Bruno stood in the center of the room, staring at each of them with a confused gaze.
"How long have you all been here? I mean, in this house," he asked, directing the question to no one in particular.
"Emm, well, hours before you came back," Abigail replied, a mocking grin spreading across her face.
His jaw dropped as the realization hit him.
He shot an icy glare at the butler standing nearby, his blood boiling. That man had tricked him into believing the house was empty.
He had been deceived.
"You lied to me," Bruno said, his voice low but filled with anger. "You said everyone was gone."
The butler stepped back, hands raised in defense.
"They made me do it, for your surprise, young master," he stammered, trembling under Bruno's furious stare.
Bruno clenched his fists, trying to rein in his temper.
Meanwhile, his sister moved toward Beauty, who stood rooted to the spot, trembling visibly.
Bruno's father, Mr. Hathaway, known for his toxic nature, would not take kindly to the situation, and Beauty seemed to know it too. She was his employee, and it was obvious she would face his wrath.
Mr. Hathaway would kill her before Bruno could do a thing.
Bruno glanced toward Beauty and found her in a state that wrecked his heart.
Beauty wasn't just afraid—she was petrified. Her expression was frozen, her face drained of color. Her wide, terrified eyes seemed to flicker between fear, shock, and sadness.
Trembling visibly, she probably thought everyone in the room was judging her for her size and class.
Well, she was probably right—their faces were asking questions already.
Worse, Mr. Hathaway's silent, looming presence didn't help. Everyone in the room knew his temper was a force to be reckoned with. Mrs. Hathaway couldn't hide the hate she felt for Beauty; her eyes were on her, ripping her apart limb by limb.
This is my fault, Bruno thought, guilt written all over him. I should have never brought her into this mess.
Suddenly, the husband of one of his cousins spoke out, breaking the intense silence.
"Is that you, Beauty Hills? So it's true... Bruno Hathaway is... dating you?" the man said mockingly.
All eyes in the room turned toward Beauty and the man, curiosity filling the air. Whispers spread among the family, seeking explanations.
Bruno felt the same curiosity, but seeing Beauty's face, blank with shame, erased every other thought.
He walked toward her, standing protectively at her side and placing a hand on her waist, giving her a soft pat. He didn't care about the stares or judgment from the others.
"Yes, it's true. She's my girlfriend."
Beauty, however, had her heart racing, fighting back her tears.
Nathan?
Nathan is married to a cousin of Bruno?
Her ex-boyfriend, who had dumped her because a ring wasn't her size. Why was this happening?
"Honey, you know her?"
Anita, Bruno's cousin sister, asked curiously.
Nathan nodded with a sly, devilish grin directed at Beauty. That grin lit a spark of jealousy in Bruno's chest—a bitter, suffocating feeling.
The man's look seemed to imply an intimate knowledge of Beauty, as if he knew every inch of her, which only fueled Bruno's frustration.
His chest tightened, a surge of jealousy and anger bubbling inside him. He could feel his hands trembling with the effort to hold himself back.
Abigail cleared her throat.
"This must be the girlfriend, you've been hiding from us, now I understand why.
How disappointing. She looks more innocent than she actually is"
"She's my girlfriend, mind your words, Abigail. I don't expect such statement from you. I love her...doesn't it mean anything to you?"
Bruno replied so low, that Abigail felt uncomfortable.
The two siblings held each other's gaze for almost a minute. The look in Bruno's eyes...made her regretful.
She blinked and chuckled awkwardly.
"Well....emmm, everybody, let's get to the dining room. Food was served minutes ago, and if we waste more time, it's going to get cold. Yes, birthday boy, go put something on, and, um..."
She turned to Beauty with a softer tone now.
"Beauty?"