Adrein.

Noah was gradually getting on my nerves with every single word that left his mouth, especially the way he kept speaking so casually and so comfortably as though Maria already completely belonged to him.

What exactly did he mean by— "Baby, let’s sleep."

I almost scoffed again just thinking about it.

Maria was not some child, she was a grown woman. Yet the nickname rolled off his tongue so naturally that it irritated me deeply.

And the worst part?

Maria allowed it, she didn’t glare at him, didn’t correct him and didn’t look uncomfortable, like the way she did with us.

Instead, she willingly climbed into his arms as though that was exactly where she wanted to be, calling him by another nickname.

The sight alone twisted something painfully inside my chest.

The nicknames they gave each other were honestly and painfully annoying.

Maria had never given me a nickname before, not even during the moments when she used to stay in my room every night.

Back then, I had taken everything for granted, her presence, her warmth. The way she would quietly exist around me without demanding anything in return.

And now, someone else was taking my place so effortlessly.

I remained seated on the floor quietly while my thoughts drifted endlessly from one painful realization to another.

At this point, I truly didn’t even mind sharing her with my brothers anymore.

That alone shocked me.

Because if someone had told me weeks ago that I would willingly share a woman with anyone, I would have laughed in their face.

But now?

Now the only thing I feared was losing Maria completely.

That fear alone was enough to crush every ounce of pride left inside me.

I had realized it too late, that I couldn’t live without her.

And honestly, if I could turn back time, I would. I would undo every cruel word, every harsh action, every moment I treated her like she meant nothing.

I would change everything.

The regret inside me felt unbearable.

At this point, I almost wished those ridiculous stories about people being reborn were true.

Because maybe then, maybe in another life—I would get another chance to love her properly from the beginning.

A chance to deserve her.

I missed holding Maria in my arms at night, missed the warmth of her body beside mine, missed the scent of her hair lingering around me when she slept.

And now...Noah was the one holding her instead.

The realization drove me insane.

"You all have truly lost your minds," Maria muttered suddenly while rubbing her forehead slowly.

Her voice pulled me out of my thoughts instantly. She clearly hadn’t expected us to remain here tonight.

But there was no way I was leaving, no matter what happened.

Noah suddenly chuckled softly from the bed. The sound was low, calm and far too relaxed.

And unwillingly, my gaze lifted toward the bed again—toward them, toward the way Noah’s arms remained tightly wrapped around Maria’s waist possessively.

My face darkened instantly.

Jealousy coiled violently inside me as I clenched my fists tightly by my sides.

Everything about the sight irritated me—the closeness, the intimacy and the comfort between them.

"Well," Noah murmured lazily, the amusement in his voice only made my irritation worsen. "This should be an interesting night."

The moment those words left his mouth, I raised my brows immediately at him.

"What did you mean?" I asked cautiously.

Because the tone in his voice alone already sounded suspicious, but Noah completely ignored my question.

Instead, his eyes remained fixed solely on Maria. The way he stared at her made my chest tighten painfully.

His gaze was low, heavy and seductive. Even the slow movement of his Adam’s apple as he swallowed made my fists clench instantly.

"Baby..." Noah called softly while brushing his fingers lightly against Maria’s waist. "Would they be able to take in the sounds you would make tonight?" he asked lazily.

The moment those words left his mouth, Maria’s face turned bright red instantly.

My entire body stiffened.

What?

My breathing turned uneven immediately.

Had they...?

No.

Impossible.

The last time I had gotten close enough to Maria, I knew for certain she was still untouched. She was clearly a virgin.

I remembered it clearly, and how I had secretly and shamelessly thought how I would be the one to take her.

Which meant...

"Noah, you bastard..." I screamed furiously inside my head."That belongs to me, not you!"

Jealousy crashed through me so violently that I almost lost control completely.

My chest rose and fell heavily as I struggled to suppress the urge to jump up and punch Noah directly in the face.

The smug look on his face only made it worse.

Meanwhile, Maria looked completely flustered.

"Stop it, Noah," she said shyly.

And honestly, that only confused me further. I couldn’t tell whether they had truly crossed that line already or if she was simply embarrassed by his teasing.

But either way, the thought alone was enough to drive me insane.

I looked toward my brothers immediately and judging from the expressions on their faces...they were thinking the exact same thing I was.

Aidan’s jaw tightened visibly, Damien looked away completely while clenching his fists and even Davian’s playful expression disappeared entirely.

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became unbearably heavy.

And for the first time—I truly regretted every second I had allowed my pride to control me.

If I had simply accepted Maria earlier...If I had treated her properly from the beginning...then maybe—maybe she would have already belonged completely to me, maybe Noah would never have gotten this close to her.

The realization burned painfully inside my chest.

I could have had her first, and if that had happened...there would have been no way she could forget me.

No way she could look at another man like this, not even my words, as she would carve to have only my name in her mouth, and my cock inside of her.

"Damn my pride," I muttered bitterly out loud without realizing it.

The words escaped before I could stop myself.

And instantly, the room went silent as everyone turned to look directly at me.

Shit!

My eyes widened slightly.

I had spoken louder than intended.