"Oh?" There was an interesting smile crept to my grandfather's lips. "How audacious of this man..." My heart felt constricted when there was a warning in his gaze. But Theodore remained unfazed, only smiling, the same empty smile every time Thaddeus would find the situation appealing to his palate.I swiftly advanced, extending my arm with purpose, intercepting my grandfather's line of sight and obstructing his view of Theodore. "He is just kidding, Pops. Theodore is my uncle-in-law. He is Thaddeus' twin brother."I had to emphasize it properly, for the stunt Theodore had pulled was completely unexpected. The words that escaped his lips almost gave me a heart attack as their weight sank in.Pops narrowed his eyes, exchanging glances between me and Theodore. He scoffed after. "It is not like I am objecting to you having a concubine, I do not even mind if you make that man part of your harem." My eyes widened in horror, hearing this from my grandfather himself. "As a member of the Azai

My body froze at his accusation, the words cutting through me like a sharp blade. How could he know about that? Panic surged within me, and I quickly pushed him away, distancing myself from his touch."I-I don't know what you're talking about," I stammered, my voice betraying the fear that gripped me. "You're mistaken, Theodore. There's nothing between Thaddeus and me."Shit... What must I do now? How did he find out? Theodore's lips curled into a smile, devoid of warmth yet filled with a knowingness that sent a shiver down my spine. "Keep denying, Kasumi. But I know the truth. Perhaps, you might need evidence for that."I remained calm, portraying that this might be a bluff. There was no way he would know. Thaddeus and I were being careful. All of our escapades were carefully planned out, even with Theodore's arrival."What makes you think that we are screwing?" My lips formed a wry smile, pretending that his accusation was absurd. Unless he provided evidence, I would keep denying i

"Why?"As I awoke in the midst of dawn, ready to retreat to my chamber, Theodore posed a question that lingered in the air. Curiosity marked his inquiry, compelling me to contemplate the reason behind my abrupt awakening. However, my sneaking plan was immediately caught when Theodore was awake the whole time."Why what?" Maintaining composure, I gathered my garments, draping them over my left forearm, and cast a perplexed gaze towards him.Theodore gulped as his eyes raked my naked glory, but he cleared his throat and met my eyes. "Why are you not letting us mark you?"The fluttering in my stomach heightened. He highlighted 'us'. I assumed he was including Thaddeus here.His question slightly caught me off guard as I reached for the weak spot on my neck, massaging it. It was as if I was concealing it, so he did not have to pay attention to it."I am married to Severin, Theodore. I did not want to cause an issue to the House of de Rosa." My eyes roamed around, checking every inch of hi

"So, what happened, Diego?" Thaddeus asked in his firm tone while Diego, a pack doctor here, was checking the unconscious Madeline.Something stirred inside me when I saw her faint. There was a thought that kept submerging, but I tried to deflect it.Seeing Diego's stethoscope passing through Madeline's left chest and to her back before residing on her wrist to check the pulse made me want to storm out of Thaddeus' master bedchamber. I wanted to, but a part of me wanted to learn what was happening.If what I had on my mind was right, I did not know what I would do."Diego, what now?"Severin's voice cut through the air with an impatient tone, reaching my ears. My gaze immediately shifted to him, noticing the unease etched on his face.It was interesting that he had so much concern for Madeline. As for Thaddeus, I couldn't be certain since his expression was always neutral.I decided to leave their bedchamber as soon as Diego was done, leaving from there in stealth mode. But what I was

My eyes widened, I couldn't believe what I was hearing right now. They were all childhood friends? How come I did not know about that?Immanuel chuckled. "Indeed." A sly smile rolled on his lips. "So, I think that is what I can think of. You are after for vengeance, right?" I nodded mindlessly. "Then, it's settled. You just have to bring either of these two, and they can inflict the punishment from the orchestrated bait." He pointed to Thaddeus and Theodore, making my mouth parched."I am going."I flinched when the two of them spoke in unison, making my eyes widen in horror as the atmosphere between them thickened. "What did you mean?" Thaddeus asked in his dangerous tone. "You are volunteering?" He arched his eyebrow, confusion registered on his handsome features.Theodore removed his hands from my shoulders. "Indeed. How about you? Why are you volunteering?" he asked meaningfully, making my insides somersault from his words.I cautiously glared in his direction. But Theodore did n