"Ah! I forgot that I have come here to invite you for lunch." lunch? He raised his head and stared at her in confusion. As if asking "Why had she personally come to call him for lunch?"
"Father wanted us to have a family meal. He wanted to make sure that we are happy." she laughed as if it was a childish thing.
But he could feel the happiness in her voice. Yes, her biggest weakness was her family. If he would leave a good impression on them, he was sure she would forget about this small accident.
He pulled her into his arms again.
"Yes, I forgot I have brought a gift for everyone. I will go and bring it to the dining room, you can go first.'' His voice was full of joy with his face beaming.
She chuckled and shook her head.
"You didn't have to. But I am glad that you did.'' She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and gave him a little peck before laughing again and leaving the room.
He grinned, not with joy but pride. It was so easy to sway her emotions and bring her to her knees again.
He pressed the bell and was relieved to see that it was a different maid this time.
"Go and collect the gift bags from my new room. They are beside my closet." the maid bowed and left when he raised his head high with arrogance,
"Why will I go to retrieve the gifts personally when I have so many servants working for me." his voice was full of disdain as he walked back to his seat and leaned on his table.
The letter was still resting there taunting him that someone knew about his every move. Someone who can keep an eye on his every action.
"It could only be a servant." his eyes flickered with something sinister when he sorted out his thoughts.
The maid soon returned with all the gifts. He held them and went to the dining room. But his steps paused.
William was sitting on the head seat while his right side was taken by Monique and his left side was taken by Cami.
His eyes narrowed. He was older. Should he not be taking that place?
"You are here." Monique smiled and waved her hands for him to come and join them.
It took him a lot of effort to smile back and sit on the fourth seat on the table. Even his wife did not spare him a second seat to the right.
Have they invited him to show he was beneath them?
"Father! Mother!" he nodded his head and passed the gifts to them. "I hope you will like it."
They smiled and took the gifts. Their joy reached their eyes when Lia's hands tightened slightly around the glass she was holding.
"This is a great tea Father. I have brought it from a foreign merchant who assured me that it will help you in sleeping and it relieves tiredness." he grinned widely showing an affection that never existed in the first place.
Lia stared into his eyes. He looked so happy, so caring. Even when she knew the truth, knew that he was giving them poison, that face of his was full of love.
He had been warned by the letters. But he did not hesitate to still act. Ha!
"Is that so?" should she tell his father? The man looked pleased with just a mere tea as if he was given a gold mine. "You are so caring. I will make sure to drink it every night." and I will make sure to replace it. She whispered to herself as she forced a smile on her face.
"I hope you will like the taste. And mother, this is for you." he passed a necklace to her. She was shocked to see a sapphire teardrop necklace since a commoner could never afford it.
Lia had given her carriages and allowances to him in her past life thinking he would suffer by paying so much.
But now... She wanted to laugh at herself. The necklace was fake. It had always been fake. But Mike would accuse the head maid of having replaced it later.
The jeweler would confirm that it was Agatha who sold the necklace and asked them to make a duplicate one.
Not only was she fired but her image was lost. No one hired her thereafter and she died of sickness.
To think that Lia made sure that she would never get hired, a tinge of guilt passed her eyes but something darker settled beneath the pain.
"That is a beautiful necklace, son. But it was not needed."
"It is indeed a very pretty necklace." Lia cut the emotional moment between her mother and Mike with a cold smirk, "which jeweler crafted it, Mike?" the man paused. The smile went stiff as he shifted his gaze to Lia.
"I am thinking of commissioning one for myself too. I never had a matching jewel with my mother." Lia explained as she swirled the glass in her hands.
The red wine reflected in her green eyes making them treacherous.
"It would be better if I commission it with the same jeweler. Isn't it?" the man's face lost its colors slowly
He could feel all of their heated gaze on him. Why? Why was Lia being so nosy these days?
"That, it is from the south merchants. I brought it when I went on an expedition. Haha! It will be inconvenient for you to go there now." he rubbed his hands slowly, a habit from a long time. Whenever he feels nervous, he will rub the illusionary dust off his body.
"Why? Did you not know.." she paused, letting the fear spread slowly in his veins, "Father had chosen south for our honeymoon vacation."