No More Waiting, She Chooses Love

Was he seriously flirting with me in that cheeky way?

But he's always been such a straight arrow!

So, I ended up thinking maybe I was the one with the not-so-pure thoughts.

"Care to test that theory?" Ernest's burning gaze made my cheeks flare up again.This content is © NôvelDrama.Org.

I pinched him, pretending to be mad, "You gonna listen or not? 'Cause I'll stop talking if you aren't."

"I'm listening!"

I gazed out the window, recounting to Ernest what Dustin had shared with me. After listening, he keenly asked, "You're worried, aren't you?"

"Yeah, but not about Conrad. It's the company I'm worried about," I clarified immediately.

"I know," Ernest said, softly tousling my hair. "You think there's more to this situation than meets the eye, right?"

Ernest just got me.

"Your concerns are valid. Maybe everything was calculated from the moment Dustin returned," Ernest's words made my eyes widen.

"Really?" Though I had my suspicions, hearing Ernest say it outright still shocked me.

I thought I knew Dustin. He was always the dependable big brother type, looking out for me and Conrad since we were kids.

He even left town for a few years, and when he came back not too long ago, he insisted that if he had wanted the company, he wouldn't have left in the first place.

"Maybe not before, but now? It's possible," Ernest spoke calmly. "Licia, you don't really understand men."

I couldn't argue with that. "Then give me some insight from a man's perspective."

"Dustin has feelings for you, right?" Ernest was straightforward.

"Yeah, but I didn't know until he came back this time," I admitted.

Ernest was certain, "He's been into you just as long as Conrad, maybe even more seriously."

I listened quietly as he continued, "He left for a few years, right?"

"Four years!" I remembered the timing of Dustin's departure. "He left when Conrad and I made our relationship official."

"That makes sense. He saw you had made your choice and lost hope. As the older brother, he stepped aside and traveled far, thinking distance would lessen his feelings for you. But these four years probably didn't change a thing, so as soon as he heard about your fallout with Conrad, he came back, hoping to seize the opportunity."

Ernest's reasoning was sound. Indeed, Dustin had been the first to call me when things went south with Conrad.

I wasn't naive; I could feel it then.

But Ernest wasn't close to Dustin, yet his insight was spot-on, almost as if he were Dustin himself.

Following Ernest's logic, I said, "But then you came along and beat him to the punch, right?"

Ernest's lips curled in a half-smile, hummed in affirmation.

"But what does this have to do with your talk of schemes?" I brought the conversation back on track.

It's human nature self-preservation at all costs. No one wants to be second, not even to their own sibling.

Dustin, perhaps once acting out of a 'noble heart', gave up his claim to the Wagner family legacy and the woman he loved, only to return after four years changed, wanting to reclaim everything.

Suddenly, I realized I might be a pawn in Dustin's game for power.

My heart felt heavy, and I fell silent.

As the plane grew distant, I silently wished, "Safe travels."