Brothers Want Me Back novel Chapter 2

Kingsley held Elaine's lifeless body in his arms, his grip desperate, his face buried against hers as if he could somehow bring her back. "Elaine, in this life, we barely got to be together. But in the next... will you walk this road with me?

"Do you still remember the first time we met? The world sees me as a saint—calm, noble, untouchable. But they don't know me. They don't know that I'm obsessive, controlling, and ruthless.

"They'd run if they did. And honestly, I don't blame them. Everyone else did—everyone except you. You were my one exception. My only peace.

"But I was scared. I was fucking terrified. I knew that if I let myself have you, I'd never let you go. I was scared I'd ruin you, suffocate you, destroy you with the way I am.

"So I stayed away. I thought keeping my distance would be enough. I thought I could love you silently. But even that turned out to be a fucking lie."

"Elaine... I love you." He kissed her forehead softly, reverently, as though she were still alive, as though she were still his.

Years passed. Decades. Centuries. Time moved on, but the story of the two lovers didn't fade. Their remains, intertwined in death as they had longed to be in life, crumbled to dust.

Generations of the Morgan family, knowing the truth of Kingsley's choice, buried their ashes together in the family's ancestral tomb.

Everyone knew the truth: Kingsley Morgan had left this world with Elaine Yeats. And in death, they were inseparable, forever tied to one another.

But Elaine's soul wasn't at peace. It drifted in endless darkness, lost, untethered, with nowhere to go.

Until, in the void, a voice called out. Calm, steady, and unnervingly clear, it asked, "Elaine Yeats, do you want to change your fate?"

Without a moment's hesitation, Elaine answered, "Yes."

The voice spoke again, firm and resolute. "Very well. I will send you back. Good luck."

Before she could process what was happening, darkness swallowed her whole. When Elaine opened her eyes again, she found herself lying in a hospital bed.

The sterile smell of antiseptic filled the air, and the room was deathly quiet. Her wrists ached. She looked down and saw thick bandages wrapped tightly around them, fresh cuts layered over faded scars. The sight was hauntingly familiar.

She was alive. Back in her nineteen-year-old body.

Elaine stared at the ceiling, her mind spinning as the realization hit her. She'd been thrown back to the beginning—back to the moment her life had started to unravel. Back to the year she had learned the cruel truth: she wasn't just anyone.

She was the true daughter of the Yeats family, the real "heiress" in a clichéd swapped-at-birth story. But instead of stepping into the role of a beloved protagonist, she'd been written into the story as the villain, the "evil supporting character."

Meanwhile, Bianca Yeats, the fake heiress, was everything Elaine wasn't: adored, perfect, untouchable.

Bianca was the golden child. The sun everyone revolved around. Parents loved her. Brothers spoiled her. Men worshiped her. Fans idolized her.

She wasn't just the Yeats family's darling—she was the heroine. The queen. The ultimate winner in life. Every wish-fulfillment fantasy rolled into one flawless package.

And Elaine? Elaine was the punching bag, the villain meant to make Bianca shine brighter.

Her head throbbed, and before she could even gather her thoughts, a cold, mechanical voice echoed in her mind.

"Hey there, host. I'm your Book Elf, here to guide you through this little adventure. My job is simple: help you rewrite your story and take back the life you deserve. I'm not here to play nice or be cruel—just fair." The Book Elf's voice was smooth.

Then, with a faint, almost amused chuckle, it continued, "If you want to change your fate, you'll need to complete the following main quests.

"Warning: Any deviation from the novel's original storyline may result in severe consequences.

"Quest 1: Win over your brothers. Turn their hatred into admiration.

"Quest 2: Expose Bianca Yeats as the manipulative fake she is. Clear your name and make your brothers regret everything. Make them beg for your forgiveness.

"Quest 3: Make those who wronged you fall in love with you. Take Bianca's place as the true winner in life."

Elaine blinked, stunned. Then a sharp, bitter laugh escaped her. 'This? This is my second chance? What—for me to grovel for the approval of the same people who ruined me?

'To waste my life proving myself to people who never gave a damn about me? To fight for some bullshit title of 'winner'? Yeah, no thanks.'

Her lips curled into a mocking smile. 'What a joke.' She didn't need their love. She didn't need their approval. And she sure as hell wasn't about to fight Bianca for a crown she didn't want.

The hospital room door swung open, and a tall figure stepped inside. Shawn Yeats stood at the doorway, his brows knitted, his face dark like a storm cloud.

Following behind him were Robert Yeats and Tracy Cash—Elaine's biological parents.