Burning Passion

CHAPTER 359: ALWAYS MY FAULT!

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After learning that Steven has to go back to New Jersey, Annie throws a fuss. She expressed to fly back to New Jersey after she goes home to London to visit her family and take care of important matters regarding the Li partnership in Europe. 

"Watch your son once he is in New Jersey! Make sure of that, or else, I will beat him myself!" Threaten Annie to the couple. 

Jerome, who asked Annie to accompany them on this flight, was even in great trouble when Annie didn't stop fuming about Steven. 

Now he has to calm down Annie instead of his wife. Mely remained silent the whole flight, which worries him. 

"Mely, please ignore Annie. I understand why she is in a fury now. She loves Nina like her daughter." 

"I also love Nina, Jerome, the reason I was too embarrassed. I prayed Steven would listen to me, and he forgets Nina." 

"Okay. But please, don't stress yourself thinking about our son. I'll be in great despair if something happens to you again." 

Mely leans on her husband's shoulder. Jerome is not so open to his feelings. And on to what happens later. Jerome has become transparent toward her, which made her happy and warm. 

However, she would always feel sad because of Steven.

~~~

Shang Mansion

Meanwhile, at Zen City. The sum has just settled. 

Steven raised his head when he heard the door open. He closes his eyes when someone turns on the light in the bedroom. 

His room has a foul smell. Even though it was regularly clean, these passing days, the door only opens to give his meal and liquor as he requested from his brothers. 

The wound on his hand is not healing at all, because he stopped taking medicine but drinking alcohol, and it got infected instead. 

Garry wandered his eyes to the entire room. It doesn't smell good at all. He waved his hand, and three servants entered the door. On their hands are cleaning tools. 

One headed to the bathroom and starts cleaning it, and the other two servants pick up the bottle and put it on a garbage plastic bag, cleaning the entire room.

Garry felt broken watching Steven sat on the floor, head down. He couldn't grasp the moment why Steven has to act like this and why he was treated like this. Although Steven did wrong for going against the elder's will, he cannot tolerate how badly his younger brother was dealt with. 

"Steven." Garry patted his brother's shoulder. His heart broke after he saw the pain in Steven's eyes. He was crying. 

"First Brother..." Steve's voice is hoarse. He was yelling these passing days. 

"Come on. Eat and take your medicine." 

Hearing about it, Steven frowned. "I don't need it. Just give me something to drink. I want to sleep." 

"Steven, please. If you want to drink, then eat first." Garry suppresses the irritation in his voice. He hates dealing with how stubborn Steven is, but he could not ignore him either. "Eat, take your medicine, get a shower, then we will clean your wounds."

"Forget it." 

"Then don't expect that we will give you something to liquor up tonight," Raymond said, who entered the bedroom. In his hand is a tray full of food. He added, "Hurry, and we will drink with you tonight." 

Hearing this, Steven ponders. Maybe not so bad at all. Later, Steven eats his dinner and takes his medicine. He also took a shower. 

Before he got out of the bathroom, he stared longingly at his reflection. His beard is growing long. But he doesn't want to shave them. Maybe after Nina saw him with a different look, Nina would not refuse him. 

Steven gets out of the room. He notices it looks more pleasant. 

All the things he broke are now gone, which most of them are Harry's stuff. 

His gaze landed on the sofa, replacing Harry's bed. 

"If you notice, we remove the bed and replace a sofa to have more space for you to walk around." 

Steven twitches the corner of his mouth. In the end, he will still be a prisoner in his bedroom, and his brothers just make it a little more convenient for him. 

The older brothers decide to remove Harry's stuff after it was obvious to them that Steven had resentment toward Harry. 

Now that Steven finishes putting on clothes, Garry cleans his wound that gets infected. Garry would like to smack his brother but held himself but scolded Steven. 

"Are you wishing for death? How if the infection gets bad?" 

