Chapter 4

I pulled at my cracked lips. "Get some sleep. Those dark circles are so heavy, how are you going to be a groom looking like that?"

Seeing that I could still joke, Dane relaxed and lay down on the nearby cot, quickly falling asleep.

Once his breathing steadied, I picked up his phone from the bedside table.

As soon as I unlocked it, the screen saver popped up with a photo of the three of them.

Alec stood in the middle, grinning, with an arm around each of them.

I opened the photo album.

Nearly ten thousand photos, densely packed with travel shots and casual pictures of the three of them.

In a video, my sister, who'd never lifted a finger for housework, was holding a three-tier wedding cake she'd made herself, affectionately dabbing frosting on Alec's nose.

She had also given him the deed to a mansion worth tens of millions in downtown as a birthday gift.

Dane handed over the keys to a Lamborghini, repeatedly saying that Alec was his only true friend for life.Over the past twelve years, we've done everything together. Studied together, saved seats for each other, played online games together, squeezed around a single cup of instant noodles together, and even made a pact to live in the same retirement home when we're old. All those precious moments, captured in photos he once swore he'd take to his grave, have now been unceremoniously dumped into the recycle bin without a single one spared.

My vision blurs as my heart feels like it's being carved out with a knife.

I can't understand it. How could such close brothers change so suddenly?

Unintentionally, I opened their private group chat of three and discovered a kidney donation agreement.

My eyes widened in disbelief.

The recipient was Dane, but the donor had become Alec.

I felt as if struck by lightning, biting my lip hard, my trembling hand gently pressing against the scar on my waist.

Even though many years have passed, the pain seemed to reignite from its ashes, feeling like a knife twisting inside me.

Suddenly remembering something, I quickly scrolled up through the chat history, finally stopping at a message from his sister.

"Years ago, during the mansion fire, Alec risked his life to carry me out when I was unconscious. If it weren't for him, I'd have been reduced to ashes. In this lifetime, Alec is my lifeline. I'll pay any price to fulfill all his wishes."

Alec was her lifeline.What was trapped beneath the fallen beam, breaking two of my ribs? Whose back was seared and charred by the flames, now permanently twisted and scarred?

I mechanically set down my phone and lay on the bed, laughing through a face full of tears.

After a long while, I calmly wiped the tears from my face and sent a message to a long-neglected number in my contacts.

"Professor, am I still able to participate in the secret new software research project overseas?"

The reply came instantly, "Of course, I've always admired your abilities and character. I know the online information is all rumors, don't let it weigh on you. However, this project is confidential with an uncertain timeline, and your identity must be kept secret. You should communicate well with your family."

"No need to communicate. Please help me cancel my identity."

After two seconds of silence, the other side seemed to understand something and only replied with one word, "Okay."

"What identity cancellation?" My sister pushed open the door as she came in, a flash of panic crossing her face as she heard my words.

I answered without changing my expression, "My driver's license expired, need to get a new one."

She breathed a sigh of relief and carefully blew on the porridge she had brought to cool it before feeding me, "You're not fully recovered yet. If you need anything, just tell your sister. We're family, don't worry about troubling me."

Family, huh?

Not for much longer.Dane, who was standing nearby, also woke up and said with a troubled expression, "Damien, my wedding with your sister is coming up soon. You still haven't recovered, and the choice for the best man..."