Chapter 152
Janine’s POV
I stood in front of my closet, staring at the rows of clothes that suddenly felt meaningless.
What did someone wear to bury a brother?
My fingers trailed over the fabrics, stopping at a simple black dress. It wasn’t fancy, wasn’t dramatic, just… appropriate. Marcus would have liked that. He always appreciated simplicity, things that were neat and put together.
I pulled it off the hanger, holding it against myself in the
mirror.
It was ridiculous, but part of me wanted to hear his voice one more time, some teasing comment about how I was overthinking this, how I should just wear whatever made me feel comfortable. He never cared about appearances as much as people assumed he did.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
Marcus.
My perfect, impossible, frustrating brother.
My mind drifted back, grasping at the memories that felt both too close and impossibly far away.
I remembered the time I got into my first real argument with Asher. I was furious, pacing in my room, ranting about how inconsiderate he was. Marcus had found me like that, arms crossed, face red with frustration.
He hadn’t tried to defend Asher. He hadn’t even told me to calm down.
Instead, he’d sat on my bed, watching me with that unreadable expression of his.
“Are you done?” he had asked when I finally ran out of words.
“No,” I had snapped.
He had just nodded. “Okay. Keep going.”
I had stared at him, thrown off.
So I had. I had vented every single frustration, every annoyance, every unfair moment I had felt, and Marcus had listened.
Only when I had finally slumped down beside him, exhausted, had he spoken.
“Asher’s an idiot sometimes,” he had said simply. “But he’s your idiot. And you’re his. That’s how this works.”
I had sniffled, scowling. “That’s a stupid way to put it.”
“But I’m right.”
I had hated how right he always was.
I clutched the dress tighter.
It had been like that with Marcus. He was always there, steady, unshakable. I had never thought I would have to stand over his grave, trying to figure out how to say goodbye.
The thought made my stomach twist.
13:42 Sat, 12 Jul
Chapter 152
I forced myself to move, to get dressed, to pull my hair back. The motions felt mechanical, distant, as if I were watching myself from far away
A quiet knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts.
Luca.
I turned, meeting his eyes. He
saw my face.
was already dressed, wearing a suit that made him look older, more serious than usual. His expression softened when he
“Janine,” he said gently.
I let out a breath, forcing a small smile. “Hey.”
He stepped inside, closing the door behind him. “You ready
No.
Not even a little.
But I nodded anyway.
Luca studied me for a moment, then reached for my hand, his fingers lacing through mine.
“You don’t have to pretend,” he said quietly.
I swallowed the lump in
throat. “I know.”
And I did. That was the thing about Luca. He never expected me to be anything other than what I was.
I leaned into him, just for a moment, just enough to steal a bit of his warmth before we had to step into the cold reality of the day ahead.
The burial was exactly what I expected.
Too many people, most of whom barely knew Marcus. Business associates, company executives, people who came because it was expected, not because they had truly cared about him.
It made me angry.
Marcus had been more than just a name, more than just a powerful figure in Sterling Industries. He had been a brother. A person. And yet, when I looked around, all I saw were polite faces, carefully controlled grief that barely scratched the surface of what we had lost.
I barely heard the speeches. They felt empty. Formal.
Marcus deserved more.
I barely held it together through the rest of the ceremony, my hands gripping the fabric of my dress, my nails pressing into my palm.
And then, finally, it was my turn.
I stepped forward, my legs unsteady beneath me, my heart pounding.
I stared at the coffin, at the polished wood, at the name that was carved into the plaque.
Marcus Sterling.
It didn’t seem real.
I took a shaky breath.
13:42 Sat, 12 Jul
Chapter 152
And then, the words came.
“You stupid, stupid boy.” My voice wavered, but I didn’t care. “You couldn’t just wait a little longer, you had to go and hurt every single one of us.
Silence stretched around me, but I didn’t stop.
