Page 41 of TAINTED by TWINS

In the hospital, Jade sobs beside Lian's bed as Jonah sits calmly with an apple in his hand.

"I can't lose him, I can't! I don't want to feel what our mother felt, Jonah.

Lei Ann's death destroyed her and she's putting on a smile for Lian, for us!

I can't do that man, I'm not like her—I'm not like you! "

Jade held Lian's hand as if praying for a God for the first time in my life. "I can't—I physically can't live without you, don't do that to yourself. Please, I can't live with myself knowing I couldn't protect you..."

Hearing his twin sob against Lian's unconscious body, Jonah had to stand up and quietly leave, apple in hand. Not quiet enough, because Jade heard the door click.

He saw him take a turn towards the staircase. They're in the highest floor of the private hospital and the stairs would only lead to the roof. "Jonah!"

"Sorry Jade, I just had to get fresh air..." Jonah's eyes struggled against the sting of what he truly feels inside, making the fresh apple bounce in his hand. "I don't think it's a good idea to leave Lian alone, hmm?"

"I trust him more than you. I thought you'd do something stupid," Jade sighs. "I know you'd never, but..."

"I'd never do something stupid," Jonah says, touching the cement hand rail in front of him. "Anything I do only has been for the best."

"The best? For Lian? You destroyed his life, and you think giving him Maison du Rouge will fix everything?" Jade calls him out. "He almost died, Jonah. That was far from being the best for him."

"He did that himself."

"He does not want to die. He burned the office to destroy his past self, to destroy father's legacy.

Lian wants to start a new one." Jonah quietly says, staring into the horizon while he admired the perfectly red apple bouncing on his hands.

"He is smarter than anyone I have ever met.

.. and stronger than anyone I've ever known.

Maybe we shouldn't be selfish. Maybe if he wants to reject the world I've given him, he should be allowed to do so. "

"What are you talking about?"

"All I'm saying," Jonah lifts his head, throwing the apple over the railing, "... is I'm letting him go."

"I've only wanted to return to him what was rightfully his, Jade," The blonde mutters, shaking his head to stop anything from showing through.

"When I found out he was father's son, I realized my life had been a lie and I was never meant to inherit Maison du Rouge.

I never deserved it, it wasn't mine. I had to ensure Lian gets what was rightfully his, and maybe he will have a better life. A life never meant to be mine."

"I know you're also blaming yourself, Jade. You cannot pin all of this on me when you failed to watch over them," Jonah says, "I'm just stating what happened. I don't blame you, brother. It's not your fault, it's not Lian's." It's mine.

"He deserves everything," Jonah says, "And if he wants Maison du Rouge, or revenge, or death... I'm giving him everything."

"Indeed," Jonah says with a cracking voice, mask breaking from the pressure.

A vulnerable tear rolled down his cheek, overfilled with guilt.

"You're right, I did this to him. I have done my purpose of giving him the life he was meant to have.

If killing me means justice for the man I love, so be it. It will be the greatest act of love."

Jade couldn't even look at him, while Jonah looks at his own hand. "And I'll know he'll never forget me. Because he'll see me through you. I'll always be with him... through you."

Jade is crying, angry, scared, that Jonah is looking up at him with a calm smile, minimal tears. For he mourns silently, his guilt is silent yet deadly.

"Lian... deserves... everything..." Jonah whispers as Jade yells out trying to pull Jonah up. "... even a life without me."

"I told you... I'll die a brunette..." Jonah says.

Jade managed to get enough leverage to pull Jonah slightly above the railing, and he wasted no time in grabbing his clothes and throwing him back inside, where Jade straddles him and punching him square in the jaw.

Jonah just laid there with a broken nose, bleeding mouth, smiling at his furious brother.

Punch! "Lian doesn't deserve a dead lover!" Punch! "I don't deserve a dead twin!" Punch!

