"What did you say?"
Aaron was stunned on the spot, his whole body as if under a petrification spell, not recovering for several seconds, his mind instantly blank.
"Yes, I'm divorced." Kazir looked at Aaron and repeated.
"Damn it! Can you speak properly? Can't you speak like a human?"
Aaron's emotions instantly flared, his voice unconsciously rising an octave, the booming sound echoing through the cafe, drawing curious glances from other patrons who looked over at them.
Aaron then realized his gaffe, a flash of embarrassment crossing his face. He quickly turned his gaze back to Kazir, trying to calm himself down.
"Kazir, tell me everything, clearly." Aaron took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in his heart, his tone a mix of frustration and disappointment.
Such a big event as his brother's marriage, and he had never mentioned it to him. The six years of estrangement had already left a knot in his heart, and now suddenly this "divorce" popped up. Anyone would be stunned by such unexpected news.
"Where to begin... I met her in the film crew, a colleague, I guess! She was indeed beautiful..."
Kazir lowered his head slightly, lost in thought, then slowly began to recount the original owner's romantic experiences.
Aaron leaned forward slightly, listening intently, his eyes fixed on Kazir, not missing a single word he said.
As Kazir said, this relationship did not have a "happily ever after" like a fairy tale, ultimately ending in divorce.
"The house you worked so hard to buy, you just gave it to her? Kazir, are you crazy? Why didn't you fight for it?"
The more Aaron listened, the angrier he became, his teeth grinding, feeling as if his lungs were about to explode.
He clenched his fists, wishing he could immediately find that woman and her adulterous lover to teach them a good lesson and vent his brother's anger.
"Even if you didn't sell it, keeping it would have been fine!"
Aaron still felt his brother's actions were too foolish, and couldn't help but mumble another complaint.
"Brother, have you forgotten what happened with Mom and Dad back then?" Kazir looked up at Aaron, a complex emotion in his eyes.
"..."
At these words, Aaron instantly fell silent, his agitated mood gradually calming down as he sank into thought.
Neither brother had forgotten what happened nine years ago; it was a deeply painful memory.
Their mother had an affair, divorced their father, and even took half of their family assets. What was even worse, she won the lawsuit.
Dad was depressed for several years, as if his soul had been sucked out of him, living each day in a daze, until he slowly recovered later and rebuilt his career.
The two brothers didn't go with their mother but chose to stay with their father.
Their father truly loved them, spending time with them whenever he could, taking them out to play, telling them stories. The bond between the two brothers and their father had always been very deep.
Besides, who would want to live with their mother and her lover? Just thinking about it felt disgusting.
"I'd rather give her the house than be entangled in endless messy affairs." Kazir sighed helplessly, his tone revealing a sense of weariness and resolve.
"That's true. A house can be bought again, but peace of mind is hard to find."
Aaron nodded, indicating his understanding of his brother's decision.
Both of them had experienced the pain of a broken family, a pain like a sharp knife that had carved deep scars into their hearts.
In their view, rather than slowly going mad in entanglement, it was better to cut ties early.
What they least wanted to see was to be as despairing as their father was back then, completely lost in endless darkness.
"After all these years, are you still planning to be at odds with Dad?" Aaron was silent for a moment, then looked at Kazir, asking tentatively.
"...I don't know."
Kazir gave a bitter smile, slowly shaking his head. Influenced by the original owner's memories, he also harbored complex feelings towards this body's biological father.
Being able to live a second life, he was especially grateful to the original owner and was determined to use this identity to fulfill the original owner's responsibilities.
"When do you plan to see him?"
Aaron looked at his brother's seemingly touched eyes, feeling a bit emotional himself, and continued to ask.
"Once I make a name for myself in Hollywood."
Kazir clenched his fists.
He believed he could definitely carve out his own path in Hollywood and make his father proud of the original owner.
"So, how much do you need?"
Aaron had already guessed the purpose of his visit, but he wasn't angry; instead, he felt a little relieved—at least his brother was willing to ask him for help, which meant their relationship was slowly mending.
"Brother, five hundred thousand. We'll sign a contract; consider it an investment in my film. You don't need to worry about anything else." Kazir looked at Aaron and said seriously.
"Alright. I thought you were going to ask for five million, which I couldn't produce." Aaron smiled, a relaxed expression on his face.
His family ran a marketing and promotion business in New York, and their business was quite substantial. Their family was relatively wealthy, so although five hundred thousand was not a small sum for him, he was still willing to help his brother.
"No need to sign a contract, don't I trust you?" Aaron leaned forward, closing the distance between him and his brother, and said sincerely, "Actually, Dad set up a trust fund a long time ago, and both of us brothers are beneficiaries. You don't need to repay this money; it's yours to begin with."
"No, brother, this is business. I promise, I'll definitely make you double your money back."
Kazir shook his head firmly. He didn't want any unnecessary conflicts with his brother over money. He wanted to prove with his own abilities that this investment was worthwhile.
"Cut the act. Give me your account number." Aaron waved his hand dismissively, pulled out his phone, called his secretary, and instructed her about the transfer. After that, he nodded at Kazir, signaling him to rest assured.
"Thanks, Aaron, I definitely won't let you spend this money in vain." Kazir looked at his brother gratefully, tears shimmering in his eyes.
The two of them chatted back and forth, recounting their experiences over the years.
Kazir spoke of his struggles in Hollywood, the hardships and setbacks, the helplessness of not being recognized; Aaron, on the other hand, talked about helping their father expand the business, the busyness and rushing around, the successes and joys.
It was evident that both brothers were quite happy to see each other again. This trip was not in vain, and the knot in their hearts had been untied.
It was as if all past estrangement and conflicts had vanished at this moment, leaving only deep familial affection.
After confirming that five hundred thousand had arrived in his account, Kazir immediately launched his plan. He quickly pulled out his phone and contacted the film crew members he had previously worked with.