My Brother-in-law, My Ruin

003: The dinner

All through the day, Leah didn’t dare to leave her room. Every breath she took felt like torture. Sleeping didn’t help either. When she closed her eyes, she saw him. Smirking. Standing too close. Something told her he was nearby. Watching, like a predator lurking in the dark.

She sat up on the bed as if a perfect idea had just crossed her mind. She was going to pretend they didn’t kiss at the club that night. And if he persisted, she would report him to Brandon. Even if Brandon didn’t care, she believed he would care that his brother was being too close to his wife.

With this thought in mind, she was able to take a quick nap, but what she didn’t know was that, immediately after she drifted off into slumber, Sebastian entered the room and watched her sleep.

“I’m curious, Leah. How do you intend to be my brother’s wife and also pay my price?” He muttered.

The engine of a car roared, announcing the arrival of Brandon. Sebastian walked to the door, his hand stilling on the handle.

“Sleep tight, Rabbit.” He whispered and left just the way he came.

Leah's eyes fluttered open. Eyes squinting as a dangerous trail of oud and musk lingered, like the memory of a kiss.

“Was he here?” She muttered, abruptly pushing herself up to a sitting position.

She threw the blankets off and rushed to the door but stopped when she heard voices in the hallway.

“Don’t you have games today, Sebastian?”

Her heart sprinted in her chest. It wasn’t because of the voice of Cassandra but the mention of his name. He was here. IN HER ROOM!

But why? What did he do? She examined herself but couldn’t find any signs of being touched. She smelt her hands and legs, but his scent was not on her body. Her sprinting heart slowed, and at the same time, something sour lingered at the back of her throat.

“No.” His response was short.

“You wait for me downstairs, Cassie. I have something to discuss with Sebastian in the study.”

Leah’s heart pounded. She held the door handle and turned it. She was going to stop the conversation. Damn, Sebastian! He was going to tell Brandon about what happened at the club..

The knob turned by itself in her hand and she immediately let go, her heart jumping into her mouth.

She took a step back, feeling her head double in size.

The door swung open, and her head returned to normal when she stepped inside the room uninvited with those ugly-looking heels.

Leah wanted to raise her voice and ask her why she was there, but she stopped. Her blood thundered at an insanely high rate; her head felt like a feather.

“Why do I smell Sebastian’s cologne in your room?” Cassandra blurted immediately she entered the room, her nose sniffing the air like a dog sniffing for substances.

Leah’s heart rate dropped; she raised her hand up and slowly tucked away a strand of hair while reminding herself to breathe.

She looked Cassandra in the eyes.

Cassandra was taller than she was, and Leah? Just guess.

“You brought his scent with you, Cassandra.” Leah’s lips almost spread. Her voice didn’t tremble, and that? That was a win!

Cassandra scoffed, “What nonsense is that?” She rolled her eyes. “I didn’t even touch Seb.” She mumbled under her breath, loud enough for only her to hear.

“So…” Cassandra clasped her hands together, her gaze sizing up Leah, nose wrinkled but it quickly disappeared. “You’re Brandon’s forced wife?”

Cassandra tilted her head to the side, as if thinking of what to say. “But wait, Leah. How do you end up marrying a man you don’t know? I mean…”

“I mean a man who you don’t love and whom I’m sure doesn’t love you?” She shrugged her shoulders, brows raising.

Leah remained silent. Her husband’s mistress wouldn’t be in her room for no reason. What brings Cassandra to her room? That was a question she wasn’t ready to ask.

“Is it because your daddy couldn’t keep his pocket full?”

Leah’s face hardened. Wasn’t it obvious her father placed her in the position she was in?

Casandra stepped forward and placed her palm on Leah’s shoulder. Leah’s skin crawled, but she remained still.

“I didn’t mean it that way. I know this is hard for you. Living in separate rooms with your husband. A man who’s supposed to love and hold you at night when it’s cold. I know it’s hard, but don’t worry, I’ll talk to Brandon. He’s my friend. He listens to me. I am…”

“You don’t have to.” Leah gently shrugged Cassandra’s hand off her shoulder.

“Living in separate rooms is better for now until we know each other better.” She added, not taking her eyes off Cassandra’s face.

Cassandra smiled in return. “I understand you don’t need my help at the moment. But… if someday you need my help with Brandon, I’ll be glad to help.”

“Congratulations, Leah. May it be blessed.” She gave Leah a knowing smile.

Leah smiled back and went to stand by the window, hands folded on her chest, watching the sunset while waiting for Cassandra to usher herself out the way she ushered herself in. UNINVITED.

Leah inhaled sharply. Last night Cassandra kissed Brandon in her eyes, and now she claims that was just a friendly kiss? Who kisses their male friends on the lips? Cassandra, of course. She rolled her eyes and scoffed.

‘It’s not like I care about who kisses him.’ She thought to herself and stared at the tulips swaying to the rhythm of the wind. Her lips spread slowly into a smile. The first smile that ever reached her eyes.

“You radiate hope. Love and happiness, Leah. You’re my favourite flower in the world. My Tulip.”

Tears brimmed in Leah’s eyes. That was her mother’s last words anytime she puts her to sleep. It was Leah’s favourite.

“Your Tulip misses you, Mom,” she whispered inaudibly, and the moment she blinked, they streamed down, wetting her cheeks.

Cassandra’s eyes didn’t leave Leah’s back. She heard her mutter something to herself, but what was that?

‘I don’t need to worry about you stealing Brandon from me, Leah. He already hates you. You’re just what he needs to get his inheritance, and soon, he will discard you and marry me with that inheritance money.’ Cassandra’s lips curved before spreading.

She straightened her back and pushed her nose into the air once more, her brows deepening. “Sebastian was definitely in this room. What are you hiding, Leah?”

Leah didn’t want to have dinner. Not with Brandon and Sebastian. But something she couldn’t resist pushed her to the dinner table. Whatever it was, she wasn’t interested to know. She sat in silence. Only the clanging sounds of the utensils colliding with the plates filled the air. Brandon was focused on his meal, and everything seemed normal except for one thing: the unsettling absence of Sebastian Ashton.

When Brandon wasn’t looking, Leah would look over her shoulders at the stairs, and then she saw him coming down the stairs, hair damp and perfectly combed backward. His lips curved when their eyes met, and she heard him whisper when he passed behind her, “Don’t ogle. Your husband might get the wrong idea.” Leah’s spoon dropped on the glassware. She blinked rapidly, retrieving the spoon and trying to pick the broken pieces with trembling fingers.

“Are you okay?” Brandon asked, and Leah stilled. Her skin tingled not from Brandon’s question but from the eyes that were piercing through her skin like an X-ray. She could feel it. He was staring, and then what? It made it even harder to answer Brandon’s question and keep a clear head.

“I… the soup… no…” Gosh. She bites her lips, eyes shut. “The soup had something like a worm in it. I was shocked and dropped the spoon.”

Damn him. Her hopes for a peaceful normal dinner have been crushed, and worse? She made a fool out of herself.

“I’ll wash my hands in the kitchen.” She stood up, not meeting Sebastian's eyes, and scurried away. Glad that her legs cave to the floor.

With trembling hands, she pressed the faucet and let the water run. She knew he was going to follow. She could feel it. His eyes on her back, sending signals down her spine. But God! Not here. Not in the kitchen when Brandon is just a few feet away.