Ruined By My Brother's Best Friend (by Silverwriter) novel Chapter 56

Gritting my teeth, I picked up the fork with so much force that tny plate nearly slid off the counter. Without looking away from him, I ate angrily, shoving forkfuls of pasta and meatballs into my mouth.

Alvise was the first to look away. He picked up his fork and resumed eating, not bothering to glance at me again. By the time I was halfway through my food, he was already done. He stood, washed his plate, then grabbed the opened bottle of water from the fridge along with a new one.

He slid the unopened bottle toward me before leaning back against the counter and chugging down his water.

I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. He’d tricked me into eating. He hadn’t actually believed I’d poisoned the food.

“You… you tricked me!” I accused, feeling oddly offended.

He raised a brow. “Did I?”

I eyed him warily but continued eating, only stopping after I opened the bottle of water and took a sip.

“It’s so cold.” I winced.

“Is it?” he said dryly, sounding almost amused.

I rolled my eyes. “What’s with the two-word robotic answers? It’s weird.” I tilted my head back to drink more water but flinched as the cold liquid sent a shiver down my spine. I screwed the cap back on. “Way too cold for weather like this.”

He pushed off the counter, grabbed a bottle of water from the pack I’d left outside the fridge, and held it out to me.

“You wouldn’t survive a day in Moscow,” he said, almost to himself.

“Moscow?” I asked, taking the bottle from him. “That’s in Russia, right?”

He walked back to his spot by the counter and crossed his ankles. “Hmm.”

“What did you do when you went back?” I asked, my heart racing as I waited for his reply.

I didn’t know why I’d asked. I just felt compelled to know… Dangerously compelled.

He straightened and averted his gaze. “Finish your food, Arabella.” Then he walked out of the kitchen.

My stomach dipped, a wave of disappointment hitting me so hard that I lost my appetite.

I didn’t know him anymore. Maybe I never really had.

Every time I asked him something, it felt like he had no intention of letting me into his personal life. It made me feel terrible, because it forced me to ask myself questions I’d been avoiding.

At one point in my life, I believed I loved him… And a part of me still felt like I did. But… Could I really love someone I didn’t know?

I finished the rest of my food and hopped off the stool to wash the dishes in a bid to distract myself. Once I was done, I washed my hands, chugged down the room-temperature bottle of water, then left the kitchen.

Alvise sat on the large couch, his brows drawn together as he stared at something on his phone.

wea, sep MS

Ruined By My Brother’s Best Friend

I debated heading to my bedroom to sleep, but I wondered if I’d be a bad host if I did.

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red of second-guessing everything, I walked farther into the living room and turned on the TV. I sat at the edge of the couch beside him and grabbed the remote, surfing through the channels in search of a movie entertaining enough to hold my attention.

It was a futile effort. I couldn’t think with him in the same room.

My mind was tangled with thoughts, my legs bouncing restlessly as I fought to suppress the emotions threatening to spill

over.

I wanted to ask him questions… So many questions.

I turned to look at him and blurted out the first one that came to mind. “What did you go to Russia to do, Alvise?”

He tensed, every muscle in his body visibly tightening. “Drop it, Arabella,” he said without looking up from his phone.

I tipped my chin up, refusing to give in. “It’s just a question.”

He finally looked at me, his eyes narrowing. “Work.”

“That’s… that’s not an answer,” I complained, frowning.

“It is to me,” he said, unfazed.

“Why did you come back?” I asked quietly.

He held my gaze, his reply clipped. “Work.”

I glared at him. “You’re not actually answering me if that’s all you’re going to say.”

He set his phone down on the couch and stroked his chin. “Is that what you want?” he asked. “For me to answer your questions?”

I nodded but hesitated, unsure where he was going with this. “Yes.”

He tilted his head. “Okay, then. You can ask your questions, but I also have questions for you,” he said, his voice hard, almost harsh. “And you’ll answer them.”

My fingers tightened around the remote, my lips almost quivering as I stared at him.

He had questions for me? Why? And would I be doing myself a disservice if I agreed?

I searched his face, but it gave nothing away. Refusing to back down, I nodded. “Okay.”

He held my gaze before lazily pressing his tongue against the inside of his cheek.

I took his silence as permission to continue. “Do you have a family in Russia?”

It was a stupid question. One I already knew the answer to, but I was testing the waters.

He nodded. “Yes.”

I opened my mouth to ask another question, but he stopped me. “My turn.”

I frowned. “But… I’m not done with my questions.”

“A question for a question,” he said, his tone firm.

TO:23 Wed, Sep 9 MJU.

Ruined By My Brother’s Best Friend

No… No… This wasn’t what I’d had in mind.

Couldn’t deny it. I was scared. Terrified.

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I’dimagined asking all my questions first before he asked his. Truthfully, I hadn’t even thought he had anything he wanted. to ask me.

But now, as I stared at him and caught the dark, lazy glint in his eyes, I didn’t know what to expect.

“You…” I swallowed. “You can go on.”

Alvise leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he stroked his chin. “Why did you fuck me and disappear the next morning?”

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