Chapter 3

Tristan sat alone in the dim room, quietly holding the photo of Ruby. His eyes were full of bottomless grief and longing. He gently brushed his fingers over her bright smile in the picture as tears blurred his vision.

After a long, heavy sigh, he carefully tucked the photo against his chest, cradling it like it was the most precious thing in the world. Then, he stood up, planning to step out and walk around for a bit.

He'd just reached the foot of the staircase when a shrill voice suddenly split the air. His mother-in-law, Miranda Wade, stood there with her hands on her hips, her face twisted with anger as she screeched, "You're a useless deadbeat, Tristan! Do you have any idea what time it is? Why haven't you made dinner yet? Are you trying to starve the whole family to death?"

His father-in-law, Sheldon Grayson, immediately chimed in just as furiously, "Exactly! I honestly don't know what crime our family committed to get stuck with someone as worthless as you. You're getting more and more out of line—you won't even bother to cook now!"

Tristan acted as if he hadn't heard a word of their tirade. He kept walking toward the door.

Miranda was so angry she was practically shaking. Her eyes bulged as she shrieked, "Stop right there! If you dare walk out that door, don't ever bother coming back!"

But Tristan still didn't react. He didn't even spare them a glance and just kept walking.

Being ignored like that made Miranda's blood boil. She strode forward and swung her right hand, aiming a vicious slap at his face. To her surprise, he spun around and easily caught her wrist in midair.

His bloodshot eyes were as cold and sharp as knives. He said in a low, chilling voice, "I'm in a really bad mood. Don't push me."

The second Miranda met his gaze, a chill ran down her spine. However, even as she instinctively stepped back, she couldn't figure out how the usually spineless Tristan suddenly looked so terrifying to her.

Her voice quivered. "You… What do you think you're doing?"

Sheldon, watching from the side, forced himself to step up. Putting on a show of bravado he didn't really feel, he barked, "Don't tell me you have the nerve to hit your own mother-in-law, you punk!"

Just then, Gordon slowly shuffled out from the back room, leaning on his cane. His expression was dark as he swept a stern look over everyone and said, "That's enough. Ruby's in the hospital because of a heart attack.

"It's only natural that Tristan's not in a good mood now. Stop giving him a hard time. It's not like you'll all drop dead from hunger without him cooking."

Sheldon shot Tristan a vicious glare and muttered, "Dad, why are you always taking this useless loser's side?"

Gordon's already grim face darkened even more. "Watch your mouth! He's not some loser—he's your son-in-law!"

Sheldon curled his lip disdainfully and snorted. "Well, I'll make sure Claire divorces him sooner or later."

Right then, Claire walked in, holding hands with Adrian. The two of them were openly cozy with each other, chatting and laughing like a happily married couple.

Adrian quickly put on a polite smile and greeted, "Hi, Grandpa. Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Grayson."

Gordon ignored him and fixed his sharp gaze on Claire. "Claire, don't forget that you're a married woman. How can you walk around holding hands with another man? That's out of line!"

Claire hurriedly let go of Adrian's hand and lowered her head like a kid caught doing something bad.

Seeing the tension spike, Miranda rushed to smooth things over. She plastered on a warm, welcoming smile and took Adrian's hand. "Adrian, it's been so long. Come in and have a seat."

Claire quickly looked up and explained, "Mom, Adrian just got back from overseas. He's exhausted from the flight and probably a bit under the weather from the time difference and change in climate—he's running a high fever now. He also hasn't found a place to stay yet, so I was thinking he could crash here for a few days."

Adrian shot a look at Tristan, then shook his head. He said evenly, "I still think it's inappropriate. Thanks for the offer, but I'll just grab a room at a hotel. From the look on Mr. Mercer's face, he doesn't seem too thrilled about the idea."

Miranda let out a derisive laugh at that. She crossed her arms and said sharply, "Who cares if he's upset? This is my house, and I make the rules here. If I say you're staying, then you're staying. Why on earth would I let you pay for a hotel?"

Sheldon chimed in as well, his face split in an eager smile. "Exactly. Adrian, don't be so polite with us. Just treat this place like your own home. Stay as long as you need. Don't worry about whatever Tristan thinks."

Claire walked up to Tristan, sticking her nose in the air as she said in a haughty tone, "Tristan, Adrian's my close friend, and I want him to stay here for a few days. You don't have a problem with that, do you?"

Tristan merely let out a low, mirthless chuckle at her question. He didn't even blink as he said flatly, "This is your family's house, so you don't need my permission to invite whoever you want to stay. I'm just curious—while you're so busy fussing over your true love, has it even crossed your mind to ask how Ruby is doing?"

"You're taking care of her. There's nothing to be worried about," Claire replied briskly. "Anyway, I don't have time to argue with you. I need to take care of Adrian, so go make dinner. And since you'll be spending your nights at the hospital with Ruby for the next few days, clear out your room and get it ready for Adrian to use."

Even though Tristan and Claire were married, they didn't actually share a bed. Most of the time, she only let him sleep with her when she needed him to satisfy her needs.

Tristan sneered. "I'm not in the mood to cook. If you want dinner, make it yourself. As for your precious first love, it's clear that you two are closer than you and I have ever been. Putting him in my room seems almost insulting. Why not just let him sleep in your bed instead?"

An ugly look crept onto Claire's face. She snapped, "Shut up, you useless piece of trash! Do you even hear the garbage coming out of your mouth? Adrian's just an old friend of mine. He's sick, and he has nowhere to stay. What's so wrong with me letting him stay here for a few days? As a grown man, how can you be so petty?"

"I'm literally offering him your bed, and you still think I'm petty?" Tristan snorted, then turned to leave.

Claire flew into a rage. She lunged forward, raised her right hand, and slapped Tristan hard across the face.