Chapter 74: The Brothers’ Quarrel

Marcellus stood at the door, his gaze icy and his tone laced with deliberate mockery. "Elias, I've always known about this little hideout of yours, but I never pursued it. As your elder brother, I respected your privacy and let you keep your secrets. But today, it seems I was wrong."

He stepped forward slowly, his piercing eyes sweeping over Elias before his voice shifted, sharp with sarcasm. "I didn't expect you to use this place for secret rendezvous. And with someone like this," he said, his gaze falling on Livia. A cold smirk tugged at his lips. "A young man, no less. It seems, as your brother, this is the first time I've learned about your… preferences."

Elias's face darkened instantly. He fought back his unease and was about to explain, but Marcellus raised a hand, silencing him.

"Don't rush to speak." Marcellus's gaze locked onto Livia, his smile chilling as it faded. "Let me get a better look at this… 'young man.'"

His eyes traveled over Livia with deliberate slowness, his voice remaining calm but laced with suppressed fury. "Fair features, certainly a fine-looking… 'man.'" His words dripped with disdain, and the anger in his eyes became harder to conceal.

Alia felt his gaze like a blade slicing through her disguise. She clenched her teeth, withdrawing her hand from Elias's, and sighed softly.

"Marcellus, stop this charade." She raised her head, meeting his eyes with unflinching resolve. Her voice carried a note of exasperation. "I know you've recognized me."

With that, Alia slowly reached up and removed her hat. In an instant, a cascade of silky hair tumbled down, shimmering under the light and shattering the illusion of her disguise.

She faced Marcellus squarely, her voice calm yet firm. "Let me explain."

Marcellus's eyes remained fixed on her, his expression unreadable. His gaze flicked between her face and her flowing hair, his emotions a turbulent mix of anger and something unspoken. But the fury that had been simmering inside him refused to be entirely quelled.

His fists clenched involuntarily, the knuckles cracking audibly. His eyes darted between Elias and Livia, his face a storm cloud ready to unleash its fury. His chest heaved as his anger boiled over.

"Elias, I thought there was still some semblance of brotherly loyalty between us." His voice was low and frigid, his tone betraying an undercurrent of jealousy and rage. "But I didn't expect you to meet with her behind my back today. And worse…" His voice faltered, his eyes flashing with pain. "You even held her hand so intimately!"

"Marcellus, calm down!" Elias frowned, his tone strained but restrained. "Listen to me—"

"Listen to you?" Marcellus scoffed bitterly, his eyes flicking to Livia before returning to Elias. His voice dripped with scorn and resentment. "What could you possibly say? Don't think I didn't notice the closeness between you two before Livia's accident. I saw everything, Elias. And yet, I said nothing."

The accusation landed like a thunderclap, leaving Alia stunned. "Closeness before the accident?" Her brow furrowed as a new layer of mystery enveloped her thoughts. The words seemed to touch on a hidden past involving Livia, a past Alia had been searching for. What happened between Marcellus and Livia that left their relationship so fractured?

Elias's expression darkened further at Marcellus's words, his anger flaring. He stepped forward, his voice cutting like a blade. "Yes, you said nothing. But that's because you had no right to say anything!" His words were sharp and unrelenting. "Do you really think Livia acted as she did without reason? Marcellus, it was because of what you did to her! Why don't you reflect on that?"

Marcellus flinched, his body trembling slightly. His lips parted as if to respond, but no words came out. His silence only fueled Elias's fury, his voice rising. "She sought comfort from me because of the pain you caused her! That's all it was, and yet you dare to blame me?"

Alia watched the two men clash, stunned by their ferocity. Her mind raced, fragments of memories from Livia flashing by, but they were shrouded in fog, elusive and unclear. A heavy weight settled on her chest, making it hard to breathe.

"Enough!" Marcellus's voice finally erupted, hoarse and laden with emotion. His eyes glinted with a complex mix of rage and anguish. "Elias, there are things you don't need to meddle in. What's done is done."

"Done?" Elias sneered, his tone turning sharper. "Do you think Livia will ever truly forget? Do you think her amnesia erases the truth? Or…" He paused, his gaze piercing. "Was her amnesia and coma part of your scheme all along?"

The words struck like lightning, crackling through the tense air. Alia's eyes widened in disbelief as she turned to Marcellus. Her heart pounded like a drum, her instincts screaming that Elias's accusations were not baseless.

"Elias, shut up!" Marcellus roared, fury blazing in his eyes. He glanced at Livia, whose shocked gaze pinned him in place. His lips moved, but no defense came forth.

The room was stifling with tension, the atmosphere suffocating. Alia slowly raised her head, her voice hoarse as she broke the silence. "What are you two talking about? What… happened back then?"

Elias and Marcellus both fell silent, one brimming with anger, the other shadowed by pain. It was clear that the truth they were avoiding was a secret so devastating it could unravel everything.