When Jade's crying finally blocked his airway, he can't help but collapse on top of Jonah, sobbing into his shoulder. The bloodied blonde reached up to softly pat his back, ignoring the bleeding gums and broken nose.

"Lian... is the strongest person I've ever met. He will... live through my death, he will live without me. But you... my half, my reflection..." Jonah coughs out some blood stuck in his throat, making Jade pull away to look at him. Jonah's eyes are softer, "... are you scared?"

Jonah holds his face with trembling hands. "I was willing to die for you. If it gives you peace..."

Jonah chuckled as he spat his own blood to the side, "At least... now you know that I'm willing to do anything for you and Lian. Even if it's to die. And now I know you don't really want me dead, you're too scared to live alone."

Jonah smiles with bloody teeth, "You'll always be my reflection, Jade..."

"Lian..." Jonah realized that this is the same private hospital Khalid is admitted to.

The twins ran as if he's in danger. He set fire to their house, he might do the same in this hospital with patients everywhere. Jonah rushed through the hallway with his twin despite the nurses looking at his handsomely cut face with concern.

"He's a danger to himself, who knows what he could do!" Exclaims Jonah.

"Aren't you the one who brainwashed him to kill Khalid?"

"After everything he has gone through, I can't guarantee Father will be the only one dying—" they finally burst open into Khalid Deveroux's bedroom, only to find Lian smiling down at his father while holding his hand.

"Honey..." Jade slowly approaches, "... are you okay? You shouldn't have gone out here without us, you could hurt yourself."

"I'm not hurt. I won't be... not anymore. I was just thanking our father," Lian looks up at the twins, smiling although his eyes look empty. "And thank you, for putting me in the same hospital he is in. I was counting on that... so I'll be here to tell him bedtime stories."

"What bedtime stories?" Jonah nervously asked, making Lian look at him because of the change in tone.

"Oh... have you boys been fighting again? Jade... it's unfair how Jonah never fights back and yet you always beat him up." He doesn't seem bothered at all.

"It's... it's because—"

"Jade was letting his frustrations out," Jonah cuts off, refusing to let Lian know of his attempts earlier.

"He blames me for everything that happened to you.

And I'm not fighting against that idea, either.

Everything I did was to give you the world.

.. not realizing its weight has been crushing you. "

"Shh, I haven't told him yet—ahh, too late. We've been caught."

"Wha do you mean, he's asleep?" Jade asked, but Jonah knew better, watching Khalid's fingers and arm.

Lian explained, "See, Christian Wayne gave me a parting gift on my gala.

He didn't want me killing anyone, that was the only drop of innocence I have left.

So he gave me snake venom. I injected a little bit through daddy's spine, the same place the bullet would've hit me, if I didn't have a tough one. "

Khalid Deveroux is paralyzed. The twins look horrified. Khalid Deveroux is fully awake, hearing everything they are saying yet couldn't move or talk. His hand on Lian's is twitching, his forearm muscles tightening, but nothing else could move.

"I saved his life for a reason," Lian somehow is laughing, unbothered.

"You're right, Jade. I shouldn't kill my own father.

And I don't want Jonah to kill him, too.

I want him to hear everything... to see the truth, just like how the truth was hidden from me all these years.

I want him to have zero control over his body, just like I did all these years.

I won't make the same mistake with Sasha Petrovna.

.. father will live a long life. And he will suffer throughout everything, never even getting the chance to beg for death. "

Jonah slowly approached the bed, looking down at the paralyzed but awake Khalid Deveroux with eyes closed, begging to be let out of his own prison.

"I knew not to underestimate you. From that truth or dare game, I knew there was something inside you I could not lower my guard to.

Now everything is at your feet, including us. "

"You always were," Lian says as Jade step towards them, standing next to him specifically.

"I never knew how much power I really had until I realized the twins who wanted to seduce me fell for me instead.

The Doctor who wanted to keep me in a cage, released me instead.

The most powerful woman in the world who wanted to kill me, loved me instead.

