Warm blood seeped out, but he felt no pain at all.
But a dull ache continued to spread deep within his heart.
You just think that all of this is because Norman Osborn is dead and Finn is no longer restrained, so you can squander everything without restraint?" Noah's lips curled into a forced, bitter smirk, his smile filled with desolate mockery. "Do you also think you are incredibly remarkable? That in this situation, being able to stabilize everything within the Osborn Group at such a young age is enough to prove you are the well-deserved sole heir?
Harry Osborn, the magazines all praise you as a brilliant genius.
But you couldn't see these anomalies, because.. is he sick?
Harry's eyes, which were always as calm as a mirror, shattered completely at this moment, as surging pain welled up from the depths of his gaze.
He is afraid of being alone, but sometimes he will curl up on the sofa by himself, watching through the floor-to-ceiling window." Noah's voice gradually lowered, heavy with sobbing, every word as if squeezed from his throat, "When I see him sitting there in silence all by himself, it's as if he is in another world; I feel as though nothing can fill the emptiness, fear, void within his heart.
He needs many, many people to make his world lively.
Because he cannot feel his own worth, he needs many people to recognize his worth, even if it means spending money.
He tries his best to make himself happy.
Harry stared blankly at Noah, his mouth agape, but he could only produce a dry, hoarse silence.
Something completely overturned his cognition, chaotic, self-reproaching, guilty, full of regret..
His brother's smile was so pure that it felt blinding to him; at this moment, compared to the blood on the floor, the pallor on the hospital bed, the self-harm scars on his arms, it was the only thing that truly made Harry realize what it meant to be truly blinded.
All along, he had only looked down upon Finn from his position of superiority, never once thinking of truly understanding his own brother. Even on the day of the press conference, he had never fully trusted Finn. He had even arrogantly used the press conference as an opportunity to deliberately test Finn's humanity, pushing the already mentally fragile boy into an even more dangerous situation.
Why—
Noah's eyes were rimmed with red, hot tears finally burst from his eyes, sliding down his cheeks, his voice carrying a choked sense of bewilderment.
It was as if he were questioning Harry, as if he were questioning his past self.
Why is it that you are his brother, yet you can.. notice nothing at all?
Chapter 43 Defense and Annoyance
A figure suddenly cut in.
It's not like that.
It's not all Harry's fault.
Peter stood between Noah and Harry at this moment, speaking in a firm tone.
He knew very well that every one of Noah Hart's questions, at this very moment, was like a sharp blade, piercing precisely into Harry Osborn's most vulnerable spot. Harry only maintained a facade of calm on the surface, but Peter Parker saw clearly that Harry's arm hanging at his side was trembling uncontrollably, crimson blood was slowly seeping through the bandages on the hand that had only been injured yesterday.
Harry's emotions had long been pushed to the edge of a cliff, step by step, by Noah's series of sudden outbursts.
It looked as if he was about to lose control.
Peter was even starting to doubt whether Harry's illness, which Finn had mentioned in his thoughts earlier, was—
Could it be that the Osborn family has a hereditary mental illness?
Norman Osborn is Finn's father, also Harry's father. Everyone handles grief differently, Harry has already done his best." Peter had always known that Harry was a highly disciplined person, spending almost all of his time on work with no time at all for leisure or relaxation. "You know how heavy the burden on his shoulders is. In times like those, all of his energy was spent stabilizing the Osborn Group that his father left behind. He may indeed have neglected Finn, but human energy is limited, no one is perfect. We cannot demand that Harry do everything perfectly.
Perfect? Demanding perfection?
Noah looked at Peter as if he had heard the greatest joke in the world, staring at him in disbelief.
“Is this the best you can do? Letting your own younger brother wander around outside like a stray dog? Always looking at him with that arrogant, condescending expression, ignoring him, belittling him, ruthlessly extinguishing every spark of light within him? Even though your brother was right under your nose the whole time, you waited until he had to be hospitalized for self-harm before you belatedly realized what was happening?”
Noah suddenly raised his hand and pointed at Finn, who was still sleeping soundly in the hospital bed. Peter's favoritism at this moment fueled Noah's rage even further, his fingertips trembling violently with anger.
“Don't you think this is absolutely ridiculous!”
