The whole room eerily grew silent. The maid, caught in the middle of the tense exchange, slowly stepped back, trying to slip away unnoticed.
Regina’s gaze remained locked on Eryx, unreadable yet sharp, as if calculating her next move. Naomi, still frowning, glanced between them, confusion growing with each passing second.
"What’s going on?" she finally asked. "Mom, why do you look so tense? And why does he care so much about Ara?"
Eryx ignored her, his focus solely on Regina. "Answer ," he demanded, his voice low but firm. "How do you know... Lunara?"
Regina exhaled, crossing her arms. "That’s not important right now."
"Like hell it isn’t." Eryx took a step closer. "Tell the truth."
Regina exhaled, her arms still crossed. "She’s Naomi’s friend, and I’ve t her once before. Of course, I know about her. A few days ago, when she ca by, I thought her face would be a good fit for the company’s new campaign. What’s wrong with that?"
Eryx’s gaze remained steady, his head tilting slightly. "Surprisingly, you gave a long explanation. That’s not like you."
Regina didn’t flinch. "I don’t see the need for suspicion. She’s a beautiful woman, and she happened to be around at the right ti. It’s business."
Naomi, who had been watching the exchange like a spectator at a tennis match, threw up her hands. "Okay, can soone please explain why we’re having a full-blown interrogation about my best friend? What is going on?"
"No, it’s not just business anymore, not when you ntioned her as your future daughter-in-law." Eryx’s voice was low and edged with sothing almost dangerous.
Regina’s expression remained unreadable, but there was a flicker of sothing in her eyes, sothing Naomi couldn’t quite place.
"Whoa..." Naomi exhaled heavily, her confusion deepening. "What is this? What daughter-in-law?" She looked between them, waiting for soone to explain.
Regina finally broke the silence. "It was just a passing remark," she said smoothly. "Lunara has an air of elegance. She’d make a fine addition to our family...if she weren’t already married."
Eryx let out a humorless chuckle. "A passing remark? Don’t lie to , mom."
Naomi blinked. "Wait, wait. You an... you were actually considering Ara for Eryx? Since when?"
Regina ignored the question, her sharp gaze returning to Eryx. "Why are you so concerned about her?"
"You are asking , why am I concerned about her? You clearly told you want her as my wife...of course I should be concerned." It was clear Eryx was irritated
"You shouldn’t be, bring your wife within one month, then nothing will happen." Regina ford a light thin smile.
Eryx scoffed, "I know it, you played all along. You knew from the start, right?!"
Naomi’s head snapped between them, trying to keep up. "Okay, can soone start making sense? What do you an, ’bring your wife’?"
Regina remained composed, her arms crossed. "It’s simple. If Eryx presents his real wife within a month, I won’t pursue this matter further. If he doesn’t..." She let the silence speak for itself.
Eryx let out a dry laugh, shaking his head. "You knew from the start, didn’t you? You knew she was my wife." His voice was thick with frustration.
Regina’s sharp gaze didn’t waver. "What nonsense are you talking about? She is your wife?"
Naomi’s jaw dropped. "Wait.... what? Ara? Your wife?"
Eryx’s fists clenched. "Don’t play dumb with . You pushed her into this campaign knowing exactly who she was!"
Regina’s brows furrowed in genuine confusion. "Eryx, I don’t know what you’re assuming, but Lunara is Naomi’s friend. That’s all."
Naomi, still staring at her brother in shock, finally found her voice. "You... married Ara?"
Eryx didn’t answer, his eyes locked on Regina, searching for any sign of deception. But her expression remained unreadable. His eyes narrowed sharply before he shifted his eyes towards Naomi, "Call her, right now."
"Who?" Naomi who was left aside earlier feeling confused for a mont.
"Lunara Hayes! Your friend!" He shouted as his frustration started to reach the limit.
Naomi flinched at Eryx’s sudden outburst, fumbling for her phone. "Okay, okay! No need to yell." She quickly found Lunara’s contact and pressed the call button.
But the mont she did, an automated voice greeted her.
"The number you are trying to reach is currently unavailable."
Naomi frowned. "Huh? That’s weird..." She tried again, but the result was the sa.
"She’s not picking up?" Eryx’s voice was sharp, his patience wearing thin.
"No, it’s not that... her phone is off," Naomi muttered, confusion deepening.
A beat passed before realization struck her. She gasped. "Oh! Right! She lost her phone!"
Eryx’s jaw tightened as the mory resurfaced, the mont in the car when she told him she didn’t have her phone with her. At the ti, he had assud she was lying.
Now, he knew better.
His fingers curled into fists. "Damn it," he muttered under his breath.
Naomi, sensing the shift in his mood, hesitated. "Eryx... what’s going on?"
Instead of answering, Eryx turned to Regina, his voice dangerously low. "I don’t know what you are playing at this mont, mom but you should know better, I am not the one who you can control."
Regina’s lips curved into a smirk, "I did not play any ga, son. You should know better too, all I did was for your better life..."
Eryx let out a humorless chuckle, his patience wearing thin. "My better life? You think forcing into a marriage on your terms is what’s best for ?" His voice was laced with frustration.
Regina’s smirk didn’t waver. "I only set the path. It’s up to you whether you walk it or not."
Naomi, still piecing things together, shook her head. "Enough with the cryptic talk! Can soone just tell what’s really going on?"
Eryx didn’t answer. His mind was already elsewhere—on Lunara. If she hadn’t co back, where was she now? And more importantly, was she safe?
Without another word, he turned and stord out.
"Eryx!" Naomi called after him, but he didn’t stop.
Regina’s gaze followed him, her expression unreadable. "Let him go," she murmured.
Naomi’s frown deepened. "Mom... you know sothing, don’t you?"
Regina only smiled. "If he’s smart, he’ll figure it out."
Reviews
All reviews (0)