Leave Me Alone, Big Brothers! [BL]-Chapter 89: The Photograph with A Message

Nathan seemed to have completely misjudged Zane. He thought the boy was lazy, rude, and mean. But all of that was actually the opposite of the truth.

First, the boy did seem lazy and uninterested in anything. But he was smart academically and even had unexpected talents.

Second, after getting to know him well enough, the boy was not rude at all. Maybe his words were sometimes blunt, but he avoided conflict as much as possible.

The last, he was not mean at all. Nathan saw that the way Zane showed his concern was a little strange and awkward, but he could tell that the boy was sincere.

So when he heard the boy invite him to a car race, he just stood there, not knowing how to react, because he had never imagined Zane would be involved in illegal street racing.

"I don’t know. I don’t think I can. My brother won’t like it," Nathan said.

Zane clicked his tongue. "You don’t have to tell them. Are you going to report anything?"

Nathan sighed. "You don’t know how crazy they are. Last time, they followed me to a New Year’s Eve with my friends just because they were worried. It was really annoying. I just can’t be bothered to talk to them."

Zane stared intently at Nathan. He had only known Nathan as a fun and kind person, and an orphan. But he didn’t know the boy’s history or background.

He knew Lucas Salazar, and it was no surprise that Nathan called them crazy.

"Aren’t you close to them?" Zane asked carefully. He didn’t want to hurt Nathan’s feelings.

But Nathan saw Zane as his friend, and everyone at school knew he was from an orphanage, so there was nothing to hide.

"I was only there until June," Nathan said, making Zane even more curious.

"So I tried to hold on until that time came." Nathan told him how they had abandoned him at the orphanage and taken him back when he was seventeen.

Zane listened attentively and tried not to interrupt. He began to understand why this boy was different from the other Salazars.

"Don’t you want to know why they abandoned you? I mean, was it because of a curse or something?" Zane asked, thinking more logically rather than drowning in the uncomfortable feeling of hearing Nathan’s story.

Nathan shrugged. "I don’t know. Just because of what the shaman said. They could have made it up."

Zane fell silent, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. Then he looked intently at Nathan, his gaze becoming more protective and gentle than before.

He walked over to the table next to the bed, opened the bottom drawer, and took out a brown-covered book.

Nathan watched as the boy walked back to him and opened it to the middle page. There was a neatly laminated photo.

"This is my mother," Zane said, pointing to a beautiful young woman with dark brown hair and hazel eyes, dressed in a wedding gown.

Next to her was a handsome, dashing man. But Zane pointed to the woman standing beside Laura, his mother.

"Is this your mother?" Zane asked, pointing to a woman with ash-gray hair who was very beautiful.

Nathan looked at the photo and shook his head. He was sure if he had seen her in the album Alexander had shown him, but he had never seen her himself.

"I think so."

Zane stared at the photo for quite a while.

Nathan noticed how tightly Zane was holding it.

"What’s wrong?" Nathan asked.

Zane shook his head. "My mom was holding this photo when she was found after an accident. I was six years old."

Nathan noticed the brownish color in the photo. At first, he thought it had faded with age, but could it have been blood?

"Dad said they were good friends before," Zane said. He didn’t want to say it, but he thought his mother’s death was related to the Salazars, which made him hate the family even more.

He was still very curious as to why his mother had been holding the photo while driving.

Nathan didn’t understand what Zane was thinking. "Isn’t it good that our mothers were friends?"

Zane nodded, then turned the photo over. There was some writing that looked smudged.

There was an address and a short sentence underneath it. It read: Break the curse.

"I don’t know what it means," Zane said. He had tried to understand it and asked his father, but his father was the least trusting person when it came to anything outside law and science.

Nathan read the address. There was no city name, only a street name. Blue Valley, corner house.

Nathan fell silent. Until now, he had never been interested in his family history. But what Zane had shown him piqued his curiosity.

"Do you want to go there?" Nathan asked.

Zane looked at Nathan as if he had just been offered a diamond. He had expected to be laughed at, but Nathan’s expression was serious.

"You want to know too? Maybe we can find out about you as well," Zane said.

Nathan didn’t know if his family knew anything, but he didn’t want to ask them.

"We’ll go after the school exams. But we don’t know where it is. Let’s try to find out first on Google Maps, how many places we’d have to visit," Nathan said.

Zane nodded. "I’m in no hurry. I just want to know where it is and why my mother had that photo with the writing on it. I want to ask your mother, but I’m too shy."

Nathan chuckled. "I’ve never even met my mother."

Zane frowned. "Really? I remember once when she came, and we all went to an orphanage that afternoon. But in the end, we didn’t do anything. I just remember standing there for a long time until I got bored."

Nathan fell silent. Hearing the word orphanage made his chest tighten. His mother had visited other orphanages, but never visited him.

Even now, after he came back to the family, that woman never wanted to see him. So he was sure, his mother was really a bad mom. Unlucky him.

"But that was the last time I saw your mother," Zane continued. "Because a week later, my mother had an accident."

Nathan felt his chest ache. Zane said it lightly, but Nathan knew it must have been painful.

"Sorry..." Nathan said.

Zane smiled. "It’s okay. There’s nothing I can do."

Zane sighed, put the photo back in the book, and returned it to the drawer.

"So, come with me tomorrow. I’ll drive you. Just tell your driver when we arrive," Zane said.

Nathan took a deep breath. He didn’t have the heart to do that to Louis, but it sounded fun to try something new.

Nathan returned home to find his brothers waiting for him for dinner. Alexander was absent.

Malvin looked at Nathan and understood his glance. "Alex has a dinner event. We’ll eat without him today."

Nathan nodded. Alexander rarely joined dinner anyway.

"I won’t be joining dinner tomorrow either. I have an event," Lucas said.

Nathan remained silent. He didn’t know if he could escape Louis tomorrow. It seemed he would miss dinner too. He just hoped his brothers wouldn’t make unnecessary trouble.

He only wanted to make sure they knew he was okay.

After dinner, Nathan headed to his room. But just as he was about to close the door, Nael barged in.

Nathan was surprised when the boy shut the door behind him. Since dinner, Nael had been quiet and visibly upset.

What now?

"What is it?" Nathan asked.

Nael stared at him. "Can you mind your own business? Why did you talk like that in front of them?"

"Who? Those cockroaches?"

Nael clenched his fists. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Nathan continued, "I don’t want to care, but really... are you stupid or something? You said you were jealous of me because your friends suck. But you keep following them? All of you really toxic. Maybe that’s why you’re still together. You’re meant for each other."

Nael glared at him. "It’s none of your business. Because of you, now they’re being harsh on me."

Nael didn’t want trouble. He wanted to stay away quietly. But because of Nathan’s words, they now knew Nael was aware of what they had said.

They openly threatened him, either back down and let them have better grades, or they would destroy his reputation.

"What? Are you afraid of them?" Nathan asked.

"It’s not what you think! I can fix it myself. You’re making things worse for me!" Nael retorted.

Nael almost screamed the truth. He wanted to say that Nick and Jonas had photos, messages, proof, of his relationship with Zimmer. If those were exposed, his life would be over.

Nathan didn’t understand why Nael was so angry.

The tension between them thickened. Nathan’s curiosity took over. What was Nael hiding? What made him so anxious?

Nael stormed out of the room, leaving Nathan confused and annoyed.

But Nathan would find out everything tomorrow.