The room erupted in a collective gasp, the air crackling with shock at Cassius’s brazen admission.

Aisha’s eyes widened, her mind racing with indignation.

‘He admitted it? Just like that!’ The thought of arresting Cassius flashed through her mind, vivid and thrilling, she could already picture him behind bars, glaring at her as she poked him through the cell with a stick, taunting him for his crimes.

Her lips twitched into a fleeting, mischievous grin, but the fantasy crumbled as reality sank in.

Cassius was untouchable, his power a towering fortress no one could breach.

Even if she wanted to drag him off in chains or, better yet, claw that smug look off his face, she was powerless against him. The realization hit like a cold wave, her ears flattening as a shiver of fear replaced her bravado. She was nothing against his authority.

Julie’s narrowed her eyes, her gaze flickering with disbelief, while Skadi’s eyes darted nervously to the desk, her tail tucked as if she sensed something the others didn’t.

Wayne’s haggard face paled further, his swollen eyes locked on Cassius, though he remained silent, his hands clenching at his sides.

The tension in the room swelled, a storm about to break, until Cassius’s low chuckle cut through it like a blade. He leaned back in his chair, his laughter rich and unrestrained, his bright eyes glinting with amusement.

“Oh, come now, don’t misunderstand me.” He said, his voice smooth and teasing as he raised a hand to calm the room. “Yes, it’s true, Diana and Vivi are here in the mansion. They arrived two days ago with their luggage, all their fine things in tow. But let’s be clear: I didn’t kidnap them. I didn’t steal them.” He paused, his gaze sweeping over the group, lingering on each face with a knowing, almost playful intensity. “They came here of their own accord.”

Aisha’s tail lashed, her ears perking as she stepped forward, her voice sharp with suspicion. “Their own accord? You expect us to believe that? Did you blackmail them into coming here?” Her claws flexed, her eyes narrowing as she leaned toward him. “What did you do, Cassius? Threaten them? Hold something over their heads to make them pack up and move in?”

Cassius’s smile didn’t waver, though his eyes sparkled with mischief. “Blackmail? Oh, Aisha, you wound me.” He said, pressing a hand to his chest in mock offense. “No, no, nothing so crude. They came here because they wanted to. No threats, no coercion, just their own free will.”

Aisha’s jaw dropped, her tail puffing up again as she sputtered. “Free will? You’re saying Lady Diana and Vivi, from a noble family, just decided to waltz into your mansion? With your reputation?” She gestured wildly, her voice rising with disbelief. “What, did you cast some spell on them? Mind control? Because if they’re mind-controlled, they wouldn’t even know it was their choice! They’d just follow your orders like puppets!”

Cassius laughed again, a warm, rolling sound that filled the room. “Mind control? Now you’re reaching, Aisha.” He said, shaking his head. “I’m flattered you think I have such powers, but alas, I’m just a man, not a sorcerer. No spells, no tricks. They came here because they chose to, plain and simple.” He leaned forward, his elbows resting on the desk, his gaze steady and unyielding. “You don’t believe me? That’s fine…But it’s the truth.”

Aisha’s ears flattened, her mind reeling as she tried to make sense of it.

Why would a mother and daughter, part of a respected noble family, choose to stay in Cassius’s mansion, knowing the rumors swirling around him?

It defied reason, and her tail lashed with frustration as she struggled to find an explanation that fit.

Cassius’s gaze shifted to Wayne, his smile softening but no less confident. “And you, Wayne.” He said, his voice low and deliberate. “You must be surprised to hear this, hmm? That your wife and daughter chose to come here, to stay under my roof?”

Cassius was expecting to a shocked and aggrieved reaction from Wayne and was even looking forward to see him deny it and protest that he was spewing lies and that his wife and daughter would never do such a thing.

But to everyone’s shock, Wayne shook his head, a wry, almost bitter smile tugging at his lips. His swollen eyes met Cassius’s, steady despite the exhaustion etched into his face.

“No, my lord.” He said, his voice quiet but firm. “I’m not surprised at all because I already knew they came here of their own free will. Just like you had said, no coercion, no tricks, just their choice.” He paused, his smile fading into something sadder, more resigned. “They wanted to be here.”

The room fell silent, the weight of Wayne’s words sinking in. Even Cassius blinked, his confident facade cracking for the first time that evening, his smile faltering as he leaned forward.

“Is that so?” He said, his voice tinged with genuine surprise. “I’ll admit, Wayne, I didn’t expect that. I thought you’d come storming in here, demanding their return, accusing me of all sorts of villainy.” He chuckled, though it was less assured than before. “I was even ready to give you a bit of a thrashing for the trouble, then send you on your way. But you…you already knew?”

Wayne’s wry smile returned, though his eyes glistened with a quiet pain.

“Oh, I considered it.” He said, his voice low and rough. “When I first heard the rumors, that my wife and daughter had been stolen away, locked up in your mansion, I was ready to gather a band of mercenaries, barge in here, and demand them back…I thought about storming through those doors, sword in hand, ready to fight for them.”

