Chapter 261 Escarte: My Brother Is Not Really That Cold



[Caroline Escarte's POV]

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I and Michael looked at my brother who was sitting there quietly without uttering a single word. Then, after a couple of seconds' worth of silence, he stood up from the seat and looked at me.

"Can I have a word with you? Just you and me,"he spoke as he looked at Michael with slight hesitation in his voice, but Michael was quite chill with it as he nodded before turning to the unconscious Winter.

Leaving Michael behind, I followed behind Nicholas, who was going towards the open balcony beyond the pool he had on this floor. After walking a few steps, we reached the edge of the floor where he was observing the city view below.

The dawn had passed a few minutes ago and now the sun's rays were falling on the city as a clear view of the areas which were covered with sunlight versus those which now blessed our eyes. It was mesmerizing. It was calming.

"Are you still my sister?" Nicholas broke the silence as a serious voice echoed through the silent morning. I turned to look at my brother properly this time. His blue eyes that held a thousand emotions in them, while his short white hairs, the color which resemble mother's. 

He was wearing a black suit with a red tie… isn't his favorite tie he wears only on a special occasion?

"Maybe… I have changed quite a lot so… I don't really have the answer to that question,"I spoke as I smiled, looking at the horizon. This answer of mine put a smile on his face, too.

"Nice tie, by the way. Wish things could have been simpler,"I turned around as I put my back against the railing. He chuckled as he scratched the back of his head as he answered,

"So you remembered?" 

"Yeah… after how mom and dad put me through everything regarding our customs and specialities, it would be impossible to forget. Especially that 'Follow your brother' custom," I imitated mother a little, making him chuckle out loud as he looked at me.

"Do I get to know what my little sister has been through?" he asked with sadness in his eyes. But… I don't trust you enough Nicholas.

All I could do was give him a sad smile as I looked at him. I would accept him as a family member, but trust… that is something that will take time to build. There is nothing I can do about it.

"I understand," he said as he sighed before taking a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. I glared at him as I asked,"I thought you didn't smoke."

"Sometimes,"he answered as he took out two cigarettes and then bringing one of them towards me he asked,"want one?"

I looked at him without making any expression for a few moments before taking the cigarette and smoking a little as I coughed it out on the first try. He laughed out loud as he looked at me, making me glare at him.

"It's my first time, you know?" I narrowed my eyes before continuing to smoke little by little while he smoked at his own pace later on. We didn't talk for a while as the moments passed while we both enjoyed it.

Then he was the one to break the silence as he spoke,

"He is a good person, isn't he?" 

"He is the best one," I answered without any hesitation, making him smile before speaking,"make sure not to get into something that you cannot get out of."

I nodded as I assured him,"if there is anything he can't solve, then we should all just stop thinking about living."

"That much trust? I guess you must have seen things that I can't even imagine," he smiled, as if his eyes relaxed a little. Perhaps he was happy that I was in safe hands? Who knows what he was thinking… All I can do is guess.

"Kind of," I answered, as I really did witness him showing miracles one after another. My thoughts then wandered a little in the old memories of how things had happened before. 

"You should go meet Amila, you know? I have heard that she is being bullied." His words snapped me out of my thoughts as I turned to him with a serious look,"what do you mean by bullying?"

He sighed before explaining to me in a bit of detail.

In brief, she was taking part in some sort of competition, but there were people who were against her. It wasn't just the students, but the teachers were involved as well. If Nicholas helped her, then… well, things will get complicated.

Unlike me who had all the support from the family, Amila went on her own into high school saying that she can deal with things on her own, which she was surprisingly really good at, in fact it could be said that she was really talented. Though just like everyone in our family, including me, she too had a moral code of her own. That is to never take help from anyone else. Especially from the family.

"Go visit her. Maybe you could help her out. Mom and Dad were really worried about her," Nicholas spoke with a deep sigh, making me turn at him with a bit of curious face,"they were?" I asked.

He nodded as he turned at me with a bit of a sad smile as he explained,"I know you hate them for what they are but trust me they aren't really that bad… just that our grandmother… is a little strict."

"I understand brother,"I smiled at him before hugging him a little. Then separating from him, I observed him for a few moments before I spoke,"I will be leaving for her school now. She is still living in her dorm room, isn't she?" 

Brother nodded at my words with a kind smile as he spoke,"Caroline… Thank you. I am really proud of what you have become."

Not that I did anything but okay… 

I nodded before walking out of there back to Michael, who was talking with Winter. Silver was eating apples as she looked at the exchange of Michael and Winter with great interest. Her eyes were glistening at times, too. 

'Can Vampires eat apples?' I pondered with slight interest.

I moved in closer as I found Winter sitting on the floor in front of Michael, who was sitting on the sofa. Silver brought the sliced apples and presented them to Michael, who took one piece and ate it while talking with Winter.

"Hey! Miss Caroline. Here, have some apples,"she spoke in a friendly tone as she passed the apples to me as well. I looked at her carefully before deciding in my mind that I need to talk to this vampire in regard to Michael and me.

Though, I still picked up the apple as I began eating before sitting in the place where Silver was going to sit. Silver didn't mind as she took a roundabout around Winter and sat on the other side of Michael.

"I… all I did was what I asked to do. I was supposed to notify the Rosante family of things that were happening here, and Silver was also part of the ploy. But because of her bond, she could tell minimal information to me,"Winter spoke as Michael stepped on his face while he was on the ground.

"It's true. My contract with my master forbids me from going against my master. I was just supposed to tell everything to Rosante after they got me back to them. Until then, I was on Escarte's side," Silver added, as if it had nothing to do with her, which in essence was true if we consider her story true.

Rather than being a person, she was treated as an object in this whole ploy. 

"Are there more vampires in the Rosante family?"Michael asked as he ate another slice of the apple and passed on more to me. I took a bite while I heard Winter's voice,

"I… don't know. I wasn't that deep into that family. But I believe that the head of the family is a vampire, too."

"Wouldn't Silver know about it?" I asked as I looked at her and Michael sighed as he turned at me and explained,"Well, the one who made Silver a Vampire 300 yrs ago, was one of the Rosante so despite me being her master, she also can't go against her own creator's words."

I pondered over his words and asked,"Do you trust her words?"

Michael nodded as he spoke,"I don't trust her, but she is not lying right now."

"Eh?" What does that mean? I looked at him in confusion as he stood up before speaking,"well I will be leaving you in Nicholas' hands. I have got what I wanted."

Silver followed Michael along with me, while Brother too entered into the room. He looked at Michael with a bit of a complex look. Though after a while he sighed as he spoke,"please take care of my sister."

Michael nodded before speaking,"that guy is all yours. It wasn't really a good meeting to be honest, but thankfully everything ended in a positive light… Hopefully next time will be better." Nicholas bowed in thanks before he moved towards Winter, who was still broken on the ground, fixed as if he couldn't move at all.

"Let's go,"Michael spoke as all three of us got out of the apartment back into the lift. 

"While I want to deal with the Belmonts, do you want to go anywhere?" Michael asked, as he patted my head. I nodded as I looked at him with a smile and answered,

"I want to meet Amila."

"Sure," he answered with a smile.