Pampered by my three brothers: the return of the neglected heiress novel Chapter 1489

Chapter 1489: It’s never too late to stop

Meanwhile, in a private ward...

Benjamin sat quietly on the side of the bed, staring at the unconscious Mint. Tonight, he had just been preparing for bed when he got a call from the hospital. The moment he heard his cousin was there, he rushed over—still in a pair of cute pajamas and mismatched slippers.

His eyes were fixed on Mint, who was clearly beaten. Part of her arm was nearly black, her lips and cheek were swollen, and there were bruises on her neck, as if she had been strangled by something. He knew if he looked closer, there would be more injuries. But he couldn’t bear to.

Just the bruises on her face were enough.

"Ugh..." Mint let out a groan as her eyes fluttered open. She winced, her entire body aching at once. "Damn..."

She let out a shallow breath—deep breathing felt like being stabbed in the lungs. As she tried to gather herself, she noticed a blurry figure from the corner of her eye. Turning her head slowly, her breath hitched.

"Beanie," she whispered, her lips trembling as if to say more—but no words came.

All she could do was look at him, and he did the same.

Benjamin hadn’t noticed it at first, but now that she was looking at him, one of her eyes was red—blood clotted within it. His mouth opened, but only air came out.

"..." He shut his mouth again, swallowing the tight lump in his throat.

Mint pressed her lips together, her eyes filled with silent apology. But she had no excuse this time. She remembered everything—how she was ambushed, how she’d been sedated, beaten, and nearly killed... had Hugo not shown up.

"What else can I say, Mint?" After what felt like an eternity, Benjamin’s quiet voice finally broke the silence. "Just what do I have to say... so you’ll want to live longer? For me?"

Her chest heaved, watching the redness grow in the corners of his eyes as he fought back tears.

His brows furrowed as he swallowed again. "How many more times? How long do I have to go through this? This rollercoaster of emotions every time my phone rings—dreading it’s the hospital saying you’re hurt... or someone else telling me you’re dead."

"..." Mint opened her mouth, wanting to say "I’m sorry," but that word had been worn thin by now.

"God, this is frustrating!" he hissed, wiping his eyes with his sleeve. "Is it really that important that you’re constantly walking the line between life and death?"

"It’s my duty—"

"Duty?! What about your duty as family?!" he snapped, balling his fists. Benjamin paused, struggling to breathe through his emotions, tears now streaking down his cheeks. "What about your promise? That you’d always be here for me? We promised we’d always be there for each other, but lately... it feels like I’m only there for you."

"I’m only there when you’re hurt, when you’ve cheated death again. You always laugh it off, even brag about it. But do you know... every time, it takes a piece of me? Every time I wonder, what if next time you’re not so lucky?" He exhaled shakily. "Do you even realize that?"

"Ben..."

"Mint, for Pete’s sake—look at you!" Benjamin shouted, covering his mouth with the back of his hand. "Just... look at you."