My Harem Will Help Me Get My Revenge-Chapter 14: Unwanted trouble?
Chapter 14 - Unwanted trouble?
Chapter-14
The car ride was mostly silent, but the tension between Lucius and Iris was pretty evident. No matter how much he wanted to believe her, Lucius couldn't shake that feeling. Iris wasn't the type to go out of her way for someone out of the goodness of her heart.
Just as they both were lost in their thoughts, Iris's phone buzzed, breaking their chain of thoughts..
Iris looked at the called ID and taking a deep breath, pulled the car to the side of the road. She picked up the call, her voice flat as usual.
"This better be important." Iris asked.
While she talked on the phone, Lucius decided to get out of the car and stretch himself. That's when he noticed a black SUV parked a few dozen meters behind them. The sunlight reflected on the front glass, but Lucius could make a blurred shadow of a person inside.
Iris was still on call, and hearing the person on the other side, she quickly looked at the rearview mirror and she noticed the car, too. Her expression instantly hardened.
"That car..." she murmured, but within a second she was back to her usual, cold composure. Ending the call without another word, she tossed the phone onto the dashboard.
"Are you getting in? Or should I leave you here to stargaze?" Rolling down the window, Iris raised her eyebrow.
"Stargaze in the morning? You don't even know how to throw sarcasm at others," Lucius got in the car, chuckling, "But no one actually tells you this, do they?"
Iris, on the other hand, chose to ignore him. She shifted gears, and pulled back onto the road.
And just as they did, the SUV followed them as well.
"Hmmm..." Iris muttered under her breath, her eyes stealing glances at the rearview mirror. She didn't speed up, not yet. Acting normal was the key. If she bolted now, it would be too obvious.
She took a sharp left down the empty street, barely missing a parked truck. The SUV followed. They were not going to let go of them easily. But why weren't they acting up? Soon they will be in the city, making it harder for them to do anything.
Iris tightened her grip on the wheel. Then, without warning, she slammed her foot on the accelerator. The engine roared, tires screeching against the asphalt.
Lucius jerked forward, startled, "Woah... Woah... Easy there, beautiful. What's the hurry?"
"Nothing," she muttered, not shifting her gaze from the road, "Just felt like driving fast."
Another turn. Then another. Speeding through the maze of roads, dodging early morning stragglers, and ignoring red lights. And soon they had entered the city.
And when she looked back, they were gone.
Iris eased off; she pulled onto the side of the road. Killing the engine, she sat still, fingers drumming against the steering wheel.
Lucius looked around, "Are we there yet, or are we just taking scenic routes now?"
Iris didn't answer. Instead, she looked at the side mirror, searching. Nothing. The SUV was still not there.
She sighed, "No, we are not."
"So why did you stop?" he asked, "Want to pee?"
"You... Why do you have such a vulgar mouth?" Iris raised her eyebrows, her eyes wide open in shock, "I just wanted some fresh air, that's it, you stinky mouth," she said.
"Ohhh!!!" Lucius looked at her for a while before finally turning his face away, "Fresh air in the city. Good for you lady."
"You are quite ungrateful to the person who actually saved you," Iris turned her face back to the road as she started the engine, and got back on the road, "The nurses did manage to ignite the fire in you."
"Tchhh," Lucius clicked his tongue, hearing Iris, "That's your comeback?" Though he said that, Lucius shut himself up. This girl was going to bring this up everytime he opened his mouth.
The next half an hour drive was as silent as a graveyard at midnight. After entering the city from one side, they got out from the other.
When they finally pulled up to Iris's home, Lucius drew in a slow breath, his gaze trailing over the towering mansion. His brows lifted slightly, and he let out a low whistle, "Damn..." was all he could manage.
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The mansion loomed before him, an architectural masterpiece of glass and stone, exuding quiet dominance.
As they reached the big iron gates, the two guards standing guard by them opened the gates before the car could even stop.
