CHAPTER 81: CHAPTER 81- BROKE UP

Ever since Morrison learned about Lilian’s so-called relationship with Karl, he hadn’t had a single good night’s sleep. The thought of them together—laughing, holding hands, whispering secrets in the dark—it haunted him like a curse.

It was a childish trick. An obvious ploy.

And yet, he fell for it. Hard.

Especially whenever Karl showed up, flaunting their fake relationship right in front of him, acting smug, acting victorious.

The jealousy twisted into rage.

"I already told you I don’t like him anymore," she said, her voice shaking as tears traced down her cheeks. "So why... why are you still doing this?"

"Because..." He looked away for a moment, jaw tense. "Because you said it too late. And I didn’t know how to stop caring."

His words were quiet, almost bitter, but there was no anger—only hurt, deeply buried and finally breaking through.

He stepped closer, slowly, as if giving her time to move away.But she didn’t.

He reached up, hesitated, then gently cupped her face. His lips hovered near hers for a heartbeat too long—then brushed against hers, light as a breath. A kiss not taken, but offered. A question, not an answer.

She stood frozen, stunned not by force, but by the weight of everything unspoken.

Only when he finally pulled back—shaky, breathless—did he bury his face against her shoulder, his arms wrapping around her as if seeking shelter.

His voice trembled as he spoke.

"Lilian... I like you. I really do. I’m tired of pretending I don’t. Can we try—for real this time? Just... be together. Like a normal couple. Talk about the future. About... marriage."

Her eyes widened.

She stared at him in shock, her heart pounding, unable to process the words that now hung fragile and sincere between them.

For a moment, time stopped. The anger, the pain, the confusion—it all blurred at the edges. And in the center of it was him, Morrison , the man she could never truly hate.

Yes, she liked him too.

She had from the very beginning.

How could she not? He was the kind of man no woman could easily resist.

And she—she was just another ordinary girl who had foolishly fallen in love with someone far too dazzling, far too dangerous, and far too unforgettable.

After everything that happened, Lilian finally managed to get some real sleep—for the first time in what felt like forever.

By the time she woke up, the sky outside had already turned dark. As consciousness returned, so did the memory of Karl... and all of his friends. Her stomach twisted with guilt and embarrassment.

She had come here as Karl’s girlfriend, supposedly to join their little group trip. But from the moment she arrived, she hadn’t shown her face once. Worse, she had ended up in bed with his brother.

The entire day felt like a chaotic fever dream. Her head throbbed just thinking about it.

Before she left, her mother had pulled her aside and warned her sternly not to let anything inappropriate happen between her and Karl.

And now? Nothing happened with Karl.

But everything that shouldn’t have happened... happened with Morrison.

The man himself was nowhere in the room. Lilian didn’t have time to overthink. She scrambled out of bed and hurried to find her clothes. She had to leave—fast. If Karl started looking for her and couldn’t find her, things would only spiral further out of control.

What she didn’t know was that while she was sleeping, Morrison had already gone to speak with Karl.

And Karl? Karl had no idea that Lilian had confessed everything.

So when Morrison showed up, Karl was still playing his role with an irritating grin on his face.

"Well, well, big bro. Got enough beauty sleep? You look refreshed. That nap must’ve been... something else."

It was summer, and Morrison was casually dressed in a plain white t-shirt. But Karl’s sharp eyes didn’t miss the faint red scratch marks peeking from under the sleeve near his bicep. He instantly understood what had happened.

Yep. That nap had definitely been satisfying—inside and out.

Morrison didn’t waste time on banter. He went straight to the point.

"Call Mom. Tell her you and Lilian broke up."

Karl blinked.

For a full three seconds, his brain stalled.

"You want me to—what?"

Morrison’s eyes were sharp and unreadable, but Karl could feel the pressure building.

He knew. Somehow, Morrison knew everything.

Karl almost wanted to cry.

Damn it. Women really couldn’t be trusted. It had only been one day, and she already spilled.

Of course, he didn’t know how Morrison had extracted that confession. After what Lilian had just endured, resistance wasn’t even on the table.

Karl tried to recover, flashing a sheepish smile. "Even if we’re breaking up, can’t it wait? I mean, Mom still thinks Lilian and I—"

He stopped himself. Morrison’s eyes narrowed, and Karl instantly shut up.

"You don’t get to call her that."

"Okay, okay! My bad," Karl surrendered instantly, hands up in defense. "I shouldn’t have called her that."

He wanted to complain—what now, should he call her Miss Laurent like some schoolteacher?

She was younger than him by a few years, sure. But when he thought about it, she was ten years younger than Morrison. And yet his brother treated her like some sacred treasure.

Possessive didn’t even begin to describe it.

Still, Karl wasn’t about to say any of that out loud. He changed the subject quickly.

"Anyway, in Mom’s eyes, Lilian and I have been getting along great. If I suddenly say we broke up, she’s going to start asking questions."

Morrison didn’t flinch. "Then maybe I should call her myself and tell her it was all fake from the beginning."

He reached for his phone, already dialing.

"Wait—wait!" Karl panicked and lunged forward to stop him.

If Linda found out he’d been faking a relationship just to mess with Morrison, she’d skin him alive. To her, he was the good, obedient son. If this blew up, his image would shatter completely.

He liked being the good son.

"Bro, come on," he pleaded. "Can’t we work something out? Give me a few days to come up with a proper excuse or at least stage a fight or something. I can’t just drop the bomb out of nowhere."

Morrison’s voice was cold. "You didn’t think about that when you came up with this stupid fake dating scheme."

He was still pissed. Not just because of Karl’s stunt—but because that woman had gone along with it. The past few days had been hell for him, watching the two of them pretend in front of everyone.

So no, he wasn’t about to show mercy now.

Karl muttered, "You’re so heartless. Can’t you think from another angle? If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have realized your feelings for her so fast."

He almost said or had a chance to sleep with her, but had the sense to shut up.

Morrison smirked. "You know what? You’re right. I should thank you."

He glanced at his watch.

"In fact, as a token of appreciation, I’m giving you one minute. Think of a way to tell Mom. Otherwise, I’m calling her myself."

Karl: "..."

His jaw dropped.

One minute? Was this a joke?

"Bro, this is cruel and unusual punishment!" he protested. "You’re insulting me!"

Morrison twirled his phone in one hand, looking completely unbothered. "Maybe you’re not that interested in the research funding I handle, then."

Karl instantly deflated.

That—he could not lose.

"Fine," he muttered, utterly defeated. "You win."

Today, he had finally witnessed the full, terrifying extent of his brother’s ruthlessness. No hesitation. No mercy.

Just cold, calculated domination.

Morrison Hayes was a dangerous man. And Karl had just been sacrificed to protect the woman he wanted.