Page 172 of Lust & Lies

“At the same time, I started to fully understand what love is,” Aiden continued. “Now it’s clear to me that the old man isn’t capable of loving anyone. I don’t even think he loved his wife. I don’t remember my grandma. As you know, she died before I was born. There are no pictures of her in the house. My dad doesn’t remember her much either. All my dad remembers is grandpa getting upset whenever Aunt Ji-An cried, wanting her mother as a kid. I’m sure there’s a story there, but we may never know it.”

I wouldn’t be surprised if Mr. Park had her killed because she wouldn’t do things his way. Or, maybe he sent her far away so she wouldn’t influence their kids. With that man, anything was possible.

“Since my parents fled the estate to escape my grandfather, I never had the opportunity to experience a mother’s love or a father’s love. All my brothers and I had was our grandfather. He raised us. He ensured that we received the best education. He made sure we trained in martial arts and weapons and knew how to protect ourselves. He instilled family-first values in us. He taught us that only the powerful could protect their family.”

Or betray and manipulate their family.

“To us, that was love. That’s why I trained you so hard when we were younger. I thought I was showing you that I loved you,” Aiden confessed. “But in truth, it was you who showed me and my brothers how to love. I believe my brothers and I are close today, and know how to love because of you.”

I lifted my head to stare down at him, ignoring the slight wave of dizziness that came over me as I did so.

“Because of me?” I asked. “How did I teach you all how to love?”

“If you hadn’t lived with us, hadn’t grown up with us, we probably would’ve become rivals. At least, Tristan and I would have. Ethan would’ve become withdrawn and felt left out. Probably would’ve turned to drugs and become homeless.”

I burst out laughing. “Don’t do Ethan like that.”

“I’m kidding. Kind of. But Tristan and I would’ve fought over the business and who would be in control. Because of you, we learned to share. He’s the oldest, so I respect him as the head of the corporation. Plus, he’s good at what he does. He knows I’m good at managing the boutique hotels, so he leaves that to me. But if you hadn’t been in our lives, I think we would’ve fought over who inherited what. With you there, whenever we got into an argument, you called us out on not acting like brothers.”

I laughed. “Oh, yeah. I remember that.”

“You once yelled at us for getting into a fist fight. I know my grandfather saw us fighting, but he didn’t stop us. He was probably watching to see which of us would be the victor, which of us deserved the right to be a Park. You didn’t sit back and watch, though. You jumped in. You hit Tristan and me with a bat on our arms, forcing us apart. Then you stood there, staring up at us with your hands on your hips, and told us that brothers weren’t supposed to hurt each other. You told us we needed to get along better, that we were lucky to have siblings, and that we needed to act like it.”

“I was so wise back then,” I bragged, lowering my head to his chest once more.

“Wise and violent.”

“Shut up,” I teased, poking his rib.

“It was then that we realized just how lonely you had to feel without your sister. Your father had died. You and Ellie didn’t get along. And all we did was fight over the dumbest thingsaround you. Yet, you never complained. Never tried to fight Ellie, no matter how rude she was. You never yelled at Ethan for following you around everywhere. I think it was then that Tristan and I became extremely protective of you. And we fought less after that. We did our best to keep Ellie away from you when she visited our estate. Protecting you taught us how to love.”

“You all were great brothers to me.”

“Theywere great brothers to you. I never treated you like a sister.”

“Never?”

“Not once. I still remember the first day you moved in. I couldn’t stop staring at you.”

“But I had my hair cut like a boy, and I was dressed in baggy clothes. I wasn’t much to look at.”

“Even then, you were the prettiest girl I’d ever seen.”

He really wanted to make me cry, didn’t he? I blinked back tears as I thought of the day I’d moved into their estate. Aiden had indeed kept staring at me. I’d threatened to beat him up if he didn’t keep his eyes to himself.

At the time, I’d thought he was looking at me because of my hairstyle and my clothes. Turns out, he was smitten already.

“Noe,” Aiden started, then paused.

I waited, not wanting to rush whatever it was he needed to say.

“The main reason I wanted to take you away from everything was so you could have space to figure out who you were or who you wanted to be. But once I had you here, I realized I was trying to make you into who I wanted you to be. And that’s mine. I feared your memory returning and you leaving me because you no longer wanted anything to do with me or my family. I feared you’d want to go off on your own to figure out who you wanted to be. I feared you’d look at me and think I was no differentthan my grandfather. And in a way, I guess I’m not any different than...”

“Stop,” I told him, unwilling to let him carry guilt that did not belong to him.

Been there, done that, wouldn’t let Aiden do it.

“Your grandfather has hurt and traumatized all of us enough. Don’t you dare let him back into our relationship by comparing yourself to him.”