The car drove through the pathway leading to the mansion and Lucius rolled down his window. A gentle breeze hit his face and the air carried the faint scent of flowers and grass.
Soon the car stopped outside the mansion. Iris turned off the ignition of the car and turned towards him, "We are here. Want to come inside?"
"Do I have a choice?" Lucius shook his head in amusement, before getting out of the car. He had no choice but to go along with it.
As soon as he followed Iris inside the mansion, the grandeur of the house wrapped around him like an illusion. The walls were adorned with expensive art, and the air filled with the faint scent of something rich and intoxicating. Servants move silently, but as soon as they saw Iris, they all stopped in their tracks.
But Iris didn't pay them any attention as she continued to walk without stopping. She was thinking about the black SUV following them, "What are they planning?" she thought.
"Young miss!" Suddenly her chain of thoughts was broken by one of the servants. Iris quickly got her poker face back on.
When she looked at all the servants so busy, she asked the servant who stopped her, "What is going on? What's the rush? Is Grandmother coming?"
"It's actually Miss Vivian." The servant replied, "She asked us to prepare her room."
"Hmmm..." Iris nodded, "Get back to whatever you are doing. Don't mind me."
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Iris led Lucius through the grand hallway, their footsteps echoing softly on the polished wooden floor. The house was vast, with walls adorned with intricate paintings and dimly lit chandeliers casting golden hues across the expanse. Every turn led to a beautifully furnished room, each exuding sophistication and mystery.
"This is one huge living area," Lucius commented, gesturing toward a hall with a high ceiling, furnished with deep brown leather couches and a stone fireplace, "Most of the folks don't have their house this big."
"Tchhh... Tchhh... World is really different for rich people," Lucius clicked his tongue.
"It won't really change anything for you," Iris continued to walk forward, "You still won't get to enjoy it."
"I would appreciate it if you were to stick to your room," She told Lucius.
"Am I in house arrest?" Hearing her, Lucius chuckled in disbelief. His mind was running through every possibility. He might just jump on the first chance to run away from here,but given his condition, he will be caught before he could cross those big iron gates.
He had no choice but to give in.
"This is the main hall," Iris said, ignoring the useless talks from Lucius like always, "Everything you need is here. The kitchen is on the left, the dining area is right next to it, and the library is down that corridor. Most things here are valuable, so I would appreciate it if you were careful with them."
"You can always ask someone to bring you anything you need from here to your room. I will have someone attend to you 24*7"
"Who else lives here?" Lucius asked, looking around. He was still to see someone from the family. All he could see was servants running around.
"It's usually just me," Iris said with a small shrug. "Well, unless there's a special reason." She leaned back slightly.
"The staff is here during the day, but they leave once their work is done. They stay in the staff quarters behind the mansion. I don't like having people around when they don't need to be."
Lucius gave a small nod, his face giving away nothing as Iris led him up the spiral staircase. His mind, however, was anything but calm. Every word she spoke replayed in his mind. The way she spoke. It felt like despite the strong front she put, she was trying to hide herself in a shell.
'This girl just wants to protect herself.'
But then she stepped on the stairs, her foot twisted awkwardly on the step, and before she could think, she lost her balance.
Lucius's reflexes kicked in. In one swift motion, he caught her, his arms wrapped around her waist.
The sudden weight of her against him had him gritting his teeth. Her fall had been a surprise, but the way she landed in his arms? Less so. The stress on his muscles made him wince in pain.
"Ugh!" Lucius couldn't help the sound that escaped his lips.
"You okay?" she asked, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment as she tried to steal glances at him.
Lucius, still holding her steady, tilted his head slightly, the smirk never leaving his lips, "Why wouldn't I be?" Lucius spoke with a mischievous smile.
He dramatically looked at her in the eyes, "A beautiful woman falling into my arms? It couldn't have been better."
He held her gaze for a moment longer, "Honestly, I might just start wishing for a few more accidents like that."
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