“I love having both you and Asher as my brothers.” My throat tightened, the ache spreading through my chest. “It was nice to have such perfect. brothers…”
The words broke apart as the tears finally won.
I turned before anyone could see me fully fall apart, walking away as fast as my legs would carry me.
Luca found me a few minutes later.
I had made it to a quiet corner of the cemetery, far away from the crowd, my arms wrapped tightly around myself.
He didn’t say anything at first. He just stood beside me, waiting.
Finally, I let out a shaky breath.
“I hate this.”
His voice was gentle. “I know.”
I turned to face him, my vision blurred with tears. “He’s gone, Luca.” The words felt foreign on my tongue, like I still couldn’t quite believe them. “He’s really gone.”
Luca exhaled, his expression pained. “I know.”
I shook my head. “I don’t know how to do this. How to move forward. How to-” My voice cracked, and I pressed my hand to my mouth.
He closed the distance between us, pulling me into his arms.
I didn’t resist.
I buried my face in his chest, the weight of everything crashing down on me all at once.
“I don’t want to do this without him,” I whispered.
Luca’s grip tightened. “You’re not alone, Janine.”
I let out a quiet, broken laugh. “It feels like I am.”
“You’re not,” he said firmly. “You have Asher. You have me.”
I swallowed hard. “It’s not the same.”
“No,” he admitted. “It’s not.”
We stood there, wrapped in silence, in grief, in the cruel reality of what had happened.
After a while, Luca pulled back just enough to look at me.
“You loved him,” he said softly.
I let out a choked laugh. “Of course, I did. How could I not?”
“Then that love doesn’t just disappear,” he murmured. “He’s still with you, Janine. In the things he taught you, in the way you carry him forward. He
3/5
0.42
Chapter 152
wouldn’t want you to drown in this.”
I wiped at my face, my fingers trembling.
“He was supposed to be here,” I whispered.
Luca nodded. “I know.”
It wasn’t enough. Nothing would ever be enough.
But for now, it was all I had.
Marcus’s Father’s POV
I stood over the casket, my hands trembling as I reached out, my fingers barely grazing the polished wood.
Marcus.
My son.
The best damn son any man could have asked for.
The weight of those words settled in my chest, heavy and unrelenting. I had never imagined this moment, never thought I would have to stand here, saying goodbye to him instead of the other way around. Parents weren’t supposed to outlive their children.
I took a slow breath, trying to steady myself, but the grief clawed at my throat, raw and unbearable.
“You’re a wonderful son,” I finally said, my voice hoarse. “The best son I could ever ask for. You made being a father easy.”
My wife, standing beside me, let out a quiet, choked sob.
I turned to her, my heart aching at the sight of her pain. Her hands clutched the edge of the casket, her knuckles white, her face streaked with tears.
“You made us so proud, Marcus,” she whispered, her voice barely above a breath. “So, so proud.”
She leaned down, pressing a trembling kiss to the wood. “I love you so much, Marcus.”
Her shoulders shook, and I reached for her, pulling her close. She buried her face against my chest, her fingers curling into my suit.
“This isn’t fair,” she whispered.
I swallowed hard, my throat burning. “No, it’s not.”
She pulled back slightly, her red–rimmed eyes searching mine. “He was supposed to have more time. He was supposed to live a long, full life.”
I nodded, my own vision blurring. “He deserved that.”
We stood there, holding onto each other, the weight of our shared grief pressing down on us.
“He always took care of everything,” she murmured. “Always carried the weight so no one else had to.”
I let out a slow breath. “That was Marcus.”
She clutched my hand. “And now he’s gone.”
I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to find the right words, but there weren’t any. Nothing could fix this.
Instead, I just held her tighter.
13:42 Sat, 12 Jul
Chapter 152
“We’ll get through this,” I said quietly, though I wasn’t sure if I believed it.
She nodded against my chest, but neither of us moved, neither of us ready to walk away just yet.
Because walking away meant it was real.
And I wasn’t ready for that.
