In the private lounge of a lavish club, the air reeked of perfume, alcohol, and indulgence.
Kade strutted in, arms draped over the shoulders of two tall, glamorous women while two more followed behind him. He inhaled deeply, smirking. "Ah, the air here is intoxicating!"
On the couch, Ronan barely spared him a glance before sneaking a wary look at the throne-like chair across the room. A certain devil sat there, swirling a glass of wine in his hand, his expression unreadable.
Ronan cleared his throat. "Are you sure it’s the air that’s intoxicating, Third Master?"
Kade paused mid-stride, raking his fingers through his perfectly gelled hair. One of the women leaned in, lips parted for a kiss, but he placed a teasing finger on her lips, stopping her. "Hmm? Brother doesn’t seem all that happy. What’s up?"
Ronan exhaled sharply. Took you long enough to notice, genius.
Kade’s sharp gaze flickered toward Adrian before turning back to Ronan. "It’s that woman again, isn’t it?"
Kade’s smirk deepened. "Is she throwing another fit now? I say, from all I have heard about her, she’s rather fat and ugly, and with that trash personality of hers, how is she even worthy—"
"No!" Ronan cut him off, heart hammering.
The air in the room had shifted at the mention of Ella, dark and oppressive. A dangerous silence settled.
Kade blinked, then shrugged. "Then what is it?" he whispered.
Ronan hesitated before leaning in. "Lately... she has changed."
Kade arched his brow. "Changed?"
"She even said she wanted to give their relationship a try."
Kade leaned back, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Then why is brother..." His voice trailed off, and the playfulness in his eyes flickered with something calculating.
Then suddenly, he grinned.
A sparkly, knowing grin.
Ronan’s stomach dropped. Oh no. Here we go again...
Kade snapped his fingers. "I figured it out!"
Ronan adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, bracing himself.
Kade leaned forward with absolute conviction. "This is actually great news! You’re worrying over nothing, Ron."
With a wink, he twirled two of the models accompanying him forward. "Babygirls, you know what to do!"
Ronan’s face paled as the women strutted toward Adrian. "What the hell are you doing, Third Master?"
Kade rolled his eyes. "God, how did you become a doctor with such a pea-sized brain? Think about it! If brother is unhappy even after that woman changed her ways, it only means one thing."
Ronan’s lips parted. "It’s because—"
Kade cut him off, grinning smugly. "It means my brother has completely lost interest in her."
Ronan clenched his fists. "That’s not—"
"It totally is!" Kade stretched lazily. "And it’s understandable, isn’t it? Most of the time, I prefer for myself a mature and bold woman, someone who is tall, confident and fucking knows what she wants. But occasionally, I would also switch up for the docile ones. But those are really fragile beings so I keep away quickly before they dream of marrying me..."
"Third Master, that’s nonsense—"
"Exactly! It’s nonsense to think my brother would still be hung up on that devil’s spawn!" Kade scoffed. "Clearly, he had a temporary lapse in taste, but now he’s back to his senses."
He gestured toward the women now hovering near Adrian. "And all he needs is a little distraction. A few beauties to help him move on."
Ronan pinched the bridge of his nose. God help us all.
Across the room, Adrian swirled his wine, his posture lazy but his aura ice-cold.
A shadow loomed over him. A delicate hand reached toward his shoulder. "Mr. King..."
Adrian’s fingers stopped.
The wine glass shattered, shards spraying across the floor. The woman gasped, stumbling back.
The second model observed the scene but being the prettier and more confident one, she had faith in her seduction skills. She stepped forward and swayed seductively before leaning in towards Adrian.
Adrian’s eyes lifted.
The temperature in the room plummeted.
His voice was quiet. Deadly.
The model hesitated but biting her lips, she dove towards Adrian’s arms.
"Ah!" The woman yelped as she was flung off balance, landing on the floor with a loud thump.
Kade’s grin faltered.
Adrian’s icy gaze flickered toward him.
Kade turned mute instantly.
Without another word, Adrian strode out of the room, his steps unfaltering.
Kade swallowed. What... just happened?
He turned to Ronan, voice weak. "Didn’t my brother lose interest in that woman? Wasn’t I helping him move on?"
Ronan rubbed his temples. "They’re still very much together. Ace is just upset because... he blames himself for hurting her."
Kade choked. "What?!"
The four models glared at him. "Third Master, how could you make us suffer like that?"
Kade sighed. Damn. They really did suffer because of me, huh?
He pulled out his phone with a flourish. "Alright, let me compensate you ladies properly..." He typed a few zeros followed by one.
Kade’s smile stiffened. He tried another card.
His handsome face turned pale.
Ronan watched in mild amusement. "Quit trying. All your cards are frozen."
The four models glared harder before stomping out of the room.
Kade sat there in a daze. "...My beauties... My luxuries..."
Ronan sighed, patting his shoulder. "Look at your elder brother, devoted to one woman. Now look at you, splattering seeds everywhere. Is it truly appropriate for someone of your noble surname?"
Kade exhaled dramatically. "Look at my brother, depressed and losing his sanity over one jinx. Look at me—oozing vitality. Tell me, Doc, is it worth it?" It was good that he hadn’t met that Ella woman or he would probably have strangled her ages ago!
Ronan clicked his tongue. "Tsk. With your current circumstances, I doubt you can continue your... endeavors. Maybe it’s time you swore off women for a while. What is the point in being so fixated on women anyway?"
’’The point is in being fixated ’in’ them!" Kade looked in the direction in which his beauties disappeared and then he glanced at the ’transaction failed’ notification. Groaning, he clutched his chest, ’’Their bone structure gives my bone... structure. Without them, what am I?"