Chapter 4: She's My Wife

"You're unbelievable… Forget it. Do whatever you want!" Chandler Sowden knew Skyla Zimmerman's look was mocking him for being useless, so he swallowed whatever he had left to say. Kevin Letherdale stood, walked over, and sat down at Skyla's feet. "Then I'll start." Skyla didn't speak. She only nodded. Kevin placed his hands on her foot. He had to admit, her feet were delicate, like something sculpted. Whoever had been taking care of her had done a fine job, too. Her skin was smooth and supple, nothing like what you'd expect for her age, closer to a woman in her twenties. He didn't let his thoughts wander. As his fingers kneaded, he quietly guided the spiritual energy he'd cultivated into her ankle, letting it seep deeper and deeper until it reached the injury. "Ah!" Skyla let out a soft cry, her body giving a small shiver. "Kid, let go!" Chandler snapped, thinking Kevin had hurt her. He lunged forward, ready to shove him away. "Don't move," Skyla cut in at once. "Don't interrupt Kevin." She hadn't cried out from pain. It was because it felt too good. The sensation was like stepping out of a bitter winter wind and being wrapped in a sudden beam of sunlight, warm enough to melt you from the inside out. Afraid the others would misunderstand, she clenched her teeth and forced herself to stay quiet. Even so, the comfort kept rising in waves. Her face flushed bright red, and she could only grit through it, again and again. She didn't know how Kevin did it. It was so good it made her feel like she'd wasted decades of her life. She had never experienced anything like it. "All done." In less than three minutes, Kevin finished and pulled his hands back. "Huh? That's… it?" Skyla blinked, still tense, and for a ridiculous moment she even felt a hint of disappointment. Then she realized how that sounded and hurried to correct herself. "I mean… it's healed already? That fast?" "Auntie, get down and walk a couple steps," Kevin said, confidence plain on his face. "Alright." Skyla stepped off the couch, half believing, half doubting. Before, she'd been limping badly. She'd stayed home these past few days and hadn't gone to the office at all. She'd already been sitting on the couch before Kevin arrived, so he hadn't seen her walk. That was why she'd been wondering how he even knew she was injured. "It's really gone!" Skyla took two careful steps, then started pacing back and forth across the living room. "Yuyin, Faye, look! It doesn't hurt at all!" "You're actually something," Faye Sowden said, staring at Kevin like she was seeing him for the first time. She'd thought he was just talking big, and she'd been worried. Instead, he'd surprised her completely. She hadn't expected a stranger she'd only just met to have this kind of skill. Chandler opened his mouth, but no words came. Skyla was about to thank Kevin when the doorbell rang outside. Chandler glanced at the security monitor and immediately tensed. "It's the Lashbrook family's Third Young Master. Hurry, come out with me to greet him." "You can go by yourself," Skyla said, rolling her eyes. She didn't move. Faye didn't go either. Left with no choice, Chandler went to open the door himself. Not long after, Chandler led Zeke Lashbrook inside. In front of the Lashbrook family's Third Young Master, Chandler was overly polite, almost servile. "Third Young Master, please, have a seat!" Chandler patted the couch and forced a wide smile. Zeke, in his early twenties, wore a buzz cut and a white casual suit. He wasn't tall, but arrogance clung to him like cologne. He didn't sit. He swaggered past the couch and sauntered straight up to Faye, stopping far too close. "Faye, it's only been a few days. You're even prettier than before." Faye didn't acknowledge him. She turned her head away, as if even looking at him made her sick. He spent his days buried in women, already hollowed out by indulgence, yet he still thought he was some irresistible prize, flirting with anything that breathed. "Faye, where are your manners?" Chandler barked when his daughter stayed silent. "Hurry up and greet the Third Young Master!" It was obvious how terrified he was of the Lashbrook family. Zeke shot Chandler a glare. "Why are you yelling? You'll scare my wife." "Yes, yes, you're right, Third Young Master," Chandler said quickly, nodding and bowing. Inside, he burned. He wanted nothing more than to slap Zeke right out the door, but what could he do? The Sowden family's lifeline was in the Lashbrook family's hands. So he swallowed it, humiliated himself, and endured. Zeke