Ruined By My Brother's Best Friend (by Silverwriter) novel Chapter 118

I nodded. “Yes… you know Alvise is very strict when it comes to work.”

“Then why did you leave your bag at his office?” Archie asked, raising a brow.

“I was upset that he sent me out,” I lied again, avoiding eye contact.

Archie let out a frustrated sigh. “You need to be more careful, Arabella. You can’t go around pissing people off and abandoning your bag like that,” he scolded.

I lowered my gaze to the floor and nodded. “I know… I messed up.”

“You did,” Archie said, his voice rising slightly. “I almost went crazy… especially after what happened last time.”

I snapped my head up to look at him, another wave of guilt crashing over me. Archie cared about me deeply. It was something I would never dare question, which made it hurt even more whenever I was the reason he suffered.

“This will never happen again,” I said quietly. “I’m sorry for worrying you.”

Archie rubbed his temples before pulling me into a light hug. “I worry about you because I don’t know what I’d do without you,” he murmured, a rare vulnerability creeping into his voice. “I want you to always be safe… and happy.”

Bile rose in my throat as his words pierced straight through my heart. I wished I could tell him I would’ve felt safe if not for the woman he was about to marry. I knew how hard my brother always tried to make me happy, but it made me sick knowing he had no idea the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with would do everything in her power to make sure I remained broken.

“Are you crying?” Archie asked, pulling back to look at my face.

I turned away and wiped the tears I’d failed to notice escaping. “No.. something got into my eye,” I lied with a light laugh.

Archie opened his mouth to say something, but his phone rang. Hissing under his breath, he pulled it out and glanced at the

screen.