Chapter 17

This is Something  He's Got to Do Himself

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Emil didn't sleep at all that night.

He sat on the edge of his bed for hours, running a hand over his face again and again, taking deep breaths in a desperate attempt to calm the anxiety building inside him. He felt like being trapped in a pressure cooker, squeezing him tighter and tighter until he could barely breathe.

A month...

How was he supposed to leave Robert in just a month? Especially now, with Robert already overwhelmed by their fake-dating arrangement, taking care of his Grandma Vicky, attending to her every need, and facing the possibility that her life could end at any moment?

Emil didn't want to add any more burden to Robert. After all, part of what the younger man was dealing with now was his own fault, mainly when he chose to stay silent rather than tell anyone, especially Robert, the truth about his situation. But he couldn't entirely blame himself either. He was too afraid. Just thinking about involving anyone in his problem, especially the Vale family, who had taken him in and treated him as part of the family, made him fear that his sister Emily would come for them one by one. And if Emil gave his sister up to the authorities, he knew his conscience would never forgive him. He couldn't bear the thought of Emily suffering alone or ending up in prison because of him. After all, he couldn't deny the fact that his sister had already suffered and sacrificed enough since they were born.

If only their mother had given him away instead of Emily, she wouldn't have turned out like this. Everything may have been different. It wouldn't have gotten so complicated, and no one would have been hurt.

Okay...one month.

Emil told himself that was enough time to come up with a solid plan; a way to leave Robert without raising suspicion.

What if I used work as an alibi? Pretended to be working for someone else?

No. Robert would see through it immediately. He would check every detail, and Emil wouldn't be able to provide any solid proof within a short time, even with all his power and connections.

What if I intentionally made mistakes until Robert fired me?

No, that wouldn't work either. It would only raise more questions. Robert knew the quality of Emil's work. If he suddenly started botching things on purpose, Robert would immediately suspect something was wrong and investigate.

What if I choose to disappear without anyone knowing?

That plan might have worked if Robert hadn't had the power and resources to track Emil down whenever he wanted. Worse, disappearing like that could provoke his sister Emily, turning her attention toward the people he cared about just to force him to reveal himself.

"Shit, this is so hard..."

Emil's head throbbed as he ran through every possible option, but none of them felt right. Still, he forced himself to keep thinking.

Then, suddenly, something came to mind...

Their contract as fake lovers.

Robert's Rule No. 5.

Emil immediately pulled out his phone and searched for the contract's soft copy. His eyes scanned the screen until they landed on Section 5. He reread it carefully as he went over the listed grounds and penalties.

Then, he saw clauses 5.4 and 5.5...

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5.4 If the Employee becomes aware of such feelings, they must immediately inform the Employer. Failing to do so is automatically considered a breach of contract.

5.5 Any romantic feelings, failure to remain emotionally neutral, and failure to report such will result in immediate termination of the contract and dismissal from all duties and privileges, including all personal contact. This clause exists to prevent emotional dependency and protect both parties' well-being.

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After reading through the clauses, Emil froze as the realization slowly sank in.

"... that's it," he whispered under his breath.

Emil was strictly prohibited from developing romantic feelings for Robert. And if there was one sure way to guarantee his dismissal, it was this. After all, the rule existed to protect professionalism-something Robert valued above all else, something he would never tolerate being compromised.

But that realization also led to only one final conclusion:

He would have to confess his feelings to Robert so that Robert would dismiss him permanently.

"Holy shit..." Emil covered his face with his hands again. Confessing his feelings to Robert was the last thing he ever wanted to do, and yet it was the only way out he could see...

His final ticket.

Okay... first of all, this plan wasn't so bad. It would protect Robert from Emily, and Emil wouldn't have to keep hiding his sister anymore—she'd be with him, far away, completely out of reach. Maybe this way, Emily would finally stop her madness, and Emil could finally make up for all the ways he had failed as a brother.

And maybe...this confession could bring him some closure, too—for all the years he had kept his feelings for Robert to himself. Even if he had to leave Robert behind, at least he wouldn't have to live with the regret of never saying how he truly felt.

"Right..." Emil murmured to himself. "He'll fire me anyway. I might as well tell him how I feel."

Because he knew once he confessed, there would be no turning back.

Although...leaving Robert was almost no different from what his wife, Margarette, had done. The only difference was that Margarette left because she no longer loved Robert.

But Emil...?

He would be leaving Robert because he loved him so much that he knew staying any longer could endanger Robert and his family.

Thinking about it now, Emil couldn't hold back his tears. He had seen how devastated Robert had been when his wife left. He had watched Robert's heart break, watched him build walls around himself, and never try again. Robert had come to see love as an obstacle—a knife that, if touched, would only bring pain.

Emil didn't know if Robert would feel the same way if he left, but he was sure it would hurt. After all, twenty years of working together wasn't something that could be erased overnight.

Emil finally relaxed and wiped the tears from his face as he took a shaky breath.

One month.

Thirty days to protect everyone he loved, to keep Emily from hurting anyone else, and to finally take responsibility for the mistakes he had made as a brother. He didn't know if he could do it. He didn't know if Robert would ever forgive him after doing this.

But one thing was sure: this was the best shot that he'd had.

And tomorrow, the countdown would begin.