The Royal Contract

He did not like going to this part of the hospital due to its gloominess. Today, he had no choice. The only family he had was now dead.

“Thanks.” He responded without looking at the other man inside the room. His focus centered on the table where his brother lay.

He was operating when his brother arrived at the hospital. Nobody bothered to inform him because no one knew his connection to the victim.

Once the police found him after his operation, that was the only time he knew about his death. Now, looking at his brother lying in a morgue was not what he imagined would be the next time he would see him.

“How did he die?” He wanted to know the cause of his death, determining if he suffered first or was dead on the spot. The police did say he was stabbed multiple times in the midsection.

He had visited him twice inside the prison, trying to show him some support. But the first one, he refused to see him. On the second one, he saw him briefly, but he did not say much until the visit ended without them connecting at all.

.....

In his opinion, it felt like his brother was condemning his existence for all his misery. He could not blame him since he was a bastard, sharing a life that was supposed to be his alone. But he did not ask for any of this. It was not his fault.

“In my first diagnosis, stub wounds. But I will know more after further examination.” The other doctor told him as he stayed on the other side.

This man might be thinking about his connection to this dead inmate. Maybe just like the rest of his co-staff in the hospital. But he did not care. He never tried to hide that he was a bastard, but Nick was too adamant not to expose him to his world.

“Will you also let me know?” He glanced at the doctor before returning his attention to his brother, all colors drained from his lifeless body.

He felt numb as if he had no idea if he was sad or happy about his current situation. He just lost a brother. Therefore, he should grieve for his loss, but he was not.

He still felt sad that his brother had passed away. He had hoped for a deeper connection with him, but he had always placed him in the distance. It was like he was only tolerating his presence.

“Of course. As soon as I finish my report.” The doctor informed him, then he stared at his brother one last time before saying his final goodbye.

He planned to arrange for his burial and all the necessary things. In the meantime, he just wanted to leave. He had to be somewhere else.

He stepped away from the bed, turning around and walking away from that horrible place. After a few minutes, he was sitting in his car, contemplating what had just happened moments ago.

“Cassie.” He uttered on his lips, suddenly remembering that she had to know.

He quickly roared his engine and shifted the car out of the parking lot and onto the street, driving towards her new apartment.

After discovering that his brother had frequented her previous apartment, Alex arranged her transfer to a new one, but it was farther from his apartment and the hospital.

His fellowship in the hospital was also taking most of his available time. Therefore, it had been difficult for him to visit Cassie with his busy schedule. By the time he was back at his apartment, he was usually fast asleep.

“Hey, I heard what happened.” She immediately enveloped him in her arms as soon as she opened the door for him.

She had heard the news of his death on the different tv channels flashing the incident. It seemed his unexpected death was hitting the media frenzy, and the hunt for the mastermind interested many spectators.

“Yeah, I just came from the morgue to visit him.” He moved further inside the room and slumped down on the sofa, then closed his eyes.

He felt his other side dip as she sat beside him, but he did not open his eyes but continued to let his mind ponder on his current situation.

Then, her fingers caressed his forehead, feeling them gliding along with his short hair. It continued in a steady pattern, calming him down.

“Are you alright?” Her soft voice somehow soothed his frail nerves.

He could sense the concern in her tone, probably thinking that he was distraught by the situation. But honestly, he had no idea how to feel about it.

In his mind, people who knew they were related might think that he should feel bad about what happened to his brother. Others might think that he would seek justice for his death.

But in truth, he was a little relieved that he was dead. It sounded terrible, but it was not his intent. He just thought that at least his brother would be at peace. He had been through a lot.

He also felt bad that his brother did not get the chance to repent. Everybody he believed deserved that chance. But a man who lived with a knife in his hand had a great chance of dying in one.

His brother had lived a life of crime. Therefore, he might have acquired more than his fair share of enemies who would want him dead.

“Yeah, I think I am.” He finally opened his eyes, turning his face to look at her.

Suddenly, he felt guilty that he had ignored her for the past few days. He had been too busy, not even able to visit her. Now, here she was, comforting him in his time of need.

He also promised to take her on her dream vacation. But sadly, he never came around to fulfilling that promise. He guessed it was time that he did something about it.

“What are you thinking?” She let her fingers entangle with him as their hand entwined. She leaned closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

He could not see her face anymore, but he could feel her warmth from the contact of their skins. It felt nice to have her around. He had missed her presence lately.

“You.” He admitted without a reservation. He was through bottling up his feelings for her.

He shifted in his seat until he was facing her. With the tip of his fingers, he tilted her face until she was directly staring into his eyes. She looked so beautiful, his brain told him.

He could read the surprise in her eyes as if she could not fathom the thought that she was constantly on his mind. But she was. She had played like a broken record in his consciousness. Even in his dreams, he had thought of her.

“What do you mean?” Excitement and fear course through her body, playing a tug of war in her heart.