The Triplet Alphas' Forbidden Temptation

The silence stretched between them until it became almost uncomfortable. Yuki stared at Kaden across the counter, her spoon forgotten in her hand. She had never seen him look like this before.

His usually guarded expression had cracked, leaving his eyes slightly wider than normal, exhaustion etched beneath them, and something dangerously close to vulnerability flickering across his face. Her brows drew together as she studied him, unable to understand why the paintings had affected him so badly.

Kaden eventually released a long, haggard breath and looked away. He was dressed in a loose black T-shirt and grey joggers, both fitting him properly. He dragged a hand through his dishevelled hair, pushing the strands away from his forehead before his gaze shifted towards the microwave.

"Your breakfast is in there," he said quietly, his voice tired rather than irritated. "Maverick will be here soon to pick you up."

Yuki opened her mouth to ask another question, but Kaden was already walking away. She watched him disappear through the doorway, her eyes following him until he vanished around the corner. She still couldn’t make sense of what had just happened.

"Weird," she muttered under her breath.

As if answering her, the microwave chimed.

Yuki glanced towards it and sighed before pushing herself off the stool. Whatever secrets Kaden was hiding, she wasn’t interested in getting involved. At least, that was what she told herself as she retrieved her breakfast. The problem was that curiosity had never been one of her strongest weaknesses. It was practically a personality trait.

A little while later, the doorbell chimed through the quiet villa. Yuki looked up from where she sat in the living room before getting to her feet. When she opened the door, she immediately recognised Maverick standing on the other side.

"Good morning," he greeted with a polite smile. He stepped forward, then paused at the threshold. "May I come in?"

"Sure," she chimed.

Yuki stepped aside, allowing him into the villa. Maverick entered, his eyes briefly sweeping over the luxurious foyer before settling on her again.

"Where’s Kaden?" he asked casually, slipping his hands into his coat pockets.

Yuki frowned. "I don’t know." She shrugged. The villa turned out to be larger than she had anticipated, and she didn’t particularly want to see him. Although, deep down, she had a good idea where he was.

"You don’t know?" Maverick repeated, one eyebrow lifting.

"He left the kitchen earlier." She shrugged, then glanced towards the corridor. "I haven’t seen him since."

Maverick’s lips twitched as though the answer hadn’t surprised him in the slightest.

"Fair enough," Maverick muttered. He reached forward, pulled out a large garment bag from behind him, and held it towards her.

"Here. I brought you some clothes."

Yuki accepted it, unzipping the top slightly to peek inside before looking back at him. "Thanks," she muttered, her brows pulled together.

"I came to take you to the hotel arranged for you," Maverick explained, his tone remaining easy. "No one is staying at the Alpha residence this weekend. I was supposed to tell you last night, but you were in no condition to remember anything I said."

Yuki’s face tightened at the reminder. She lowered her gaze to the garment bag, suddenly wishing she could erase the entire previous night from existence. "I was that bad?" she asked hesitantly.

Maverick gave her a pointed look. "You kicked someone in the groin," he deadpanned.

Yuki’s eyes widened. "I did what?" she gasped, unable to believe her ears.

Maverick immediately coughed into his fist, clearly fighting back a laugh. "Well, it is nothing important," he said, trying to brush it away.

Yuki narrowed her eyes at him, unconvinced, but Maverick quickly changed the subject.

"How are you feeling now?" he asked, his expression becoming more genuine.

"Fine." She rubbed her temple with a small grimace. The hangover soup was pretty effective. The symptoms had improved rapidly.

Yuki glanced towards the staircase. She had no intention of staying in Kaden’s villa any longer than necessary.

"Can you wait while I change?" she asked.

"Of course," Maverick replied.

She hurried upstairs with the garment bag clutched against her chest, leaving Maverick alone in the living room. He watched her disappear before his polite expression slowly changed. His gaze shifted towards the corridor leading deeper into the villa, and a small, knowing smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Well, this should be interesting," he murmured.

He turned and walked in the opposite direction. He already knew exactly where Kaden was.

Maverick stopped in front of a half-open door and didn’t bother knocking. He pushed it wider and stepped inside.

"You’re not allowed in here." The cold voice came immediately.

Maverick stopped, then smiled as he spotted Kaden seated in front of an easel. "Let me guess," he said lightly. "Little Miss Donovan found your studio?"

Kaden sat with a paintbrush between his fingers, carefully touching up a section of silver hair on the canvas before him. His attention remained fixed on the painting as he followed each individual strand with the fine brush.

His hand paused.

He glanced over his shoulder. "Oh. It’s you," he said flatly.

Then he turned back to the painting as though Maverick’s presence was barely worth acknowledging.

Maverick chuckled and leaned against the wall. "You don’t look particularly happy to see me," he teased.

Kaden’s brush moved again, his expression remaining impassive. "You’re here to pick her up, not inspect my paintings."

"If I hadn’t seen this place myself, I wouldn’t believe you were capable of something like this." Maverick’s gaze travelled slowly across the room, taking in the rows of canvases.

Kaden clicked his tongue but said nothing.

He rarely let anyone see this side of himself. As far as Maverick knew, Kaden had been painting for years, yet he never painted anyone he knew. There was always the same mysterious silver-haired woman, always from a different angle, always without a face.

Even his brothers probably had no idea. Maverick pushed away from the wall and wandered further into the room.

"I was bored," he said casually. "And I wanted to see you."

Kaden’s brow lifted. "That sounds suspicious."

"It should." Maverick’s grin widened. "Besides, I’m curious about what happened after last night. Particularly the part where you apparently got kicked in the balls."

Kaden’s hand froze.

Only for half a second.

Then the brush continued moving across the canvas as though nothing had happened.

"Are you genuinely curious," he asked dryly, "or are you looking for something to snitch to Kieran about? One thing’s for sure, I don’t want your job. If I had to watch over her for a full day, I might lose it," Kaden said in a bitter tone.

Maverick almost laughed at Kaden’s bitter tone. He could only imagine what had transpired last night. Yet he placed a hand over his chest, feigning offence. "Snitch? Me?" he gasped.

"Yes," Kaden stated flatly.

"I haven’t told anyone about your little artistic talent, have I?" Maverick pointed out, spreading his hands innocently.

Kaden’s eyes narrowed. Maverick’s lips curved up. "Exactly," he chimed.

Kaden muttered something beneath his breath before focusing on the canvas again. "It wouldn’t stay a secret for long if she doesn’t learn how to shut her mouth."

Maverick’s smile faded slightly. He knew exactly who Kaden meant. "Yuki?"

Kaden didn’t answer. Maverick walked further into the room, his gaze drifting over the canvases. "You have nothing to worry about. I doubt anyone would believe her if she told them."

His voice faltered when he noticed a canvas turned towards the wall. Maverick frowned and stepped closer. "What is this?" he asked.

Before Kaden could answer, he reached out and turned the canvas around. His entire body went still.

The painting was different. It wasn’t another faceless woman.

It was Yuki.