CHAPTER 76: EVEN BETTER

The late afternoon breeze carried the faint hum of traffic as Jake parked outside the lounge where Bella had told him they were meeting.

His heart thudded in an unfamiliar rhythm, a mix of anticipation and nerves. For years he had buried the desire, the yearning, but tonight he planned to change that. Tonight, he’d open up to her and tell her everything.

His phone buzzed on the passenger seat just as he was about to step out of the car. The name on the screen made him pause. Raymond.

He sighed, lifting the phone and swiping to answer. "What’s up, Ray?"

"Jake." Raymond’s voice came through, rough and low. "Are you free to talk?"

Jake frowned, adjusting his grip on the steering wheel. "Not really. I’m supposed to meet someone. Why? Is it urgent?"

There was a pause on the other end. Then, startlingly, a sound that made Jake sit up straighter. It was a shaky sniff, followed by something that sounded like muffled sobbing.

Jake blinked, unsure if he had heard right. "Raymond? Are you—are you crying?"

The line was silent for a beat too long, then Raymond’s voice broke through, hoarse and trembling. "I... I don’t know what to do, Jake. I really need you right now. Please. Where are you?"

Jake’s chest tightened. He had never heard his younger brother sound like this before—not in years, not since after that one time seven years ago.

Since then, Raymond had always been nonchalant, carefree and living out his life in clubs and all. For Raymond to call him like this... Jake’s protective instincts surged, drowning out his earlier reluctance.

"Ray, calm down," Jake said, trying to keep his own voice steady. "What’s going on? Where are you?"

"I can’t say over the phone," Raymond whispered, his voice cracking again. "Please, Jake. I need you. I... I just can’t be alone right now."

Jake raked a hand through his hair, torn between the promise of his meeting with Bella and the desperation in his brother’s voice. Finally, with a grim sigh, he made his decision.

"I’m at the lounge nearby. I’ll send you the address," he said quietly. "Come there. I’ll wait for you."

"Thank you," Raymond breathed. "I’ll be there soon."

Jake ended the call, his chest tightening with unease. Something felt off, but he couldn’t ignore Raymond’s plea. Family came first. He thought as he forwarded the address to Raymond.

Raymond arrived less than twenty minutes later, his sleek car pulling up with a quiet purr. He stepped out slowly, shoulders hunched, his usually sharp suit jacket unbuttoned like he’d thrown it on without care. His eyes were red-rimmed—too red, Jake thought with a faint prick of suspicion—and his expression twisted with misery.

Jake rose from where he had been waiting in one of the private booths, his brows knitting together. "Raymond? What happened?"

Raymond gave a low, bitter laugh that cracked midway, sounding almost too perfectly broken. He shoved his hands into his pockets, staring at the ground like it might swallow him whole. "It’s the woman, Jake. The one I told you about. The one I thought I could finally build something with."

Jake’s tension eased only slightly. He stepped closer, placing a hand on Raymond’s shoulder. "What happened? She rejected you?"

Raymond let out a shaky breath, as if forcing tears back. "Not just rejected me—she crushed me. Said I was nothing she wanted. Said I was... disposable." He swiped at his face.

"Ray..." Jake’s voice softened. "I’m sorry. I really am. But you’ll get through this. You always do."

They moved inside, settling into a dim corner booth. Jake signaled for two drinks, something light—he didn’t want to cloud his head before meeting Bella, but he thought maybe it would help calm his brother.

Raymond leaned against the table, his hand pressed to his forehead like a man drowning in grief. "I don’t know how you do it, Jake. You make it look so easy. Being wanted. Being loved."

Jake blinked at him, startled by the bitterness in his tone. "That’s not true, Raymond. You don’t know what I’ve struggled with. What I still struggle with."

Raymond lifted his gaze, studying him with eyes that gleamed with something Jake couldn’t name. "And yet, you still manage to have people who look at you like you’re their whole world."

The drinks arrived, pulling Jake’s attention away from the weight of his brother’s words. He pushed one glass toward Raymond. "Here. Take this. You need to steady yourself."

Raymond gave a faint smile, lifting the glass. "Thank you."

As Jake reached for his own, he didn’t notice the swift, practiced motion—Raymond’s hand brushing near Jake’s cup, fingers deftly releasing a small, clear capsule into the amber liquid. The powder dissolved instantly, leaving no trace.

They clinked glasses quietly, and Jake took a sip. The taste was faintly bitter, but he didn’t think much of it. He was too focused on his brother, on trying to offer comfort.

For the next few minutes, Raymond talked—about heartbreak, about betrayal, spinning a story so detailed it almost sounded real. Jake listened, his eyes soft with sympathy, his mind torn between the weight of his brother’s pain and the nagging thought of Bella arriving any moment.

But then the room seemed to tilt slightly. Jake blinked, shaking his head. His fingers tightened around the glass as a strange heaviness spread through his limbs.

"Ray... I don’t... I don’t feel right."

Raymond leaned forward quickly, masking the sharp gleam in his eyes with a mask of concern. "It’s okay. It’s okay, Jake. You’re just tired. Let me get you home."

Jake tried to protest, but the words tangled in his mouth, slurred and weak. His body sagged, the strength draining from him like water through a sieve.

Raymond slid out of the booth, moving to Jake’s side. "Come on, brother. I’ve got you," he murmured, slipping an arm under Jake’s to haul him up. To anyone watching, it would look like one man helping another drunk friend out of the lounge.

By the time they reached the car, Jake’s eyes were barely open. His head lolled against the seat as Raymond buckled him in, his mouth forming broken fragments of protest that never made sense.

The drive to Jake’s house was smooth. Raymond’s expression hardened as the city lights flickered across his face, the mask of sorrow gone now, replaced by something darker.

When they arrived, Raymond parked neatly, stepping out to help his brother stumble inside. Jake’s weight pressed heavy against him, his feet dragging clumsily. Raymond half-carried him up the steps and into the bedroom, laying him against the bed with calculated care.

Jake’s phone buzzed just as Raymond adjusted the pillows behind him. He glanced down at the glowing screen—and froze.

Bella.

Her name lit up the display, and for a moment, Raymond’s lips curled into a slow, satisfied smile. The timing was perfect. The opportunity had practically fallen into his lap.

"Well, well," he murmured to himself, slipping the phone into his pocket before Jake could even stir. "Looks like the night just got even better," he thought as he quickly took out his phone to call Helena in.