Andrea was hardly taken aback by the question. She knew that when Valentine Anderson failed to come home last night, he had likely run off to his mother's to complain, as was his habit. Throughout their tumultuous relationship, which had seen them divorced and remarried over five years, Valentine's tendency to be a "mama's boy" remained unchanged.
Despite her frustration with the question, Andrea responded calmly, "Mom, Lucas and I have never been intimate."
Relief washed over Mrs. Anderson's face. She had been genuinely concerned. Gathering herself, she spoke again, "Andrea, I know you're hurt by Valentine's actions. I'll talk some sense into him; he won't cause any more trouble for you and Pete."
Andrea nodded, rising to leave as she was running late. "Mom, I'll bring Pete over this weekend. Have you heard from Lucas?"
A crease of worry formed on Mrs. Anderson's face. Since Lucas had left the other night, he hadn't called or visited, which was unusual. "No, did he call you?"
"No, but don't worry. I'll ask Tony to look for him," Andrea reassured her, noticing the concern etched on Mrs. Anderson's face.
Mrs. Anderson nodded and saw Andrea out. After Andrea drove away, Mrs. Anderson returned inside just as Valentine was descending the staircase, looking somewhat more sober than usual.
"Mom, who was that?" Valentine asked, having overheard voices as he emerged from his room.
"It was Andrea," Mrs. Anderson replied.
Valentine's eyes, previously clouded with sleep, sharpened with urgency. "Andrea was here? Why didn't you wake me, Mom?"
He continued down the stairs, his mother eyeing him with a mix of irritation and resignation. "I needed to speak with her about your brother. Your presence might have complicated things, so I chose not to involve you."
Valentine's heart raced, and he clenched his fists, struggling to voice his next question as his expression twisted with anger. "Did he—"
Mrs. Anderson exhaled deeply, saddened by her son's loathing towards his own twin brother. "Your brother isn't the monster you think he is, Valentine. He hasn't been inappropriate with Andrea. You need to let go of your hatred; the bomb blast wasn’t his fault."
Valentine snapped back, still ruled by his bitterness, "It's because Andrea rejected him, isn't it?"
Mrs. Anderson's anxiety peaked; no mother wants to see her sons at odds. "That's not the case. Your brother is a good man. Please, stop this feud. Reach out to him, show him some kindness. It might bring him back to us."
Valentine barely listened to his mother's plea. After giving her a quick peck on the cheek, he announced, "Mom, I'm leaving."
He didn’t wait for her response, striding out of the house. Mrs. Anderson was left staring after him, her face a portrait of helplessness, her fears about her sons' rift deepening once more.
Valentine Anderson arrived at the Singer Mansion in his car, carrying with him a new robot for Pete. He had bought a similar one the day before but couldn't remember where he had left it after departing the mansion the previous night.
Upon entering, he immediately sought out Housekeeper Win. "Mrs. Win, where is Pete? I just checked his room and he's not there," Valentine inquired as soon as he saw her.
A fleeting look of disappointment crossed Mrs. Win's face, but she quickly masked it with a smile. "Sir Valentine, I took Pete to school about thirty minutes ago," she informed him.
That's when it dawned on Valentine that it was 9 AM on a Thursday—a school day for Pete. "Thank you, Mrs. Win," he responded, and then headed towards the bedroom.
Housekeeper Win shook her head, puzzled by what Andrea, Valentine's wife, saw in him.
Inside the bedroom, Valentine's gaze fell upon Lucas's watch. He picked it up, then carelessly dropped it onto the floor. He proceeded to pull every item out of the wardrobe—clothes, trousers, even underwear—and threw them onto the floor.
He gathered everything into a large box he had brought, carried it outside the mansion, and asked a household staff member for fuel and a lighter.
When Housekeeper Win heard about what was happening, she rushed outside. "Mr. Valentine, have you discussed this with Ma'am Andrea before deciding to burn these clothes?" she asked, concern evident in her voice.
Valentine's expression was stern as he replied curtly, "There's nothing to discuss. No one is going to wear them anyway, and he isn't coming back."
He then doused the clothes and the watch in fuel and set them ablaze. Housekeeper Win felt compelled to intervene, but knew she wasn't in a position to challenge his actions, so she stood back, watching helplessly.
When Valentine Anderson saw that everything was reduced to ashes, he reentered the mansion. Housekeeper Win felt a knot form in her stomach as she debated whether to call Andrea to prevent Valentine from further destructive actions.
Her anxiety peaked at the thought of the art collection room. It housed not only Valentine's paintings but also numerous other artworks.
While she silently hoped that Valentine wouldn't discover it, her heart sank as he paused at the door.
"What is in this room?" Valentine inquired.
Bound by her duty to be truthful, Housekeeper Win replied, "It contains Sir's art collection."
Valentine's expression darkened upon realizing she had referred to Lucas Anderson with a formal title. He corrected her sharply, "His name is Lucas. Do not call him 'sir'; he is no longer part of this household."
"Yes, Sir Valentine," Housekeeper Win responded respectfully.
Valentine pushed open the door and entered. His eyes quickly found a particular painting—a portrait of Lucas with Andrea and Pete. Jealousy tightened his chest as he stared at it.
In a voice cold with anger, he commanded, "Get more help. We are going to remove everything in this room and burn it."
Housekeeper Win, shocked, could hardly believe her ears. "Sir Valentine, you want to burn everything?" she asked, hoping she had misunderstood.
Valentine nodded firmly. "Yes, everything must be burned. It all reminds us of Lucas. If he is gone, then his memory should be erased as well."