turned to the middle-aged man who'd come with him. "Go. Bring the betrothal gifts in from the car." The man was Zeke's driver and bodyguard, solidly built and clearly capable. "Third Young Master, this is…" Chandler froze at the words "betrothal gifts." Zeke smiled. "I'm here to deliver them today. We'll also talk about the wedding date. Best if we get married within the next few days." "Who said I'm marrying you?" Faye snapped, anger flaring instantly. Zeke lifted a brow and reached out to pinch her chin, but she dodged. "I like a wild horse," Zeke said, pulling his hand back. His tone turned even more lecherous. "It's more fun to break. Makes me wonder how you'll perform at night." "Watch your mouth," Faye said, voice shaking with rage. "Stop spewing filth." Chandler's eyelid twitched. He nearly exploded, but he still forced himself to hold it in. Skyla wouldn't. She stood. "Third Young Master, you're a guest. Show some respect." Zeke's eyes cooled as he looked at Skyla and Chandler. He didn't treat them like elders at all, and there wasn't a trace of respect in his gaze. Faye, furious, stood up too. Zeke's eyes slid downward, landing on her chest, blatant lust shining in them. "Looks like these got bigger, too," he said, smirking. "I suddenly feel inspired to recite a dirty poem." He didn't even pause long before chanting, "Two tall peaks rise up high, in my hands they scream and cry. Left hand, right hand, swap and play, do it again, she begs to stay." "Zeke Lashbrook, that's enough!" Chandler finally roared, forcing courage he didn't have. No matter how afraid he was, he couldn't tolerate this man humiliating his daughter right in front of him. Zeke only got more arrogant. "Oh, right. On my way here, I checked on your company. If nothing changes, you'll be bankrupt in a month. If something goes wrong, maybe it'll only take a few days." It was a threat, plain and simple, and it landed exactly where he wanted it to. Chandler wilted on the spot. His fists clenched so hard his knuckles whitened, his eyes bloodshot with helpless fury. Then Kevin stepped in front of Faye and said calmly, "Sorry. She's my wife." "Huh?" Zeke blinked, like his brain hadn't caught up. When he'd arrived, he'd seen Kevin's plain clothes and assumed he was hired help from the Sowden family, so he hadn't even bothered to register him. Zeke looked Kevin up and down with open contempt and let out a short laugh. "Heh. You're trying that kind of stunt?" He could tell at a glance Kevin was pretending. "She really is my wife," Kevin said. "If you don't believe me, watch. I can even hold her." Before Zeke could respond, Kevin scooped Faye up in a bridal carry. Faye's face went red, but she understood what he was doing. She committed fully, wrapping an arm around his neck and cooing, "Honey, you're so strong." "Damn it…" Zeke's expression turned icy. Whether Kevin was fake or not didn't matter anymore. The fact that he dared to hold Faye was enough to strike Zeke's nerve. Holding his fiancée? Zeke wanted him dead. He didn't argue. He walked to the side, dragged over a chair, and sat. He took out a cigarette, lit it, and only then spoke to his driver. "Uncle Wu. Handle it." The driver hadn't gone to fetch the betrothal gifts earlier because things hadn't been settled. With that order, he understood immediately. If someone dared to touch the Third Young Master's fiancée, breaking the kid's hands was the least that would calm Zeke's anger. The driver didn't speak. He only nodded and strode toward Kevin. "What are you doing?" Faye panicked, jumping out of Kevin's arms and throwing herself in front of him. "Zeke Lashbrook, if you want something, come at me!" She knew Zeke too well. That driver was his bodyguard, and he was dangerous. If he moved, Kevin would be ruined. "Zeke Lashbrook, you're going to beat someone in my home?" Skyla snapped. "Do you think the law doesn't exist?" Zeke exhaled a perfect smoke ring, smug and shameless. "So what? What can you do about it?" "Miss Sowden, step aside," the driver said as he reached them. "I won't," Faye said, spreading her arms and shielding Kevin completely. "If you've got the guts, hit me first!" She'd promised that as long as Kevin came to her home, she would do everything she could to keep him safe. Kevin felt a flicker of warmth in his chest. She really was a good woman. And because of that, he wasn't about to let her be bullied. He grabbed her gently, pulled her back to the couch, and pressed her down into a seat. "Don't worry, sis," he said. "Sit here. I'll put on a little show for them."