Sylvain woke before the alarm, his body moved on autopilot—down to the kitchen. His movements were slow and mechanical as he prepared breakfast.

He cracked two eggs into the pan, watching them sizzle as they fried. The toaster popped up with two slices of bread, which he buttered carefully. It was a simple meal of toasted bread and fried eggs — nothing fancy, but it was all he could manage in his current state.

He plated the food neatly for Silas and placed it on the dining table. For himself, he made a smaller portion, though his appetite was nonexistent. He sat down across from where Silas would sit, staring at his plate without really seeing it.

Silas emerged from the bedroom, freshly showered and dressed in a crisp shirt and trousers. He sat down at the table without a word at first, picking up his fork and knife.

He took a bite of the eggs, chewing slowly.

"It’s edible today," Silas commented, his tone neutral. "You’re improving. Or at least not burning everything."

Sylvain nodded faintly, poking at his own food with his fork. "I tried."

Silas took another bite, watching Sylvain closely. "Eat or I cancel your visit with Leon."

Sylvain forced a small bite of toast into his mouth, chewing mechanically. "Yes, sir."

They ate in relative silence for a few minutes. The only sounds were the clink of cutlery and the mouths chewing.

Silas’s phone rang on the table. He glanced at the screen and answered it, putting it on speaker without asking.

"Silas," Diane’s voice came through, warm and hopeful. "Good morning. I hope I’m not calling too early."

Silas took another bite of egg. "What do you want, Diane?"

Diane laughed softly, a little shy but determined. "I was thinking... since our dinner went well, maybe we could do something more casual today? There’s a new boutique that just opened downtown. I thought it might be nice to spend some time together outside of formal dinners. What do you say?"

Silas’s eyes flicked to Sylvain, who was eating silently, head down. "I’m busy."

Diane’s voice turned gently persuasive, almost pleading. "Please, Silas? Just a few hours. Your mother mentioned how much she’d love to see us getting along. I promise I won’t take too much of your time. It would mean a lot to me... and to her."

Silas was quiet for a moment, then sighed. "Fine. I will send an address to you, meet me at the penthouse in thirty minutes. We’ll go from there."

Diane’s voice brightened with clear joy. "Really? Thank you, Silas! I’m so happy. I’ll be there soon. See you!"

The call ended.

Silas set the phone down and continued eating as if nothing had happened. "You heard that."

Sylvain nodded, still staring at his plate. "Yes."

Silas took a sip of coffee. "You have nothing to say?"

Sylvain’s voice was quiet and flat. "It’s your life. You can do what you want."

Silas watched him for a moment. "You’re not jealous?"

Sylvain shook his head slowly. "No. I’m just... tired, I don’t feel much of anything right now."

Silas reached across the table and tilted Sylvain’s chin up. "Good. Stay that way, you are what matters here. Remember that."

Sylvain met his eyes briefly. "I remember."

Silas released him and finished his meal. "Eat more. You look pale. I don’t want Leon thinking I’m starving you when you visit him later."

Sylvain forced another bite of toast. "Yes, sir."

A few minutes later, the doorbell rang. Silas stood up. "That’s Diane. Stay here. Don’t come out unless I call you."

Sylvain nodded and continued eating in silence as Silas went to answer the door.

Diane stepped inside, looking elegant in a chic outfit. "Silas, thank you again for agreeing. I really appreciate it."

Silas closed the door. "Two hours. No more. Let’s go."

As they left, Sylvain remained at the table, staring at his half-eaten meal. He whispered to the empty room, "Have fun."

He pushed his plate away, appetite completely gone, and waited in silence for the hours to pass until he could see his brother.

___________

Sylvain sat in the back seat of the black sedan, hands clasped tightly in his lap, staring at the familiar door with a mix of dread and desperate longing. The driver turned slightly.

"Three hours, Mr Vane gave. I’ll be waiting right here."

Sylvain nodded numbly and stepped out. His legs felt heavy as he walked to the door. He knocked softly, heart pounding.

The door opened after a moment. Leon stood there, eyes red and swollen, looking like he hadn’t slept. For a second, they just stared at each other.

Then Leon’s face crumpled. "Sylvain..."

He pulled his brother into a tight hug, sobbing against his shoulder. Sylvain wrapped his arms around him, holding on as if Leon might disappear.

