While My Husband Cheated I Married His Powerful Brother novel Chapter 78

Chapter 78: Chapter 78 Agreeing To Her Terms

The gun barrel was cold against her forehead.

Veyra did not blink. She did not flinch. She looked straight into Xander Hale’s red, furious eyes and held his gaze.

"You’re not going to shoot me," she said.

Xander’s hand trembled. "You don’t know that."

"If you had any intention of pulling that trigger, you would have done it already." Her voice was calm and low. "You would not have stopped to talk. You would not have let me see your face. You would not be standing here, hesitating."

His jaw tightened.

"So go ahead," Veyra said. "Pull the trigger. But think about what happens after. Your mother is dying. If you kill me, you lose any chance of saving her. Dr. Harrison will never treat her. The police will hunt you down. And you will spend the rest of your life in a cell while your mother dies alone."

Xander’s hand shook harder.

"Or," Veyra continued, "you can lower the gun. We can talk. And maybe, just maybe, we can find a solution that helps both of us."

The seconds crawled.

Then Xander lowered the gun.

He took a step back. His chest was heaving. His face was still red, but the murderous rage had dimmed. Replaced by something else. Confusion. Desperation.

"Who the hell are you?" he asked.

Veyra reached up. She pushed the gun aside with two fingers. The metal was still warm.

"I’m someone who can help you," she said. "If you let me."

Xander stared at her. His men stood frozen around them. The afternoon sun beat down on the concrete.

"You said your relationship with Old Gao is extraordinary," Xander said. "You’re not lovers?"

"No."

"Then what are you?"

"A friend. A patient. Someone he trusts." Veyra paused. "And someone who trusts him."

Xander’s eyes narrowed. "If you’re not his woman, then you’re nothing to him. I could take you. Use you to make him talk."

Veyra shook her head. "You already tried that. With him directly. How did that work out?"

Xander’s face darkened.

"You kidnapped Dr. Harrison," Veyra said. "You threatened him. And what happened? He called your bluff. He told you he would destroy you. And you let him go."

"That was different."

"Was it? You think threatening me will work any better? Dr. Harrison is not a man who caves to threats. The more you push, the harder he pushes back." She stepped closer. "If you kidnap me, he will call the police. He will call his friends in high places. He will make sure you never see daylight again."

Xander’s jaw worked. He glanced at his men. They looked uncertain.

"I’m not bluffing," Veyra said. "And neither is he."

Xander’s grip on the gun loosened. He tucked it back into his waistband.

"You know a lot about him," he said.

"I know enough."

"Then you know I need his help. My mother—"

"I know about your mother." Veyra’s voice softened. "I know she raised you alone. Worked three jobs. Sacrificed everything."

Xander’s expression flickered. For a moment, the hardness cracked. Underneath was something raw. Something wounded.

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