I Faked My Death—Now I Have to Tame the Crazy Men I Left Behind

Chapter 126 - 124: The Red Thread Hidden in the Blood Vessels

Overhead, a series of suggestive sounds drifted down.

"You weren’t wearing this dress when you left this morning."

"The other one got dirty."

"Oh? What was it? Let me guess, was it..."

"Hiss... What’d you hit me for?"

The man sucked in a sharp breath, but he wasn’t about to let her off that easily. "Is it just the dress you changed?"

"You smell different, too. Did you take a shower?"

"...Are you part dog or something?"

Downstairs.

Simon Adler recognized their voices, and a vein throbbed in his temple.

He glanced at Hayes Hughes beside him, trying to discern what was going on.

But Hayes just stood there, stone-faced, blocking his way upstairs.

Simon felt like his entire worldview was about to collapse.

At first, he thought Hayes hadn’t recognized who was upstairs and was just being kind, not wanting to disturb a couple in the throes of passion.

But looking at him now, Simon realized Hayes had probably known who it was all along.

"I was wrong. Calling you a saint would be an insult to saints." Simon rarely spoke with such sarcasm, but now he couldn’t help himself.

’What is wrong with these people?!’

"Simon," Hayes Hughes said in a low voice, warning him not to do anything rash.

But Simon wasn’t listening. "I don’t know what your relationship with her is, and I don’t care. But I hope you remember exactly what her relationship with Silas Grant is!"

"..." Hayes froze for a second.

Simon and Hayes had known each other since childhood, but they weren’t as close as they were with Silas Grant.

"Let me tell you, soon enough, you’ll have to call this ’good little sister’ of yours sister-in-law."

With the words laid so bare, whatever hopes Hayes had been harboring were likely shattered to pieces.

His point made, Simon pushed Hayes’s hand away.

Unexpectedly, the hand didn’t budge an inch.

He frowned and gave Hayes a strange look.

But Hayes’s expression flickered slightly. He still wore that refined mask as he met Simon’s gaze for a few seconds, then repeated the same words: "Let’s take the stairs down."

For a moment, Simon was stunned.

"Are you crazy?"

"Whatever her relationship is with anyone, it has nothing to do with you."

"No matter what, it would be rude for you to go up and interrupt them now."

"You’ll scare her."

Simon’s worldview hadn’t even had a chance to be rebuilt before the fragments were pulverized into dust.

An absurd thought even crossed his mind: ’In the future, will Hayes be like this too? Standing guard outside the door for them... just like today?’

’Unbelievable!’

He paid Hayes no more mind. The two of them could hardly be called friends anyway.

The stairwell was wide, and Simon took the steps in large strides.

—

A sudden noise from downstairs made Yates Donovan’s hands pause.

Mia Grant’s shoulders trembled; she had clearly heard something too.

She froze for a moment, then turned her head toward the source of the sound.

Just as Simon Adler set foot on the landing, he sensed something and looked up.

Their eyes met.

Simon’s legs felt like they were filled with lead. He couldn’t move.

The girl was leaning against the wall, her hands still pushing against the man’s shoulders. When she looked over at the sound, her reddened eyes glanced over timidly, filled with a shy, dazed look.

Unlike the arrogant, smug bully from yesterday, today her cheeks, ears, and neck were all flushed pink. Her dark eyes shimmered with moisture, and her lashes trembled as if tears were about to fall at any moment.

She looked as though she’d been thoroughly bullied.

But before he could get a closer look, the young woman seemed to finally recognize him through the watery haze in her eyes. Clarity instantly returned to her gaze, and she quickly turned away, leaving him with nothing but the cold sight of the back of her head and a sliver of her pale neck.

An arm quickly rose, pulling her around to face a different direction. A tall, solid frame completely shielded the girl from view.

Simon’s gaze shifted to the side, meeting Yates Donovan’s eyes.

Those charming, flirtatious eyes narrowed slightly, a playful look laced with a ruthless edge.

It suddenly reminded him of what the girl had said yesterday: "Keep staring and I’ll gouge your eyes out."

Judging by the look in Yates’s eyes now, he probably meant the same thing.

Yates was sure he hadn’t heard any footsteps or a door opening from downstairs, which meant the person must have been here for a while.

Tsk.

Yates’s brow furrowed, a flash of annoyance crossing his face.

Simon had left with Hayes Hughes. If he was here, then Hayes must be here too.

’I figured they would have gone to an office to talk. I didn’t think they’d be so casual about it.’

The atmosphere was a little strange.

Mia Grant had already pushed Yates away. "I’m going back."

’So embarrassing.’

Yates raised an eyebrow, took off his jacket, and draped it over her. He gave her cheek a little pinch. "Don’t run off again. Go back to the reception room and wait for me."

Mia shot him a glare, stomped her foot, and left in a huff.

Her little leather shoes made a crisp tapping sound on the floor, but it wasn’t annoying. Instead, it was an alluring sound that made one’s heart itch.

Even just her side profile exuded a naive charm.

’Completely different from the her I’ve seen.’

Realizing what he was thinking, Simon frowned, his thoughts a tangled mess.

Hayes Hughes had already come up the stairs. He took one look at the situation and let out a sigh of relief.

To be honest, he hadn’t wanted to walk in on that kind of scene.

The visual shock would have been far more suffocating than the stimulation of just hearing it.

Of course, he figured she wouldn’t want him to see, either.

So, to avoid mutual embarrassment, avoidance was the best outcome.

By the time Simon reacted, Hayes had already passed him and continued up.

He lifted his leg to follow.

Yates hadn’t left. He was leaning against the fire escape door, arms crossed, watching the two of them with a smile.

"What’s with you guys? First one, now another. You all have a thing for eavesdropping?"

Hayes stopped in front of him, his usually gentle face now cold and indifferent.

Yates found this hilarious. He tilted his head and met Hayes’s gaze, a hint of provocation in his eyes.

"Well?"

"First of all, we weren’t eavesdropping. Second, don’t touch her again without her permission."

Yates froze, then burst out laughing.

Hayes ignored him, warning him sternly, "She has never told me you were her boyfriend."

"Also, the engagement between you two was voided a long time ago."

"So?"

"So, your behavior, to put it nicely, could be called indecent assault."

"Ah." Yates feigned an expression of someone who had just been taught a lesson, but the next second, a cold light flashed in his eyes. "And you? In what capacity are you reminding me of this?"

"Your words sound pleasant enough, but... are you even qualified to say them?"

’Such a righteous gentleman on the surface. I wonder what you’re really like in private.’

Hayes raised his eyes slightly, a smile playing on his lips. "You seem to have forgotten. She still calls me ’Second Brother’."

"..."

Hayes pushed open the door behind him and left.

Leaving Yates standing there, staring blankly at Simon.

Seeing this young master get taken down a peg, Simon felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.

"Looks like he really does have the right to lecture you."

"He could do more than just give you a verbal warning. He could even hit you."

Simon said tauntingly, "He’s her brother, after all."

"The kind of brother with a red string of fate hidden in his veins."

"And you, no matter what, are just an outsider."