Shards of the Broken Heart

Anais looked at Alice, smiling harmlessly, but her words hit the sore spot of Alice.

“He is your brother. How can you keep him with you forever? One day, you will get married and have your own family. And the same goes for your brother when he finds someone he loves. Then you two will get separated eventually.”

The Luna sisters nodded in acknowledgement at Anais's words. Alice dejectedly looked at her mother for support but found her to be without any expression, waiting for what Alice would do next.

Alice wanted to announce her love for her brother there and then, but was afraid that her friends would think negatively of her. Just because her love for her brother was abnormal, and they couldn’t accept it.

(Will they break their friendship with me? Would I have to always hide the truth from them? Was loving him a mistake?)

While she was in her internal dilemma, a warm hand clutched hers. The warm and rugged hand brought her back from her reverie, and she looked back to find Lucas smiling at her warmly. Looking at his gaze, Alice felt her confidence rise.

She looked at the Luna sisters and Anais, and stated with her newfound courage.

“I am not going to marry someone else. The only one I will marry is Lucas, because he is the one I love.”

She tightened the grip on Lucas’s hand in nervousness, waiting for the reactions of the others.

Her mother was smiling at her, pleased with her determination. The Luna sisters had gaping mouths due to the astonishing declaration. And Anais was calm, but her eyes kept swivelling between Alice and Lucas.

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Alice had gripped my hand very tight, clearly indicating her distress. She had taken the brave step of announcing our relationship to her friends. So, it was only natural that I supported her decision.

I pulled her towards me and made her sit on my thigh. Being nervous, she didn’t oppose my actions and looked at me in bewilderment. I closed the distance between our faces and announced.

“I love you, and you are mine too.”

And kissed her lips gently for a couple of seconds before parting. Alice looked at me in perplexity before her face turned a lighter shade of red. She shifted her gaze nervously to her friends and found them staring at her and Lucas with eyes wide open.

She started fidgeting in panic and fear of getting rejected before Seline’s timid voice broke the silence.

“How romantic! Just like the stories I read in my novels.”

Alice and I looked at her and found her glittering eyes focused on us. By her side, Elfie sighed and said in a helpless tone.

“Finally, it happened. Do you know how many years I was worried about you two? And it took you so long to come out. Haah…”

Anais also expressed her support and said with a smile, but her eyes were a little sad and heavy.

“It is great that you feel like that about each other. I also thought before that you both were quite close to each other. And I guess it is a natural progression to your relationship.”

Listening to the caring and supporting words of her friends, the uncertainty that Alice felt vanished into thin air. Her eyes turned a little red, with moistness trickling out from the corner.

“Thank you for your support and well wishes. I didn’t know what I would have done if you decided to break our friendship due to this. Thank you...”

She snivelled and thanked her friends for their unwavering support, and then she turned back in my direction. She clasped my cheeks between her palms and looked at me with a loving smile.

“And I thank you for loving me.”

Alice dipped into my face and kissed me with all her passion. I gave into her passionate kiss and started devouring her adorable pink lips. Our tongues intertwined and lips interlocked, we were drowning in our own world. A stinging smack to my shoulder extracted me from the kiss, and I found my mother looking at us in exasperation.

“Yes, we all know and support that you two love each other. But is there a need to display such fervent passion in front of others? Look what your acts have done to those young maidens.”

Her teasing voice betrayed her strict look. I followed mother’s gaze and found the blushing Luna sisters peeking in our direction through the fingers that covered their faces.

Alice also looked at them and got embarrassed at her impulsive action. With her face tinted red, she excused herself to get some fresh air and exited the drawing room.

The previously cooled-down fire that was ignited in my room, was kindled once again by Alice’s adorable actions. And I wanted nothing more than to get burnt in these raging flames of desires with Alice. I looked at mother and said.

“I am also going to follow her and get some fresh air. We will be back by dinner.”

After finishing my piece, I swiftly walked outside the room before starting sprinting. I couldn’t remain patient anymore. I wanted Alice, and I wanted her now.

I searched for her throughout the residence many times but could not find her. After half an hour, I entered my room in frustration at being unable to find Alice. I wanted to take a cold bath to control the flames of desire swirling in my body.

But the second I opened the door, I found my darling sister curled up on my bed while sniffing my blanket that was crumpled in her hand. Her eyes were blurred in intoxication as she fondled her breast using the other hand.

My drooping member, that was slowly cooling itself down due to my inability to find Alice, stood erect at the inviting sight. All the thoughts of taking a cold shower vanished, and I pounced on my unaware sister, who was still fondling herself while lying on my bed.

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After Alice and Lucas left the parlour, their mother Sylvia arranged rooms for the remaining girls and suggested they rest till dinner. Anais separated from the Luna sisters and was now resting on the bed while leaning on the headboard.

Although she was supportive of the two siblings being a couple, she felt jealous and sad at losing Lucas to Alice. She had a budding affection for the young boy who saved her from the fate of being a puppet at someone else’s command.

At first, she thought of him to be quite taciturn. A guy who only interacted with others when he needed to. But after their many small interactions with each other, she found him quite charismatic. And with all their past adventures together, she had taken a liking to him.

She knew that the siblings had a close bond, and their transition to a romantic relationship was within her predictions. But still, she felt jealous of them being affectionate with each other in front of her.

When Lucas declared her love for Alice in the parlour earlier, she felt a great sense of loss. And her heart had been in turmoil since then. She tried to move on from her feelings but couldn’t for a long time. Every past interaction of hers with Lucas flashed through her mind.

And suddenly she got an idea.

Although Lucas was able to handle her charm, he was not impervious to it. She had noticed him getting gobsmacked for a few moments before regaining composure when meeting her for the first time.

She had trained herself in ways of seduction, to tempt the target in lowering their guard before assassinating them. But had never utilised her skills to the full extent. And now, as she wanted to get Lucas's affection, she would use everything in her arsenal to get him.

She was a little conflicted at the thought of snatching Lucas from Alice, who was her friend. But she convinced herself with 'everything is fair in love and war'.

And thus, she started brainstorming ideas for ‘Mission Seduction’, a guide to make Lucas bewitched by her charms.