Emily’s Dilemma: Seduced by Billionaire Brothers

Jackson Hatton stepped through the wrought-iron gates of the cemetery, the solemn rows of headstones standing like silent custodians of the past. He moved with purpose, yet each step felt heavy, like he was walking against a relentless tide, a bouquet of flowers at his hands, red roses.

She loved roses.

The skies above him were a dim canvas, the clouds interwoven so tightly that the sun’s efforts to puncture through were in vain, almost mimicking his mood. The sadness that had enveloped him these past few days were hard to penetrate through.

It’d been three years since Amelia Sinclair died, three years since he’d lost his best friend. Time had ruthlessly marched on, but the wound in Jackson’s heart had resisted the urge to heal. He wandered amidst the graves until he found hers-a marker that bore her name like a whisper from lips long silenced.

“Amelia Sinclair” he said loudly, he had almost forgotten what her name sounded like, the name that once danced on his lips, drawing laughter from her red lipped smile. A small, bitter smile crawled across his lips as he knelt down, placing a bouquet of roses-the ones she’d adored-upon her resting place. Guilt gnawed at him still; he could have been there, he could have followed them on that trip to Cancun, maybe she would still be alive, just maybe. Maybe also, Emily wouldn’t be dragged into their mess.

He could still hear her laughter, see the playful spark in her eyes, and recall the painful throb in his heart when he realized that spark would never be for him, she would never look at him that way. He was the bystander in the seamless love triangle, his best friend and his brother and it felt like clutching a rose too tightly the thorns cutting deep, drawing blood and pain despite the beauty in his grasp.

“I’m sorry” Jackson confessed to the silent epitaph. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there, I beat myself everyday for not going on that trip. I’m still not sure what happened exactly-” Just as he exhaled a shaky breath, another sound disrupted the quiet.

Footsteps approached, and Jackson turned to see his brother, Ethan, making his way through the maze of memorials. Ethan’s arrival wasn’t exactly a surprise, they came here separately on her anniversary, and somehow how he knew that Amelia had been the genesis of their rivalry.

“Hey” Ethan’s voice was strained.

“Hey” Jackson said back, his eyes flitting back to Amelia’s headstone.

An uncomfortable silence fell between them, laden with the unspoken as Ethan dropped the bouquet of yellow roses beside Jackson’s flowers, the contrast clear and conflicting

“Amelia hated yellow roses, in her opinion yellow doesn’t fit the rose aesthetic” Jackson said, breaking the silence.

“I just picked the first thing I saw mate” Ethan said, looking at both flowers and not really seeing the problem. “But yea, whatever you say, you knew her better”

“Typical” Jackson said and Ethan whipped his head to look at him

“What?”

“I said typical”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean” Ethan fired but Jackson stayed quiet, he really wasn’t in the mood to banter back and forth with Ethan, especially not standing in front of Amelia’s grave.

“How’s Emily” he asked instead, the mention of her name still bringing a certain pang to his chest.

“She’s fine, she should be on her way to physical therapy now” Ethan said

“Shouldn’t you be with her” Jackson said,

“I have an important meeting with new set of investors this morning and don’t give me that look” Ethan fired

“Well if she was my wife, I’d definitely be by her side, in fact I’ll never leave her side” Jackson said and Ethan scoffed in response.

“Well thankfully she’s not your wife, she doesn’t even remember you and you know what that means, you weren’t an important part of her memory anyways”

A dark cloud seemed to cover Jackson’s eyes but only for a second and he only smiled

“Well, She’s your wife, you do whatever you want to do” Jackson retreated, his hands up in the air.

Ethan gave one last look to Amelia’s grave and to Jackson before retreating, leaving his brother in the silence that he had met him.

Meanwhile at the hospital, while Emily worked with the physical therapist to build her strength after the accident, unknown to her Jackson stood outside. He didn’t want her to be alone, he stood out the window not wanting to be seen but offering a silent solace. The sight of her stirred the embers of a once-blazing fire, sending his heart into a slow, painful rhythm. Her skin looked pale from lack of sun, her eyes that held a certain mystery were blank as she followed the therapist with the stretches. He wanted to reach out to her, but he was a stranger.

Jackson’s palms pressed harder against the glass, a silent plea for her to remember, to come back to him. The physical barrier between them mirrored their reality.

But suddenly, in one fleeting moment, Emily turned towards the window and it was too late for Jackson to move. Their eyes met, Jackson’s heart raced, her expression faltered, a sliver of recognition sparked for a fleeting moment, sending a surge of hope through Jackson’s veins. But as quickly as it appeared, confusion chased it away, and he felt the sharp sting of her loss all over again.

But she stared at him still, fighting to remember as she walked outside to meet him, her blank eyes now curious.

“Hello” she said quietly, with a polite but cautious smile “You’re the guy from that day, when I woke up”

Jackson nodded as he held her gaze, her eyes deep rooted in his

“I’m a bit confused to be honest, my memory is all over the place and Ethan won’t tell me anything”

“I’m sure he has good reason to, but are you okay? Do you need to sit down?” He asked concern as she wavered on her feet.

“I’m fine” she waved him off “I just need to know what happened, everything, I mean you’re here meaning we know each other but I just can’t remember and it’s driving me crazy”

Jackson stayed silent, not sure if he should say anything but her eyes pleaded even before her lips spoke the words

“Please” she said

Jackson sighed, running his hands through his hair “What would you like to know Emily?”Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

“First, let’s start with your name” she said, looking into his eyes, her brain fighting for recognition

“I’m Jackson, Jackson Hatton”