Chapter 88: Chapter 88

Third Person's POV

Sebastian glanced at Agatha and silently mouthed, "What's going on?"

Agatha simply raised her eyebrows and gestured for him to be quiet by placing a finger over her lips.

She then crouched down, believing she had successfully disappeared from sight.

But Sebastian could still see her, no matter how small she tried to make herself.

Shaking his head in disbelief, Sebastian wondered if she was pretending not to be seen.

Suddenly, loud voices from the entrance caught his attention, prompting him to turn his head in that direction.

Two men were causing a commotion as they entered.

“Ahh!” Adam winced and shot a glare at Vincent, accusing him, "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

Vincent glanced back, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "I didn't do anything wrong. You were the one rushing and bumped into me. By the way, who are you?"

Adam shrugged dismissively. He clicked his tongue and adjusted his bangs, avoiding eye contact. "Doesn't matter. I don't have time to argue with a kid like you."

"What? Kid?" Vincent retorted loudly. "Who do you think you're calling a kid?"

Adam snorted, looking Vincent up and down with a smirk. "Well, you certainly don't seem like a busy person. I bet you don't even have a job."

Vincent's mouth hung open, speechless. He cursed the stranger silently as he stared at him sharply. Just as he was about to unleash his anger, Sebastian approached them, bringing a temporary end to their argument. However, the peace didn't last long.

"Surprised to see you here, Vincent," Sebastian greeted.

Agatha, who had been watching from the couch, peeked at the three of them.

"Same here," Vincent replied to Sebastian. "When did you become friends with Brett?"

"We're not really friends yet. But he became my uncle yesterday."

Vincent chuckled with a crumpled face. "What was that? Uncle?"

Whether Vincent and Sebastian are acquaintances, Adam, who’s standing at the side, doesn't really care. So he planned on entering without paying attention to the two. However, Sebastian tried to be polite by greeting him, only because he’s also wary of a stranger’s sudden appearance.

"Who are you?" Sebastian asked Adam after blocking his way.

The corners of Adam’s lips turned up. He licked the corner of his lips then pursed his mouth as if he's saying that he doesn't have time to waste.

Sebastian glanced at the fruit basket. Next, he flung an absurd question. "Don’t tell me, you came here in order to court our uncle Brett?"

'Courting? What is he saying?! This freaking bastard!' Adam already shouted inside his head.

Unable to contain his anger, he yelled, "Who's courting who?! Me? To that damn Brett?! Don’t spit out absurd things! You little piece of sh*t! I'm a straight guy!"

Vincent chuckled from the sidelines, amused by the situation. Meanwhile, Sebastian remained indifferent, showing no emotion.

"Why are you carrying a fruit basket then? If it's not for Uncle Brett, who else are you planning to give it to?" Sebastian questioned.

"Why do I have to explain everything to you?" Adam noticed the books in Sebastian's hands and replied, "Just go and study."

Sebastian shrugged nonchalantly, "Hmm, I don't think I can go now. I'll just skip." He then pointed at the fruit basket, asking, "So, what's that for?"

Vincent continued to laugh until he noticed a woman hiding behind the sofa. His smile disappeared, replaced by a frown as he stared at her. He waited for Agatha to lift her head and meet his gaze.

And then it happened.

She caught him looking at her.

"Having fun playing hide and seek?" Vincent threw out a sarcastic question. Adam and Sebastian paused, turning their attention to Vincent and the woman he was fixated on.

Agatha struggled to keep her composure as Vincent's intense gaze bore into her. She could feel the tension in the air, making her heart race even faster.

"Come out now," Vincent's voice was firm, sending shivers down her spine.

"What are you doing there?" Adam asked the weird woman,

Agatha began to put her brain into work. But her body stayed crouching onto the floor, as if the nerves on her aren't coordinating with her mind.

Looking pissed up, Vincent walked towards her. He grabbed her wrist and forced her to stand up.

"Ahhh," she winced in pain.

Of course, Adam and Sebastian didn't like what they just saw. But at the moment when they were about to step in, the owner of the house arrived.

"Woah. I have so many guests," Brett gasped in plausible tone. “I didn’t expect to see these many guests today.”

Actions paused. A pair of eyes, including Vincent's, focused on him.

"You..." Agatha exclaimed. "Why did you come out? You're sick," she grumbled. Agatha quickly pulled away Vincent's hand, which had relaxed upon seeing Brett, from her wrist and dashed towards Brett.

"Crazy," she objected.

Despite feeling fine after taking medicine, Brett pretended to be unwell. He tilted as if about to collapse. Agatha caught his hand and held him up.

While pretending, Brett glanced at the three men who eyed him with jealousy, as if they might harm him soon.

He smirked at them, worsening their mood. When Agatha stole a glance at Brett's face, he abruptly dropped his smile and acted feeble.

"Cut the act," Vincent pleaded in a tone that lacked any real desperation.

"Well, isn't that a warm welcome after all this time," Brett chuckled. Cradling Agatha in his arms, he stared at Vincent and remarked, "Ah, my former brother-in-law."

