Calm Down 16

Uncle Evans stood frozen in the mansion's foyer, his fists clenched tightly as he muttered words too low for anyone else to hear. His entire body trembled with fury, his anger directed at one person: Adeline.

Letting out a weary sigh, Richard stepped closer and placed a hand on Evans's shoulder. "Calm down, brother." 

Evans spun around, knocking Richard's hand away with a forceful swat and glaring at him. "Don't tell me to calm down! We're about to lose everything because that brat won't die! And now she's back with a fiancé."

Richard took a cautious step back, raising his hands in surrender, not wanting to provoke him any further. "We won't let it happen," he said with a gentle nod. "We still have a chance to get rid of her."

From where he leaned lazily against one of the foyer's pillars, Alfonso pushed himself upright and strode toward them. "Relax, Evans. That idiot she calls a fiancé doesn't look like much of a threat. If he decides to get in our way, well... they can both rest in peace together."

Richard raised an eyebrow at Alfonso but didn't disagree. Alfonso continued, patting Evans on the shoulder with a patronizing grin. "We have options. We could deal with the fiancé first if we want. Without him, who would Adeline get married to? But honestly, it's so much better if we just get rid of her first. We can kick that one out once she's gone."

Evans stared at Alfonso for a long moment. His breathing slowed as his brother's words began to calm him. "Fine," he said gruffly. "But we need to act fast."

Before any of them could say more, the front door creaked open, and Andrei stepped inside, carrying two black briefcases. 

"Where is Master Enzo?" Andrei asked, his gaze shifting to the brothers as if expecting a response from one of them.

Evans's face twisted with irritation. "Master Enzo?"

"Yes. Enzo is my employer. I've brought these for him."

Evans moved forward, his arm extending out towards Andrei. "Hand those over."

Before Andrei could respond, a voice rang out from the hallway behind him. "Ah, there you are, Andrei."

All heads turned to see Adeline walking toward them, with Enzo following closely behind her.

Richard and Alfonso exchanged a quick glance, and without a word, they turned on their heels and disappeared down the hallway, leaving Evans to deal with whatever was about to unfold.

Enzo strode forward and took the briefcases from Andrei, nodding to him. Meanwhile, Adeline gestured toward Andrei with a warm smile. "This is Andrei, my fiancé's bodyguard. He'll be staying in one of the guest rooms from now on."

Evans's expression darkened. "What?" he asked, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "Are you just letting random strangers into the house now? Do you not care about this family's safety? You know Mother would never allow this nonsense if she were still alive!"

Adeline's smile didn't falter. She tilted her head slightly, her tone still polite but at the same time mocking. "Well, she isn't here anymore, is she, uncle? Things are different now. This mansion is... kind of mine now, wouldn't you say? That means I can do whatever I want."

Evans wanted to press further, but Adeline stepped closer to Enzo. She leaned against him, tracing a slow pattern across his chest with her finger. "Besides, Andrei is with my fiancé. And any friend of his is a friend of mine."

Evans stared at her, taken aback and speechless. "This little piece of shit..." he thought to himself, a look of mild revulsion played across his face. His eyes shifted to Enzo, who met his glare with an unbothered smirk. It took every ounce of restraint Evans had not to explode on the spot. If he could, in that very moment, he would have strangled Adeline without hesitation.

Adeline turned her gaze to one of the maids standing quietly in the corner with her hands clasped in front of her. With a simple nod, Adeline beckoned her forward. The maid walked over to her, and when she was close enough, Adeline placed a light pat on her shoulder. "Could you please show Mr. Andrei to one of the empty guest rooms?"

The maid nodded curtly before gesturing for Andrei to follow her. Picking up his things, he left with the maid. As they disappeared down the hall, Adeline turned back to her uncle.

"Oh my goodness," she murmured. Uncle Evans was glaring at her with so much intensity that it made her heart skip a beat. He looked like a villain straight out of a dark movie. 

Meanwhile, Enzo remained oblivious to the tension, his focus entirely on one of the briefcases. He opened one of them slightly so that nobody but him would see what was inside, not even Adeline. He peeked into it before nodding to himself and closing it. 

Adeline's eyes darted between Enzo and her uncle, her discomfort growing as Evans continued to bore into her with his hateful gaze. "Why the hell is he looking at me like that?" she thought.

Deciding she'd had enough of his stare, Adeline turned to Enzo and placed a hand on her forehead, letting out a dramatic sigh. "I feel lightheaded." Suddenly, she allowed herself to fall backward, fully expecting Enzo to catch her. She heard the sound of the briefcases hitting the floor, and, just as planned, strong arms wrapped around her, lifting her off her feet.

Enzo chuckled as he held her up in a bridal style, looking down at her with amusement. "Careful, princess. If my love for you weren't strong enough, I might not have caught you in time."

Evans made a sound of pure disgust, his lip curling as he turned on his heel and stormed off.

Adeline waited until she was certain Evans was gone before wriggling out of Enzo's arms and landing lightly on her feet. She dusted off her clothes and straightened herself. "Let's go," she murmured, already walking toward the hallway without waiting for him.

Enzo bent to retrieve the briefcases before following her. His eyes remained fixed on her, and after a few more seconds of silence, Enzo let out a quiet laugh, unable to suppress it.