The temptation of my brother-in-law-Chapter 82 - eighty two

Chapter Eighty-Two

Malachi’s POV

I wasn’t happy about the anniversary party. The celebration of Travis and Alicia’s marriage was like a knife twisting in my chest. Three years of her being bound to my pathetic excuse for a brother. Three years of pretending their union meant something when it was nothing but a business arrangement.

But I could use this as an excuse. An opportunity disguised as torture.

I needed to get Alicia a gift. Something that showed her what she meant to me without being too obvious to the rest of the family.

"Rose," I said during our afternoon call. "I need you to come with me somewhere."

"Where?"

"Jewelry shopping."

There was a pause. "For Alicia?"

"Yes."

"Malachi—"

"One hour. Meet me downtown."

I ended the call before she could argue.

The jewelry shop I chose was exclusive. The kind of place where you needed an appointment and they knew your net worth before you walked through the door. The owner recognized me immediately and ushered us into a private viewing room.

"Mr. Blackwood. What a pleasure. What are we looking for today?"

"Something special. For a woman."

"Of course. Anniversary gift for Mrs. Blackwood?"

I didn’t correct him. Let him think what he wanted.

He brought out tray after tray. Diamonds. Emeralds. Rubies. Elaborate necklaces and bracelets that screamed wealth and status.

I inspected each piece carefully. Held them up to the light. Imagined them on Alicia.

But none of them were right. They were too flashy. Too obvious. Not her.

Rose stood beside me, silent. But I could feel something off about her energy. A tension that hadn’t been there before.

"This one," the owner said, pulling out a smaller box. "Just came in. Very rare."

He opened it to reveal a necklace. White gold chain. A single pendant. A teardrop-shaped diamond surrounded by smaller stones that caught the light like stars.

Simple but majestic. Elegant without being ostentatious. Perfect.

"This one," I said.

"Excellent choice. The diamond is ethically sourced, VS1 clarity—"

"I’ll take it. Have it wrapped."

The owner nodded and disappeared with the box.

I could feel Rose’s eyes on me. When I looked at her, her expression was carefully neutral.

"Say it," I said.

"Say what?"

"Whatever you’re thinking."

Rose was quiet for a moment. Then, "You’re buying her jewelry. Expensive jewelry. For her anniversary with your brother."

"Yes."

"And you don’t see how that might be... complicated?"

"Everything about this is complicated. What’s one more thing?"

Rose looked away. There was something in her expression I couldn’t quite read. Discomfort, maybe. Or something else.

"You care about her a lot," Rose said finally.

"I do."

"More than is wise."

"Probably."

Rose was quiet. I studied her profile, trying to understand what was happening here. Rose had always been professional. Distant. Focused on the work.

But right now, there was something almost vulnerable in the way she held herself.

"Rose—"

"It’s fine," she cut me off quickly. "I just hope you know what you’re doing."

"I don’t. But I’m doing it anyway."

The owner returned with the wrapped box. Expensive paper. Silk ribbon. The kind of presentation that cost more than most people’s monthly rent.

I paid and we left the shop. Outside, Rose’s phone buzzed.

"I need to get back," she said, checking the message. "Dante found something on Zhao Wei’s movements."

"Go. Keep me updated."

She nodded and walked toward her car. I watched her go, that strange moment in the shop still lingering in my mind.

Was Rose jealous? The thought had never occurred to me before. We’d worked together for years. She’d never shown any indication of wanting more than a professional relationship.

But maybe I’d been too focused on my own obsessions to notice.

I pushed the thought aside and drove home. The wrapped jewelry box sat on the passenger seat. A secret waiting to be revealed.

When I got back to the mansion, I found Sophie in the living room watching TV. She was curled up on the couch with a blanket, completely absorbed in whatever animated movie was playing.

I’d rarely seen her these days. She was usually with Alicia or at school. Seeing her like this reminded me that she was still just a kid.

"What are you watching?" I asked, sitting down beside her.

She looked up, surprised. "Malachi! You’re home."

"Observant."

She giggled. "It’s about a princess who can talk to animals. It’s kind of silly but I like it."

"Mind if I watch with you?"

Her face lit up. "Really? You want to watch a princess movie?"

"Why not?"

She scooted over to make more room for me. We sat there together, watching the princess solve problems with the help of various woodland creatures.

"Do you think animals can really understand us?" Sophie asked during a quiet moment.

"Some animals are pretty smart. Dogs, for example. They understand tone and emotion even if they don’t understand words."

"I wish I could talk to animals. It would be nice to know what Charlie is thinking."

"Probably thinking about food. That’s what most dogs think about."

She laughed. Then, more quietly, "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being nice to Alicia. She seems happier lately."

The observation caught me off guard. Kids were more perceptive than adults gave them credit for.

"She deserves to be happy," I said.

"She does. She takes care of everyone but nobody takes care of her. Except you now, I think."

I looked at this child who was wise beyond her years. Who’d seen too much hardship. Who loved her sister fiercely.

"I’ll always take care of her," I promised. "And you too."

Sophie smiled and went back to watching the movie. When it ended, she turned to me with mischief in her eyes.

"Want to play a game?"

"What kind of game?"

"It’s something Alicia taught me. She called it the ’deadly game.’ You mention a way to hurt someone really bad, and I come up with something worse."

I raised an eyebrow. What exactly had Alicia been teaching this child?

"Alright. Let’s play."

"You start."

I thought for a moment. "Poison in their drink."

Sophie’s eyes lit up. "Poison in multiple drinks over time so nobody knows which one did it."

"Clever. How about pushing them off a building?"

"Pushing them off a building but making it look like they jumped so everyone thinks it’s suicide."

Jesus. This kid was dark.

"Stabbing?"

"Stabbing but freezing the knife first so it cauterizes the wound and they bleed less, making it take longer."

"Where did you learn that?"

"True crime podcasts. Alicia doesn’t know I listen to them." She grinned. "Your turn."

We continued the game, each scenario getting progressively more elaborate. Sophie was terrifyingly creative. I made a mental note to maybe monitor what she was consuming online.

"Okay," I said. "Final round. Drowning."

Sophie thought hard. "Drowning but in a way where they breathe in water slowly over hours. Like waterboarding but worse. So they know it’s coming and can’t stop it."

"That’s horrifying."

"I win!"

"You definitely win. Remind me never to make you angry."

She laughed. "I would never actually hurt anyone. It’s just fun to think about. Like puzzles."

"Very dark puzzles."

"Alicia says knowing how bad things happen helps you protect yourself from them happening to you."

Smart. Practical. Very much Alicia’s philosophy.

We were still sitting there when I heard footsteps. Looked up to see Alicia walking into the room.