Married To My Billionaire Stepbrother-Chapter 454: A Good News

Next, all that was left were Colin’s painful cries as Justin skillfully and with ease began to separate each of his ribs from the sternum. The agonizing screams gradually faded as the man teetered on the edge of death, his body barely clinging to life. In his mind, he must have been begging for death—with his entire chest opened, like a monster had torn it apart.

Justin stood up, silently admiring the gruesome art he had created with such precision. Each and every rib had been lifted, pulled out of the chest, tearing through the flesh—now resembling bony claws protruding from a hollow shell.

He looked at Serena. "Wonderful, isn’t it?"

Just like Justin, there was a dark glint in her eyes as she nodded lightly to his question. The tears she had been holding back finally rolled down her cheeks. She opened her mouth to cry aloud, but no voice came out—as if she were choked by the weight of all the emotions and pain she had kept buried for so long.

Aaron reached her, his own eyes moist. He knew well what his mother had suffered, and he didn’t mind what Justin had done to Colin. If anything, Colin deserved even worse—if something worse could be done.

Serena let her head rest against Aaron’s arm and continued to cry while holding his hand tightly.

"Send his body—just like this—to Hartz," Justin instructed the guards. The body was taken away.

While his mother and twin brother had tears in their eyes, Justin remained quiet. He knew Aaron was the right one to comfort their mother and even cry with her.

Justin knelt in front of her and said, "Are you feeling better now? You’ve killed that monster."

In response, she cried harder but nodded to his question. It seemed that getting her revenge had brought some clarity—some return of sanity—allowing her to understand and respond.

Both brothers stood by her side as their mother wept for a long time and finally fell dizzy and unconscious from the overwhelming release of all those years of suppressed emotions.

Aaron lifted Serena gently in his arms and carried her to the bedroom, while Justin called her attending doctor.

After a thorough check-up, the doctor informed them, "She’s mentally and emotionally exhausted. Right now, she just needs rest. We’ll know more once she wakes up."

—

Meanwhile, Colin’s body was delivered to the Hartz mansion, where Grace and her mother were present. Grace had been sent home after being captured and questioned at the Riverdales’ estate.

The guards placed Colin’s body on display in the grand drawing room. His wife, daughter, and several relatives—who had gathered after hearing of his mysterious disappearance—were all horrified by the grotesque state of his remains. No one could bring themselves to look at it for long. Whispers spread through the room as they questioned who could have carried out such a brutal and monstrous act.

Colin’s wife collapsed to her knees, letting out a heart-wrenching cry. Grace stood frozen, her body trembling. She couldn’t speak. The trauma was written all over her face. She knew who had done this, she had witnessed it with her own eyes at the Riverdales’—but she didn’t dare utter a word.

An elderly man’s voice broke the silence as he noticed the symbol stamped on the body bag in which Colin had been brought.

"Obsidian?" he murmured, squinting at the emblem. "How... how did Colin offend them?"

A heavy silence followed. Everyone in the room now understood. The Obsidians—infamous for their ruthlessness—were behind this.

The message was loud and clear: Colin Hartz had crossed the wrong line.

And no one dared speak ill of them or even file police complaint for Colin’s murder. In the country like this, anyways lows held a little value in front of the mafias.

----

That entire day, Serena continued to sleep. There were no signs of her waking up, but the doctor assured them there was nothing to worry about—she might just sleep for a long time due to exhaustion.

Aaron and Justin stayed at Marina’s home, unable to leave while their mother remained unconscious. Natalie made sure to keep Marina company as well.

That night, Justin entered the room after finishing some important matters—because killing the enemy was never the end of it all.

Natalie was waiting for him, having just returned from Marina’s room after making sure the old woman was sleeping soundly. Marina had also been disturbed after recalling painful memories from the time of her son’s death.

Justin looked at Natalie, only to see her extend her hands toward him, silently inviting him into her embrace. He didn’t hesitate. The next moment, he found himself wrapped in her warmth, finally feeling comfort in the arms of his wife.

She hugged him gently, her hand moving slowly along his back. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, breathing in her scent. The tension and exhaustion he carried began to melt away.

"Are you alright?" she asked softly, knowing he rarely showed his vulnerability.

"I am, now that you hugged me," he replied, his voice hoarse and tired.

"Everything is fine now," she said anyway. "You did really well."

He hummed quietly, eyes still closed, basking in her comfort.

"Want to know something?" she asked again.

"Hmm?"

In response, her hand moved to hold his, and she guided it to her belly. "There is someone else now, other than just the two of us."

It took a moment for Justin to absorb her words. He finally reacted, slowly moving his face away to look at her. Slightly shocked, he then looked at his hand on her belly, moved it gently along, and then looked back at her, momentarily speechless. "The reports..."

She offered him a smile. "There can be a third or fourth, as I’m not sure if it’s just one—or twins, like you and your brother."

The stunned man immediately closed the distance between their faces and kissed her. Natalie didn’t stop him. It was his way of expressing his happiness.

When he stopped, she spoke in a breathy tone against his lips, "You’ll suffocate our baby."

His lips curved into a wide smile. "I won’t."

After all the chaos and emotional tides, there was finally something to be happy about—like the end of bad days and the beginning of the best and happiest days ahead.