BILLIONAIRE'S UNINTENDED BRIDE

Chapter 67: Frayed Ties, Unexpected Reunion

Chapter 67: Frayed Ties, Unexpected Reunion

Luke

As Sebastián stood there, his presence was like a ghost from my past materializing in my present. His resemblance to me was uncanny, yet the life etched into his features spoke of a path so divergent from mine.

"The one and only," Sebastián replied with his trademark grin, though his eyes held a complex mix of emotions. "Missed me, bro? Bet you didn't see this coming."

A tumult of emotions – relief, anger, sorrow – washed over me. Sebastián, my twin, my childhood confidant, whom I thought was lost forever, was alive and in front of me.

Emily, sensing the weight of the moment, remained quietly in the background.

Sebastián's gaze wandered around the opulent penthouse, amusement and a hint of mock envy playing in his eyes. "Nice place you've got here, Luke. But where's the fun? Where's the party?" He walked into the kitchen with a relaxed swagger, casually grabbing a bottle of expensive wine and drinking straight from it, the embodiment of his carefree, rebellious nature.

Still in shock, I struggled to form words. My mind raced, trying to make sense of his sudden appearance. After all these years, Sebastián just walked back into my life, behaving as if our last meeting was a mere week ago, rather than over a decade.

"You always were the golden boy, weren't you? Mom's favorite, while I was stuck dealing with dear old dad and his underworld escapades," he remarked, his tone light but underlined with a sharp bitterness

For a fleeting moment, his playful mask slipped, revealing a glimpse of the brother I once knew – a boy who shared my dreams and fears before life tore us onto divergent paths. "It's been a hell of a ride, Luke.

Closing the distance between us, I felt the years that had changed us, yet beneath it all, a thread of our old bond lingered. "I thought I'd never see you again," I said, my voice heavy with a myriad of emotions.

He shrugged, a sly smile playing on his lips. "Gone but not forgotten, right? I've been busy learning the ropes of Dad's dark empire. While you were living the cozy life, I was getting my hands dirty in Dad's world. Not all of us had the comfort of a loving mom. But hey, looks like you've done alright for yourself."

His words stung, a harsh reminder of the divergent paths our lives had taken, yet underlined by a bond that had somehow endured. As Sebastián's gaze drifted to Emily, he moved towards her with that familiar swagger, one that spoke of confidence and a life unbound by conventions.

"And you must be the famous Emily," Sebastián remarked, his voice flirtatious. He gently took her hand, holding it gracefully with a smirk on his face. "I'm Sebastián, Luke's long-lost twin. As you can probably tell," he added, his smile broadening flirtatiously, "I'm the more handsome and charming one." His grin was mischievous.

Emily's reaction was guarded yet polite, a testament to her grace under unexpected circumstances. Her eyes, however, were searching, trying to decipher the enigma that was my twin brother.

I cleared my throat, a subtle reminder of my presence. "Sebastián, what brings you here?" I asked, trying to steer the conversation back to more pressing matters.

He leaned back against the wall, his casual posture belying the seriousness of his next words. "I came to see if the tales of Luke Walton, the corporate titan, were true. But more importantly, to bring news about Dad."

That nonchalant tone of his masked the gravity of what he was about to reveal. "Dad wanted me to deal with someone close to you," he said, his eyes flickering to Emily and then back to me. His smirk faded, replaced by a seriousness that was rare for him.

"He wanted me to take out Emily, permanently. But after following her, getting to know her from a distance... I couldn't. I'm not the monster he wanted me to be," He confessed, a trace of vulnerability flashing in his eyes. "And now, he's put a price on my head too."

A protective instinct surged within me, both for Emily and the brother I was just beginning to rediscover. "Thank you, Sebastián," I said, my voice heavy with a mix of gratitude and sorrow.

Sebastián shrugged nonchalantly, but the flicker in his eyes betrayed his true feelings. "Yeah, well, I guess I have a soft spot for the underdog. And beautiful women," He quipped, winking at Emily.

The room was steeped in unspoken history and painful memories. Sebastián, once an inseparable part of my childhood, had been torn from me, plunged into a world of darkness and crime. Yet beneath his reckless exterior, I could still see traces of the brother I remembered – a chance to reclaim a piece of our shared past.

"We need to handle this together," I declared, determination steadying my voice.

Sebastián met my gaze, a silent acknowledgment passing between us. But his expression shifted, a hint of defiance creeping in. "For the record, I'm not doing this for Mom's golden boy. I've got my own demons to fight. I'm doing this for her," he said, gesturing towards Emily, his gaze softening.

His words cut deeper than I expected. I knew our mother had spent her last years tormented by Sebastián's absence. She, like me, had searched tirelessly, her hope never waning even as cancer ravaged her body. Every day she prayed, hired investigators, chased down leads, her love for Sebastián as fierce as ever. She carried that hope to her last breath.

Seeing Sebastián standing there, so full of life yet so marked by the shadows of our past, I realized how much we both had lost – and how much we still had to learn about each other. In that moment, the journey ahead seemed both daunting and necessary, a chance to heal wounds that had been left open for far too long.