Capítulo 189: Chapter 189
Zuri looked at him, a mix of helplessness and amusement in her eyes. Facing her unpredictable third brother, she found herself at a loss.
"Owen."
As soon as Zuri spoke, she was met with a disapproving glare from Owen.
"Call me brother!" Owen said with a serious expression. The next second, his face softened into a flattering, eager smile. "Zuri, just call me third brother. You don't have to acknowledge the other two, but you must recognize me. I'm your third brother, the one who cares about you the most."
Zuri: …
Seeing that she didn't respond, Owen didn't push further and instead asked, "Zuri, I've been on set all day, and I came here straight away. I'm exhausted. Where should I sleep?"
As he spoke, he stood up and started looking for a place to sleep, only to find that there was only one bedroom in the small apartment.
"Get me a blanket. I'll sleep here tonight." Owen sat down on the sofa, a charming smile on his handsome face.
"I'll book a hotel for you; you can sleep there."
"No way, I'm sleeping here tonight," Owen insisted. "No hotel can compare to this place. You used to fall asleep holding onto me. We can't sleep like that anymore, but I can still keep you company."
Zuri fell silent.
Should she force him to leave?
She could almost predict that this guy would make a scene if she tried to kick him out.
She never expected that the top idol of the entertainment industry could be so shameless, completely upending her view of the world.
Zuri sighed, "Aren't you afraid your fans will see you like this?"
Owen shrugged indifferently. "As long as I have my face, they won't mind."
He tilted his head, letting the light fully illuminate the face that had captivated countless women.
Zuri looked at that flawless face and had to admit, in this world where appearances matter so much, nothing else really mattered.
"Are you sure you want to sleep here?" Zuri glanced at the three-seater sofa and then at his six-foot frame, which clearly couldn't fit.
"I'm sure," Owen nodded.
Zuri sat down across from him, her expression serious. "Owen, you don't have to do this. I know what you want to say and what you want to do."
Owen was about to speak, but Zuri raised a hand to stop him.
"I've eaten alone, celebrated the New Year alone, and lived alone my whole life. Maybe sometimes it's lonely, maybe sometimes it's sad, but time smooths over everything. Once you're used to it, it's not a big deal."
"I don't need your pity, your guilt, or your charity love."
"I'm fine just as I am."
"I was only searching for my family to find the truth. Now that I know I wasn't abandoned, that's enough."
Owen's throat tightened. "Zuri, it's not like that. There's no pity, no…"
The word "guilt" caught in his throat.
Because his whole family felt guilty and remorseful. Even though he had only been six years old at the time, too young to understand, he still knew that the love and care she had missed out on was their fault.
"It's okay. I understand. If I were in your shoes, suddenly faced with a group of people claiming to be my family, I'd be upset and resistant too." Owen didn't push further or try to explain.
He could sense that she'd built a high wall around her heart, and breaking through that wall wouldn't be achieved with just a few words.
No amount of talking would help.
Only time could prove it.
That they loved her.
Downstairs, the two men waiting occasionally glanced up toward the third floor.
"Do you think he can do it?" Adam asked.
"Maybe," Nolan replied in a low voice.
Owen might seem carefree, but he was clever. He knew exactly what approach would work best with Zuri.
And only he could do it in a way that would make Zuri lower her guard.
Both Nolan and Adam could sense Zuri's resistance and distance towards them.
Though they didn't know what had caused her to feel this way, they had enough patience and confidence that, one day, they would make her open up and accept them.
Suddenly, two young people rushed over, heading straight for them.
"Are you Owen?" A young woman stared at Adam with an infatuated look, her eyes nearly glued to his face.
Adam adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and coldly replied, "No."
"Haha, you must be Owen. Even with glasses on, I'd recognize you from miles away," the girl said obsessively.
Adam resisted the urge to push her away and coldly remarked, "You're a fake fan."
This was one of the reasons why he disliked Owen.
He wore glasses to avoid being recognized as looking somewhat like Owen.
The girl beside her kept glancing at Nolan, her eyes wide with admiration.
This man was so handsome, exuding an air of confidence and masculinity!
Seeing that the two girls weren't leaving, Nolan waved his hand, and several black-clad bodyguards appeared, politely escorting them away.
Instead of being scared by the bodyguards, the girls' eyes sparkled even more.
As they were led away, the girls' excited screams could still be heard.
"Wow, isn't he handsome! Just as good-looking as my idol. Ahh, if I had a boyfriend like that, I'd die happy."
"He's so manly!"
Upstairs, Owen was really sleeping on the sofa, his entire body curled up on the small space.
Downstairs, the two men stood quietly in the cold wind, waiting for a result that never came, until the lights on the third floor went out.
Zuri lay in bed, closing her eyes.
After a long time, she suddenly opened them, staring blankly at the ceiling.
In the quiet, dark room, she listened intently to the sounds outside.
Tossing and turning for what felt like hours, Zuri sat up, threw on a jacket, and opened the door. Her eyes fell on the sofa, where Owen was uncomfortably curled up, his breathing steady.
Zuri walked over, picked up the blanket that had fallen to the floor, and gently covered him again.
As the door closed, the person on the sofa opened his eyes, his hand brushing over the blanket, a small smile forming on his lips.
His Zuri wasn't made of stone. Even the coldest stone could be warmed eventually.
Back in her room, Zuri didn't lie down to sleep. Instead, she walked to the window and opened it, letting the cool night breeze flow in, blowing through her hair.
Suddenly, her eyes fell on something.
Under the trees, two tall figures stood silently. With just one glance, Zuri recognized them.
Nolan and Adam hadn't left. They stood quietly outside, silently watching over her.
Zuri's heart fluttered slightly, the walls she'd built around her heart starting to crack just a little.
Suddenly, her phone lit up on the bedside table.
Zuri picked it up to find a message from Nolan.
"Don't overthink it. Just sleep."
A short line, with few words, but it conveyed warmth and care.
Zuri gripped her phone tightly, looked out the window, then turned her gaze towards the living room.
She whispered softly to herself, "Can I really trust you?"
Can I believe in you?
That you truly care.
Can I really trust you?
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