He paused, his gaze dropping to the floor, his hands clenching briefly.

“I knew it was a fool’s errand, of course. I know exactly how strong you are, Young Master. I’ve seen it felt it, that night that changed everything.” His voice wavered, a shadow of old fear crossing his face, and Aisha’s ears twitched, catching the reference but unsure what it meant.

Cassius tilted his head, his eyes narrowing with curiosity. “So what changed, Wayne?” He asked, his tone softer now, almost intrigued. “Why didn’t you come in here swinging? Why are you so…calm about this?”

Wayne chuckled, a hollow, self-deprecating sound.

“Two reasons, Young Master.” He said, his voice steadying as he looked up. “First, when I heard the rumors about Diana and Vivi being here, I didn’t even know if they were true.”

“It’s…embarrassing to admit, but it’s been so long since I’ve seen them, really seen them, that I couldn’t be sure.” His smile twisted, bitter and pained. “I’ve been so caught up in my work, serving the patriarch, running the Holyfield family’s affairs…I barely went home. When I did, it was out of duty, a formality. I was a stranger to my own family.”

“So when the rumors started, I had to verify them myself, because I didn’t even know if my wife and daughter were still at our estate.”

Aisha’s tail drooped, her indignation fading as she listened, her eyes softening with a flicker of sympathy.

Wayne continued, his voice growing quieter, more introspective. “That’s when it hit me, how terrible a husband and father I’ve been. All these years, I put my work above them, above everything…I neglected them, left them to fend for themselves emotionally. I realized I don’t deserve them, not after all that.” He looked at Cassius, his eyes steady despite the pain in them.

Wayne’s voice hung heavy in the air, his words laced with a raw, aching honesty that silenced the room. His swollen eyes, red-rimmed and weary, stayed fixed on Cassius, though the pain in them was unmistakable.

“But that’s not really why I’m so calm today.” He continued, his voice low and steady despite the weight of his confession. “Being a terrible husband and father, it stings, yes, but that’s not the heart of it. It’s the second reason that matters more.”

Cassius leaned forward, his sharp eyes narrowing, a single brow arching with curiosity. “Oh?” He said, his voice smooth but tinged with intrigue. “You’ve got my attention, Wayne. What’s this second reason that’s got you so…peaceful in the face of all this?”

Wayne let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders sagging as if an invisible burden pressed down on him. He ran a hand through his graying hair, his gaze drifting to the tall windows behind Cassius, where golden light spilled across the crimson rug.

“The truth is…” He began, his voice rough but deliberate. “I actually came to your mansion yesterday, my lord. I was ready to storm in, demand answers, maybe even throw my life away in the process.”

“I heard the rumors, everyone has and I was prepared to confront you, to fight for my wife and daughter, no matter how futile it might be.”

The room stilled, every ear straining to catch his next words. Even Isabelle and Portia, standing like silent sentinels at Cassius’s sides, exchanged a brief glance, their expressions unreadable but alert.

Wayne’s lips twitched into a wry, almost bitter smile as he continued. “I stood at the gates, ready to barge in, ready to face whatever guards or…worse you might have waiting.”

“I was expecting to find Diana and Vivi suffering. Locked away in some cold, abandoned corner of this place, crying, screaming. starving. Especially Vivi…” His voice cracked slightly, his eyes glistening as he mentioned his daughter. “She’s been so ill, so fragile. I was terrified she was wasting away here, trapped in some dungeon, alone and scared.”

He paused, his gaze drifting back to the window, as if seeing the scene unfold again in his mind.

“But then I looked into the courtyard.” He said, his voice softening tinged with awe and sorrow. “And what I saw…it stopped me dead in my tracks. Diana and Vivi, they weren’t locked in a basement or chained in an attic. They weren’t in some grim cell, suffering like the rumors said. They were just…sitting at a table, drinking tea.”

He chuckled, a hollow, disbelieving sound.

“Tea, of all things…Like it was just another day, like they were at home in their own garden.”

Aisha’s ears perked up, her tail giving a single, agitated flick. “Tea?” She blurted, unable to contain herself. “They’re supposed to be prisoners, and they’re just…sipping tea? That doesn’t make any sense!” Her voice was sharp with suspicion, as she leaned forward.

Wayne nodded, his wry smile deepening. “That’s what I thought, too. But it wasn’t just that they were drinking tea…It was how they looked how they smiled.” His voice grew quieter, as he met the eyes of everyone in the room. “You’re probably wondering why that shocked me so much. A smile, right? Sounds simple. But those smiles…they were so big, so genuine. I hadn’t seen Diana smile like that in years, maybe ever. And Vivi…” He swallowed hard, his eyes glistening again. “My little girl, who’s been so sick, so weak…she was laughing, her face lit up like I’ve never seen. They were happy, truly happy, in a way I hadn’t seen in…I don’t know how long.”

Julie’s expression softened, a flicker of pity crossing her gaze, while Aisha’s tail drooped, her indignation faltering as she processed Wayne’s words. Cassius too leaned back in his chair, his smile fading into something more contemplative, though his eyes never left Wayne…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep