THE HACKING HEARTS.

Mark swallowed the last bite of the Anu Burger, licking his lips as the unexpected blend of flavors lingered on his tongue. It was far better than he had imagined. He leaned back in his chair, smirking. "She's really something," he muttered, shaking his head in amusement.

But his brief moment of enjoyment was interrupted by an unsettling thought. The image of Jerry and Emily crossed his mind again—Jerry's face glowing with a kind of joy Mark hadn't seen in years. He had dismissed it at first, assuming it was just a casual fling. But the memory of Jerry's expression kept nagging at him. It wasn't just infatuation; it was something deeper.

Mark's brows furrowed as he tried to piece it together. "How? Why? And since when?" he wondered aloud, his mind racing with questions. Jerry had always been the carefree one, the one who avoided commitments at all costs. And yet, here he was, seemingly entangled in something real. Something serious.

He needed answers. Not because he doubted his brother, but because he couldn't understand how this was possible—or why it bothered him so much.

He stepped out of his room and quietly walked down the hallway to the right. His footsteps barely made a sound on the polished floor. I was sitting on my bed, engrossed in my favorite cartoon on TV, a big bowl of popcorn in front of me. I happily munched away, only glancing up briefly when the door creaked open. Mark stood there, waving at me with a small smile. I waved back absentmindedly, my attention still on the screen.

Mark continued down the hallway, passing Jacqueline's room. The door was slightly ajar, and he could hear her speaking in hushed tones over the phone. He paused briefly, curiosity flickering in his eyes, but decided not to disturb her. Instead, he wondered silently about who she might be talking to as he moved on.

When he reached Emily's room, soft acoustic music filtered through the door, a tune Mark immediately recognized as one of her favorites. He knocked gently, and after a moment, Emily opened the door, her expression questioning but warm. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity as she met his gaze. Mark stepped inside, quietly shutting the door behind him.

Without a word, he suddenly grabbed her by the shoulders, pushing her gently but firmly against the wall. Emily's eyes widened in surprise. Their noses were almost touching as Mark leaned in, scrutinizing her face.

"That hurts," she protested, her voice tinged with pain. But Mark didn't flinch, as though he hadn't heard her.

"Mark, I said that hurts!" she repeated, struggling to break free.

Finally, he loosened his grip but kept his intense gaze on her, his eyes scanning her features, her forehead, eyebrows, eyelashes, nose, and lips. He reached up to brush her hair with his hand, running his fingers through it to feel its texture.

"So beautiful," he murmured, almost to himself. "Quite pretty. Guess I hadn't noticed how stunning you are."

As he released her, Emily let out a sigh of relief, rubbing her shoulders where his hands had been. Mark took a few steps away, his hands resting on his hips as he paced. He turned back to her, scratching his thick afro-styled hair with a look of puzzlement.

"Tell me..." he began, pausing as though searching for the right words. "Why Jerry? Of all the men in the world, why him?"

Emily raised an eyebrow, folding her arms. "Why do I sense something fishy?" she asked, stepping away from the wall. Her tone was half-serious, half-playful. "Please, prove me wrong." She tilted her head, studying him. "Mark... do you like me?"

"Me?" he repeated, chuckling nervously. "Like you?" His voice broke into soft laughter as he paced around the room. But then his tone turned serious. "I can only tolerate the fact that I deeply love and acknowledge you... as my elder sister."

Emily's jaw dropped in surprise. "What?! Did I hear that right?" She laughed in disbelief. "That means you finally acknowledge me as your big sister! How sweet of you, little bro!"

Though they were agemates, Emily had been born a few months earlier. But Mark had always carried himself as the "big brother," not just to Jerry, Jacqueline, and me, but to Emily as well. For years, he had resisted giving her the respect of her elder status.

Hearing him acknowledge it now, Emily couldn't resist the opportunity to tease him. "Little bro, little bro, little bro," she called mockingly, her tone sing-song, clearly trying to rile him up.

"Stop it," Mark barked, his voice sharp and burning with anger. But then, almost instantly, his expression softened, guilt replacing his irritation. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice quieter. "I didn't mean to snap."

Emily smiled, brushing his apology off with a wave of her hand. "No worries, little bro. I'm used to it." Her grin widened, knowing full well she had found a way to rattle him. Now, she intended to command the respect she deserved.

Mark walked to the ceiling-to-floor window, his fingers brushing over the shut blinds. He pulled one slightly open, revealing the darkness that had already fallen outside. He let the blind fall back into place, then turned to Emily, who was now seated on her bed, watching him closely.

"When it comes to love," Mark began, his voice trembling under the weight of his emotions. He paused, his gaze falling to the floor as a tear threatened to spill over. "I can only think of—"

"Mark!" Emily cut in, her voice soft yet heavy with pity. Her jaw dropped as realization hit her. "It's been a year… and you still haven't moved on from her?"

Mark's lips pressed into a thin line as he stayed silent, the question lingering between them like an uninvited guest. He leaned against the wall, his fists clenched tightly, his knuckles whitening as he wrestled with the memories flooding his mind. The faint tune from the playlist filled the room, its bittersweet notes amplifying the heavy silence.

"I'm sorry for bringing that up," Emily said softly, her tone filled with regret as she broke the quiet. She shifted the topic quickly, her brows furrowed with concern. "Anyway… who had the cramps?"

Mark exhaled slowly, forcing himself to reply. "Ruhi," he said, his voice subdued.

Emily took a step closer, studying his face. "Mark," she said, her voice laced with both warmth and urgency. "Ruhi seems a great girl. I haven't met her but Jerry and you have talked about her quite often. Maybe… maybe it's time to consider giving it another chance. Don't let your past hold you back forever."

Her words lingered in the air, heavy and unspoken, as Mark remained still, lost in thought.

Neither of them spoke for several moments. Then suddenly, Emily's phone rang, piercing the stillness. She glanced at the screen and hesitated, her hand trembling as she contemplated answering. The ringing persisted. Finally, she answered.

"Hello?" she said, her voice shaky. Her expression quickly changed to one of shock, her eyes welling with tears as she listened to the voice on the other end. "Please, don't hurt her," she pleaded, her words frantic as she sprang to her feet.

She grabbed her car keys, her movements hurried and chaotic. Without explaining anything, she bolted out of the room, leaving Mark staring after her, completely puzzled.

Mark's mind raced, his instincts screaming at him to find out what was happening. He quickly ran out of Emily's room and down the hall to Jerry's.

Jerry, ever the gamer, was lost in his world of digital battles. His gaming setup was impressive, a sleek desk housing three screens in the center, flanked by a PS5 and an Xbox Series X. A variety of controllers were neatly arranged on either side, and the glow of LED lights illuminated the setup. Jerry sat in his ergonomic gaming chair, a PS5 controller in his hands, fully immersed in his game.

The door suddenly swung open, startling him. Mark stood there, his face a mix of fear and urgency.

"Get your car keys and follow me," Mark commanded, his voice trembling.

Without breaking his focus, Jerry grabbed his keys from the table and tossed them toward Mark absentmindedly.

Mark caught them just in time, his patience wearing thin. "Jerry, get serious! It's Emily. She's in danger!"

At the mention of Emily, Jerry froze, his face paling. "Emily?" he echoed, his voice filled with alarm.

"Yes, Emily! We need to hurry!" Mark's tone left no room for argument.

Jerry sprang into action, abandoning his game as the two bolted out of the room and down the stairs. They raced out of the mansion and toward the cars parked outside. As they got into Jerry's car, they saw Emily's car just pulling out of the gate.

"Hurry! We can't lose her," Jerry urged, his voice sharp with anxiety.