Steven, who is tired of listening to Garry's scolding, only rolled his eyes. 

"Just finish it, brother, and leave me alone." 

Garry heaves a helpless sighed. It's not a great time to scold his brother. 

"Fine!" Garry gives up and doesn't bring up anything anymore. 

Raymond came back with a bottle of whiskey and champagne in his hands. A maid brought glasses and ice cubes. 

That night the three brothers drank until they were knocked down from drinking. 

Steven lay flat in now clean sheets on his bed. The bodyguard's brought his brothers back to their bedroom. And he only pretended to sleep. 

Now that they left him alone, he could not fall asleep. He could feel how wide awake his mind was. Especially, that all he was thinking about was Nina. 

He could not forget her. Every single minute of his mind is Nina. Everything about her is still clear in his head. 

Nina's smile, her soft lips, and her beautiful neck. He could still remember how so smooth her skin and the pleasant scent from her body. It was like a drug to his senses. 

Steven groaned after her body reacted, thinking of Nina. He has to relieve himself before drowning himself to sleep. 

He wasn't sure how long he was sleeping. The next day, a woman's cry awakened him. 

"Mama!" Steven sat up and threw his arms to embrace his mother. "Ma? Are you well to travel? Why are you here?" 

"Steven, I heard that you almost escaped from your bodyguards. I was so worried, that is why I flew right away." 

"I'm sorry, Ma." 

"Please... Don't do that anymore, Steven." 

"But, Ma? I want to see Nina." 

"Son… Look at you." Mely felt too bad looking at her son. Steven is losing weight and now growing a beard on his face. "Steven, promise me, you won't think to escape again." 

Steven didn't reply. He only remains to stare back at his mother, pondering what to answer. He didn't want to disappoint his mother or give her worries, but he wanted to see Nina badly. 

"Ma, let me see her, please? Help me talk to Uncle Nelson. Ma, I love Nina so much." 

Mely couldn't hold her tears, but let her eyes flooded with them. She understands Steven's frustration, however, she also wished for Steven to understand the situation. 

"Son, it would scare Nina to see you. Please, understand." 

Mely's voice is begging Steven. However, her son only frowned at her. 

Steven uttered, "Ma, why don't you understand me also? All I want is Nina. I will apologize to her and beg her to forgive me. Ma, help me ask Papa to let me go." 

Jerome, who listens outside the door, steps inside the room. Steven quickly shoots a hateful glare at him, and he only ignores it. 

"Steven, I warned you. Think of your mother's condition. Forcing her to agree with you would only stress her." 

Steven gritted his teeth. His father used his mother to threaten him now. But if only his mother weren't here, he already shouted at him. But for the sake of his mother, he would remain calm. 

"Why don't you guys favor Harry so much?" 

"We didn't favor Harry." Jerome always felt endless irritation every time he was talking to Steven. His behavior is giving him a permanent headache. 

"If so, why do you forbid me to see Nina?" 

Jerome is on the verge of his patience. He growled at Steven and said, "We didn't forbid you! It was Nelson's request for her daughter's safety! Just accept that Nina doesn't want to see you!" 

"You are lying, Papa!" 

"Damn it! Why can't you see Nina doesn't love you but Harry!?" 

"Enough! Both of you, please!" Mely could not take watching her husband and son arguing. Nothing she prayed but a peaceful life with her family. But what is happening now? 

She is a failure mother. Mely thought to herself. It felt like strength slowly leaving her body. 

Meanwhile, Jerome studied his wife's appearance. She doesn't speak anymore, nor crying. 

'Mely look pale.' Jerome thought he walked closer to his wife. "Mely…" 

Jerome held his wife. Mely is shuddering. "Mely, calm down..." he tried to comfort his wife. Suddenly, he shouted at the bodyguard outside. "Fetch me a glass of water!" 

Steven steps backward. He studied his mother; she did not feel well. Looking at his mother like this. He felt guilty. However, it won't change how he hated his father. 

Steven gritted his teeth when his father threw a sharp glare at him. 

'F...ck! Why is it my fault again? It's always my fault!'