"I’m sorry," Sylvain whispered, voice breaking. "I’m so sorry, Leon. I never wanted you to find out like this."

Leon pulled back, wiping his face with his sleeve, but fresh tears kept falling. "Why didn’t you tell me? All this time... you were... with him? Selling yourself? For me?"

Sylvain’s own tears spilled over. He stepped inside and closed the door behind them. They moved to the small living room and sat on the couch, knees touching.

"I had no choice," Sylvain said, voice trembling. "After the accident with our parents and I just finished my study. The bail was too much for be to provide, and I got into Silas hands. That’s all. I thought I could handle it. I thought I could protect you without you ever knowing."

Leon shook his head, crying harder. "Protect me? By becoming his... his whore? Silas told me everything. How you beg for him. How he uses you. God, Sylvain... I would rather die than let you do that for me."

"Don’t say that," Sylvain pleaded, grabbing Leon’s hands. "You are everything to me. You’re the reason I wake up every day. I couldn’t lose you. I couldn’t watch you suffer. So I made a deal with him, after three months I will be free from Silas clutchs. We can start over. Just... please don’t hate me."

Leon squeezed his hands back, voice cracking. "I don’t hate you. I could never hate you. But I’m so angry. Angry at him. Angry at you for not telling me. Angry at myself for being the reason you had to do this. Why didn’t you trust me enough to share the burden?"

Sylvain looked down, ashamed. "Because you’re my little brother. It’s my job to protect you. Not the other way around. I didn’t want you to carry this guilt. I thought if I just endured it quietly, you could stay innocent. Stay happy."

Leon let out a bitter laugh through his tears. "Happy? How can I be happy knowing my brother is suffering like this? Knowing he’s... with that monster every night? Silas looked at me like I was nothing. Like I was the reason you’re trapped."

Sylvain pulled Leon into another hug, holding him tightly. "He is a monster. But I can handle him. I’ve survived worse. Just promise me you’ll stay away from Santiago. He’s dangerous too. I don’t know what his game is, but Silas has given us a warning. Everyone now is our enemies Leon."

Leon pulled back slightly, wiping his eyes. "Santiago seemed so nice. He was the first person that lend me his shoulders after what happened to me. He made me feel normal again. Was that all fake too?"

"I don’t know," Sylvain admitted. "But Silas warned me about him. He’s not safe. Please, Leon. For me, stay away from him. Focus on your job at the restaurant. I’ll find a way to fix this. Three months isn’t forever."

Leon nodded slowly, though doubt lingered in his eyes. "Three months... and then what? You think he’ll just let you go? Men like Silas don’t let go of things they own."

Sylvain looked away, unable to meet his brother’s gaze. "I’ll make him. I have to. For both of us."

They sat in silence for a while, holding each other. Leon eventually spoke again, voice small. "Do you... love him? Even a little?"

Sylvain shook his head quickly. "No. Never. It’s just survival. Nothing more."

Leon searched his face. "You look so tired and broken. I hate seeing you like this. Let me help. Let me do something. I can work more. I can—"

"No," Sylvain cut in firmly, gripping Leon’s shoulders. "You stay safe. You stay out of this. That’s how you help me. Just... be okay. Eat well and be happy. That’s all I need from you."

Leon’s tears started again. "I miss the old you. The one who smiled without forcing it. The one who used to read to me at night. I miss my brother."

Sylvain pulled him into a tight hug again, crying silently into his shoulder. "I’m still here. I’m still your brother. This doesn’t change that. No matter what happens, I love you. More than anything."

They stayed like that for a long time, holding each other as the thought of their shattered family pressed down on them.

Finally, Leon whispered, "Promise me you’ll come back to me when this is over. Promise me we’ll be okay again."

Sylvain nodded against his hair. "I promise. We’ll be okay. We have to be."

The three hours passed too quickly. When the driver knocked on the door to signal time was up, both brothers clung to each other a little longer.

"I love you," Sylvain said, kissing Leon’s forehead.

"I love you too," Leon replied, voice thick. "Be safe. Please."

Sylvain left with a heavy heart, glancing back one last time before getting into the car. As it drove away, he stared out the window, numb once more.

Leon stood at the door, watching the car disappear, tears streaming down his face. Their reunion had brought no comfort. Only more pain and the growing realization that their nightmare was far from over.