Chapter 105
Chapter 129
Actus’s POV
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i had Bean Dine works, and furcus was still in a corns
Three weeks of sitting by his bedside, hoping for a sign, any sign, that he was coming back to us.
had spent most of my time at the hospital, sometimes with Ivy or Janine, but mostly alone.
The doctors gave the same updates every day, their words rehearsed, their voices carefully measured: No change. Stable but unresponsive. We just have
to wait.
Wail
Like that was something I could do.
I didn’t know how to exist outside of this hospital room anymore. My world had shrunk to this space, to the steady hum of machines, the sterile scent of antiseptic, and the unbearable sight of my brother lying still in that bed. But today, I had no choice but to leave.
I was about to step out of the house when my father’s voice stopped me.
“Asher,” he said, his tone softer than usual. “We need to talk.”
I turned to face him. He looked exhausted, more worn down than I had ever seen him.
The dark circles under his eyes, the way his shoulders sagged, it was the weight of everything pressing down on him.
“I know how you feel,” he started, his voice steady but filled with something I couldn’t quite place. “It hurts me so much to see Marcus like this, and there’s nothing I can do to help him. But, Asher, we have a company that constantly needs attention.”
I stiffened, already knowing where this conversation was going.
“I’m not asking you to permanently take over,” he continued. “I just need you to be acting CEO. We don’t even have to make it official. You just have to hold things together until Marcus is back on his feet.”
I opened my mouth to protest, I wasn’t ready for this, I wasn’t Marcus, but he cut me off.
“This company was my legacy, Asher. I built it and passed it on to Marcus. It is his legacy now, and I know he would want us to preserve it. I don’t see a better fit than you. Marcus would want us to continue our lives and be strong for him.”
I swallowed hard, my throat dry.
I didn’t want this responsibility. I never had. Marcus had always been the one built for leadership, the one who could handle the pressure, the
expectations.
I had lived in his shadow, and I had been fine with that. But now…
Now, there was no one else.
Lexhaled slowly, nodding. “Okay, I’ll do it.”
My father’s eyes softened with relief. “Thank you, son.”
i forced a tight smile, but inside, I felt like I was stepping into something too big for me, something I had no idea how to handle.
The next morning, I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting my tie.
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thing o hals him here, wie es daing i wrong, rattling his eyes as he did my cellar
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Marcas lodhen easily the same so he had yesterday. And the day before that. And the day before that I sat beside him, leaning forward with my
Dan talked to me yesterday.” I said, my voice low. “He asked me to step in as acting CEO. I tried to argue, But you know how he is it out a chuckle So remgratulations, Marcus. Your reckless Bittle brother is now running the company.”
4 shook my head, my throat tightening “I do my best to hold the fort until you’re strong again. But you have to wake up, okay? I need you to wake
stood my fingers brushing against the sheets for a moment before I turned toward the door. As I stepped out, I whispered. This is for you, Marcus
When I arrived at the office, I felt the stares before I ever saw them.
Employees glanced at me from their desks, their conversations hushed as I walked past.
Their gazes followed me through the hallways, their unspoken questions pressing down on me.
They all know what had happened to Marcus. They all knew why I was here.
* stepped into the office that belonged to him, Marcus’s office.
The moment I crossed the threshold, an uneasy feeling settled in my chest. I didn’t belong here.
The room was everything Marcus had molded it to be, sleek, modern, and carefully organized.
Not a single file was out of place, not a stray pen on the polished surface of his mahogany desk. Everything was exactly as he had left it.
The deep, rich scent of his cologne still clung to the air, mixing with the faint but familiar aroma of coffee that had likely soaked into the fabric of the
chairs over the years.
It was as if time had paused in this space, holding onto the last traces of him.
My gaze swept over the bookshelves lining the walls, filled with legal documents, business journals, and Marcus’s carefully curated collection of leadership books.
Titles I had never bothered to read, because I never thought I’d have to. The office was a reflection of him: structured, methodical, built with purpose.
I took slow, cautious steps toward the desk. His chair was slightly pushed back, just enough to make it look like he had stepped away for a meeting and
would be back any moment.
Except he wouldn’t.
That thought hit like a gut punch.
For three weeks, I had sat by his bedside, waiting for him to wake up, convincing myself he would.
But standing here now, in this room that was so distinctly his, I felt the full weight of reality pressing down on me. He wasn’t here.
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Howered myself into his chah, the smooth leather cool against my patons as I popped the armrests. The chair was sturdy, Bulll for someone who carried responsibility with rate.
But as i sat there, the unfamiliar weight of expectation settled onto my shoulders like a cloak that didn’t quite fit.
From this angle, i could see what Marcus had seen every day, the city skyline stretching out beyond the floor to ceiling windows.
Glass towers reflecting the golden light of morning, traffic moving in a rhythm that felt detached from the turmoil inside me.
How many nights had Marcus xat here, staring out at this view, making decisions that shaped this company? Decisions that shaped our family?
leaned back, exhaling slowly.
This wasn’t me.
I wasn’t the brother who knew how to run things, who understood business strategies and corporate negotiations.
I was the reckless one, the one who never had to worry because Marcus had always been there to clean up the mess.
But now, the mess was mine.
There was a knock on the door.
1 straightened, forcing a composed expression as I called out, “Come in.”
Marcus’s secretary stepped inside, holding a folder. She placed it on the desk in front of me.
“What’s this?” I asked, flipping it open.
The moment I saw the contents, my stomach twisted.
Documents. Illegal dealings.
I glanced up at her, my pulse hammering, “What the hell is this?”
She hesitated. “It’s about Marcus’s alliance with the mafia.”
I felt the floor beneath me shift. The words barely registered, but deep down, I knew.
I knew.
1
Everything clicked:
Marcus had made a deal with the mafia. For me.
I stared down at the papers, my breath unsteady. He had put his reputation, his company, his entire future on the line, for me.
The secretary shifted uncomfortably. “News of the alliance has started spreading. Some higher–ups have caught wind of it, and if this reaches the wrong people… we could lose a lot of investors. A lot of partnerships.”
I clenched my jaw, nodding, “I see.”
There was nothing else to say. Nothing that would make this any less real.
She studied me for a moment. “I just thought you should know.”
I forced a tight smile. “Thank you. I’ll look into it,”
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Chapter 129
She nodded and left.
The moment the door shut behind her, I exhaled shakily, running a hand down my face.
1 had tried to keep a composed facade, but now that I was alone, it all came crashing down.
Marcus had handled everything. Every problem, every fire that needed putting out, he had done it all. And now, the weight of it was on my shoulders.
I sat back in the chair, staring at the ceiling.
How the hell had everything fallen apart so fast?
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