He... what?

A rough chuckle escaped his lips. "Why are you so shocked?"

How could he ask me that question after pulling this stunt?

Cynthia has always done a good job cooking my meals for me. She was in the kitchen with me most of the time and saw how I did it.

But this was scarily identical, as though I had my twin somewhere who had prepared it. He had cut off the crusts of the toast. I hated those things. They made it harder for me to eat.

Down to the smallest detail. It was always like this with Zade, and each time it got me wondering.

"Staring at the food won’t get it in your stomach," he said. "You need to eat."

He picked up the toast first, but I grabbed it before he had the chance to feed me.

"I have questions."

"Those can wait."

It was a weak try on my end. But I wasn’t just gonna sit here until I had cleared my head a little bit.

"If I finish this, will you answer them?"

Zade arched an eyebrow. "Depends on what those questions are."

I dropped the toast and crossed my arms. I may be starving right now, but I could kill a few more minutes to get what I want.

"Then I won’t eat. Except you wanna force it down my throat."

"Don’t threaten me with a good time, kitten. Except it won’t be the toast that goes down that throat."

I shuddered as heat rose in my cheeks. "Y-Yes or no?"

"I’m up for quenching my kitten’s curiosity. Now eat."

I bit the toast first, and from then on, everything went into my mouth with ease. I couldn’t stop until I had finished everything.

I sipped the last of the coffee and leaned back, full and increasingly sleepy.

"Time to sleep."

"You said—"

"I know what I said. But how long can you fight that exhaustion?"

"You promised me, Zade!"

"Did I?"

My nostril flared. "You’re playing your dirty tricks again!"

"How about this? I’ll answer your questions if you let me bathe you."

My cheeks flushed. "What?"

He grabbed the wooden tray and set it down on the floor. "Pick your poison."

Both were ridiculous anyway. I mean, he has obviously seen me naked, but that still doesn’t make it okay. I told myself I wouldn’t let it get to that again, but I need answers.

"Run the bath only," I compromised, because the thought of those calloused hands all over my body didn’t sound like a good idea. "And you won’t try anything funny."

"Define funny."

"Zade!"

A low laugh fled him, and my pulse raced at that deep rumbling sound.

"That would be difficult."

This was beginning to annoy me a hell of a lot because he wasn’t taking this seriously. A few minutes ago, he was anything but calm, and now he’s just teasing me at the worst time possible.

"What about my babies?" I asked anyway. "Are they okay?"

"You don’t have to worry. They are with Luca."

That gave me a little reassurance. Cynthia was on her leave, and there was no one else to check on them. I hate to admit it, but I could count on Luca for something like that.

"You killed Lisa. Why? I thought she was important to you."

"Ms. Wade was just a secretary who overstepped her boundaries."

I still couldn’t get over the fact that he killed her so easily, and then he went ahead and said something like this. It gave me a full picture of whatever relationship they had or what Lisa thought could be more.

"Any more questions?"

Harsh.

"I saw—"

"Ian’s corpse," he finished for me.

I stuttered. "Y-You knew?"

"You left your rifle. It wasn’t hard to guess you were there."

"Yes, I saw Ian’s corpse," I confessed, since there was nothing to hide anymore.

He clearly knew I was lying when I told Dr. Keller I had just tripped only.

"Did you order him killed?"

"No."

That one reply made me uncertain.

"Don’t lie to me."

"I’m not lying."

I tried to read him, but I couldn’t.

"Then what were the twins doing, taking pictures of his corpse?"

"A crucial piece of evidence. Things like that require such."

Evidence? Did Ian actually get killed by a bear?

"W-What about Noelle?"

I hope she’s okay. I could only imagine how shocked she must be about Ian’s death.

"That’s enough questions. Time for your bath."

"That’s cheating!"

"The number of questions wasn’t specified, so there’s no debate."

He scooped me up in his arms before I had the chance to process it.

"Cheater."

"Now that’s very offensive, kitten. If I were you, I’d choose my next words carefully." He leaned in until his lips were beside my ear. "I’m keeping count, and trust me, baby, the numbers just keep expanding."

"I-I’m not gonna let you fucking touch me or spank me."

He chuckled only in response as he carried me to the bathroom. I wished I had my strength because I’m very tempted to smack him right in the face. I may have eaten a good breakfast, but my body still felt heavy.

Zade sat me down on the island and walked to the tub.

I let my eyes roam the clean bathroom, which perfectly fit his room aesthetics, with that touch of gold and the dark decor. It was rich and felt as if I had wandered into another world entirely.

His bathroom looked nice, and I was a bit envious. The scones on the walls cast a soft, warm lighting, and you could barely tell it was daytime here since the curtains shrouded the window.

Right at the matte black bathtub where Zade was, I tracked his movements, watching him prepare the bath. Every product I used was already there, as though he had been expecting something like this.

Lisa’s words reached me. Zade had watched me for the last two years, which explained how he knew everything about me. He was also the reason behind my father’s debts, which brought him to his doorstep.

Was it all because I was my sister’s replacement?

That was the only thing I could come up with. But this whole thing was suddenly pointing in a whole different direction. I could feel it in a way.

Zade walked back to me, and it was at the tip of my tongue to ask him about what Lisa had told me, but I didn’t. Not right now. I can’t even keep my eyes open.

He gripped the hem of the t-shirt between his fingers and lifted it.

T-shirt? The size of it told me it belonged to him. I hadn’t realized I’d been wearing it the whole time.

He set it aside and pulled out a drawer to take out a hairpin. He used it to wrap my hair in place. Then picked me up next, walked back to the tub, and put me in gently.

It’s warm, really warm in a way that soothes my muscles. I relaxed into it, feeling more sleepy. I have tried to fight it ever since I finished breakfast, but I can’t anymore.

"You win," I muttered.

"You sound as if you have lost," he said, amused. "You got the answers you wanted, didn’t you?"

"Half answers."

"You’ll get the rest afterward. I don’t want you exhausting yourself further."

"Promise me. I don’t trust you, but I can trust a promise at least. If you’re not a barbarian."

"I promise."

My heart skipped a beat. I didn’t expect that.

He straightened his spine, and my breath caught when he tugged his shirt over his head and dropped it to the floor.

"What... what are you doing?" I asked, alarmed when he undid his belt.

Is he gonna spank me right now?!

My hands shot out to the edge of the tub, but before I could lift my body and get out, he pushed his jeans down and kicked them aside, and my brain short-circuited.

I sucked in breath as I gaped at his boxer’s brief, the only thing keeping—Those came off, too.

God.

I have only seen it once, and that happened accidentally. There was no time to process or make out... make out...!

Bracing a hand on the edge of the tub, he leaned closer to kiss my forehead. Sparks flew as I felt the touch of his lips on my skin.

"Enjoy your bath," he muttered and moved away.

I let out a soft sigh as my nails dug into the matte.

His ass—merciful Jesus. They were solid, sculpted just like the rest of him and...!

I shook my head. Why am I mesmerized? I shouldn’t be. I should look away, relax in the bathtub, and... and...!

My brain froze, and the rest of me was kept under a state of extreme awe.

Zade slid open the glass stall and stepped into the shower. He turned the switch, and the water cascaded, soaking his hair and tracing every chiseled muscle.