Chapter 196: Caspian’s Truth Part-I
Chapter 196: Caspian’s Truth Part-I
Evander’s POV
Although I had suspected Caspian was somehow involved with my brother, the way he always tried to stop me from digging into Elijah’s past and constantly told me to let it go only made me more certain. I thought he was just trying to protect me, to keep me from falling into a situation where I wouldn’t know how to act or what to do next.
But hearing the truth from his own mouth—that he loved my brother without a trace of regret—made my head spin.
I wasn’t against their love. That wasn’t the issue. But why? Why did they hide it from me? Why had I been kept in the dark for so long? And most importantly—what really happened to Lexi?
"If you are ready to bear the consequences of the truth, then I am ready to tell you everything," Caspian said once again, sensing my silence, but my head was too heavy to hear anything coming out of his mouth at the moment.
"Evan," Claire’s soft voice pulled me back to reality. "I know this is hard, but rather than suffocating in the dark, wouldn’t it be better to know the truth finally? Let’s find out what really happened that night."
Her words lingered in the air, making me come out of my thoughts. My eyes locked onto hers, searching for something—reassurance, strength, anything to hold onto so that I wouldn’t break further.
I could tell we were on the same page. She wanted answers just as much as I did. But could I really handle the truth? It was already hard enough to accept that Caspian had been my brother’s love. What if the truth shattered everything I thought I knew?
"If I may ask... were you planning to introduce your lover to us? That means... it must have been Brother Elijah, right?" Damian interjected, his sharp gaze locked onto Caspian. "Tell me, is that why you almost tore me apart when I made fun of you about what happened to Elijah?"
His words struck a nerve, and everything around me blurred for a moment. My mind raced back to all the times Caspian had lashed out, the reckless anger he had shown, the pain in his eyes whenever Elijah’s name was mentioned.
Damian’s words dug up memories I had buried deep. While I was drowning in my grief—first losing my brother, then Claire—Caspian had been there. He never left my side, never let me fall apart completely. He cried with me, fought for me, and carried my burdens without ever asking for anything in return.
Was this the reason? Did he truly love my brother as he claimed?
Had I been so blind?
Not only had I failed to see Claire’s suffering, but I had been so consumed by my own insecurities and fears that I ignored everything. I let my pain dictate my actions, pushing away the people who cared about me. In the end, I lost everything—my brother, my love, and possibly even my best friend.
"Why? Why did you never bother to tell me that? Had you told me earlier, I would have supported you!" My voice shook and I could barely speak.
"I... I know you might think we betrayed your trust by keeping you in the dark," Caspian began, his voice calmer now, though his eyes still shone with unshed tears. "But you know how much your mother resents you—for no reason at all. We just... we didn’t want to give her another excuse to hurt you."
He inhaled sharply before continuing, his voice trembling. "And as for me... I didn’t want to lose you, Evan. I wanted us to be friends forever."
A bitter laugh escaped my lips before I could stop it. "Hah!"
There it was again. Another person shielding me from pain, keeping secrets to protect me, while I foolishly cried over not being loved by that cruel woman. I had spent so much time trying to gain her approval, all while ruining everything and everyone around me.
"Why?" My voice cracked as its weight all pressed down on my chest. "Why do you care about me so much? Couldn’t you have just let her hate me even more?"
Unbeknownst to me, tears had already begun to spill down my face.
"I got to know your brother through you..." Caspian started, his voice soft but steady. "I... I never even knew I could have feelings for a man until I met him. And neither did he. But somehow, we formed a bond... something neither of us expected."
He took a deep breath, his fingers curling into fists at his sides. "After years of struggling with our feelings—fighting against the doubts, the fears, and the world around us—we finally became a couple eight years ago. It wasn’t easy. We went through so much, but your brother... he was always loyal to me. He loved me, cherished me, and never let me feel alone. He... he made me feel like I was enough."
Caspian’s voice wavered slightly, but he kept going. "And then... Gloria found out."
He suddenly stopped, his lips pressing into a thin line. I could see the pain in his eyes, the memories playing behind them like a silent storm. I had a feeling I already knew what had happened next, but still, I waited. I needed to hear it from him.
"She... threatened Elijah," Caspian continued, his voice laced with bitterness. "She used the company, the family name, and his entire status against him. But you know what?" He let out a shaky breath, his eyes darkening. "He didn’t even flinch. He was ready to give it all up for me. He stood by my side and never let go of my hand!"
For a moment, there was silence. I never knew my brother was this passionate.
"And that was when..."
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Sorry for the delayed updates. Please bear with me! I will try to keep updating more as soon as I get time to do so!
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