A faint smile tugged at Xander’s lips. He was not showing it to others but within him, he enjoyed the glare Tatiana had given Selena. She was jealous. But as Tatiana stepped away, her knees faltered, her body swaying with dizziness. Xander shot up instantly, rushing to hold her. “Tatiana?” His face was filled with worry, his brows knitted, his voice low but urgent. The warmth of his hands steadied her, yet it sent shivers racing down her skin. She looked up at Xander, her vision blurred, but his touch anchored her, his closeness making her chest flutter wildly at the sound of his voice, the way he said her name—soft, almost broken. “Tatiana, cousin, are you alright?” Selena shot up too, her movements overly dramatic, hands flying to her mouth as if terrified. She tugged at Tatiana’s other side with a tone shrill with fake concern. “What’s wrong, Tatty? Are you seriously sick? Oh God, don’t let my cousin die on us!” Both Xander and Tatiana shot a sharp glare at Selena
The tension hung heavy, broken only by the sharp scrape of Isabel’s fork as she stabbed her food. She shot a quick glare at Tatiana, who still hadn’t raised her head, her calmness maddening to even Selena. Jacob, with a commanding air, bellowed, “I’ve spoken,” his cane tapping the polished floor. “The lawyers will begin the preparation for the transfer.” The old man’s jaw tightened, barely able to contain his anger with a straight face. “You are willing to give me back my inheritance?” Xander was shocked. He looked at Jacob, trying to decipher his intentions, but the old man held it calmly—almost with a lovely calm. Xander leaned back in his chair, his sharp jawline tilted slightly as he regarded his grandfather with unreadable eyes. “What changed?” His tone was cold, low, edged with suspicion. Jacob’s lips curved into a smirk, though his eyes briefly flickered toward Tatiana. “Let’s just say, your wife made me see reason.” Xander wasn’t expecting this answer. His brows
The long dining table was gleaming under the chandelier, plates set, food served, and cutlery in hand. Tatiana sat quietly at Xander’s side, her spoon barely brushing her lips. She kept her gaze forward, surprise etched on her face. Selena was there? Her cousin had been invited? By whom? She looked at Jacob but no sign could be detected. "So many foods? Wow is there a party?" Isabel glittered at the table handpicking a grape. But her mother pulled her to sit down. The old man was already in his chair, with Xander sitting at the opposite end of him. Tatiana sat by his right side, Selena to the opposite of Tatiana. Frederick and Isabel sat next to Tatiana, Ingrid and Noah next to the old man's right and Loretta to the old man's left. "Dad, what is this? Why arrange this big dinner? Are we expecting someone?" Noah’s face was full of questions as his eyes darted between Jacob and Xander, suspicion heavy in his look. Silence was stretching. Everyone was looking at the old man. But
"I already know your marriage is only for seven days, Tatiana Richardson." Tatiana froze mid-step, fighting to keep her breathing steady. She had thought he was finished with her when he allowed her to leave—only for his words to strike her like poison. Seven days... he knows? Slowly, Tatiana turned, meeting Jacob's gaze. Her lips trembled, but her voice came out calm, clipped. “I... I don’t know what... you’re talking about.” Jacob rose from his chair. His eyes, sharp and calculating, locked onto hers as he came around the desk, each step deliberate. “You can’t fool me, girl,” his voice cut like ice. “Nothing in this house hides from me. Not your husband’s lies. Not your pathetic little secrets.” Tatiana swallowed hard. Her nails pressed deep into her palm. “Grandfather, Xander and I love each other...” “You dare lie to my face?...I brought you into this family for a reason. But you turned your back on our deal and made an arrangement with my grandson that I had no
When Tatiana woke again, the sky outside had shifted, spilling with a dusky orange glow. Her body still felt heavy, though lighter than earlier, her head resting against the softness of the pillow. But the couch was empty. “Awake at last,” Brenda said cheerfully, her young face brightening as she noticed Tatiana’s eyes flutter open. She noticed Tatiana's lingering gaze on the couch. “Were you expecting someone else? Disappointed it’s just me?” She tilted her head playfully. Tatiana blinked, her lips parting, confusion flickering across her pale features. “Where is Mr Michelle?I... I meant to ask, where Xander is?” Brenda’s smile widened knowingly, almost mischievously. “Master Xander asked me to take care of you.”"Huh?" Tatiana froze, the words sinking in like stones dropped in water. Her brows knitted, her voice faint but filled with disbelief. “He… asked you to take care of me?” “Yes,” Brenda answered lightly, smoothing the linen with delicate fingers. “Do you think
“I deserve a pat, right?” “Karl, you are insane!” David’s voice cracked with disbelief. His cousin’s audacity both impressed and terrified him. “What if he had lashed out at you?” “Can he? He treated me like a kid for years, and now I’m just giving it back to him. Frustrating him is nothing.” His eyes glimmered with mischief, but underneath, there was a storm that only David could glimpse. “Karl Hart, you’re pushing it too much,” David warned, shaking his head. “I almost thought—” “That I hated her?” Karl cut him off, his tone sharp. Then his expression softened, but only slightly. “Bro, I’m twenty. Forgotten? I’m no longer sixteen.” He let out a heavy, theatrical sigh and threw his hands up again as though the whole world was blind to his growth. “You two still treat me like I’ve never grown up. Especially Alex.” He let out another sigh, this one deeper, almost wounded. “I’m just giving him a taste of the frustration I felt for three years. And now what? He treats me like s