“I will. Don’t worry,” said Ernest. He then turned and called out, “Laney, please go with her.”

“Of course, Mr. Flynn.”

Not until Elissa’s footsteps faded upstairs did Ernest shift his focus to Eric.

Eric, however, stayed lost in thought, still watching the stairwell.

With a click of his tongue, Ernest shot him a glare. “Is there something fascinating about the stairs?”

Snapped out of his thoughts, Eric blinked and nodded. “Yeah…”

He quickly shook his head. “Wait—no, that’s not what I meant. Did you and Elissa patch things up?”

A faint, unreadable smile curved on Ernest’s lips. He didn’t answer at once. When he did, his tone stayed steady. “I warned her—if she vanishes again, I’ll come after you. You’ll get a beating every time I see you.”

Eric was left speechless.

Ernest strode into the living room without looking back.

“Hey, hold up, Ernest—” Trailing after him, Eric grumbled, “Look at me! I’m bruised from head to toe, and the doctor says it’s all soft tissue injuries.” His last words rang out heavier, hoping to get some sympathy.

“What’s your point?” Ernest spared him only a quick look, loosened his tie, and sank into the couch. “You feeling sorry for yourself now? Or are you expecting me to?”

“That’s not it at all!” Eric replied quickly, shaking his head. “It’s all on me.”

“You—” Ernest pointed a finger straight at Eric.

None of this would have happened if it weren’t for Eric’s scheming to help Elissa escape. All this time, Eric had just watched from the sidelines and let him believe Elissa was dead. That fact alone had Ernest grinding his teeth.

“You’re something else!” Ernest yelled, frustration clear in his voice.

: ν?

“Ernest!” Eric stood stiffly, head bowed low. He owned up, “I messed up. I know I did.”

Peeking up, Eric searched for any sign of forgiveness. He then added, “Didn’t you just take advantage of the situation as well, Ernest?”

Since childhood, the two of them had grown up side by side. They knew each other inside and out. Even without spelling things out, Eric already understood what was happening.

“What are you getting at?” Ernest didn’t bother to clear things up. “Think you can outsmart your own brother? After everything you pulled, you don’t think I’d turn the tables?”

“Go ahead—you have every right!” Eric responded, his voice steady and sure. The only thing he could do now was try everything to patch things up with Ernest. Still, looking at him now, Eric figured things probably wouldn’t really fall apart between them.

“Ernest…” Eric sounded uncertain, wanting some reassurance. “We’re okay, right?”

Ernest gave him a sideways glance, a barely perceptible smile on his lips, and pointed to the sofa. “Come take a seat.”

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