Fated To Three, And I Broke Them All

Verity:

Early that morning, I moved into the mansion.

On top of that, I was feeling a little annoyed.

I had reached a point in my life where I no longer liked having people around me.

So when I arrived and saw so many people in the mansion, I decided to stay in my wing, the left wing, for a while.

Later, I found out from one of the maids that Ragnar was supposed to attend a meeting.

However, since Theodore and Jaguar would fill Ragnar’s absence, they would probably be gone for the entire night.

They might even stay at a hotel afterward instead of coming back home.

That meant the mansion would be at least a little less crowded.

But after that, Gigi’s friends and parents came over.

As soon as they left, I decided to go and speak with Ragnar.

By that point, he had already found out that I had moved in.

I also wanted to check on him.

When no one was around, I quietly made my way to his room.

After knocking on the door, I waited anxiously.

"Come in," his voice called from the other side.

As soon as I opened the door and walked inside, I carried the tray over to him.

I had cut the fruit myself and arranged it neatly in a bowl.

He was sitting on the couch with several files spread out in front of him.

"Shouldn’t you be resting?" I asked as I set the bowl down.

Ragnar leaned back and lifted his head.

He was wearing a black shirt and black pants.

At that moment, his eyes shimmered like crystals.

"Hi. I thought I’d come and check on you."

I added immediately because his silent gaze was making me uncomfortable.

He was staring at me without saying a word.

Yet there was no anger in his eyes. Instead, there was a strange sense of familiarity.

His eyes sparkled like diamonds.

"You should have said no."

Those were the first words he spoke, making me tuck a strand of hair behind my ear as I wondered if I’d heard him correctly.

"Sorry?" I asked, trying to understand what he meant.

"My family is— my brothers are emotional. They probably have a very soft spot for you, which is quite obvious."

As he spoke, my heartbeat quickened.

What the fuck did he mean by saying he knew his brothers had a soft spot for me?

And he was saying it so casually too.

I had thought he would burn me alive if he ever found out there was even the slightest thing going on between me and both of his brothers.

"So you should’ve been the one to refuse their offer to come here. This isn’t your place. It isn’t your home. You shouldn’t be here."

The moment those words left his mouth, something inside me twisted.

Even though I had expected it because that was the kind of person he was, cold, meticulous, and heartless, hearing him actually say it still hurt.

It was as if I’d suddenly become emotional.

I could only stare at him in silence.

"This is my home. The home I share with my brothers. The home where my girlfriend will live forever. Why would you come here and stay?"

I had no idea why he was asking those questions.

They were completely bizarre.

I mean, there were other people living here too.

I shifted my body weight on one foot and smiled to myself.

"Then maybe you should ask your girlfriend that question," I replied, watching him frown.

It looked as though he wanted to shove his hand into my mouth and rip my tongue out of my throat.

Just because I had mentioned his girlfriend.

"She asked me to move in," I finally shot back.

This time, my emotions hit me hard.

"And you couldn’t say no?" he asked with a frown.

It hurt.

It felt as though someone was throwing me out of their home.

It wasn’t as if it hadn’t happened before.

Maybe that was why I became so emotional.

Because it always happened.

Why was Verity always treated like a mature adult?

As if she was the oldest, the most mature one, and the one who had the strength to endure everything.

Why was it that every home I went to eventually pushed me out?

"No, I couldn’t," I snapped, even louder this time.

"Because my brother hurt your girlfriend so badly that if she asked me to give up my life for her, I would."

My voice cracked as I spoke.

I wasn’t a victim.

I didn’t want to be seen as one.

But sometimes I wished I could sit with someone and have them simply ask, ’What happened, Verity? What have you been through?’

Then I could finally tell them everything that had happened to me.

My brother used to do that.

Whenever I cried, he would sit outside my room for hours.

He wouldn’t leave until he was certain I was okay.

But now there was no one.

They had taken even that away from me.

Even that shoulder to lean on.

He simply stared at me as tears filled my eyes.

And I hated it.

I hated appearing weak in front of these men.

"So I’m sorry I couldn’t say no. But I will. I’ll tell her I’m leaving, and I’ll tell her why."

I wanted him to know I wasn’t going to lie to his girlfriend for him.

He rolled his eyes before leaning back.

"You don’t need to worry her. You can stay," he replied gruffly.

What was it about Gigi?

I just couldn’t understand how a man this strong, this powerful, this unbelievably handsome, and this rich could be so in love with her that he was even willing to tolerate me living in his house.

I quietly watched him before letting out a small chuckle.

He gave me a strange look as if he was silently asking me to explain my sarcastic grin.