The Tyrannical Wolf King's Contract Bride-Chapter 58: Caught Cheating in the Marital Home

Chapter 58: Chapter 58: Caught Cheating in the Marital Home

Caleb’s POV

"What are you doing here all of a sudden?" My voice sounded calm, but I knew how nervous I really was. "You didn’t say you were coming."

"I was just passing by and thought I’d come do some decorating," Penelope said with a grin, linking her arm with mine. "Come on, show me our master bedroom. I want to pick a spot for my perfumes."

"Penelope..." I tried to stop her. "Let’s do it another day. Didn’t you say you wanted to try the new dishes at the Fire Cloud restaurant? Why don’t we go now?"

"What time is it? The restaurant isn’t even open yet," Penelope pouted.

I heard my own heart thumping wildly, accelerating with her footsteps. I had hastily shoved Lila into the closet just moments ago, but what if Penelope discovered her?!

I stopped dead in my tracks, blocking the bedroom door and wrapping an arm around Penelope’s waist. "Baby, we rarely get to meet up like this. Why don’t we go grab a drink?"

"No!" Penelope whined, suddenly breaking free from my grasp. She ran into the bedroom and yanked open the closet door!

"Don’t!" I cried out.

But it was too late.

Penelope yanked open the closet, revealing Lila huddled wretchedly inside.

In that instant, time seemed to stand still.

The air froze.

The scent of lilies on Lila became unbearably clear.

"Lila?" Penelope’s eyes narrowed instantly, her gaze sweeping over Lila. "What are you doing here?"

I saw Lila open her mouth, but her throat was tight, and she couldn’t get a single word out.

"She’s sick. I happened to run into her and brought her here to rest for a bit," I said, quickly stepping in front of Lila to block her from view.

"Rest for a bit?" Penelope sneered, shoving me aside. "This isn’t the first time you two have been here, is it? In *my* marital home? Screwing *my* man?"

"I didn’t..." Lila answered timidly.

"You shameless bitch!" Penelope suddenly erupted, raising her hand and slapping Lila hard across the face.

SLAP!

The crisp sound of the slap echoed in the deathly silent room.

I watched Lila stagger from the blow, falling against the side of the bed. Half of her face instantly began to swell, red and burning. In that moment, I felt as if the slap had landed on my own heart, the pain so sharp it nearly suffocated me.

"Penelope! Are you crazy?!" I was utterly enraged. I rushed over, shoved Penelope away, and shielded Lila behind me, my eyes filled with a ferocity I’d never shown before. "Do you have any idea what you’re doing?!"

"*I’m* crazy? You’re the one who’s crazy!" Penelope pointed at Lila, her body trembling with rage. "Caleb, you’re actually yelling at me for this woman? She’s your old cast-off! Now she’s seducing you again, and you’re protecting her?!"

"Shut up!" I roared, my voice filled with uncontrollable fury. "Don’t you dare insult her like that! I’m the one who let her stay here! It has nothing to do with her!"

"You let her stay here?" Penelope looked as if she’d just heard the world’s biggest joke, and her eyes instantly turned red. "This is our marital home! Caleb, where is your heart? Have you still not gotten over her? Do you regret getting engaged to me?"

"I’m not hung up on her, and I don’t have any regrets," I said, my voice low and pained. "But I can’t just watch her die! She has nowhere else to go. I’m just... fulfilling my duty as a big brother!"

"Duty? This is your duty?" Penelope shrieked, tears bursting from her eyes. "You hide your ’dear little sister’—your ex-girlfriend—in our marital home, and you tell me it’s your duty? Caleb, do you think I’m as easy to fool as this bitch?!"

"Think whatever you want." I turned, helping the trembling Lila to her feet. My tone softened slightly, but it carried an undeniable resolve. "Lila, you get some rest. I won’t let anyone drive you away."

"Anyone?" Penelope was like a lit powder keg, completely exploding. "Caleb, you have to give me an answer today! Either she gets out, or I do!"

"She can’t leave," I said, blocking the bed, my back straight and firm. "She’s very fragile right now and can’t handle any more stress."

"Fragile? I think she’s just putting on an act!" Penelope screamed hysterically. "Look at that pitiful act she’s putting on! Is she trying to seduce you again? Caleb, I guess you don’t need the Vanderbilt family’s support anymore!"

"I do need it," I said, my voice terrifyingly low. "But I will still choose to protect her."

"Why?! Why?!" Penelope broke down, sobbing. "Have you even thought about our engagement? Have you thought about my feelings at all?"

"I have." I turned and looked at Lila’s pale, desperate face, my eyes filled with a storm of emotions. "But I don’t want to live with any more regrets. Penelope, I’m sorry. On this matter, I will not yield."

"I’m calling off the engagement!" Penelope shouted. "I’ve had enough! I’m calling it off!"

"No," I answered, my voice sharp and final.

"What did you say?" Penelope froze, clearly not expecting me to refuse.

"I said, no." I turned to face her, the usual warmth gone from my eyes, replaced by cold reason. "This is a marriage alliance between our two families. It concerns the interests of the Goodrich family and the Vanderbilt family. It’s not something you can just call off whenever you feel like it."

"You... you bastard!" Penelope trembled with rage. "You’d sell your own feelings for the sake of business? You’d hide *her* in our marital home and still try to force me to marry you?"

"This is my responsibility," I said, my voice cold as iron. "Penelope, if you can’t accept my decision, we can discuss compensation privately. But the engagement cannot be canceled."

"You..." Penelope looked at me, then at Lila cowering in the corner of the bed with her face in her hands. She suddenly let out a piercing laugh. "Fine. Just fine. Caleb, you truly disgust me."

With that, she spun around, grabbed her bag, and stormed out of the room. The sound of her high heels clattered urgently down the stairs, ending with the loud slam of the front door.

Deathly silence once again fell over the villa.

I stood frozen, listening to the sounds of Penelope’s departure. I felt no sense of relief. Instead, it was as if a giant boulder had settled on my chest.

I turned and looked at Lila on the bed.

She was curled up in the corner of the bed, hugging her knees tightly, her body trembling slightly from fear and cold. Her swollen cheek looked especially ghastly in the dim light.

"Lila..." I called her name softly, wanting to move closer.

She flinched back violently, dodging my hand, her eyes filled with terror and alienation.

"Don’t touch me," she said, her voice trembling and thick with tears. "It’s all my fault... It’s all my fault..."

Seeing her like this, my heart twisted in agony.

"No, it’s not your fault," I said, crouching in front of her, my voice filled with heartache and guilt. "It’s my fault. I failed to protect you."

"Just go," she said, looking up at me with frighteningly hollow eyes. "All of you, just go. I don’t want to see any of you ever again."

"Don’t be ridiculous," I said, gripping her shoulders. My hold was light, yet firm. "Now that I’ve brought you out, I won’t let you go back."

Lila’s response was to—her head drooped, and she collapsed right into my arms.