I Faked My Death—Now I Have to Tame the Crazy Men I Left Behind-Chapter 18 - 16: She Is Mine Alone

"Bro?"

Just from that single word, Mia Grant could somehow hear shock, confusion, and a hint of... excitement?

’No need to look. It has to be Ian Sinclair!’

That single word was a rude awakening.

Mia Grant tried to push Felix Sinclair away, but a hand on her waist pressed her back against him.

She couldn’t let Ian Sinclair see her now.

Otherwise, it would be a total disaster!

Mia Grant could only bury her face in Felix Sinclair’s chest, grabbing the hem of his shirt in a fluster.

At this distance, she could even clearly hear his deafening heartbeat, which seemed to be speeding up.

Felix Sinclair didn’t want his younger brother to recognize Mia Grant either.

It wasn’t that he was worried about some so-called disaster...

He just... didn’t want him to.

"Don’t move," Felix Sinclair whispered in her ear.

He held the person in his arms tighter in a clearly possessive posture, looking past her to meet Ian Sinclair’s gaze.

"Bro?! And this is...?" Ian Sinclair took two steps forward, ready for the front-row gossip.

Before either of them could speak, Ian continued on his own, "My sister-in-law?!"

’Dumbass.’ Mia Grant buried her head even deeper.

’This has nothing to do with me, you hear? You’re the one who insisted on calling me that.’

"When did you two get together?"

"Go on back first." Felix Sinclair immediately tried to shoo him away.

Ian Sinclair thought for a moment and decided not to disturb his bro and "sister-in-law’s" intimate moment.

He turned, slung an arm around Dixon’s shoulder, and headed back to the dorm, deciding to interrogate Felix Sinclair later.

Not long after Ian Sinclair left, Mia Grant slipped away too.

Felix Sinclair didn’t hold her back. Once her figure disappeared, he returned to the men’s dorm.

In the dorm room, Ian Sinclair heard the noise and sat up in bed. "You’re back already?"

"Why didn’t you spend a little more time with your girlfriend?"

Felix Sinclair sat down, then thought of something and looked up at the bed opposite his. "You seem to be in an even better mood than I am."

"Of course I am!" Ian Sinclair laughed.

He’d never imagined that his stubborn, one-track-minded brother would one day fall for someone else.

"I’m genuinely happy for you, Bro. You’ve finally moved on. I thought you were going to be a ’widower’ for Mia Grant for the rest of your life."

Dixon, watching the drama from the side, couldn’t help but ask upon hearing this, "Who’s Mia Grant?"

Ian Sinclair jutted his chin out, pointing at his brother. "His first love."

"No way!"

’Felix Sinclair—cold, rigid, proud, and sharp-tongued, a guy who seemed to only have eyes for his studies—had actually been in a relationship before!’

Dixon was thrilled by the piping hot gossip and completely missed the fact that Ian Sinclair had spoken through gritted teeth, his tone all wrong.

"How did you and your girlfriend meet? She looks like a freshman, too?"

His brother was the quiet, reserved type, so Ian didn’t expect a straight answer. Instead, he started speculating aloud, "You two must have known each other before, right?"

"That explains why you gave up your guaranteed admission to Veridia U to come to Jynsia U."

"Did you meet at a competition or something? And then decided to go to the same university?"

Felix Sinclair twisted open his thermos and quietly drank some water, completely ignoring his questions.

He didn’t like to lie, nor was he good at it.

So, he simply chose to remain silent, letting Ian Sinclair run his mouth.

"So what’s your girlfriend’s name? What’s her major? How long have you been together? Why don’t you ask her to come out for dinner with us tonight? Let me meet her."

Felix Sinclair asked, "Since when are you so concerned about me?"

"Duh, we’re brothers!"

"But of course, I’m also super curious what kind of magic this girl has to make an ’old cadre’ like you hug her so intimately in front of so many people downstairs."

Ian knew his brother wasn’t good at expressing himself; he was rigid and reserved.

That’s why he was jealous.

Jealous that someone so "tongue-tied" could actually attract Mia Grant.

He even got Mia Grant to chase after him, dote on him, and stick to him all day like his little shadow.

He, on the other hand, had to use all sorts of words and actions to entice Mia Grant...

And even then, when Mia Grant was caught between the two brothers, his brother wouldn’t have to say a thing. He’d just have to furrow his brow slightly, and Mia would choose him without a second thought and follow him...

He really didn’t understand what was so likable about his tight-lipped brother.

His brother didn’t know how to make her happy or have fun with her. All he did was push her to study. He was incredibly boring.

By the same token, he also wanted to see just who this new "sister-in-law" was that could make his brother move on so quickly from the grief of Mia Grant’s passing and throw himself into a new relationship.

"She’s shy. Maybe some other time," Felix Sinclair deflected with a few words.

"I’m going to take a shower."

As soon as he left, Dixon quickly hopped down from the top bunk and sat on Ian Sinclair’s bed.

"Was that Mia Grant you mentioned really your brother’s first love?"

The smile on Ian Sinclair’s face vanished, replaced by his usual smug look. "Problem?"

"It’s just that I suddenly remembered you seemed to be saying the name ’Mia Grant’ in your sleep last night?" 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Ian Sinclair raised an eyebrow.

"Spill it!" Seeing his expression, Dixon got excited. "Don’t tell me you and your brother like the same person?"

He knew Ian Sinclair had a girl he liked.

His jersey number was her favorite number.

And his phone’s lock screen was a picture of a girl’s side profile. He’d tried to sneak a peek once and got cussed out for it.

’This kid is definitely head over heels,’ Dixon thought. ’Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so secretive.’

"So what if we do?" Ian Sinclair flopped back, leaning against the headboard.

"What about the girl?"

"She’s dead."

Ian Sinclair pillowed his head on his arms and closed his eyes.

...

"Then why are you so happy?"

"I’m happy because my brother has finally let her go."

"So?"

’What’s there to be happy about?’

Dixon felt his earlier talk about brotherly love was completely hypocritical.

The young man opened his eyes, his gaze deep and clear. He pressed the tip of his tongue hard against his canine tooth until a sharp pain made him release it.

"This way, she belongs to me and me alone."

"But she’s... dead. She’s gone." Does it matter who she "belongs" to?

"So what?"

Ian Sinclair shot him a glance, his tone arrogant. "Dead or not, won’t she be buried with me in the end?"

"Her family would never agree to that..."

"Since when do I need anyone’s permission?" He laughed with wild abandon. "Her family has always thought her ashes were scattered at sea."

"But they don’t know that I swapped the ashes beforehand. Hers are with me."

...

Dixon forced himself to interpret this psychotic behavior as a sign of deep affection.

"So yesterday, and just now in the cafeteria, when you said someone’s back looked like a person you knew... you were talking about her?"

The young man was noncommittal.

Dixon finally understood why Ian Sinclair had freaked out in the cafeteria.

They had been standing in line when a few girls came over to ask for his contact info, but Ian Sinclair turned them down.

He sympathized. "Next time you reject someone, can you not use the ’you’re a nice person’ line? It’s really hurtful."

"Look, you made her cry."

He pointed it out to Ian Sinclair.

The young master’s gaze swept over carelessly. "Is it my fault she’s crying? I..."

The young master must have seen something, because a few seconds later, he bolted.

Dixon quickly followed. "What are you looking for?!"

"Wasn’t there just a girl here with a hat and a ponytail?"

"Aren’t they all?" They were all wearing camo caps and ponytails.

...

When they got back, he realized Felix Sinclair, who had been saving their spot in line, was gone. "Hey, where’d your brother go?"