chapter 1

“Jacob, what the hell are you doing here?” Victor’s voice cut through the room like a knife, sharp and commanding, filled with detest.

Jacob froze in the doorway, drenched from the rain outside, his heart sinking at the sight of his older brother embracing Lena in her apartment. Victor’s hand was wrapped possessively around Lena’s waist, his fingers grazing the curve of her hip.

“I could ask you the same thing, Victor,” Jacob replied, trying to keep his voice steady, though the knot in his stomach tightened every passing second he saw them both in that questionable position.

Lena stood by the couch, her arms crossed and her expression cold, her eyes flicking over Jacob filled with disdain. “Jacob, why the hell are you even here?”

“What’s going on?” Jacob demanded, stepping further into the room, ignoring the water dripping from his clothes onto the floor. “Victor, why are you here?”

Victor chuckled, a cold, mocking sound that sent a chill down Jacob’s spine. He leaned in closer to Lena, his lips brushing against her ear as he spoke, “Isn’t it obvious, little brother? I’m here because Lena and I have some… unfinished business.”

Jacob turned to Lena, his voice trembling. “Lena, what is he talking about?”

Lena didn’t flinch. Her gaze was steady, almost bored. “Victor and I have been seeing each other, Jacob. You didn’t actually think I was serious about you, did you?” she asked in a mocking tone.

Jacob’s heart stopped. He searched Lena’s eyes for some sign that this was all a cruel joke, but there was nothing there—no remorse, no hesitation. “What? No… You can’t be serious.”

“She’s serious,” Victor interjected, stepping forward, his smile widening as he watched Jacob’s world crumble. “You didn’t really think someone like Lena would stay with you, did you? Look at yourself, you’re a mess.”

Jacob shook his head, refusing to believe what he was hearing. “Lena, tell me this isn’t true.”

Desperation took over as Jacob reached out to grab her hand, needing some physical connection to ground him, to make sense of the chaos swirling around him. But Lena recoiled, her lip curling in disgust. “Don’t you dare touch me,” she hissed, her eyes blazing with contempt.

Before he could react, her hand lashed out, delivering a stinging slap across his face. The impact was sharp, sending him stumbling back, the shock of her action far more painful than the physical blow.

“Lena… please…” Jacob whispered, his voice trembling, pleading for an explanation, for anything that would make this make sense.

“Please?” Lena mocked, her voice dripping with venom. “You’re pathetic, Jacob. You actually thought I could ever love someone like you?”

Victor moved closer, his presence looming over Jacob like a dark shadow. “You were just a stepping stone, little brother. A means to an end. Lena needed someone to pass the time with until she found something real. Someone best for her, like me.”

Jacob’s heart twisted in his chest, the pain of betrayal cutting deeper than any knife. “Lena… I gave you everything I had…”

“And it wasn’t enough,” Lena shot back, her voice cold and unfeeling. “You’re weak, Jacob. You were never going to be enough for me. You’re nothing but a pathetic, lovesick fool.”

Victor sneered, enjoying every second of Jacob’s torment. “You heard her, Jacob. You’re nothing. You never were.”

The weight of their words crushed him, suffocating him under the reality of their cruelty. “I thought you loved me,” Jacob said, his voice barely more than a broken whisper.

Lena rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. “Love? Don’t make me laugh. You were convenient, that’s all. But I’ve moved on to something better, something stronger.” She glanced at Victor, a smirk playing on her lips. “Someone who can actually give me what I want.”

Jacob’s hands trembled with the urge to lash out, to scream, to do anything to stop this nightmare. But he knew it was pointless. Victor had always been stronger, more ruthless. He had always taken whatever he wanted, and now he had taken the one thing Jacob had cherished most.

Victor saw the hesitation in Jacob’s eyes and smirked. “See? You’re too scared to even fight for her. You’re not a man, Jacob. You’re nothing.”

Lena stepped forward, her eyes cold and unfeeling. “Just leave, Jacob. You’re embarrassing yourself.”

Jacob swallowed hard, trying to push down the wave of despair threatening to consume him. He had loved Lena with everything he had, and now it was all crashing down around him.

Unable to contain his pain, Jacob reached out once more, his hand trembling as he tried to touch her, to hold on to what little remained of the life he thought they had. But as his fingers brushed against her arm, Lena pushed him hard against the wall, her eyes flashing with disgust.

Victor’s eyes darkened as he watched the exchange. “You think you can just touch my woman like that?” he growled. Without warning, he lashed out, his fist connecting with Jacob’s jaw, sending him crashing to the floor.

Before Jacob could even catch his breath, Victor’s goons moved in, their fists and boots raining down on him in a relentless assault. Pain exploded in every part of his body as they beat him, the sound of their laughter mixing with the pounding of his heart in his ears.

Victor stood over him, his voice cold and taunting. “This is what happens when you mess with what’s mine.”

Jacob curled into himself, trying to protect his face, but there was no escape from the onslaught. Each punch, each kick, felt like it was breaking not just his body, but his very soul.

Through the haze of pain, he heard Lena’s voice, sharp and final. “You’re nothing, Jacob. Just a pathetic, broken loser. Get out of my life.”

Victor’s laugh was dark and triumphant. “You really thought you could keep her? Pathetic.”

With one last kick to his ribs, the goons stepped back, leaving Jacob crumpled on the floor, his body screaming in agony. Victor snapped his fingers, and they turned to leave, the door slamming shut behind them.

Jacob lay there, gasping for breath, the world spinning around him. The rain outside matched the storm raging inside him as he struggled to his feet, his vision blurred with tears he refused to let fall. Every step was a battle, every breath a reminder of the betrayal that had shattered his world.

As he stumbled out into the cold, wet night, he could still hear their voices, their laughter, echoing in his ears, taunting him, reminding him of how utterly alone he was.

He wandered aimlessly until he reached the bridge overlooking the river. The cold water hit him like a slap in the face, but he welcomed it, hoping it would wash away the sting of betrayal. He leaned over the railing, staring down at the dark water below, wishing it could swallow him whole.

A strange sensation began to wash over him, starting in his fingertips and spreading through his entire body. He looked down at his hands, confusion mingling with the pain.

“What the…?” he murmured, the world around him beginning to blur and shift, reality slipping through his grasp like sand.