Page 4 of A Winter Redemption
Jarne paused. “I hadn’t considered it.”
And of course, Sasha had cheated on someone else before. Something Jarne had only learned this past week. Something that made him queasy to think of. “But I know he has been unfaithful previously. He was with someone when we originally got together.”
Ketho’s eyes widened.
“I didn’t know they were together!” Jarne protested.
“Did you know the other person?” Ketho asked.
Jarne’s fingers tightened around the stem of the wine glass. “My youngest brother.”
Ketho’s brows rose. “You didn’t notice he was in a relationship with your brother?” Ketho asked, voice incredulous.
“I knew they had been together, but I thought they were over,” Jarne said. “That’s what Sasha told me.”
But his parents had known. And his siblings. They’d all assumed he’d known as well. They’d been surprised to find out he didn’t. And even more surprised to find out he cared.
And that hurt. Did they really think he was so callous? So cruel? The answer, it seemed, was yes. It seemed they believed him entirely capable of marrying Sasha so soon after the man had behaved so horribly towards his brother.
“What did your brother say about the end of their relationship?” Ketho asked.
“I don’t know,” Jarne snapped, his gut squirming.
“You didn’t ask?” Ketho probed.
“I was working!” Jarne protested.
Ketho leaned towards him, and Jarne thought he could see judgement in Ketho’s silver gaze. “You were too busy working to realise you were fucking your younger brother’s lover behind his back?”
“Some of us have work to do and that occupies a great deal of time,” Jarne said, as if trying to convince himself. But deep down he couldn’t help but feel he deserved the judgement in Ketho’s eyes. “We don’t have time to be dealing with unnecessary drama.”
“You consider fucking your brother’s lover unnecessary drama?” Ketho asked, voice incredulous.
Jarne turned his face away. He had no response to that. He had never had time for much else other than his work. He worked early. Worked late. Hadn’t noticed he’d stolen his brother’s partner. And wouldn’t have noticed Sasha’s cheating if he hadn’t walked in to see it.
Jarne had thought he and Sasha had been perfect together. Both hard-working. Ambitious. Been willing to do anything for Greweth Perfumeries. For Sasha that apparently had included becoming lovers with his younger brother. And then Jarne. Sasha had been more than happy to fuck his way into the family business. And then continue fucking others to help the family business.
Jarne didn’t think he himself was willing to do the same for his career. He was ambitious. But he believed it should be his talent or work ethic that got him ahead. Not his willingness to bend over or suck cock.
Apparently, his mother’s beliefs were more in line with Sasha’s. “I really don’t see why you’re so upset,” his mother had said. “If anything, it shows his dedication to the family and Greweth Perfumeries. There is no need to cause such a fuss. We all do what is needed for the family to succeed. And it’s not really infidelity if he is doing it for all of us. And for you.”
The ground had felt unstable beneath his feet. Did everyone think like this? Was he the only one who thought what Sasha had done was wrong? Did everyone think that fucking to progress one’s career was right?
He’d had to get away from Sasha, his family, and Bordertown. He’d needed to think. To try to make sense of his world.
ChapterFour
Jarne took another drink of wine.
“Was he at least good in bed?” Ketho asked.
“What? What sort of question is that?”
“A reasonable one considering he was screwing two brothers from the illustrious Greweth Perfumeries.”
“It was…satisfactory,” Jarne spluttered.
“Satisfactory?”