The mother who didn't want to live, stayed alive instead. "

Lian leans across the bed to smile proudly at Jonah, "I had you wrapped around my finger and I didn't even realize it. The price and perks of being the main character, isn't it?"

"Lian..." Jade stood beside him, "I know you're still wrapping your head around—"

Lian grabs his nape and pulls him in for a kiss, forcing the taller boy to bend to his will. Jade couldn't pull away, he can feel Lian's smile against his own lips. They're soft, heavenly... they thought it was a normal 3-minute kiss, until Lian's hands started crawling down and undoing a belt—

"What are you doing?" Jade whispers, looking to Jonah but Lian grabs his face to kiss him once more.

"I just miss you, that's all..."

Jade tries stopping him from messing with his pants. But Lian pushes him towards the bed where their father lay. "Hey, you can't—!"

"Come on Jade, don't act like you're not hard for me..." Lian giggles.

"Because it's you!" Jade grabs his hands and look at their paralyzed father, horrified. "Lian..."

"It's the least you boys can do for me..." Lian's eyes dared them, both Jonah and Jade looking as guilty as they are.

Jonah was the most guilty. He walked around the bed where he reached out for Lian's neck, taking his hands off of Jade. "I'm sorry, Lian. I love you... I'll give you the world, I'll give you all."

"Then give me all," Lian demands.

To Jade's horror, Jonah kisses him passionately, to the point of pushing Lian towards an empty side table where they made out as if they're the only ones in this room.

Jade can't look, but his breath deepens hearing Lian's voice, and knowing his eyes are seducing the dark haired twin. Jade held himself back. He's not gonna stoop to this level... Lian is using them to torture Khalid Deveroux. And Jonah is happily complying.

"If I can't have you sane, I'll take you as you are..." Jonah exhaled a confession, his breath needy and begging. "All that you are... I want with no hesitation."

"Jade!"

Jade had to confess to Khalid, "A rose... is just as dangerous as it is beautiful. Everyone who meets him just... falls. Either in love, or in despair. You and mother were right... their beauty drives us insane. I guess I am, huh? I fell for an angel who fell from heaven."

"Jonah... feels so good..."

Jade unbuckles his belt and walks toward the couch where he holds Lian by the neck and lifts it to ask for a kiss. Lian smiled at how Jade gave in. Jade replaced his lips with his fingers, pushing his middle and forefinger inside Lian's mouth as he pumps himself with the other hand.

Jonah's grunts sounds like he's getting lost inside, so Jade asks, "Tight, huh?"

"He's doing a good job loosening up..."

Jade presses against Lian to tease him. "Right in front of your own father?"

Lian looks so happy and giddy right now, the natural blush returned to his cheeks. With one hand, Jade fished out his wallet and pulled out a condom. At the crinkle of the thing, Lian looks at him in distaste, pulling away from the fingers.

"It's been here even before we pursued you okay honey?" Jade tears it open with his teeth, and the act made Lian tighten up so much that Jonah had to complain.

Jade puts it on, and Lian is confused. "S-since when... do you use condoms on me? Am I dirty...?"

This time, Jonah stayed slow while Jade starts ramming him from behind—Lian starts to cry against Jonah's lips, feeling himself tear from the both of the forcing two inside.

"Jade!" Lian cried, the intensity of the thrusts making him move up and down against Jonah's member. "It's too much, I can't—!"

"This is the only time I have ever hurt you..." Jade admits, feeling his climax come near. And Jonah is feeling it too, thrusting up Lian as he can no longer stay calm. "... and I have the feeling it won't be the last I'll hurt you like this."

"Oooh, the second brother demands," Jonah teases him as he passes Lian to a seated Jade.

"Yes baby..." Jonah says as he ate him out, "Let daddy hear how good you're feeling."

"Ahhh! AHHH! Jade, no! Jonah!" Lian held onto Jade's hair for dear life, up until he lost his sanity as they all rolled into Jade's willing mouth.