.”

“It’s all right. You’re safe here.”

“I’m starting to understand Raphael more. To survive in a godforsaken place like this, you have to become a beast.”

My vision spun.

I crouched to the floor, buried my face between my knees, and tried to calm myself.

I want to run away.

From this reality.

At the same time, I want to destroy everything.

“Giselle, don’t cry. He’s not someone worth fearing.”

“I’m not crying because I’m scared. I’m crying because I’m angry.”

“If you want, I’ll find him and kill him.”

“Just wait. If I get a little angrier, I might ask Raphael myself to kill him.”

I said it without thinking, but that day would never come.

I never wanted Raphael to bloody his hands because of me.

I wiped my tears with the back of my hand and stood up resolutely.

Just then, the door opened, and Raphael appeared, with Liam following behind.

Liam confirmed I was safe, then shot Johan a sharp look.

“Deva! He didn’t do anything to you, did he?”

“No.”

“What happened?”

Raphael’s scent was faintly oceanic.

He had said he needed to clean out Big Bear’s spies within Death Adder—maybe today was the day.

On any other day, I would have ignored it, but today it irritated me more than I could bear.

I unconsciously stepped back.

The scent of violence clinging to Raphael made me sick.

“Deva?”

Raphael narrowed his eyes.

“Ah, no…”

I can’t believe I felt uncomfortable around Raphael… Unbelievable.

“It’s just…”

“Johan. What is it?”

Johan stood between us and handed the letter to Raphael.

Knowing exactly how he would react, I could only shut my eyes tightly.