Chapter 409-Oh! Does It Hurt?

Verity:

The brothers were looking right at me, clearly waiting for Gigi to leave so they could speak freely.

It was almost sad, the way she had come in.

I had seen her phone because I was standing right beside her. There had been no notification at all.

Honestly, it was pathetic.

She had wanted to leave us alone so she could figure out what had happened. She was nosy like that, so the moment she stepped out of the room, I knew she was planning something.

"I thought you wouldn’t come to the office," Jaguar began, his tone softening.

I remained where I was, clutching the file in my hand and looking everywhere except at him.

"Yeah, I really wanted to talk to you," Theodore cut in. "You don’t have to cut me off cold turkey before making a decision, and I don’t agree with my brother’s thinking at all. We need to stay connected so you can actually tell whether you feel anything for me. I don’t want you to go home, completely shut me out, and then decide you don’t want me because you don’t feel any connection."

He was rambling.

His entire body language showed how anxious he was.

"Right," Jaguar muttered. "He thinks there won’t be any connection if you don’t see him, but with me, it’s different. We already know we’re fated mates. We shouldn’t be separated. You need to spend time with me and see me as your mate before you make a decision."

The moment Jaguar finished, Theodore turned toward him.

The glare he gave him was vicious.

The brothers were clearly no longer getting along.

Theodore went quiet before suddenly walking past me toward the door and peeking into the hallway.

That was when I realized he found Gigi’s sudden departure suspicious too.

He wanted to make sure she wasn’t listening or maybe he thought she would return and hear it all.

Honestly, when I turned around, I half expected him to catch her standing right outside.

But judging by the way he returned, she apparently wasn’t there.

So she really had moved farther away.

That gave Theodore and Jaguar enough time to speak to me without worrying about her overhearing.

Once Theodore seemed certain Gigi wasn’t nearby, he faced me again.

"Have you thought about anything at all?" he asked.

"You should keep some distance from her," Jaguar muttered under his breath as he slowly rose from his chair.

"Don’t tell me what I should or shouldn’t do," Theodore snapped. "I’m an adult, not a child you can control anymore."

I rolled my eyes and planted my hands on my waist.

"This is exactly why your brother was angry with me. You two keep fighting, and somehow all the blame ends up on me," I hissed.

Both of them immediately straightened.

"We’re not fighting," Jaguar insisted. "We’re just irritated because we want to know what you’re thinking, Verity."

His voice had changed completely.

He sounded nothing like he had when speaking to Theodore.

"It’s been days, Verity," Theodore added. "I don’t know how you spent them, but I’ve been through hell."

I lowered my gaze to my fingers.

I wanted them to understand that I knew how painful this had been for them.

But still, it was their own brother who had caused all of this.

"I’m not sure," I began. "After the way your brother spoke to me and reacted to everything, I started wondering whether stepping away completely might be the better choice."

The moment those words left my mouth, both brothers reacted.

Their bodies stiffened. They glanced at each other, then moved toward me with such intensity that I immediately stepped back.

"Wait, no. You can’t do that," Jaguar snapped first.

His eyes betrayed how angry he was.

Theodore, on the other hand, stood there with his fists clenched and his jaw tight, glaring at me.

"Verity, people are supposed to fight for each other," he hissed.

I took a deep breath and turned my face slightly toward the door.

That was when I noticed the small gap between it and the frame.

There was a shadow outside.

Gigi.

Wow.

She really was standing there listening.

Well, she was in for a beautiful surprise.

"That only works when there are two people involved," I replied, my voice growing more emotional. "There are three people in this."

Now I made sure every word came out clearly.

If Gigi wanted to listen, then she was going to hear everything.

"It’s difficult for me. I don’t want you two fighting over me," I continued, already imagining what those words were doing to her.

"We’re not fighting because of you," Theodore argued. "We’re fighting for you."

"That’s the same thing, isn’t it? I’m putting two brothers against each other when you’ve never been like this before. But the moment you both develop feelings for me, you start fighting."

I raised my voice, letting the emotion show.

"And is that wrong?" Jaguar shouted. "I want you, Verity. You’re my fucking mate. I have every reason to fucking want you and fight for you."

His voice thundered through the room.

My jaw nearly dropped.

The way he moved toward me was so aggressive that, for a second, he actually frightened me.

"Hey, step back, you fucking moron," Theodore yelled at him. "This is all because of you. You’re the reason she’s thinking about walking away from us."

Jaguar turned toward him and tilted his head.

Then he scratched the side of his neck, the gesture almost like an invitation to challenge him.

"And what the hell do you mean by saying she’s your fucking mate?" Theodore shouted. "She’s my mate too!"

The door suddenly slammed open.

I had expected Gigi to keep standing outside and listening, but apparently, that had been too much for her.

Both brothers froze and turned toward the doorway.

Gigi stood there with her mouth slightly open and her eyes wide.

Her entire body had gone rigid.

"I’m sorry. What did you just say?" she asked Theodore in a very soft voice, almost as if she were trying to soothe herself.

I sighed and shook my head.

"Go ahead. Tell her it was nothing. Because apparently, you two can only fight over me behind closed doors."

That comment was enough of a hint.

It told them I wouldn’t be angry if they admitted to Gigi that we were mates.

Apparently, that was all the reassurance they needed.

Both brothers straightened with sudden confidence and turned toward her.

Then, right in front of me, they said it in unison.

"She’s my fated mate."