Alexander took off his black jacket, and the man behind him quickly picked it up. He stared at Nathan, who stood frozen.
Nathan stepped back as Alexander calmly walked toward him.
"Don't come any closer!" Nathan shouted, glaring.
Alexander stopped, smiling slightly.
Nathan frowned, feeling uneasy at the sight of that smile. He looked at the several well-built men behind Alexander and became even more nervous.
"You want to go barefoot? Where are your shoes?" Alexander asked, his voice deep and calm.
Nathan hadn't expected that question. Then he looked down at his bare feet and realized it, he had been too angry to notice earlier.
But why did that man care? He had to get out of there right now.
"Stay there," said Alexander when he saw Nathan about to move forward.
Nathan froze, staring at him. "What do you want? I want to go home!"
"Where are you going to go? Do you even know how cold it is outside? Without shoes? In those thin pajamas?" Alexander asked.
Nathan looked down at the pajamas he was wearing. Where were his jacket and shirt?
"Go back to your room. I'll get you a jacket and shoes," said Alexander.
Nathan shook his head. "I don't need anything!"
"How old are you? You should be old enough to have a conversation," said Alexander, making Nathan even angrier.
"I don't know who you are, and I don't want to talk to a stranger!"
"With your attitude, I'm sure you wouldn't care who I am. But since you're my little brother, I won't let you go out looking like that. So go back to your room," said Alexander.
Nathan frowned in irritation. Who was this man to boss him around? "I'm not your little brother, and I want to go home!"
"You're not going anywhere."
Nathan clenched his fists, feeling challenged. Alexander noticed it.
"I'm serious. You're not going anywhere. You're my little brother, and it's my job to make sure you're safe."
"I'm not your little brother! Are you deaf?!" Nathan shouted.
Alexander smirked. "You prefer violence? Do you see them?"
Nathan looked at the men Alexander was pointing at. Five men were standing around him.
"They're well-trained and armed. With one command from me, they can shoot you at any time. So listen to me. Go back to your room right now, or I'll have to hurt you."
Nathan stared in disbelief. "You want to shoot me?"
"Didn't you say I was a stranger? I'm very cruel to strangers, if you want to know."
Nathan felt his breathing grow faster. He didn't like being ordered around, and he didn't like being there. He wasn't sure Alexander would actually shoot him, but when he took a step forward, Alexander made a small movement, and two men behind him pulled out their guns, pointing them straight at Nathan.
Nathan felt his heart stop for a moment. He had never been in a situation like this. The gun barrels were pointed directly at him—he could see them clearly! His body trembled slightly.
Was that man insane?
Roger and everyone behind Nathan were just as shocked.
"Alex, you won't kill him, right?" Lucas shouted.
"Geez Alex, seriously? You shot two men yesterday. Don't do it again today, please," said Malvin. His words made Nathan tremble even more.
Alexander held back a smile. Malvin always knew how to handle a situation. Of course he wouldn't shoot anyone in front of his younger brothers, but Malvin's words helped.
Nathan stood frozen, not moving as Alexander walked toward him. Then he screamed in surprise when Alexander suddenly lifted him and threw him over his shoulder.
"No! Put me down!" Nathan shouted, kicking.
"You won't like it if I throw you from here," said Alexander when they were halfway up the stairs.
Nathan looked down in horror. He was sure his bones would break if he fell. He didn't know how crazy this man really was, but he was convinced Alexander was capable of anything.
What was wrong with this family?
Nathan held his breath until they reached the room. He glared angrily when Alexander dropped him onto the sofa.
"What's wrong with you! Are you crazy? You'll go to jail for kidnapping me!" Nathan shouted.
Alexander sat across from him, crossing his legs casually. His eyes stared at Nathan, sharp, but with a strange warmth that confused him. For a moment, that gaze almost felt kind.
"Salazar doesn't deal with the police that easily, little brother. So, how about we talk like civilized people now?"
Nathan wanted to interrupt, but Alexander continued. "I'm sure you already know that you're a Salazar. You're my younger brother. I'm the eldest, Alexander Salazar. You can call me Alex. I want to explain what really happened."
"I'm not interested!" Nathan snapped.
"I won't repeat myself, so listen carefully," said Alexander calmly. He gestured for his brothers to sit down.
Roger and the others, who had been standing nervously, sat on the sofa, but none of them dared to sit near Nathan.
"They're all your brothers," Alexander said, pointing at each of them and saying their names clearly. Roger, Leo, Malvin, Lucas.
"And he's your twin brother, Nael."
When Alexander pointed at Nael, Nathan immediately glared at the boy who had the same face as him, making Nael flinch in fear.
"I don't care what you say. To me, you're all strangers!" Nathan shouted angrily.
Alexander rubbed his temples, frustrated by Nathan's stubbornness.
"You were born in a dangerous situation we didn't expect. If you had stayed with us, there would be no surviving descendants of Dante Salazar," Alexander explained calmly.
Nathan didn't respond, but his curiosity was sparked despite his anger. He stayed silent.
"Right after you were born, the Salazar main mansion burned down. Several servants and guards died. A shaman said your birth brought disaster and that you had to be separated."
Alexander noticed Nathan's annoyed expression. "I know, who believes in shamans these days? We didn't either. We ignored what he said and brought you to the second mansion."
"One day after you arrived home, we all got seriously ill. Me, Roger, Leo, Malvin, even Lucas. No doctor could explain it. We stayed in the hospital for five days and nearly died."
Alexander continued, "Dad called the shaman again to ask for a solution. He said the only way was to separate you two. I'm sure it was a hard decision, but they had no other choice. The shaman said you could reunite after your seventeenth birthday, but only if there was no contact between us for seventeen years."
Nathan's chest tightened. He understood what Alexander was trying to say, but anger still burned inside him.
"So you threw me away so you could live?" Nathan said, his voice trembling. Knowing the truth only made him more unwilling to stay.
Alexander took a deep breath. "You sacrificed seventeen years. We'll make it up to you, Nathan."