Chapter 165: Two Broken Brothers
Alessandro’s POV
“You know, Ray,” my father said, his voice calm,
“I never even wanted to be Alpha. Even though Father pushed me to be.”
Uncle Raymond scoffed loudly. “Oh, really? Sure didn’t seem that way to me.”
Father just smiled a little.
“Well… that’s what you thought. I wanted to travel, see the world, be free.
But Father had different plans. He wanted me to stay and take over.”
He paused, his gaze steady on Raymond.
“There was even a day I told him you should become Alpha instead.
I argued for you, Ray.
But he said you weren’t ready. That you made rash decisions… that you didn’t think things through.
He said he tested you many times, hoping you’d prove him wrong. But you didn’t.”
Uncle Raymond slammed his fist against the bars, making the metal ring out. His voice cracked with rage.
“No!
He wanted me to fail! He made sure I failed!
He never saw me as good enough!
That was just his excuse to choose you over me!”
His anger filled the room like a storm, but Father didn’t flinch. He just kept sitting there, heartbreak clear in his eyes.
Uncle Raymond’s fists tightened around the chains, his whole body shaking with anger.
“You had everything, John!
The title, Father's approval… even the woman I loved!
You took her from me too!”
My eyes widened.
I hadn’t known about that. I glanced at Father, and for the first time, I saw a flicker of guilt cross his face.
Father leaned forward slightly, his voice low but honest.
“I didn’t take her from you, Ray. She chose me.”
Raymond laughed bitterly, a hollow, broken sound.
“She chose you because you were the perfect son. The perfect Alpha-to-be.
How could I ever compete?”
Father’s voice softened even more, full of a sadness that seemed to weigh down the room.
“I never wanted to compete with you, Ray. I never wanted to take anything away from you.
I wanted us to stand side by side, as brothers, leading together in our own way.”
Uncle Raymond shook his head, his jaw tight, years of resentment burning in his eyes.
“You got everything, and I got nothing. And you expect me to just forgive that?”
Father didn’t answer right away. He just looked at Raymond not with anger, not with superiority but with heartbreak.
“No. I don’t expect anything from you,” Father said finally.
“I just wanted to know… if there was ever a time you truly saw me as your brother.
Not your enemy.”
For a moment, silence fell between them, heavy and thick.
And deep down, I realized maybe this wasn’t about power anymore.
It was about two broken brothers, standing on opposite sides of a war that had started long before either of them really understood it.
Uncle Raymond broke the heavy silence with a sharp, cold laugh.
“You think this little talk will fix things?” he sneered, his voice dripping with venom.
“You think saying you didn’t want any of it makes it better?
It doesn’t, John.
I don’t care what you wanted or didn’t want.
The only thing that matters is that you had it all, and I didn’t.
And as long as I breathe, I’ll make sure you lose everything you ever cared about.”
Father’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t respond. He didn’t need to.
The sadness in his eyes said everything.
Uncle Raymond leaned closer to the bars, his chained hands gripping the metal so tightly his knuckles turned white.
“You’ll regret ever crossing me, brother,” he spat.
“You should’ve finished me when you had the chance.”
Father slowly stood, his shoulders heavy but his spirit unbroken.
He looked down at Raymond, not with hatred, but with a kind of mourning, mourning the brother he had lost a long time ago.
“I already lost you, Ray,” Father said quietly.
“There’s nothing left to destroy.”
Without waiting for a response, Father turned and walked toward the door.
I stepped out from my hiding place just as he opened it, meeting his tired eyes.
He didn’t say anything he just gave me a small nod, a silent signal that it was over.
As we walked away from the cell, Raymond’s furious voice echoed behind us.
“You’ll see, John!
I’ll make sure you regret every second you breathe!”
But I didn’t turn around.
For the first time, I understood something deep in my bones.
Hate doesn’t fade on its own. It grows, rots everything inside you, until there’s nothing left but bitterness.
And if we weren’t careful... it could happen to us too.
Me and Leonardo.
Fighting for the Alpha title. Fighting over Aurora.
It could tear us apart the same way it tore Father and Uncle Raymond apart.
I tightened my hands into fists, my steps quickening.
I didn’t want that to happen between me and Leonardo.
I wouldn’t let it happen.
Suddenly, Father staggered beside me, his strength giving out for a moment.
I caught him quickly, wrapping an arm around his back to steady him.
“Thank you, son,” he said quietly, his voice rough with exhaustion.
He leaned heavily on me, and I could feel how much the meeting had drained him not just physically, but deep inside, where years of pain had been buried.
He sighed deeply, a sound that seemed to carry a lifetime of regret.
“Are you… okay, Father?”
I asked, keeping my voice low as I guided him gently down the hallway, heading back toward the hospital ward.
He didn’t answer right away.
He just shook his head slightly, as if searching for the right words.
Finally, he murmured, “I’m tired, Alessandro.
Tired of fighting battles that never seem to end.”
I nodded, my heart heavy.
He wasn’t just talking about Uncle Raymond anymore.
He was talking about everything the weight of being Alpha, the expectations, the betrayals, the sacrifices.
As we reached his ward, I helped him ease onto the bed.
He closed his eyes for a moment, breathing in slowly, as if trying to gather the pieces of himself again.
I pulled the blanket over him, making sure he was comfortable.
Father opened his eyes and gave me a small, tired smile.
“You’re a good son,” he said quietly.
“And one day… you’ll be a good Alpha too.
Just promise me... don’t let hatred guide you. Don’t make the same mistakes we did.”
I swallowed hard, the words hitting deeper than he probably realized.
“I promise, Father,” I said, gripping his hand firmly.
“I promise.”
He nodded, satisfied, and closed his eyes again, finally letting himself rest.
I stood there for a moment, watching him, feeling the weight of his words settle in my chest.
Then, with a new sense of purpose, I turned and left the room.
It was time to find Leonardo.
Before our bond broke beyond repair.