Chapter 721: What kind of brother are you?

"Mom, please, I can explain! Don’t kill me!"

"Mom!!! Ah, shit — damn it!"

Atlas smacked his lips and raised his eyebrows, pulling his phone away from his ear to check it. "Guess I called a little late," he murmured, thinking his day had been so busy he nearly forgot to tell Yugi about his car.

"Well." Atlas ended the call, giving Yugi and his family a bit of privacy. "I’m sure Aunt Jessa is just exercising some tough love. He’ll live."

If only Yugi could hear Atlas’s optimism—he might not have thanked him so quickly for delivering his car. Of course, Jessa wouldn’t actually kill her son, but anyone who’d experienced her "tough love" knew just how severe that could be.

Atlas shrugged, slipped his phone into a drawer, and fixed his gaze on his computer. Taking a shallow breath, he refocused on the last task of his day.

"Please..." he whispered, reaching for the computer mouse, "... give me something."

He pressed play, reviewing the dashcam footage, hoping it would reveal something useful—maybe even someone who could help uncover the identity of whoever was behind the attempted murder in his territory.

---

"Gosh..." Yugi grumbled from the couch, hiding next to his father. He lifted his feet slightly when Jessa’s eyes locked onto his. "Dad, Mom’s gonna kill me."

Lester, Yugi’s father, cast his son a sideways look and sighed. "That’s what you get for avoiding your family, you know? I’m sorry, son. Even if I wanted to take your side, you’ve left me no choice."

"But, Dad—"

"Enough," Jessa snapped, crossing one leg over the other and folding her arms across her chest, glaring daggers at her son.

After making Yugi run laps while she drove his flashy sports car, he finally surrendered, laying down on the road as though ready for her to run him over. Of course, Jessa wasn’t that heartless, stopping just inches away.

When she stepped out, she dragged him by the ear up to his fancy condo—the most exclusive in Anteca.

"Wow... my son," Jessa laughed, her tone mocking. "Living such a fancy life and forgetting where he came from."

"Mom, I didn’t—" Yugi choked up when he caught the glint in Jessa’s eyes. "I’m sorry, Mom."

"Yugi, when will you learn you’re not allowed to speak while Mom’s talking?" Beside Jessa sat Yugi’s twin sister, Yuri. Her straight black hair fell gracefully down her back, full bangs covering her forehead, lending her a gentle look. But the expression in her eyes conveyed only disappointment in her brother’s actions.

"Yuri, did you come just to pour gasoline on the fire?" Yugi gasped. "I always kept in touch with you, but you ignored my calls and messages!"

Yuri tilted her head. "Do you think you’re the only one who’s busy? How can you make me mediate between you and Mom and Dad?"

"But you said—"

"I don’t care what I said," Yuri retorted. "Mom, look at him. He’s not even remorseful."

Yugi shot a glare at his "evil" twin sister. ’This girl...!’He could feel the tension building in his neck, his stress levels rising from how pretentious she was.

How could he forget?

Yuri was always so meek and gentle, an angel on the outside—but in truth, she was the worst! He used to call and even send her gifts from his travels, yet she ignored him and, in his mind, she even poisoned their mother’s opinions of him. Yuri wasn’t sending the gifts Yugi was sending for his parents as well.

"Mom, you should not listen to what your daughter’s saying!" Yugi exclaimed. "She’s poisoning your mind — ack!!"

Just as he finished, one of Jessa’s indoor slippers came flying directly at him. He almost bit it. Thankfully, he learned enough with his time with Penny that his reflexes were fast enough to dodge the slipper at the last second.

"What do you mean, ’your daughter’? This is your sister!" Jessa barked, while Yuri smirked and stuck her tongue out. "Do you really think she’s poisoning me? Wow... now I’m even angrier. My son thinks buying us gifts is enough to compensate that he wouldn’t even visit us whenever he’s in the country."

Sensing his wife’s rising anger, Lester quickly nudged his son. "Yugi, what are you waiting for? Beg your mother for forgiveness."

"But—" Yugi clenched his teeth, glaring at Yuri, then looked to his father for support. Yet he knew his father wouldn’t help him—Lester was always on Jessa’s side, more out of fear than love.

"Huhuhu!" Yugi let out a wail, sliding to the floor and raising his hands. "Mom, please forgive me! I was just scared, okay? And Penny has been working me to the bone! I don’t even get a day off!"

Yugi squinted, sneaking a peek to see if his mom was softening. When she remained unfazed, he pushed out whatever tears he could muster to convince her.

"I swear I wanted to call, but Penny... she’s so cruel!" He continued, shifting all blame to Penny. Since she would probably throw him under the bus to avoid Jessa’s scolding, it was only fair he did the same.

"Tsk." Jessa clicked her tongue. "If you tried acting, I’m sure you wouldn’t make it big. Goodness. You call that crying? You don’t just shed one tear from one eye — my god! Go to Julliard for some acting lessons. You have the money to buy all kinds of nonsense; might as well do something meaningful with it."

Yugi frowned, looking at his mother with a mix of frustration and apology. "Mom, I’m sorry. I really am. I was just scared; it’s not your fault." He sensed she was beginning to calm down, despite her harsh words. "Please... I know I’m wrong. I just thought that... you’re still angry that I left home to follow Penny, even when you told me to stay."

Lester raised an eyebrow, studying his son before casting Jessa a look. Yuri, on the other hand, leaned back with a faint huff.

"You punk..." Jessa muttered. "Even if you were terrified, you should have come home! You already went against my will. How come you don’t have the guts to show your face? Didn’t you hear that your sister’s engagement was called off and that her ex-fiancé was in an accident? Goodness! What kind of brother are you that you didn’t even show the slightest concern for Nina when she was going through so much? Is all you think about now is yourself, punk!?"

"Wait..." Yugi’s brows lifted in surprise. "She broke off her engagement?"

"You didn’t know?" Yuri arched a brow. "Penny didn’t tell you?"

Yugi stayed silent, glancing between Jessa’s face, Yuri’s, and finally his father’s. Despite their disapproving expressions, he could see the concern hidden in their eyes.