CHAPTER FOUR
1036 Words
Evelyne walked down the hallway, still scared from the previous encounter. Something deep in her gut told her that had been the infamous Octavus, Willard's older brother and she remembered all the stories Willard had told her about him, stories she had once thought were just jokes.
Now, she wasn’t so sure.
She got back to the dining room and sat beside Willard once again, her eyes glued to the floor.
Willard noticed and placed a hand on hers under the table.
"Is everything okay?" he asked softly.
Evelyne looked at him briefly before nodding. "Yeah... just tired."
Willard obviously didn’t believe her but decided not to push it, instead continuing the awkward conversation with his parents , or something that barely passed as conversation.
The dinner dragged on, filled with tension: from Willard’s unsteady relationship with his parents, to Fiona's unnatural smile, Michael’s silence, and then the memory of her encounter with Octavus that kept haunting her.
"You both should stay the night. I mean, it's already late, and it tends to get... dangerous at night," Fiona said, her voice carrying an uneasy edge.
Evelyne froze. The thought of staying the night terrified her, especially with Octavus roaming around but rejecting the offer seemed just as risky. She turned to Willard, who was lost in thought too.
"I don't think we should," Willard spoke up.
"No, Willard. I insist," Fiona said, her smile growing wider, almost daring him to challenge her again.
Willard looked away, frustrated, before eventually nodding. Evelyne just stayed quiet, watching everything unfold.
After dinner, the maids came and cleared the table. Fiona turned to Evelyne.
"You can sleep in the gue—"
"Evelyne will stay with me," Willard cut in, his voice firm like he was daring anyone to object.
Fiona’s smile faltered for a brief second, but she quickly masked it.
"Very well then, if you insist," she said, standing up and walking up the grand stairs, Michael following behind her.
Now only Willard and Evelyne remained.
Willard sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. "This is why I didn’t want to come here," he muttered under his breath.
Evelyne was still lost in thought when she blurted out, "I ran into Octavus."
Willard froze, his eyes locking onto hers. "What happened?"
Evelyne debated telling him everything, but she didn’t want to make things worse.
"Nothing... I just saw him while I was going to the bathroom."
Willard sighed, almost like he was relieved. "Please, do not go anywhere near him, okay?"
"Why? What's wrong?" Evelyne asked, confused.
"He's not someone you want to be around," Willard said, his face filled with worry.
"He's different."
"Different?" Evelyne repeated, her eyebrows knitting together.
"I'm sorry I can't tell you more... not today. But I promise I will. One day. Just, for now promise me you'll stay away from him," he added seriously.
Evelyne nodded, even though she didn’t fully understand.
Later that night…
Evelyne had just finished taking a shower. She came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped tightly around her, her damp hair clinging to her back.
Willard sat on the bed, scrolling through his phone, but when his eyes landed on her, they stayed. A slow smirk played at his lips.
"You look gorgeous... even with just a towel. Amazing," he said teasingly.
"Can you not?" Evelyne rolled her eyes, walking toward his closet to look for something to wear.
"Wow, I can't even flirt with you. You hurt me, you know?" he said, placing a hand dramatically over his chest.
"You're not a flirt. You're a..." she paused, thinking for a moment, "pervert."
"Me? A pervert? I'm innocent!" Willard gasped, acting all cute and offended.
"Mhmm," Evelyne hummed, pulling out one of his oversized shirts and a pair of sweatpants.
"Close your eyes. I want to change," she said firmly.
He chuckled but then paused "Oh wait... you're being serious?"
She nodded. "Yes, now close them."
Chuckling a bit more, he did as he was told, covering his eyes with his hands.
A few moments later, Evelyne emerged, wearing his huge shirt and sweatpants that were way too big for her but somehow made her look even cuter.
Willard peeked through his fingers and smiled.
"You look cute."
"I know," Evelyne said, tossing the towel back into the bathroom before crawling into bed next to him.
They stayed awake for a little while, exchanging small sleepy conversations before both finally drifting off to sleep.
THE NEXT MORNING
Evelyne's eyes fluttered open as the morning sun poured into the room through the curtains, casting a warm glow.
She stretched lazily and turned but Willard was no longer beside her.
Still groggy, she got up and made her way down the stairs, her movements slow and sleepy.
She rubbed her eyes as she wandered toward the kitchen, following the smell of something cooking.
Through her sleepy vision, she saw him, Willard, or so she thought , standing in the kitchen with his back to her.
A soft smile tugged at her lips.
She tiptoed toward him, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind, resting her head against his strong back.
"Good morning," she mumbled, her eyes still closed.
He didn’t respond.
"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice muffled against his shirt.
Then she felt it, his hand grabbing her wrist.
At first, it was gentle, her hand moving slightly to rest over his stomach.
She smiled a little, thinking he was just being playful.
But then the grip tightened.
At first, she thought it was nothing, maybe he was joking but the hold kept tightening, enough to hurt.
Evelyne’s smile faded. Her eyes blinked open slowly, the sleepiness draining from her body as a sharp pain shot up her wrist.
She tried pulling away, but his hand held her firm.
Now it was tight enough to leave a mark.
Before she could register what was happening, he yanked her roughly in front of him, his fingers still gripping her wrist hard.
Her breath caught in her throat and when her eyes finally focused on his face...
Her heart stopped.
It wasn’t Willard.
It was Octavus.
Looking down at her with cold emotionless eyes
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