Chapter 20

Among all the Murray brothers, Sean had been the one to indulge Leyla the most.

Leyla had always shared the closest bond with him.

Now, however, a faint chill of fear slid through her at the thought of facing him.

Sean's temper was infamous-quick to ignite and unforgiving when it came to betrayal. On top of that,years of boxing had honed his strength and precision.

If he learned she had willingly cut ties with his family,she was certain his anger would boil over, and he might even strike her.

A thought suddenly hit her. Was that why he'd shown up now-to confront her physically?

She instinctively wanted to bolt. Yet her body betrayed her. Her legs felt like lead, and her stumbling attempt to move was barely faster than a slow walk.

In a burst of restless irritation, she slapped her own thighs.

The sound had barely faded when a car door clicked open.

Leyla's body went rigid, and she forced herself to turn,each movement slow and stiff.

Sean stood there, his face set in an icy, unreadable mask.

His features carried the sharp, attractive lines of Louis and Stella, yet the weight of his thick brows gave him a harsh, almost intimidating edge whenever he wasn't smiling.

Carl had never rattled her-he was the sort to argue endlessly but never raise a hand to her-so she'd spoken to himn without hesitation.

Sean,however, was a completely different story. She knew better than to cross him. Once, she'd watched him in an underground boxing ring, delivering blows so brutal his opponent barely left alive.

A dry lump formed in her throat as she forced a tight smile. "Hi..."

"There you are, Leyla! I've been looking everywhere for you!" His voice carried both relief and urgency.

At first, he'd assumed she was at Hector's place.When she wasn't, he'd gone straight to the Clarkes'estate.

And now, luck had put her right in front of him.

Taking her hand with surprising gentleness, he said,"Come home with me. I don't care how Carl or Eliana treated you-you'll always be my little sister."

Leyla's breath caught, surprise flashing in her eyes.

So... he didn't know she'd walked away from the Murray family by choice? From his tone, he clearly believed Carl and Eliana had thrown her out. Drawing in a slow, careful breath, Leyla asked softly,"You still see me as your sister?"

"Absolutely," he said without a hint of hesitation.

The timid way she looked at him only deepened his conviction that she'd been wronged. A pang of sympathy tightened in his chest. She had been the little sister he'd watched grow from childhood,and the thought of Carl casting her out seemed impossible to him.

A protective edge crept into Sean's voice as he said,"Leyla, you don't have to worry. Iwon't let Carl force you out."

Leyla's suspicions were confirmed. Sean, all muscle and little foresight, had completely misunderstood the situation.

The realization brought a flicker of relief, and she lowered her gaze. "I'm sorry, but I can't go back with you."

His brows pulled together. "Why not?" The question stirred a memory-overheard exchanges between Jordy and Carl-and his expression shifted. "Leyla...is it true what Carl said? That you were the one who wanted to cut ties?"

A sharp pinch to her side sent a sting through her ribs, and tears welled in her eyes on cue.

Putting on her most wounded tone, she murmured,"How could I ever want to leave you? But now that Eliana's back, I... I'm just an outsider. I don't belong there anymore."

"What outsider?" Sean retorted instantly. "You're not an outsider-you're family. Did Carl tell you otherwise?"

Leyla gave a small shake of her head.

"Was it because of Eliana?" Sean's brow furrowed as he pressed her for an answer.

Leyla said nothing. Sean's temper spiked instantly. In his mind, Eliana must have been spoiled beyond reason while living in the countryside. How else could she be this petty?

Still, the priority now was getting Ley/la to come home. He couldn't shake the worry that she wouldn't be able to manage on her own.

Resting a reassuring hand on her shoulder, he said,"You silly girl. Sure, Eliana's back, but what does she have besides a blood connection? Do you think the years we've shared mean nothing? Just come back with me-you have no reason to leave."

But Leyla had no intention of agreeing.

The Clarke family had never warmed to her, and carrying the Murray name only made it worse. After what happened today, their dislike was certain to deepen. That was exactly why, at this moment,returning to the Murray family was the last thing she could do. If she went back now, she was convinced even Hector would eventually turn against her.

Pushing the thought aside, Leyla shook her head."Don't worry about me. I can manage on my own.You should go back and be with Eliana-after all these years apart, she needs you far more than I do."

"Let the others take care of her. I'm not interested,"Sean replied, shaking his head with finality.

She was ready to press him again when something over his shoulder caught her eye-Eliana, walking out of the estate alone.

Wait-why was she walking out alone? Could it mean she'd failed to treat Miguel? A rush of uncertainty swirled through Leyla's thoughts.

By all logic, if Eliana had succeeded, the Clarkes would be singing her praises and never letting her leave without an escort.

The notion sparked something in Leyla's eyes, a glint of calculation taking hold. Her fingers closed around Sean's sleeve. "It doesn't matter if I go back right now. Once Eliana accepts you all, I can return whenever I want. Remember, she's still your sister. If anything happens to her, you can't just stand there and do nothing." Sean never truly dismissed Eliana's safety.

In his mind, even if she had gone astray, she was still bound to him by family ties.

Disliking someone and outright abandoning them were two entirely different things.

That was why Leyla's words stirred an uneasy feeling in his chest.

"What happened to Eliana?" he asked sharply.

The flicker of worry in his eyes made Leyla's stomach twist-an old, petty feeling, like the jealousy of a child who didn't want another kid playing with a toy she'd tossed aside.

She smothered the sensation quickly and spoke with calculated calm. "Eliana... for reasons | don't understand, she pretended to be the famous doctor the Clarke family brought in. I saw her inside just now -Miguel was coughing up blood because of her."

"What?!" Sean's concern vanished in an instant,replaced by sharp contempt. "Idiot! How could she pull something like that? The Clarke family might be ruthless-they did kick Dad when he was down-but that doesn't mean she should provoke them. Our family can't afford to take the brunt of their anger!"

Leyla let out a deliberate sigh. "That's right, Sean.You need to straighten her out before she does something truly reckless. And make sure the Clarkes know she isn't the famed doctor they think she is. If you don't, she'll stir up even more trouble-maybe even cost someone their life."

Sean's anger flared, his eyes blazing and the veins at his temples standing out. "How did I end up with such a foolish sister?"

Seeing Eliana approaching in the distance, Leyla hurried to finish. "This isn't the time to argue. I have somewhere to stay, so don't worry about me. I need to go. Take care of yourself."

She spun on her heel and walked away without waiting for a reply.

Sean was ready to go after her, determined to bring her back to the Murray family. But the moment he turned, his gaze caught on Eliana stepping out of the gates.