I was kind of liking the story, until the ML let himself be easily manipulated by his brother. He absolutely knew that his brother was an insanely vindictive, vicious psychopath, yet he let himself be played for a sucker like it was cool. I have always had strong family ties, but if I had a family member whose sole aim in life was to ruin me and would happily hurt those I love to accomplish that, I would cut them out like a malignant tumor. The belief that you have to make nice with someone who hates and hurts you just because you're family is toxic and just plays into the psychopath's hands. It is one of those beliefs that exemplifies the old saying that the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Comparative Strangers