"Lorenzo, he's my brother."
Finally, Celine spoke.
On the other end of the line, Lorenzo suddenly stopped sounding smug. There was a brief silence.
"Celine, do you really think I'll believe that?"
"Your brother? What kind of brother answers the phone like that? Stop lying to me."
"You kept saying you were taking your brother to the provincial capital to see a doctor. Was that a lie too?"
"Celine, I've treated you so well, and now you're cheating on me?"
"Do you even feel sorry? You…"
Celine's fingers tightened around the phone. She didn't expect Lorenzo to turn things around and accuse her.
Anger burned in her chest, but she took a deep breath and forced herself to stay calm.
It wasn't time to confront him yet.
She had to keep pretending.
"Lorenzo."
Celine's voice trembled slightly, like she was deeply hurt.
"You misunderstood. He really is my brother…"
"He just helped me answer the phone, that's all."
Her voice got softer, with a hint of choking. She sounded like she wanted to say more but held back, as if she was really sad.
Lorenzo, though, acted like he had caught her lying. His voice got louder and more arrogant.
"Your brother? Then why are you so nervous?"
"Celine, I'm telling you, you…"
From the other end, Lorenzo started cursing non-stop, like a flood of dirty words pouring out.
He didn't even let Celine say anything.
Then came the sound.
Beep beep beep
Lorenzo hung up.
Celine held the phone, her eyebrows slightly knitted. A surprised look crossed her face.
That was it?
She thought Lorenzo would take this chance to accuse her of cheating, push the blame completely onto her.
Then he could use that excuse to break up with her and go chase after Vanissa.
But he didn't.
He called her a cheater, called her disgusting, but didn't mention breaking up even once.
That was strange. Her thoughts moved quickly.
Lorenzo was selfish and always looking for advantage. If nothing else mattered, he wouldn't accept being cheated on.
So what made him hold it in?
The answer came to her immediately.
Money.
There could only be one reason.
He still wanted her money. Maybe he was hoping to get more from her.
After realizing this, Celine gave a very faint, cold smile.
She wasn't angry. In fact, this was good.
She had been afraid he'd break up with her too soon. That would make things too easy for him.
Celine stared coldly, her eyes filled with a dark, icy undercurrent.
Lorenzo, I'm waiting for you.
When you come asking for money, I won't just give it to you. I'll give you even more.
I'll lift you up so high.
I'll let you drown in pride and satisfaction, let you lose yourself, become greedy, and rush even faster toward Vanissa.
When Celine put away her phone, Mateo, who had been silently watching, finally broke the quiet in the car.
"Do you need me to…"
He didn't finish, but the meaning was clear.
Celine turned her head and met Mateo's cold gaze. Unexpectedly, she smiled faintly, like brushing off dust.
"Mateo," her voice was calm but serious, "I can handle this."
She paused. Her gaze grew sharper, and her tone became heavier.
"Lorenzo, I must deal with him myself."
It didn't sound like she was being stubborn. It felt like a declaration.
Mateo looked at the determination in his sister's eyes. All the words he had prepared got stuck in his throat.
In the end, he only let out a quiet sigh, soft and helpless, but also full of care.
His little sister had grown up. She had her own thoughts now, especially after going through so much.
He looked out at the night, his voice gentle and firm, carrying a brother's warmth.
"Celine, did you forget? You're not alone."
He turned back, his eyes steady as he looked at her, and said clearly:
"You have four older brothers. Every one of us stands behind you."
"Some dirty or messy things, you don't have to deal with them alone. We can…"
"Mateo!"
Celine suddenly interrupted him. Her voice had a faint tremble.
Her eyes turned red without warning. Tears welled up, blurring her vision.
Mateo froze for a moment and didn't say anything else.
He didn't know that those simple words — "four older brothers" — were like a burning key that unlocked the deepest, most painful part of her heart.
In her past life, it had been like this too…
Each brother had been her strongest support.
Each one had said, "We're here for you." But in the end, all of them had died because of Vanissa's cruel schemes.
In this life, she would not be so selfish again.
Her brothers shouldn't have to shield her until they were broken and lost.
Their lives should belong to themselves.
She would rely on her own strength to destroy Lorenzo, destroy Vanissa, destroy everyone who had hurt them.
She would use the power of this space to pave a bright path for her brothers.
She would help them avoid the tragedies of the past, live boldly, and achieve their dreams.
She would take revenge.
She would protect this family.