Harry's gaze followed Noah's fingertips, landing on Finn's bloodless face on the hospital bed. That thin figure, at this moment, was like a shard of sharp glass; even the mere touch of his gaze was enough to leave him bleeding profusely.
Peter's gaze was also trembling, but he still suppressed all the emotions in his heart and took a deep breath.
Noah, this is unfair to Harry," Peter said in a certain tone, looking Noah straight in the eye with a steady gaze. "There is a lack of communication and contact between them. Before this, Harry had no idea about Finn's actual situation; all he could see was the surface. If Harry knew, he wouldn't just stand by and do nothing.
Peter was the one who saw all of this most clearly; many of the layers of misunderstandings and contradictions that existed between Harry and Finn were largely caused by Finn on purpose.
"Are you Finn's friend now, or Harry's friend?" Noah asked with a cold expression. Of course, he could see that Peter liked Finn, but Finn was very oblivious in this regard and had no idea at all.
The answer to this question seemed to be forcing Peter Parker to make a choice at this very moment.
To completely draw a line between himself and one of the sides.
I am their friend." After contemplating for a few seconds, Peter met Noah's gaze without flinching. "But if you really want an accurate answer from me, I would stand on Harry's side right now.
Even though Harry's pupils suddenly constricted as he stared at the figure before him, he clearly had not expected Peter to take his side.
Peter knew that Finn had many friends, they would all stand firmly by Finn's side.
But Harry did not.
Harry was always alone, but by himself, he was like an indestructible castle. However, at this moment, this steel fortress was beginning to collapse uncontrollably from within.
At such a critical moment, he could not allow Harry, who was equally mentally fragile, to fall into isolation and helplessness all alone.
If Finn were lucid, he would also want me to speak as Harry's friend." Peter could hear every thought of Finn's; he knew that every time Finn intentionally spoke ill of Harry in front of him, he was secretly hoping he would step up and refute it. Even now, Peter would do the same, he knew Finn would want him to do so. "Noah, you know that everything Finn does is never truly intended to hurt Harry.
I know." Noah curled his lips, his tone carrying undisguised sarcasm, while his gaze cast a cold look toward Harry. "Am I the one who needs to know about this?
"Communication is necessary between family members. Harry and Finn have never gotten along properly as brothers before. Even after their father passed away, they have never had a single moment of honest communication," Peter continued.
Eighteen-year-old Peter was no longer the same as he was at sixteen when he first became Spider-Man. He would still feel flustered, nervous, uneasy, afraid of messing up, but after experiencing one unexpected incident after another, he had undoubtedly become much more steady and mature.
He will handle thorny problems more rationally, rather than letting them escalate.
Indeed, it is easiest for family members to hurt one another, but problems cannot be solved through blame alone." Peter looked at Harry, then at Noah, his tone earnest. "Harry came here today to give Finn a birthday present. We all thought this would be a good beginning; no one imagined things would turn out like this.
What we need to do now is not to tear each other apart, or to rip open the scars we've discovered to make the wounds even worse. Since we have already seen the crux of the problem, then let's go and solve it, rather than letting it fester where it lies," Peter said firmly. "It is indeed a very terrible start, but we can make it turn into something good.
As Spider-Man, Peter had always thought this way. Since becoming a hero, he had seen too much darkness and encountered too many terrible things. The bad things had already happened, he was powerless to change the past.
But it doesn't matter.
Do what he can do, do not let the situation continue to deteriorate.
He will do his absolute best to ensure that Spider-Man's existence brings a small, positive change to the peace of New York.
He will work hard as Spider-Man, he will also work hard as Peter Parker.
Noah was stunned upon hearing this.
It seemed like it was the first time he truly got to know this friend of Finn's.
Even though he was only eighteen, after discovering Finn's self-harm, he didn't panic; instead, he called an ambulance immediately and decisively helped to bandage his wounds. Compared to the eighteen-year-old Andrew, who had completely broken down, he was equally nervous and self-reproaching, yet he was able to steady his emotions to communicate with him here, firmly reminding the twenty-four-year-old that he needed to solve the problem rather than escalate the conflict.
Undoubtedly, this young man possesses a very strong inner strength.
They will become a great family, I am certain of that, I have always hoped to mend the relationship between them," Peter said sincerely and earnestly. "Noah, you and Elias have always been by Finn's side, supporting and encouraging him. You are also Finn's family, including Mr. Wilson and Mrs. Wilson; I don't think this is a single-choice question in itself.
