Flattery. That was what I was doing. Captain gently placed his hand on my head, and for a moment it felt like my whole skull was enveloped by his palm. I felt the heat of his skin seep down, making my neck shrink instinctively. I hurried to change the topic. "Mr. Anderson, let's go eat. I spilled the soup earlier… such a waste. You're not mad at me, right?"
He said nothing. He simply pulled out a chair and sat at the dining table, as if waiting for me to serve him. I immediately understood, rushed back into the kitchen, brought out all the dishes I'd reheated, and set the bowls and chopsticks down like a perfectly obedient little puppet.
He watched me with those clear, piercing eyes of his, and instantly I felt a strange heat behind his gaze, like he was fighting the urge to do something improper with me. But he held back. Maybe because I was too sensitive tonight. He licked his lips slightly. A fleeting glint of something wicked flashed in his eyes but it disappeared so fast I almost wondered if I imagined it.
I had no idea what he was thinking. Since the atmosphere felt strangely calm, I slowly lowered my guard. While I scooped rice, I suddenly wanted to ask about the Anderson family matters but the moment the question reached my throat, I swallowed it again. The whole illegitimate-child situation wasn't something glorious. Captain's face earlier had been terrifying; if I poked more, he might snap. If I wanted to survive, best not ask. Maybe I could ask Ronan later, he'd been around Jonas long enough to know things.
"What do you want to ask?" Captain spoke suddenly, catching my hesitation. His voice was cold as ever.
The ladle in my hand trembled. I shook my head quickly. "N-No, I just… I just wanted to ask if the dishes I made were okay. Did you like them?"
"They're decent." He paused for half a second. "From now on, you can cook and bring meals to the office."
My shoulders twitched. Last time, when I wanted that hospital job, I deliberately brought him food to please him. I didn't expect it'd ignite this idea in him. But who told me to become Mr. Anderson's possession? Requests like this were basically commands. All I could do was obey.
"Yes," I answered softly.
Captain responded lightly. A faint hint of satisfaction flickered between his brows, subtle enough to miss if I hadn't been staring.
Dinner was surprisingly peaceful. Other than his request for me to bring him food, he didn't make any unreasonable demands, no overstepping, no strange behavior. He almost seemed… normal. Honestly, that scared me more. After we finished, I cleaned the dishes. When I peeked at him, he was sitting on the sofa, unusually silent. His head bowed slightly, those long lashes casting shadows on his cheeks. In that moment, the darkness on his face was deep enough to suffocate.
My hands trembled. I didn't dare approach.
Suddenly... slam.
A door upstairs shut loudly. I jumped and nearly dropped the dishes again. When I hurried to look, Captain had disappeared from the sofa, the noise clearly from his office upstairs. He went inside without a word. He must be upset.
My brows furrowed. Something must've happened at the old Anderson estate. Anyone would feel terrible, but for even Captain to look like this… he must've been furious. I looked up at the office door several times, wondering about it, but in the end, I stopped thinking.
I washed the dishes, then ran to my room to change out of the formal gown and heels into regular clothes. Instantly, my whole body relaxed. I lay on the sofa in my room, ready to rest a bit until I heard a car horn outside.
Curious, I stood and peeked out the window. Captain's car was pulling out. He left again?
I sat for a moment, then pushed open my door. Nanny Alley was mopping the spilled soup in the kitchen. I glanced around and asked, "Nanny Alley, did Mr. Anderson just leave?"
She nodded. "Seems like something came up at the company."
Once I confirmed he was gone, my eyes lit up. "Nanny Alley, do you know where Ronan is?"
"I think he's in the surveillance room on the top floor," she answered casually.
But my heart lurched. "We… we have a surveillance room in this villa?"
She blinked at me, surprised at my surprise. "Of course. Mr. Anderson is the head of the Anderson family; this place isn't exactly low-profile. There are security cameras outside to prevent intruders."
Security cameras outside?
But I hadn't noticed anything.
Which meant the cameras were hidden, very well hidden.
Which meant… the day I caught the king cobra...
A chill swept from my scalp to the soles of my feet. My heart pounded painfully. If the cameras recorded everything… and if Ronan had been in the surveillance room at the time… he might have seen everything.
If he saw it, he'd report to Captain, right?
If Captain, who adored venomous snakes found out I'd grabbed one bare-handed… he'd lose his mind. Punish me. Maybe something worse. But so far, he hadn't said anything. He hadn't reacted.
Could it be… he hadn't seen it?
No. I must've missed something. I tried to recall anything strange in Captain's behavior, but fear fogged my mind. Nothing came to me.
"Nanny Alley, I'm going to the surveillance room to see Ronan."
Before she could respond, I sprinted up the stairs. My footsteps were so panicked they echoed through the hall.
Nanny Alley stared after me, baffled. What on earth was so urgent?
The surveillance room only had Ronan inside. Hunter hadn't been around lately probably out helping Captain. I pushed the door open carefully.
Ronan was leaned back in his chair, smoking casually. Thin trails of smoke curled upward, looking artistic but smelling awful. I covered my nose. He didn't notice I was there, he seemed in a good mood.
I stepped softly, eyes darting to the monitors. Camera feeds covered every part of the property especially the backyard where the snake pit was. Not a single blind spot. I could see every snake clearly.
Cold dread wrapped around my spine.
These cameras were high-resolution so clear that if someone went there to catch a snake, they'd be recorded from every angle. Even the face. That meant the day I picked up that cobra every movement, every expression, everything should have been caught on camera.
If Ronan saw it…
He'd definitely report to Captain.
A violent shiver ran through me. I didn't dare breathe.
Then...
"Sister-in-law? What are you doing here?"