Chapter 471-Has He Moved In?

Chapter 471: 471-Has He Moved In?

Verity:

"Ragnar, that’s not normal," I managed, my voice barely above a whisper.

He didn’t seem particularly bothered.

"What are you even doing here? Everyone is out there looking for you! They think you’ve gone missing, and you’re just sitting here in my house, watching television!"

The words finally came rushing out, along with every ounce of stress and frustration I’d been holding back.

"They shouldn’t be. I’m fine," he replied, giving me a weary look. "Besides, you told me I could come here anytime, remember?"

The look in his eyes made it abundantly clear that he had no intention of entertaining any further questions.

"Okay, then give me my phone. I need to let Lady Lucille and your brothers know you’re all right," I told him, reaching for my phone, only for him to pull it out of my reach.

"Are you going to tell Jaguar and Theodore that I’m here, in your home, practically living in your bedroom?" he asked, a wicked smirk curling his lips.

My hand slowly retreated as I realized he had a point.

I couldn’t tell them, at least not right now, because all hell would break loose, and everyone would inevitably point their fingers at me.

Considering how badly things were already going between the brothers, I had absolutely no desire to take the blame for another disaster.

"Look, Ragnar, your brothers are already very upset," I explained, offering him a faint smile. "They confronted me, and I ended up telling them about the other times when we..."

I trailed off, stretching my neck backward as I struggled to find the right words.

"I think they saw us together last night," I finally admitted, watching him tilt his head slightly before giving a small shake of his head.

"Okay," he responded with such indifference that I could only stare at him in disbelief.

"You’re not bothered? Ragnar, your brothers saw us together, and when they confronted me, they heard things they weren’t supposed to hear. They were furious. Don’t you want to go and calm them down?" I asked, slowly settling onto the couch beside him, where he was already reclining comfortably.

"No. They’re adults," he answered with a faint smile. "Besides, I’m glad they saw us. Saved me the trouble of explaining anything."

He wrinkled his nose slightly, looking almost pleased with himself.

"What do you mean? They’re my mates, Ragnar. I can’t do this to them," I protested, extending one hand beside me to steady myself on the couch.

"Too late," he remarked with a click of his tongue. "You should’ve thought about that before letting me get so close to you."

He paused briefly before continuing, his tone carrying that infuriating mixture of amusement and sarcasm.

"And if I remember correctly, weren’t you the one who kept telling me to loosen up? Apparently, I was too stiff, too rude, too arrogant, and completely heartless. Now that I’m finally showing some emotion, you’ve suddenly got a problem with it."

He turned his head toward me, regarding me with an almost mocking expression.

"What’s the matter, Verity? You’re awfully generous with your advice, but when it’s time to face the consequences, you don’t want to stand by it?" he questioned, pursing his lips into an exaggerated pout. "Bad girl."

With that, he returned his attention to the television as though our conversation had reached a perfectly satisfactory conclusion.

Before I could even begin to process his ridiculous argument, the doorbell rang.

"Oh, that must be the food," he commented, tossing the remote toward me before rising from the couch.

An uneasy sensation immediately crept through my body, accompanied by the sudden, overwhelming instinct that I needed to be the one to answer the door.

I hurried after him and stepped directly into his path before he could reach it.

"No, no, no, no," I whispered frantically, positioning myself between him and the entrance. "I think it’s your brothers."

"Good. Then tell them you can’t be with either of them," he replied without the slightest hesitation, reaching over my head to open the door.

My entire body went cold at his words, and I immediately jumped up to grab his arm, pulling it down before his hand could reach the handle.

He raised an eyebrow, his gaze dropping briefly to where my fingers were wrapped around his arm.

"Please, just go inside. I’ll talk to them first, okay?" I pleaded, but he merely shook his head.

"No. I’m not leaving you alone with two men again. The last time I did that, you three got a little too busy for my liking," he replied, bending slightly toward me.

I noticed his jaw tighten, and for a moment, I wondered whether he was genuinely angry beneath that infuriatingly calm exterior.

"Ragnar, please. If they find you here, it’ll turn into a complete disaster. Please, just go back to my bedroom and let me handle this," I begged, pressing my palms together in front of him.

This time, I was practically pleading for mercy.

His gaze dropped to my joined hands, and a quiet chuckle escaped him.

"Five minutes," he informed me, his amusement fading into something considerably more serious. "Talk to them and get them out of here within five minutes, or I’ll come out myself."

He leaned a little closer, his eyes holding mine.

"And trust me, sweetheart, if I have to come out, I’m not going to pretend I only came here for a place to sleep."

The threat sent a chill down my spine, making the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.

I didn’t need him to elaborate, and frankly, I didn’t have the time to find out exactly what he meant.

Apparently satisfied with my silence, Ragnar straightened to his full height and turned toward the bedroom.

Just as he was about to disappear inside, however, he casually picked up my phone and held it up for me to see, making it perfectly clear that he was taking it with him.

And then he continued into my bedroom, leaving me standing by the front door, empty-handed and utterly helpless.