He is right," Dr. Thomas said, interceding at the appropriate time to persuade Noah. "Regarding Finn's condition, medication and therapy are the foundation, but the cooperation of family members is crucial. The rift between Finn and his brother has always been the key crux that aggravates his psychological burden; if they can successfully resolve it, it will be much better for his recovery.
Peter nodded repeatedly. Yes, if they were going to treat it, they should treat it together.
If that's what you all think, then what about Harry?" Noah's gaze suddenly turned cold as it shifted toward Harry, his tone demanding an answer, "Do you think you can be a good older brother?
Harry frowned deeply at this moment, unable to find the words to respond for a long time.
It was as if this matter was even more difficult than the proposals on his desk that required constant weighing of pros and cons.
Especially at this moment, while Finn Osborn was still lying in his hospital bed.
Harry only felt his thoughts becoming slow and heavy, as that unbearable headache began to tear through him once again.
He knew the labels the outside world had placed on him—precise, cold-blooded, ruthless, like a machine without emotion.
A person like him, who only wraps himself in rationality, never had any intention of maintaining family ties to begin with.
He was never good at perceiving love, let alone giving it—
To let a younger brother, whom he never once cared for before, feel a warmth that even he himself had never possessed.
Let me introduce my younger brother to you.
Seeing Harry's inability to respond, as he could only remain silent, Noah suddenly forced a smile that was extremely awkward and broken. Ignoring Elias's intervention entirely, Noah's hands trembled as he pulled up an old news report from his phone.
—An eighteen-year-old aristocratic high school student committed suicide by shooting himself at home.
"This is my brother. Because no one could understand his depression, the only way I can see him now is through news reports." Noah tore open the most painful wound deep within his heart, spreading the blood-soaked reports before Harry and questioning him relentlessly.
Harry Osborn, tell me, would you want the next person to be heavily reported on by all the media to be your own brother?
A cold, stinging, suffocating pain instantly pierced straight into Harry's already broken heart.
Waves of intense, throbbing pain made even breathing an ordeal for him at this moment.
Do you still think that without him, you would be free of a lot of trouble?" Noah asked with a cold laugh. "No one will fight you for the Osborn Group anymore, no one will dispute the inheritance with you, there certainly won't be someone like an inseparable shadow, constantly hovering in front of your eyes and getting in your way.
"Of course I wouldn't!" Harry roared, his teeth nearly clenched. Driven to this point by Noah's step-by-step escalation and interrogation, he could no longer maintain his silence or his composure; even his cold green eyes were surging with fury at this moment.
Harry's hands were seeping blood, his throat seemed to taste of blood, even his chest felt as if it were bleeding.
He had only just seen the brilliance of Finn Osborn, he had only thought that there would be a positive change between him and Finn, he had only just prepared a birthday gift for Finn that he might like, he had only just intended to fulfill his responsibilities and duties as an older brother..
The dazzling future belonging to Finn Osborn had only just begun.
Harry did not even dare to imagine how he would unexpectedly plunge into a dark hell if, at this very moment, the overwhelming news reports were filled with the news of Finn Osborn's death, bringing everything to a sudden end at his most glorious moment.
"Will you regret it in the future?" Noah asked with a trembling voice, his face covered in tears, as he took a deep breath.
"Regret those harsh and sharp words once said to him? Regret those times when you didn't truly listen to his needs over the phone? Regret those moments when he was right there beside you, yet you never paid any attention to him?" Noah continued to press forward, his eyes churning with extreme, suppressed pain, his voice carrying an irredeemable despair.
Memories of having almost no interaction with Finn flooded Harry's mind frantically at this moment, every single image soaked in his arrogance, coldness, indifference.
Finn argued intensely and sharply in front of him again and again, but he never truly listened. But when he first appeared in Andrew's video, his younger brother was so quiet.. especially when they mentioned family, his silence seemed to represent everything.
He was simply all alone.
Could not find his home.
Every day after losing him—
Noah continued to question, his eyes hollow and permeated with deeper sadness.
Do you keep replaying that last day you spent together in your head, that final conversation? All those words you never had the chance to say, he will never have the opportunity to hear.
Harry thought of the expression on Finn's face in the control room, how he wanted to receive his praise; it was so real, vivid, full of radiance.