It was night when Lorelei got home. When she entered the house, Lennox's mother greeted her. She immediately prepared herself for what would happen next.
"Oh, why you are late?" Lennox's mother, who was now her mother, openly opened up to her even though she didn't want to. "I thought you were overshadowed by your flowers in the shop. Why do you keep supporting your shop when it doesn't count."
She fought the pain that pinched her heart. Three years later, she was used to it, but it still hurt.
"There have been as many clients, Mom." She answered politely.
She snorted. "I don't care. I told you to close that shop and you don't have any bills. Why don't you work for the company so you can have something to use, so you can benefit your family."
She fought back the tears forming in the corner of her eyes. "Mom, we talked about this, didn't we? My flower shop is okay…."
"But I didn't agree." She gave a flat response while staring at her. "Lorelei, you can't even leave the house, so you're going to say that your business is going well?"
She carefully took a deep breath and then carefully released it. "Mom, it's not like that…."
"Why don't you just leave the house? Lennox is no longer here."
Her chest was tight. "Mom, you know the reason why I…."
"I don't care about your reasons. It's been three years Lorelei but you're still here." She angrily squinted at her and then marched away.
Lorelei bit her lower lip and then freely released the tears that wanted to escape from her eyes. If it wasn't for him, she would have left a long time ago. But she still couldn't let go of her memories with Lennox in this house. She still couldn't forget him, and she would never. She still couldn't sleep in another room and in another bed.
After three years, she still couldn't move on. She could accept all the hurtful words from Lennox's family as long as she stayed in the house where she and her husband had many memories, and where they planned to build their own family.
Her eyes immediately focused on her and Lennox's wedding picture in the living room. They looked happy together. So in love. So blessed. And she felt her heart clenched in pain.
Lorelei quickly dried the tears that fell from her eyes. She should really stop crying. It had been three years since it had happened.
She took a deep breath again and steadied her emotion by touching her wedding ring.
When she calmed down, she walked towards the stairs.
"I'm hurt, Lorelei."
Lorelei jumped in shock at the baritone voice that filled the silence of the living room. Her heart pounded in shock.
Lorelei turned to face the person who spoke and seemed to catch her breath when she saw Lincoln comfortably leaning against the door leading to the kitchen, he was holding a bottle of Whiskey, and one of his hands was clenched.
Had he been there before? Did he hear what his mother said?
"Why don't you use the money I give you?" Lincoln asked her again.
She didn't answer. She didn't want to. Her head was still wrapping up at the fact that Lincoln was here, in the house. In front of her.
This was her husband's brother, but she couldn't even see Lennox in person. They were so different. From the way they dress to the way they walk. Lincoln walked like he owned everything. He walked with confidence, even with his rugged jeans and a white t-shirt. Lennox was different. Her husband was shy and would rather stay at home with her than attend fancy gatherings.
"Brother..." she stammered.
She was not used to calling him brother because she was only seen him once, but out of respect, she had to call him brother.
The disgust on his face was obvious when he looked at her from head to toe.
What's new? They all find her disgusting. In the Del Piero family, Lennox was the only one who accepted her.
"What are you doing here?" She asked bravely, but the truth was that she was nervous.
His presence was very intense. He was a few meters away from her, but she was still affected. She felt intimidated by his presence.
"Why are you asking?" He slowly walked towards her. "Am I not welcome in my parent's house?"
She gulped at the intensity of his stare, and her heart wouldn't stop beating so fast.
"That's not what I meant." She said bravely.
"Hmm..." he hummed as he stopped in front of her. "Did you receive the deposit slip I sent?"
She nodded. She didn't look away from him. "I don't need that. I already told you that, remember?"
"I don't take no for an answer, Lorelei."
Her hair stood on end at the way he called her name. Only her husband called her that. Hearing her full name again coming from Lincoln's lips, it sent her down to memory lane again.
"Okay." She won't gain anything if he stubbornly fights with Lincoln. "I'm going to rest." She could no longer have the energy to chat with her brother-in-law.
"I'll lock the door then."
She just nodded and went up to the second floor. She didn't have to wait for him to leave; she knew that he couldn't stay in this house for long. He was irritated by her, and the feeling was mutual.
Upon entering her room, she immediately took off her clothes and went into her walk-in closet to get dressed. She faintly cursed as she remembered that she had left the bag on her bed. In her bag was the deposit slip that she would keep in the Vault.
Lorelei lazily went out of the walk-in closet and stopped walking when she saw Lincoln inside her room, and he was holding the invitation she received earlier.
Her heart thumped. She felt suffocated.
"Brother..."
His eyes held hers. He raised the hand that held the invitation. "What's this?"
She swallowed. "Nothing."
He inspected the front of the invitation. His fingers sexily trailed the edge of the card as his eyes held her gaze.
"You're invited to Forbidden Land." He swept his tongue from the right side of the lip to the right. "Are you going?"
She quickly shook her head. "No."
He dropped the invitation card. It fell on the floor.
"Pity." He said, then roamed his eyes around her bedroom. Then his eyes stopped at her clothes that she had taken off earlier on top of the bed.
Her cheeks warmed when she saw her bra on top. And that's where Lincoln's eyes were focused.
She wanted to sink in shame.
"Brother!" She couldn't help but feel ashamed and angry at the same time. "Take your eyes off my personal stuff!"
How dare he do that! She was his brother's wife! Just a little respect.
He was about to reach for her bra in anger when she shouted his name.
"Lincoln!"
He chuckled. A small smirk made its way to his lips.
"My name sounds good when you say it." He rolled his tongue over his lips. "Your calling me 'brother' is deafening." His gaze was fixed on her. "Annoying."
"Get out." She said in a cold voice.
The corner of his lips rose before leaving her room.
Lorelei leaned against the door jamb of the closet and took a deep breath. Thank God he left. And thank God because she would be counting the months before he showed up again.
She could stand Lennox's parents' bad attitude towards her, but her brother Lincoln was a different story.
That man always had this different effect on her. And she could say that even though he had such an effect on her, she never let him enter her system.
Lorelei woke up early to take care of the flower deliveries that would arrive today at her shop.
When she came down the stairs, Lennox's mother was there in the living room, reading the newspaper. It seemed that she felt her presence because she dropped the newspaper she was holding and then looked at her.
"You are so early, ah." She paid attention to her.
"Because I have something important to take care of." She answered.
She just snorted and then went back to reading the newspaper.
Lorelei carefully walked out the door. And she almost fell over in shock when she saw Lincoln leaning against the side of a fancy Bugatti car.
Her eyes widened. "Y-you're still here? Where did you sleep last night?"
He usually left the same day he arrived.
"Here at home, probably." He got stuck. "Are you leaving?"
She nodded hesitantly. "Why did you ask?"
"I'll take you."
She looked at him curiously. "Are you sleep deprived?"
The corner of his lips just raised, and he got into the car. Lorelei, on the other hand, had no choice but to ride in the open passenger seat.