Chapter 31: An Uninvited Guest

Breakfast was suspiciously peaceful.

Too peaceful.

Verbena sat across from Theodore in the sunlit dining room, her teacup trembling slightly in her hand. Despite the lighthearted teasing earlier, the warmth of his gaze kept making her stomach flip. It was infuriating.

Theodore Hellgrave — her villain husband — had no right to look at her like that, like she was the only woman in the world.

This was dangerous. She was dangerously close to forgetting her purpose again.

"Stop staring," she muttered into her teacup, unable to meet his eyes directly.

"I can't help it." Theodore's voice was smooth as silk. "My wife is exceptionally cute when she's flustered."

Verbena nearly knocked her tea over. "I am not cute—"

Before she could argue further, the doors to the dining room swung open, and a loud voice echoed through the hall.

"Verbena!"

Her heart plummeted into her stomach.

Lance.

The Crown Prince himself stood in the doorway, dressed in royal splendor and looking entirely too dramatic for this early in the day. His silver hair practically glowed under the sunlight, and his golden eyes zeroed in on Verbena like a predator spotting prey.

Theodore's smile vanished instantly.

"What brings His Highness to my humble home?" Theodore's voice was calm, but the sharp edge beneath it was impossible to miss.

"I've come to see my beloved Verbena, of course," Lance declared shamelessly, striding into the room like he owned the place.

Verbena shot to her feet, nearly knocking over her chair. "Your Highness! What— why are you here without notice?"

"Because I missed you." Lance placed a hand dramatically over his heart. "I heard all sorts of rumors about you and Hellgrave recently, and I simply couldn't believe my ears. So I came to see you myself."

Theodore's jaw clenched, his fingers tightening around his teacup until the porcelain nearly cracked.

"Rumors?" Verbena's smile froze on her face. "What rumors exactly?"

"Oh, you know…" Lance gave her a devilish grin. "That you've been acting very much like a real wife to your villain husband. Sharing a bed, exchanging kisses in the moonlight, that sort of thing."

Theodore leaned back in his chair, his gaze locked onto the prince like a hawk. "Your Highness seems very well-informed about my private affairs."

"Of course I am," Lance said with a dramatic flip of his hair. "Verbena was supposed to marry me, remember?"

"Supposed to, but didn't." Theodore's smile returned, razor-sharp this time. "She's my wife now. And we've been very happily married."

Verbena wanted to crawl under the table and disappear.

Why did her life always spiral into chaos whenever these two men were in the same room?

"Is that true, Verbena?" Lance took a step closer to her, his golden eyes softening. "Are you really happy with him?"

Verbena's heart squeezed painfully.

This was the man she had once dreamed of — the perfect prince from every fairy tale. Yet standing between the two of them now, she realized something terrifying.

Her gaze flickered toward Theodore, who was calmly drinking his tea, as if Lance's presence didn't bother him at all. But she knew better. The slight tension in his shoulders, the way his jaw twitched — it was jealousy, plain and simple.

And why did that make her heart race so much?

"Your Highness…" Verbena took a deep breath. "I appreciate your concern, but you really shouldn't come here uninvited."

Lance blinked, as if he couldn't believe she was rejecting him outright.

"Besides," she added, her voice softer, "I… I'm trying to be a proper wife now. To Theodore."

Theodore's cup paused halfway to his lips.

Lance looked like she had slapped him. "But Verbena, you love me—"

"Did." She forced herself to smile. "That was in the past."

The silence was deafening.

Theodore set his cup down with a quiet clink. "You heard her, Your Highness. My wife belongs to me now."

Lance's lips pressed into a thin line, but instead of arguing, he let out a soft laugh. "Well, well. I guess I was too late."

He turned to leave, but not before leaning close to Verbena, whispering just loud enough for Theodore to hear: "But if you ever change your mind, you know where to find me."

Theodore's chair scraped loudly as he stood.

"That's enough," the Duke said coldly. "I suggest Your Highness leaves now, before I forget my manners."

Lance gave a lazy smile and sauntered out of the room, leaving an icy silence in his wake.

Verbena slowly exhaled the breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

"Are you alright?" Theodore's voice was soft, but there was a dangerous glint in his eyes.

"I'm fine." She smiled, though her heart was still pounding. "You're not jealous, are you?"

Theodore stepped closer, his hand tilting her chin up to meet his gaze. "Should I not be?"

The heat between them sparked dangerously again.

"No need," she whispered, heart skipping as his thumb traced her lower lip. "I already chose you, didn't I?"

His eyes darkened, and for a moment, she thought he might kiss her again — right there in the dining room.

Instead, he smiled. "Good. Because I don't share."

Verbena swallowed hard.

This villain husband of hers might just be her ruin.

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End of chapter