4
The moment Dapper entered the bedroom, he leapt onto the bed and seized Jada from behind, locking her tightly in his arms. Before she could even react, his hands were already roaming all over her body.
He clicked his tongue. “You and your sister… You really do have quite the figures. One better than the other,” he sneered, his hand already reaching toward her chest.
“You bastard! What do you think you’re doing?!”
The sound of his voice stunned Jada for a heartbeat. Then panic crashed over her, and she began thrashing desperately in his grip. But no matter how she struggled, she couldn’t shake him off. Dapper’s strength was simply overwhelming.
“What am I doing?” he murmured with a low, mocking laugh against her ear. “Nothing much. I just want to taste the difference between you and your sister.”
With a sudden yank, he ripped her nightgown wide open.
The rush of cold air against her bare skin made fear and fury explode inside her chest. In that instant, her terror reached its peak.
Summoning all her strength, she kicked backward, her foot landing squarely on Dapper’s crotch.
He let out a howl of agony, doubling over with both hands clutching himself. Seizing the chance, Jada scrambled off the bed and bolted for the door.
“You filthy bitch! You dare kick me?!” he roared, writhing on the bed.
But when he saw her racing out of the room, he grit his teeth against the pain and staggered after her.
With Dapper chasing close behind, Jada’s panic mounted. Cornered, with nowhere else to go, she darted into the kitchen. She snatched up the first thing within reach—a kitchen knife—and swung it at him.
“Ahhh!”
His scream tore through the villa, drawing Kenton and Daisybelle out from another bedroom.
“What’s going on here?”
Kenton flicked on the light. His gaze swept over the chaos in the kitchen, his brows knitting tightly together.
“Kenton…” Dapper’s face betrayed a flicker of panic at the sight of him. But the moment his eyes caught Daisybelle standing just behind, his panic vanished without a trace.
“Kenton, there was thunder. My sister’s always been afraid of storms, so I came to check on her,” he explained smoothly.
With a quick sidelong glance at Jada—still clutching the knife—he went on, “But as soon as I walked in, I heard noises coming from the kitchen. I thought maybe a thief had broken in, so I came to take a look. Who knew… the moment Jada saw me, she tore her own nightgown and came at me with a knife!”
“Dapper! Your hand! It’s bleeding so much!” Daisybelle’s gasp broke in before Kenton could respond.
She hurried to his side, her expression soft with heartbreak as she looked at the gash on his arm. Tears slipped down her cheeks without her even realizing.
“Jada… is this true?”
Kenton’s voice was cold, his brows drawn tight. When he turned to Jada, his eyes were like ice.
The sound of his voice made Jada falter, her grip on the knife loosening slightly. But then her gaze fell on his half-open collar, the faint red marks along his neck. Her heart trembled violently.
‘So this is what Daisybelle means by being “afraid of thunder,’ Jada realized.
“Kenton…” she whispered hoarsely. “If I said it wasn’t true, would you believe me?”
The question only made his frown deepen. His eyes swept over the wreckage of the kitchen, but before he could answer, Daisybelle’s voice cut in.
“Jada, yes, Dapper was in the wrong. But we’ve already apologized. We even drank with you. Why won’t you let this go?” Her voice broke into sobs as she dropped to her knees, clutching Dapper’s arm. “He’s my only brother. Do you mean to hound him to death before you’re satisfied?”
“Fine… if that’s what it takes, then as his sister, I’ll atone for Dapper’s sins!”
With that, she suddenly lunged forward, seizing Jada’s hand and driving the knife toward her own chest.
“Daisybelle, what are you doing?!”
Kenton rushed forward, yanking her away. In the struggle, the blade sliced across her palm.
Blood gushed freely, running down her hand in crimson streams. Kenton’s face twisted with anguish as he scooped her into his arms.
At the kitchen doorway, he paused. He didn’t turn back, but his voice was colder than frost.
“I only believe what I see.”
Then, without another glance, he strode out of the villa carrying Daisybelle in his arms.
Behind them, Dapper lingered just a step behind, both he and Daisybelle exchanging a single glance. The triumph gleaming in their eyes was impossible to hide.