** **

“Oh, wow, I'm so surprised you came to see me. Thanks for bringing these fruits. I'll enjoy them a lot," Brett expressed his gratitude to Adam, holding both of his hands together as if he's praying.

Even though the fruits weren't actually meant for him, Adam found himself unable to explain in front of the other men present.

The living room was spacious enough for Brett, Adam, Agatha, Vincent, and Sebastian. However, Agatha felt cramped sitting with them on the couch. She held her breath every few seconds, exhaling and inhaling when it became too much to bear.

She never thought these guys would ever cross paths, as there was no reason for them to.

But now, here they were.

"You're so thoughtful, Mr. Adam," Brett chimed in. He even made a cute face while tapping the apple in the basket, which made Adam uneasy.

'I really want to punch him right now!' Adam thought to himself, closing his eyes to control his frustration.

To add more fuel to the fire, Sebastian opened his lips and uttered this nonsense to Adam, "So it's really true that you are courting our uncle Brett?”

His eyelids shook and soon they found Adam’s raging eyes which can burn anyone who’ll meet his flaming gaze.

Despite of that, Brett uttered, “Oh my!” He looked at Adam in a very apologetic way. “H-Hey, Mr. Adam. I know that I am so pretty but, I’m sorry. I don’t think I can accept your fee…”

"SHUT UP!" Adam’s loud curse echoed.

It always fun to annoy an annoying character, Agatha will also vote for that idea. However, she doesn't have space to spare for having fun. Though not looking back, she could feel Vincent’s intense stare at her. But she pretended to be oblivious.

"Why are you still here? What?" Brett asked Sebastian.

Sebastian crossed his legs before his nonchalant response came, "I decided not to attend the review class for today."

Brett, pretending to be concerned, urged, "You better hurry before your dad gets angry."

Agatha couldn't sit still. She saw this as her chance to escape from them. She got up and moved stealthily. However, escaping freely was impossible under the watchful eyes of Vincent, who had the vision of an eagle.

"Where do you think you're going?" Vincent questioned, grabbing her wrist.

All eyes were now on Agatha, and her escape plan fell apart.

"I came here because of you. So just stay put," Vincent added, his command as cold as ice.

Agatha tried her best to free her wrist from his grip, but it was useless. Vincent was too strong and pulled her back to sit beside him.

Adam, Sebastian, and Brett didn't like how Vincent forced her to sit down. They checked her wrist to see if it was red and inflamed. Luckily, it wasn't.

"So you're here because of my niece," Brett chuckled, copying Sebastian's crossed legs and adding crossed arms for good measure.

Vincent grinned first. "Oh, shut," he laughed, setting down his beam and giving Brett a glare. "...the hell up, Brett," he continued.

Brett's face twisted into a matching grimace, as if it were contagious.

"Niece? Don't talk nonsense," Vincent's voice dropped, throaty and low. "I know you used Agatha to manipulate my brother. You used her to manipulate Lanceil!"

Adam furrowed his brow. Sebastian, hearing this for the first time, widened his eyes. 'I knew she wasn't really his niece, but this is too surprising,' Sebastian thought, feeling alarmed.

"You used her for your own revenge!" Vincent added.

"Revenge?" Brett countered. He uncrossed his arms and legs. "You've got the wrong word, brother-in-law. Do you think I'd use a girl just for revenge? No. I'm using her to uncover the truth behind my sister's death."

Agatha confirmed that Brett's sister was indeed Lanceil's ex-wife.

Vincent let out a small chuckle. "Olive took her life. It was a suicide," he said.

Brett's lips curled into a grin. "If I'm in denial, what about you? How long do you plan on fooling yourself?"

There was a moment of silence before Brett spoke again.

"Deep down, you also suspect that my sister's death wasn't a suicide. That's why you've been traveling everywhere, trying to forget. Because you know, deep down, that Olive didn't take her own life. She was murdered!" Brett's voice rose as he shouted.

Vincent gazed at him, his heart heavy with the memories of the woman he considered a sister. Olive was missed by both of them, a sweet girl who had brought joy to their lives. Thinking back on those days, Vincent bit his lip.

After catching his breath, Brett closed his eyes. When he reopened them, a wicked grin had replaced his angelic expression. "There's something I can't figure out."

Agatha glanced back and forth between the two men, both of their faces flushed with anger.

"Agatha works as Lanceil's maid. But why? Why did your father attempt to murder her?"

Agatha was momentarily stunned. Then Adam lunged forward, grabbing Vincent by the collar. "Damn it! Wait! You're that bastard's son?! Your father tried to kill her?!"

Vincent blinked rapidly, shaking his head in confusion. He wished it was all just a bad dream, hoping to wake up soon. But Brett's words confirmed the harsh reality.

"The night Agatha disappeared out of nowhere, you and Lanceil were clueless, right? Someone tried to take her life. Luckily, Adam and I intervened. So here's the question: What dark secret does your family hold? That your father would go to such lengths to protect?"