No Strings Attached

Chapter 396

Ian’s statement wasn’t a question, but an assertion.

His deep-set eyes were fixed intently on Brodie, as if trying to see right through him.

The room fell into an unnerving silence, so profound you could hear the sound of each other’s breathing.

It was only after a pregnant pause that Brodie chuckled lightly, “When did you figure it out?”

That laugh made something heavy settle in Ian’s chest.

Discovering a brother who shared his blood, seemingly out of nowhere, was a feeling Ian couldn’t quite articulate.

He had always been guarded around Brodie. Partly because of his mysterious past, and partly because of his feelings for Clara. Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

Ian had considered many possibilities, but the notion that Brodie was his half-brother had never crossed his mind.

It took a few seconds before Ian found his voice again.

“It doesn’t matter when I found out. What matters is that you’ve known all along. You suspected Sierra was behind your mother’s framing and you’ve been investigating in the shadows, haven’t you?”

Brodie didn’t bother to hide it. “Yes, I took one of your things for a DNA test the first time I saw you. I also knew Teo was the scumbag who abandoned my mom. If it weren’t for Clara, do you think I would have left him untouched for so long?”

Hearing this, Ian raised an eyebrow at him. “Does Katherine know about this?”

“She doesn’t. But you’ve noticed. She holds a soft spot for your dad.”

“That’s your father too.”

“He’s not. If it wasn’t for him, my mom wouldn’t have been hurt. We wouldn’t have spent years being hunted. He’s responsible for all of it.”

“You call him father because he gave you a life of wealth and comfort. What he gave me was a lifetime of narrow escapes from death. I believe my mom wasn’t the kind of person to knowingly get involved with a married man. It must have been your father who deceived her, then turned a blind eye after she got pregnant, leaving her to fend for herself.”

Brodie was usually the epitome of calm and decorum, but now, speaking of the past, there was a trace of emotion on his face. His dark eyes were tinged with a subtle crimson.

His hatred for Teo was palpable.

The thought of his mother, pregnant and alone, nearly perishing in a fire, enduring excruciating pain to save her child without medication, it cut him like a knife.

Ian looked at him with a meaningful intensity. His voice was a shade huskier. “This isn’t as simple as you think. Maybe my dad was also a pawn in someone’s game. I’m investigating, and if Sierra is behind this, I won’t let her off the hook for her crimes.”

“I hope you’ll keep your word. If Sierra troubles my mom again, I won’t be gentle.”

“She won’t. She can’t escape my watch.”

Ian’s words were firm and final.

He extended his arm and pulled a stunned Clara into his embrace. There was a cryptic smile playing on his lips.

“Is it hard to swallow that your dear Brodie has become my brother?”

Before Clara could respond, Brodie cut in, “I haven’t acknowledged you. My relationship with Clara won’t change because of you.”

Ian was undeterred. “Acknowledged or not, I’m still your brother. And Clara will be your sister-in-law. You’d better show some respect and not address her informally. It’s only proper.”

“Ian!” Brodie gritted his teeth. “Clara will always be Clara, the one who used to tag along behind me. Don’t forget, back when she and I were together, you were off playing in the mud somewhere.”