Love in Deceit; When Duty meets Desire

Everyone stared at Old Man Yu in bewilderment, except for Levy, who already knew his plans.

"Dad, do you mean they'll live with us now?" Mae asked, her voice brimming with excitement.

"Yes, dear. I've already sent the servants to your house and your brother's to collect their clothes," he replied, his tone calm but mischievous. He turned to the still-stunned couple. "If they leave, I don't know when this brat will visit again. Besides, it'll make our dear Claire less lonely," he added, his eyes twinkling with mirth.

Claire's mind raced. They were only supposed to act in love around his family, and now they'd be living with them? Did this mean Old Man Yu didn't believe her alibi? If they had to keep up the act all the time, things could spiral out of control. She prayed Leon would refuse.

Desperately, she glanced at him, but there were no signs of resistance. Panic bubbled up inside her. Did this mean he couldn't disobey his father? Was he actually agreeing to this?

Old Man Yu's voice cut through her thoughts. "Claire, are you happy with this? Don't worry; this brat won't disobey me. We'll keep you company here," he said with a knowing smile. Claire forced a nod and a tight smile.

Seeing her approval, Mae squealed with delight and pulled Claire into a hug. She was thrilled Claire would be staying with them.

Once their belongings arrived, everyone retired to their rooms. Mae and Mrs. Rinna took it upon themselves to push the newlywed couple into their room, teasingly calling it their wedding night.

---

Now alone in their room, Claire stared at Leon awkwardly. "You don't have to worry. I'll sleep on the couch," she offered.

Leon's eyes narrowed, his expression darkening as he approached her. Her survival instincts kicked in, and she instinctively moved backward until her back hit the cold, unyielding wall.

In an instant, Leon closed the gap, pinning her against the wall, his intense gaze boring into hers. "Do you think I'm so cruel?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous.

Claire's breath hitched. "..." She was speechless. Why would he ask that? She nervously shook her head, swallowing hard.

"Tell me, Claire, are you so scared of me that you can't even share a bed with me? Do you think I'd touch you without your consent?" His voice was a whisper now, yet each word sent shivers down her spine.

"I thought you... you were used to sleeping alone. I didn't want to d-disturb you," she stammered, her voice shaky.

Leon's jaw tightened. "Listen, Claire. Have you forgotten? We're married. I am your husband, and I won't let my wife sleep on a couch," he declared with an authoritative tone that left no room for argument.

---

Claire stood motionless in the bathroom for several minutes, Leon's words ringing in her ears.

"I am your husband, and I won't let my wife sleep on a couch."

They weren't even with his family anymore—why was he still acting? After much thought, she summed it up to his sense of duty. Still, her heart raced erratically, and a blush crept onto her cheeks as she recalled his words.

Ultimately, they decided to share the bed. Claire felt secure, knowing Leon wouldn't overstep her boundaries. But a troubling thought lingered. Would she eventually give herself to someone she planned to betray?

She didn't know what to do, she was his wife and that was definitely one of her duties, despite the condition of her marriage, he was still a man and such a thing was inevitable.

She was mulling over this when her phone buzzed. Checking it, she found a message from an unknown number.

[Welcome to the family, dear sister-in-law 😏]

It was Aaron. He'd told her earlier that his family was smart, so he wouldn't contact her during her mission. This must've been his way of keeping his word....using an unknown number.

As she set the phone down, Leon emerged from the bathroom, dressed in a white polo and black shorts. Claire blinked several times before quickly averting her gaze. "Why does he have to be so good-looking?" she muttered under her breath.

"What are you thinking about?" Leon asked, noticing she was still awake.

Claire decided to engage him. After all,she wasn't feeling sleepy and her mission had officially begun. Internally, she thanked Old Man Yu. Had they gone to Leon's villa, she would've been given a separate room, making it harder to get close to him.

"I was wondering about your elder brother," she said, sitting up. "Why isn't he here? I heard he's the son of a maid. Is that true?"

Leon's expression darkened instantly. "Why are you asking about my brother? Do you like him or something?" he asked irritably.

"No, no! It's not like that," she explained hastily. "I was just curious about why he isn't here."

Leon turned to the window, gazing at the night sky. After a pause, he began, "Yes, his mother was a maid. My mom couldn't conceive for years, so she urged my dad to find someone else. He chose Ms. Stacy. Not long after she became pregnant, my mom conceived too. When my dad found out, he decided to keep Stacy and the child because they were his blood. But he refused to marry her—he only loved my mom. Aaron and I were born around the same time. My mom raised Aaron as her own, and we all loved him. Everything was fine until..."

He stopped abruptly, the air growing heavy and suffocating.

"Until what?" Claire asked, unable to contain her curiosity.

Leon turned and walked toward her. As he sat on the edge of the bed, the tension dissipated. He glanced at Claire who was still looking at him, her bright eyes that were as dark as the night urging him to continue. Leaning in slightly, he fiddled with her smirking. "Sleep," he said ordered softly. "You've had a long day." he said as he lay down, turning his back to her.

Recognizing the change in his mood, Claire didn't press further. She lay down, exhaustion finally catching up to her. With a yawn, she drifted off to sleep.

Once her breathing evened, Leon turned to face her. His eyes, dark and unreadable, lingered on her peaceful face. The suffocating air returned, wrapping around him like a blanket. He stared at her for a long time, trying to calm the storm within him, before finally succumbing to sleep.