CHAPTER 229: CHAPTER 229: A BROTHER’S EMBRACE

~Evric’s POV~

I could only manage one choked word into his jacket: "I’m sorry."

"Oh, it’s okay," Evans murmured, holding me tighter.

After a long, shuddering moment, the storm of tears subsided. I finally pulled back, feeling utterly spent. I looked up at Evans like a child seeking comfort from his mother, my face stained, my soul raw.

Evans gently sat me down on the sofa, then reached out and ruffled my hair—a gesture he had always made since we were teenagers.

"You know what you are, Evric?" Evans said softly, his voice devoid of judgment. "You’re just a baby boy who’s forcing himself to grow up." He walked to the nearby bar and poured a glass of water. "But you really do need to grow up. Not just for us, and not just for the company, but for your man."

He handed me the water. "Zayn really deserves the best of you, Evric."

Evans smiled faintly, shaking his head. "I remember telling him you were still a boy, and he shut me down immediately. All he said was, ’He’s a man. My man, my man.’" Evans chuckled. "Last night, when he called me frantic, all he was shouting was, ’Bro, has my man reached out to you?’"

Every word of praise, every acknowledgment of Zayn’s loyalty and pure love, was a fresh, searing spike of guilt. My man. The words burned. Zayn was defending me, worrying about me, while I had been in Nicki’s bed. I couldn’t bear the hypocrisy.

My hands began to shake violently. The water glass slipped from my fingers, hitting the thick carpet with a dull thud, the water instantly soaking into the fibers.

I buried my face in my hands and started sobbing again.

This sudden, renewed eruption of grief instantly erased any lingering frustration in Evans. He realized this wasn’t about the job or his harsh words, this was something big, something deeply broken.

Evans moved to the long sofa, sat down, and gently pulled me toward him. I instinctively obeyed, laying my head in his lap, the position feeling ancient and deeply comforting. He began softly stroking my hair, letting the silence stretch between us until the only sound was my ragged breathing.

Finally, Evans spoke, his voice low and firm.

"I know you won’t stop crying until you tell me the root of the tears," he said. He didn’t demand or threaten; he simply stated a fact. "Evric, tell me what happened. I promise you, I will never judge you, and I will not be harsh with you. Just tell me."

I continued to cry for a few moments, the comfort of my brother’s presence a terrible contrast to the horror of my secret.

"Evans," I finally managed, my voice muffled and wet. "You know I love Zayn, right?"

"Yes, Evric," Evans responded immediately, his hand gently raking through my hair. "Everyone knows that. Not just me."

I drew in a shaky breath, the words tasting like ash on my tongue. "I feel... guilty," I whispered, my voice breaking. "Evans... I think I might have cheated on Zayn last night."

Evans’s stroking hand froze in my hair. The shock hit him instantly. "What? How? Where were you? With who?" The harsh, judgmental voice he’d promised to suppress immediately began to return.

I flinched, pulling my head up slightly and looking at him through tear-filled eyes. I sounded like a terrified child. "You said you won’t judge me, remember?"

Evans’s face softened instantly, the anger receding into deep concern. "I’m not judging you, darling bro. I’m sorry." He resumed stroking my hair, his touch tentative. "Tell me who, Evric."

I dissolved into hard, wretched sobs, raising my head fully from his lap. I met his eyes and spoke the name that was the root of all my present fear and humiliation.

"Nicki."

Evans sucked in a sharp breath. "What? No, Evric. This is not a good one."

"I know!" I cried, the desperation peaking again. "I know, but Evans, I can’t lose Zayn! I can’t survive it if he breaks up with me." My voice was ragged with the threat of true madness.

Evans held me tightly against his side. "Hey, don’t think that far yet. Just... tell me how it happened."

I recounted the bare facts: the desperate drive to the bar, the heavy, blinding rush of alcohol, and waking up in a strange bed. My memory was a void.

"I don’t remember how I got there, or what we did, or how I left the bar," I confessed, my voice broken. "The only person I remember trying to call before I passed out was Zayn."

Evans summarized the disaster, his eyes wide with worry and shock. "So, you don’t remember anything after leaving the bar, and you woke up at Nicki’s house, and you suspect you cheated."

I nodded miserably, burying my face in his jacket again. "Yes. Nicki said we did, and I was naked when I woke up." I pulled back, looking him earnestly in the eyes. "Evans, you have to trust me. There is no way I would have done it without remembering something, even a fragment. My memory is just... gone."

Evans pulled me close again, hugging me tightly. "Okay. I trust you," he said, his conviction startling me. "You might be an impulsive idiot, Evric, but you are one of the most fundamentally loyal and honest people I’ve ever known. I trust you, not just because you’re my brother, but because you wouldn’t lie at the point of finding a solution."

This faith broke me again. I cried out, the pain of my failure immense. "You know it, but Zayn might not! Evans, he told me—if I ever cheat, he won’t listen to any excuse. He’ll just break..."

"That won’t happen," Evans cut in, his voice sharp with command. He pushed me back to arm’s length. "We are going to confirm that Nicki is lying, and we are going to burn this whole situation to the ground." His eyes hardened. "Give me Nicki’s location. I’m going to have him arrested for assault and extortion."

"No!" I shouted, grabbing his arm. "You can’t! He said he has the video of us having sex. He said he would send it to Zayn five minutes before he was arrested."

Evans frowned, the fear in his eyes intensifying. "Did you watch the video? Did you confirm if it’s real?"

I shook my head, ashamed. "I couldn’t bring myself to watch it."

Evans let out a slow, frustrated breath. "God, Evric. You’re paralyzed by fear. I believe Nicki is lying, but you need to face your fear at once and check if the video is real! That’s how we fight this."

I stared at him, my mind reeling.

"Okay. New plan," Evans stated, now taking command. He stood up, pacing the room once. "Firstly, we need to do some detective work. I need to know how you actually left that bar. I’m going to send the information to someone who can help us get the truth quietly."

He pulled out his phone. "Tell me everything, Evric. What was the name of the bar? What time did you arrive? And give me the full, verified address of Nicki."