The moment he finished speaking, he stared coldly at Jessica Anderson, his eyes vicious and predatory, as if drenched in bloodlust utterly devoid of emotion. She flinched, clearly intimidated. Everyone in the Anderson family knew: this grandson carried the scent of violence like a second skin. Ever since he became the head of the Anderson family, everything he did struck like thunder swift, decisive, ruthless leaving no room for anyone else in the family to gain even the slightest benefit. Complaints filled the entire household.
But no one dared act recklessly. They all knew Captian's methods were brutal.
"As the one in charge of the Anderson family, I absolutely cannot allow you to behave so recklessly," she snapped, slamming her palm onto the table again. The porcelain tea set clattered in all directions. "Do you understand what your future wife represents?"
Captian's gaze was terrifying. He didn't speak for a long moment.
Jessica sighed sharply. "It's dignity. Reputation. Prosperity for the Anderson line. Captian, you have truly gone too far."
He clenched his fist. Veins bulged along the back of his hand, his pupils dark and feral, as if a beast was about to break free. "The Anderson family has always been fine under my control. I don't need something as superficial as that."
"Captian, you..." Jessica's chest heaved with rage, but she was helpless.
The middle-aged man beside her, Daniel, her third son and Captian's uncle, quickly stepped in. "Captian, your grandmother is only thinking for your own good."
Standing off to the side, I felt my heart tighten again. They still hadn't talked about divorce, and now they were fighting on top of it?
After a long silence, Captian suddenly let out a cold laugh. "For my own good? I'm the worthless illegitimate child in all your mouths. Since when has anything you've done ever been for my good?"
The moment the words left his lips, the room froze.
The temperature seemed to plummet.
Silence fell. Jessica and Daniel's expressions turned ugly, they clearly didn't want that subject brought up.
I stood there stunned. I had thought he simply wasn't liked by the Anderson family. I never imagined… he was like me. An illegitimate child.
I looked at him several times, my emotions tangled.
"Captian, don't talk nonsense," Daniel said hastily, face tense, trying to smooth the situation over.
But Captian's eyes were ice. He didn't acknowledge a single person in that room.
Daniel then tried to comfort Jessica so she wouldn't get too agitated and harm her health.
But she brushed his hand away. Then her gaze suddenly landed on me. I had heard more than half of what they said this was the Anderson family's darkest scandal. How could an outsider like me be allowed to hear it?
"A-Ha, escort Miss Bailey out," she commanded sharply, her tone filled with disgust.
Mina immediately stepped forward. "Miss Bailey, this way."
I shrugged. I didn't want to stay in this awful place anyway. Leaving was a blessing. I turned to go but Captian suddenly grabbed my wrist.
I blinked in surprise, not even having time to react before he dragged me with him.
"Mr. Anderson? Why are you leaving too? Didn't she still have things to say to you?" I asked, startled.
Without looking back, he said, "Nothing worth hearing."
Behind us, Jessica Anderson stared at our retreating figures, trembling with fury. She yanked her rosary apart wooden beads scattering across the floor.
"Sinful child!" she hissed.
Mina rushed to pick the beads up.
Daniel, standing to the side, murmured almost carelessly, "I didn't expect Captian and Miss Bailey to be that close… Mother, since they're already legally married, perhaps you shouldn't try to break them apart."
Jessica's eyes narrowed deeply. "Oh? You want me to stop interfering?"
Daniel stiffened and fell silent.
Jessica turned away, exhaling sharply, her expression unreadable. What Captian had just done, pulling Rosy away was unmistakably a declaration. A warning. A statement that she was recognized as his woman. Removing her meant removing him. And that violent grandson of hers was absolutely capable of doing something extreme.
She let out a cold laugh.
Mina finished gathering the beads and asked, "Madam, should I restring them so you can continue using them?"
"They're old. Throw them out," Jessica said, turning back to continue praying before the large wooden crucifix behind her.
Meanwhile, Captian had already pulled me far away.
We sat again on the soft couch. I didn't feel like eating anymore. When I turned my head, I saw Captian's expression, dark, thunderous, frightening.
I blinked, my voice small. "Mr. Anderson… leaving like that… isn't it bad? I mean, they are still your family."
He looked at me. Those cold eyes softened just a little. "There's nothing bad about it. I have nothing to say to them."
Was it because… he was an illegitimate child?
My lips moved, but I couldn't find the right words. In the end, I sighed lightly and forced a sweet smile. "Honestly, that's fine. The atmosphere in there felt suffocating. Everyone in your family is… kind of terrifying."
His eyes flickered sharply. "Including me?"
I froze, then activated twenty points of survival instinct. "Mr. Anderson is not terrifying at all. You're extremely handsome. Too handsome. They're just not at your level."
He let out a low laugh. Then suddenly, his large hand landed on my head and gently rubbed my hair.
I stared at him wide-eyed, shock written all over my face. The infamous killer-of-men was… patting my head?
Was he going to leave holes in my skull next?
I gulped, shrinking my head without thinking. Immediately, Captian's mood darkened again.
I forced an awkward smile. "Mr. Anderson… can I go outside for some fresh air? There are too many people here. I feel… overwhelmed."
The main hall was packed with Anderson relatives, chattering and crowding the place under overly warm lighting. My head was spinning. I desperately needed air.
But the moment I finished speaking, he pulled me to my feet.
"Mr. Anderson?" I blinked, confused.
His lips parted, cold voice ringing beside my ear.
"Together."