Chapter 4

The air seemed to freeze.

For a split second, the muscles in Parker's face went rigid, but he'd already recovered his usual easygoing expression in the next second. His tone even carried a hint of doting reproach.

"What are you thinking? Our families have been close since we were kids. Charlotte is basically my sister. You know how I've been run ragged with that project at the company, right? I've barely had time to go home. My parents are getting on in years, and I worry about them.

"Charlotte is good at paying attention to the small things, so she often goes over to check on them for me. She keeps them company."

He sighed, looking appropriately frustrated and remorseful. "Honestly, it's my fault for being such an irresponsible son."

His explanation was airtight. He praised Charlotte while painting himself as a hardworking, career-focused man who still cared deeply for his parents.

Leanne lowered her eyes, her long lashes casting a shadow beneath her eyes, hiding her expression.

"I see," she said, her voice soft and unreadable.

Parker had just started to relax when she suddenly changed tack. "Speaking of which, we've been married for a while now, but I still haven't properly visited your parents. Since you're so busy, it's only right for me, as your wife, to show some basic respect."

She looked up at him, the corners of her lips lifting into a perfectly measured smile. Her attitude was gentle and considerate as she suggested, "We'll need to send Charlotte home anyway, so how about I head to the Jewell residence with you to visit your parents? It's time I fulfilled my duties as their daughter-in-law."

Parker's smile froze once again. She wanted to head to the Jewell residence now? Wouldn't that blow their cover? Sweat beaded at his temples.

"Right now?" He instinctively tried to make up an excuse. "It's late at night. My parents are probably already asleep…"

"That's true." Leanne cut him off considerately. "Then let's go over there first thing tomorrow morning. It's the weekend, anyway."

With her being this thoughtful, Parker couldn't find a single reasonable way to refuse. Turning her down would be the same as admitting his guilt.

As he stood there, trapped, Leanne turned to Charlotte with a bright, pleasant smile. "Charlotte, you're so close with Parker's parents. Why don't you come with us tomorrow? You can even put in a good word for me with them, so I don't get nervous and say the wrong thing my first time there."

The color drained from Charlotte's face again. Leanne wanted her to tag along? In what capacity? Was she supposed to play the role of Parker's "sister" and accompany him and his "wife" to visit his parents together? This had to be the most ridiculous farce on earth.

Leanne's mood soared at the sight of them both going pale. This was exactly what she wanted—to hand them the knife and then watch how they chose to cut themselves.

Before they could gather their wits and come up with a countermeasure, she glanced at the clock on the wall, her delicate brows knitting slightly.

"Goodness, it's already so late." She looked at Charlotte with concern. "It's not safe for you to be going home so late. Why don't you stay here tonight? We've got plenty of guest rooms. Just pick whichever you like. We can all head to the Jewell residence tomorrow morning."

The suggestion landed like a bomb over Parker and Charlotte. Leanne wanted Charlotte to stay the night? That would be like sending a lamb straight into the wolf's den!

Charlotte's first instinct was to refuse. But when her eyes met Leanne's—those eyes seemed to see right through everything—the words of refusal stuck in her throat.

She'd come over that night wanting to be alone with Parker, anyway. Now that Leanne was offering that chance herself, wouldn't she seem even more guilty if she started dodging and making excuses?

Parker's mind raced as he weighed the pros and cons. Letting Charlotte stay was incredibly risky, but if he objected, Leanne would only grow more suspicious. He had no choice but to pick the lesser of two evils.

He feigned calmness as he went along with Leanne's suggestion and forced himself to sound generous. "You're right, Leanne. I wasn't being considerate enough. Charlotte, just stay. Your safety comes first."

Leanne sneered inwardly, but her smile on the surface only grew softer. "Then it's settled. "I'll take you to the guest room. All the toiletries are brand-new."

She personally led Charlotte to the guest room next to the master bedroom, helped her get settled, and only then turned to leave. Before stepping out of the room, she smiled and said, "Get some rest. I'll leave you to it."

When she returned to the living room, Parker was still standing there, looking incredibly uneasy. Leanne picked up her laptop and headed straight for the study, speaking without even glancing at him. "I still have work to finish, so I'll sleep in the study tonight. You should turn in early."

With that, she walked into the study and shut the door.

Parker was left standing alone in the cavernous living room, his expression shifting between dark and darker.

…

The night slowly deepened.

The villa was silent, with only the ticking of the wall clock breaking the stillness.

In the study, Leanne hadn't turned on the lights. Only the cold glow from her laptop screen lit up her face, sharpening every line. She wasn't looking at any design drafts. Instead, she'd pulled up the interface of a surveillance program.

Onscreen was the hallway outside the master bedroom. She waited in silence like a hunter with endless patience.

At 1:00 am, the guest room door eased open a crack. A slender figure slipped out, furtive and sneaky, peeking left and right before hunching over and tiptoeing step by step toward the master bedroom.

Leanne's lips curled into a mocking, icy smile. As expected, Charlotte just couldn't hold herself back.

She watched as Charlotte deftly turned the master bedroom's doorknob, slipped inside, and quietly closed the door behind her.

The show was finally starting.

Leanne shut her laptop, stepped out of her slippers, and padded out of the study barefoot. The chill of the marble floor seeped into her skin, but it only made her mind sharper.

She stopped outside the master bedroom door and tilted her head to listen. From inside came muffled, disgusting gasps and whispers.

"…She's sleeping in the study?"

"Yeah. She said she needed to work."

"Then is she actually going to the Jewell residence tomorrow? What are we gonna do, Parker?"

"Don't worry. I've got this. I already talked to my parents. They definitely won't slip up tomorrow."

Leanne listened to them, her face blank. The cold in her eyes was enough to freeze someone solid.

She pulled out the old brass keys she'd slipped into her pocket earlier that day—the spare keys for every room in the villa. She slid the right one into the lock and turned it.

The click of the lock was barely audible, but in the dead of the night, it might as well have been a funeral bell tolling judgment.

She withdrew the key, turned away, and silently returned to the study as if nothing had happened.

…

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the windows and spilled into the living room. Leanne emerged from the study feeling refreshed, even humming as she went into the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee.

Mug in hand, she strolled unhurriedly to the master bedroom and reached for the doorknob. Naturally, it wouldn't budge.

She let out a soft, surprised sound as if only just discovering this anomaly. Then, she tried again, this time rattling the doorknob a little harder.

"Parker, are you awake? I want to head in to wash up." She deliberately raised her voice, making sure the people inside could hear every word loud and clear.

Silence was all that she got.

The smile on Leanne's lips deepened as she rapped lightly on the door. "This is weird. Why is the door locked? Did you actually lock the door before going to bed last night?"

Her tone was full of innocent confusion, but every syllable landed like a hammer on the hearts of the cheating pair inside. She wondered what expressions they were wearing right then. Were they clutching the covers in a panic, white as sheets?

"Parker, are you okay in there? Why aren't you saying anything?" A trace of anxious concern crept into Leanne's voice. She even pressed her ear against the door, pretending to listen for movement inside. "If you still don't answer me, I'm going to use the spare key to open the door!"