Silas released his chin but didn’t step back. "Because he belongs to me, I can do whatever I want with my victim."

Leon covered his face with both hands, broken sobs escaping him. "Sylvain... what did you do? Why didn’t you tell me?" 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Silas watched him cry for a moment, then spoke again, voice softer but no less cruel. "Go home, Leon. Cancel your little plans with Santiago, be a good boy, and stay quiet. If you do that, your brother might survive these three months with some dignity left."

Leon stood up on shaky legs, tears streaming down his face. "You’re a monster."

Silas smiled coldly. "I’m the monster who owns your brother. Don’t forget it."

Leon stumbled toward the door, nearly collapsing. Before he left, he turned back one last time, voice barely a whisper.

"If you hurt him... If you hit him... I swear I’ll find a way to make you pay."

Silas’s eyes gleamed with dark amusement. "Try it. I’ll enjoy watching you play."

Leon fled the office, tears blinding him as he ran toward the elevator. His entire world had just shattered.

Back at the safe house, Leon locked himself in his room and cried until he had no tears left. He stared at his phone, at the messages from Santiago, at the unread ones from Sylvain.

He didn’t know who to believe anymore.

But one thing was clear — his brother had sacrificed everything for him. And Leon had never felt more helpless in his life.

________

The door to the penthouse opened with a heavy click. Silas stepped inside, his presence filling the space like a storm cloud.

He loosened his tie as he walked into the living room, where Sylvain was sitting on the couch, staring blankly at the floor.

Sylvain looked up immediately, his face already pale with anxiety. He had been waiting for hours, dread building with every passing minute.

Silas didn’t greet him. He simply poured himself a glass of whiskey, took a slow sip, and finally spoke. "I met with your brother today."

Sylvain’s heart stopped. He stood up so fast he nearly stumbled. "What? Why? Silas, what did you do?"

Silas turned to face him, expression cold and unyielding. "I told him the truth. About our contract and how you sold your body to me for three months. O-oh I didn’t forget to tell him how I fuck you every time, the way you beg for my cock. Slurping it like it was your lifeline. And your reasons were because you’re trying to save his worthless life."

Sylvain’s world tilted. His knees buckled, and he grabbed the back of the couch for support. "No... You didn’t. Tell me you’re lying. Please, Silas, tell me you didn’t do that to him."

Silas took another sip, watching Sylvain’s breakdown with detached interest. "I did. He cried like a child, sobbing so hard I thought he might pass out."

Tears spilled down Sylvain’s cheeks. He clutched his chest as if he couldn’t breathe. "Why? Why would you do that? He didn’t need to know! He was finally happy, Silas! He was smiling again! How could you be so cruel?"

Silas set the glass down and walked closer, towering over Sylvain. "Cruel? I’m simply correcting the lies you’ve been feeding him. He thinks you’re some hero sacrificing for him. He needed to know exactly what kind of hero you are."

Sylvain dropped to his knees, sobbing openly. "He’s my little brother... he’s all I have left. You had no right. No right to destroy the only good thing he had."

Silas crouched down in front of him, gripping Sylvain’s chin tightly and forcing him to look up through his tears.

"I have every right," Silas said, voice low and venomous. "You belong to me. Leon exists because I allow it and you have been lying to him to make me a victim. If you ever try to protect him from the truth, I will make sure he watches what I do to you."

Sylvain’s voice broke into ugly, desperate sobs. "Please... take it back. Tell him it was a lie. Tell him anything. Just don’t hurt him like this. He doesn’t deserve this pain."

Silas’s grip tightened. "He deserves to know what his brother really is. A desperate whore who sold his dignity for him."

Sylvain shook his head frantically, tears streaming. "I did it for him! I did everything for him! You don’t understand what it was like after our parents disappeared. I had nothing. I had to keep him alive. I had to protect him. Please, Silas... don’t take him away from me too."

For a moment, Silas was silent. Then a cruel smile curved his lips. "You think you’re the victim here?" he whispered. "Let me remind you of something you’ve conveniently forgotten."

Sylvain looked up, confused through his tears. "What... what are you talking about?"

Silas leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a deadly whisper. "I’m sure you remember Gideon, the guy who has always protected me from your bullying. You fucking killed him, Sylvain! You murdered him in cold blood to cover up what you thought was their escape plan."

Sylvain froze. The color drained completely from his face. "No... that’s not true. I didn’t... I would never—"

"You did," Silas cut in sharply. "Didn’t you enjoy bullying, he made him commit suicide Sylvain! You have my friend’s blood on your hands and I will wash it with your blood. If possible your brother will be used to wash it too."

Sylvain still in tears, continues shaking his head. "No I didn’t... You are lying Silas. You are lying!"

"You did," Silas cut in sharply. "You made his life a living hell every day. The taunting, the beatings, the humiliation from you and the elites. He begged you to stop, he told you he couldn’t breathe anymore. And you— what did you do? You mocked him Sylvain, you humiliated him more. He begged you, Sylvain. Your words pushed him until he hanged himself in his room. You cruelly killed him, slowly Sylvain."

Sylvain’s entire body began to shake violently. Fresh tears poured down his face as the long-buried guilt crashed over him like a tidal wave.

"I... I was young and stupid," he choked out, voice raw and broken. "I was angry at the world. I didn’t know... I didn’t understand how much pain he was in. I thought it was just teasing. I swear I didn’t think he would... Oh God... Gideon..."

Silas’s smile was pure ice. "You called it play, Sylvain. You were everything he hated. What happened to him after he died? Your fucking parents buried the truth. They threw a bundle of cash in his parents’ faces to keep them quiet. And you? You moved on like nothing happened. Like you didn’t have a boy’s blood on your hands."

Sylvain collapsed forward, forehead pressed against the cold floor as violent, guttural sobs tore from his throat. "I’m sorry... I’m so sorry... I was a monster. I know I was. I wish I could take it back. I wish I could bring him back. Please, Silas... don’t tell Leon. He can’t know I did that. He looks up to me. He still believes I’m good. Please don’t take that away from him too..."

Silas grabbed a fistful of Sylvain’s hair and yanked his head up, forcing him to meet his eyes.

"Beg better," Silas demanded, voice like gravel.

Sylvain’s face was a mess of tears and desperation. "I’m begging you, Silas! On my knees! I’ll do anything. I’ll never hide anything again. I’ll let you use me however you want, whenever you want. Just don’t tell Leon about Gideon. He’s innocent. He doesn’t deserve to hate me. Please... I’ll bend for you. I’ll crawl. Just spare him that truth."

Silas stared down at him for a long, suffocating moment, drinking in every sob, every plea.

"You really are pathetic," he finally said, releasing Sylvain’s hair. "Get up."

Sylvain struggled to his feet, legs trembling, barely able to stand.

Silas gripped his jaw hard. "You will call your brother tomorrow and tell him his freedom has gone. If he had any questions he could meet me and I would sit him down and tell him every single detail about how you bullied Gideon until he hanged himself. Do you understand?"

"But..but you promised me that he will be free Silas." Sylvain questions.

Silas only chuckles at him and sits in the chair. "Promise? You are really greedy you know, I just told you that you murdered somebody and you are asking me for your brother’s freedom. Are you daft?"

"I’m sorry." Sylvain nodded frantically, tears still falling. "I will do as you asked Silas, just promise me you won’t hurt him again."

Silas stood up and went closer to Sylvain, his thumb brushed roughly over Sylvain’s tear-stained cheek. "You greedy rabbit, I don’t make promises but I vowed to make you pay at Gideon’s grave. You should be prepared to suffer in my hands."