Chapter 7: You Hesitated!

She slipped into the villa on tiptoe, creeping through her own house like a thief. The way she hugged the walls and held her breath was almost comical. Upstairs, she pushed open the door. No sign of Remy Fouldes. She crept along, easing each door open. The vast bed lay empty. Nina Looske frowned. Where had he gone? Searching room to room, she finally noticed a cartoon figurine on the vanity, bristling with pins like a hedgehog. She picked it up and examined it for a moment, then tossed it back with a look of disgust. Voodoo in a designer bedroom. She hadn't wanted to come back, but Harley Looske had insisted they share a room. She'd had no choice but to give in. In the bathtub, Remy woke instantly. At the same time, the bathroom door swung inward. Nina stepped closer and found Remy lounging in the tub, looking as serene as a cat in a sunbeam. She opened her mouth to complain, then shut it again. This was her private tub. "Go fetch me a robe." Remy issued the order without a shred of shame. Nina's brows knit; she was at her breaking point. She took a deep breath, grabbed the intercom on the wall, muttered a few instructions, then looked back at him. "From now on, you use the shower." Her tone brooked no argument. Remy chuckled at once. "Why don't you use it?" "I married into your family. Cut me some slack." "If I get mad, believe it or not, I'll jump off the balcony and give your family the 'good-omen' you want-happy now?" She clenched her jaw so hard her teeth might crack. She had to admit she'd read him wrong. Remy had endured ten years without tipping his hand. She'd fallen for it. "Got any tricks besides threatening to kill yourself?" Catching the bite in her voice, Remy felt a secret thrill. He had to admit that making mischief and tormenting someone was a rush. No wonder girls nowadays liked to act up. He steadied himself, then looked at her with a roguish grin. "If one good trick works everywhere, why change it?" "From now on the tub is mine. You take the shower." "Nonnegotiable. Otherwise, we're getting a divorce." Nina stood there, stunned with fury. How could he be this shameless? He'd learned every trick in the book and was using it on her. Just then, a knock came at the bathroom door, and a maid slipped in. One glance at the scene, and she clapped a hand over her face. "Sorry, I didn't know it was-" Before she could finish, Nina snatched the robe from her arms. The maid bolted. "All right, leave it and wait outside," Remy called, all airy confidence. Nina flung the robe down and fled. Alone on the balcony, staring up at the pinpricks of stars, Nina began to doubt all her life choices. How was she supposed to live like this? "What did I do to deserve this!" She couldn't help but bellow to the night. Down below, the bodyguards on watch jumped and rushed out, craning their necks. Seeing Nina roaring at the sky, they all flinched and ducked. When she'd vented, Nina peered down at them. "Go back. I'm fine." They vanished with a whoosh, scattering faster than rabbits. "What are you doing?" "You're living the high life and still not happy?" "A bit ungrateful, huh." Remy wandered out in a loose robe, carrying two glasses of red wine. "Come on. Big day. We should have a drink." He held one out. Nina backed up two steps, wary, a voice in her head muttering, He didn't drug it, did he? But his open, harmless expression didn't match a poisoner's. She shook her head. She was being paranoid. She reached for the glass. Remy whisked it back, his tone edged and mocking. "If you don't want to drink, then don't. Nobody's forcing you." Nina blinked. "I never said I wouldn't drink." "But you hesitated." His comeback landed at lightning speed. Her mind went numb. The curse words at the tip of her tongue were swallowed whole. She had barely drawn breath when Remy tilted his head back and knocked back both glasses of wine, snorted, and walked off. Nina sighed. This wasn't a live-in son-in-law; she'd basically brought home a man-child. She didn't dare press him. If he really killed himself, it would be a disaster. She could already see the headlines: The Looske family's daughter drives live-in son-in-law to suicide on their wedding night. She shook her head. "Endure it. Call it a life experience." She drew a deep breath and went back to the bedroom. Remy was already asleep on the big bed. When he sensed her at the door, his expression changed. He rolled over, presenting his back. "You sleep on the sofa tonight. And tomorrow, get me my own set of toiletries. I don't want to share yours." Nina stood speechless. The fury in her chest surged and surged, and she had no decent way to vent it. Helpless, she went into the bathroom to wash up. The moment she stepped inside, she froze. She'd never taken him seriously, so she hadn't prepared any men's supplies. Remy hadn't been shy. He'd used her entire set of toiletries, and hadn't spared the expensive skincare either. Nina's vision went black for a second. She nearly collapsed. Her will to wash evaporated. Pouting, she marched out, straight to the small lounge off the bedroom. Remy folded his hands behind his head, basking. "Blame yourself for being so ruthless you kept me as a backup for ten years. Time to pay up." Ding… Another classic, successful bit of mischief. Congratulations, Host. You're getting smoother by the minute. You have gained 3 points. Current progress: 13/100. You need 87 more points to summon Demonic Wind. Keep it up, Host. Our motto: If it won't kill you, go all in. Remy laughed. That was almost too easy. "What is Demonic Wind?" he asked quickly. Demonic Wind is Demonic Wind-don't call it a 'thing.' Remy paused, then asked, "Can you ditch this annoying panel and switch to something cute, like a little angel?" As soon as he finished, the panel vanished. In its place appeared a finely drawn Anime Girl with two jaunty pigtails. Remy nodded, satisfied. "This damned System finally did something right. All right, you can go." The girl spun once and whooshed out of sight. Remy slept like a baby that night. In the lounge, Nina curled on the sofa with a throw over her, her face full of wounded pride. She tossed and turned without sleep. Bite your tongue and the storm passes, she told herself, but the more she gave ground, the more it burned. By the time Remy woke the next day, daylight had flooded the room. He reached for the phone on the bedside table. Eight o'clock already. He didn't waste a second. He sprang out of bed, washed up, then stepped onto the balcony. He stretched, looking utterly content. Nina seized the chance to dart into the bathroom and tidy herself. She'd been so angry last night she'd forgotten to remove her makeup. She'd wanted to come in earlier, but the thought of Remy's barbed tongue made her hesitate. Better not poke the bear. By the time Remy came back in, Nina had finished putting on light makeup. "Where are we eating? Downstairs?" Remy asked. Nina pointed to the phone by the bed. "Say what you want. They'll bring it to the small dining room downstairs." Remy didn't stand on ceremony. He picked up the phone, ordered quickly, then trotted downstairs, ignoring Nina altogether. By the time Nina came down, Remy was already at the table, eating with gusto. "Fancy. You even changed clothes," Remy teased. Nina let it pass. She sat, composed, and waited for the maids to bring out breakfast. As she settled, a flash of pain crossed her brow. The maids noticed at once. One set down a dish and glanced at Nina with concern. "Miss, are you all right?" Remy cleared his throat. "She's got a weak lower back and not much endurance. Some exercise will fix it." He knew his traditional medicine; one look told him she'd tweaked her lower back. The maids retreated, awkward. Nina flushed scarlet. "Don't talk nonsense." She hadn't expected him to nail it. She was used to a big bed and never fell out, but the sudden switch to a sofa had thrown her. She'd rolled off more than once and wrenched her back in the process.