Chapter 40

The reason Monica came to Silverclaw Manor was because she kept hearing bad news about Rowan.

She explained, "Honestly, I don’t give a fuck about all this family drama, but my coworkers won’t stop bugging me about it. So, I decided to take a few days off just to get away from their nonsense."

"A while ago, I heard he was involved in fraud, and now, suddenly, he’s an abusive husband?!" Monica scoffed, then turned to me. "And to someone as perfect as you?! How dare he lay a hand on you, sweetheart?"

I corrected her with a small smile. "I’m not his wife anymore."

It seemed Monica had truly never bothered to find out who Rowan had married.

"Did Rowan ever do anything bad to you?" I asked, curious about Monica’s clear hatred toward her nephew.

"Nah, he’s scared of me," Monica said, rolling her eyes. "But I always knew that kid would grow up to be a menace to society. His mother spoiled him rotten and justified everything he did since he was little, so it was obvious he wasn’t going to turn out to be a decent man."

With that, Monica casually strolled into the house, flopped onto the sofa, propped her feet up on the coffee table, and grabbed a snack without a care in the world.

Was that even appropriate behavior? Well, this was technically her house, so she could do whatever she wanted.

"Auntie, let’s watch the movie together!" Ashley beamed, jumping onto Monica’s lap before patting the empty seat beside her. "Auntie Samantha, what are you doing over there? Come sit with us!"

I was taken aback, thinking Ashley had completely forgotten about me.

Feeling a bit awkward, I sat down beside Monica. But to my surprise, she casually offered me a snack. "Want a bite?"

I smiled politely. "No, thank you."

Maybe I was the only one who found the situation awkward.

Ashley snuggled closer to Monica, resting her head against her aunt’s shoulder. "Auntie, can you stay for a few days?"

Monica glanced down at her niece, then ruffled her hair. "Yeah, I took a few days off, so I guess I’ll crash here for a bit."

I silently observed their interaction. Despite her rough and rebellious exterior, Monica seemed to have a soft spot for Ashley.

As the movie played, the atmosphere gradually became more relaxed. Monica made sarcastic remarks about the film, which made Ashley giggle, while I occasionally chuckled at their banter.

For the first time, someone didn’t freak out upon learning that Zephyr had claimed his nephew’s ex-wife.

Maybe it was because Monica simply didn’t care about other people’s business, or perhaps she just wasn’t the type to make a fuss over things that didn’t concern her.

Either way, I felt at ease with her. Who would’ve thought that an eccentric goth could make me feel this comfortable?

But that comfortable night didn’t last long once Darren and Layla finally emerged from their room.

They smelled like shampoo and soap, a clear sign that they had just taken a shower.

"Monica?" Darren suddenly tapped her shoulder, his eyes widening in surprise. "What are you doing here?!"

Monica lazily glanced up at Darren, completely unfazed. She popped another piece of snack into her mouth before answering, "What? Can’t I visit my own damn house?"

Darren narrowed his eyes. "You never visit unless you’re running away from something."

Monica smirked. "Busted. My coworkers won’t shut up about Rowan’s mess, so I took a little break." She stretched her legs out on the couch, looking completely at ease. "Figured I’d come here to escape the bullshit."

Vera, who had been standing beside Darren, folded her arms. "And here I thought you finally missed your family."

Monica snorted. "I missed Ashley. The rest of you? Meh." She ruffled Ashley's hair playfully, making the little girl giggle.

Darren sighed, rubbing his temples. "Well, since you’re here, at least try not to make a mess." Then his eyes flickered to me. "You okay?"

I, who had been quietly observing their exchange, blinked at him. "Uh, yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?"