Chapter 113:You’ve gotten smaller

Chapter 113: 113:You’ve gotten smaller

"No... no, it’s not like that, Mum. I just think he... he looks suspicious," Corinthian murmured, lowering his head to hide the dark flash of resentment in his eyes.

David shot Corinthian a sharp, warning glare, while Susan silently sucked in a tense breath, her nerves stretched thin.

Mrs. Darson scoffed in annoyance, turning her attention away from her sons and back to Nova. "Don’t mind your brothers, darling. You can marry whoever you like, as long as he makes you happy," she said.

Nova nodded, flashing her a warm, breathtaking smile.

"Alright, it’s good that my daughter has someone she loves," Mr. Darson added, though his eyes bore into Alan with a cold, unfriendly glare. "You had better take good care of my daughter’s well-being. Otherwise..." He ground his teeth together, leaving the threat hanging heavily in the air.

Alan stared back, his eyes narrowing with deep suspicion. "Don’t tell me this father and his sons are all eyeing my wife," he thought, a chilling realization settling over him.

"Don’t worry. I will definitely take good care of her," Alan replied smoothly. He draped a protective arm over Nova’s shoulder, pulling her firmly and unmistakably against his side.

"Darling, since your husband is here, you should spend some time with him," Mrs. Darson instructed cheerfully. "He should be living with us too."

"Mum, aren’t you going to investigate his background?" David blurted out.

"Shut up!" Mrs. Darson snapped, glaring fiercely at him before her gaze softened as she looked at the expressionless Nova. "Darling, why don’t you take him upstairs first?"

Nova nodded. Taking Alan’s hand, she pulled him along as she ascended the stairs to her bedroom.

As soon as Nova was out of sight, the temperature in the living room plummeted. Mrs. Darson turned on David and Corinthian. "What exactly is wrong with you two? Why are you acting so weird?" she scolded.

"Mum, I... I just feel like you should investigate his background. What if he has evil intentions toward my sister?" David argued defensively.

"You want me to investigate him? How do you think that will make my daughter feel?" Mrs. Darson demanded, her voice trembling with anger. "Must you even mention that in front of her? Do you want her to feel caged? To feel like everyone she cares about must be interrogated before allowed to be close to her, huh?"

"I... I didn’t mean it that way," David muttered, his hands curling into tight fists.

"Corinthian, David—if you two are going to make things difficult for my daughter, it would be better if we lived separately," Mrs. Darson stated coldly.

"No!" both brothers shouted in unison, panic flashing across their faces.

Corinthian quickly forced a placating smile. "We... we are just concerned for our little sister. We won’t bring up topics like that again. Please don’t be angry, Mum."

Susan stared at Corinthian, remaining dead silent, her heart pounding with dread.

Mr. Darson took a deep breath, forcing a stiff smile to his lips. "Don’t be angry with them. Weren’t we going out to prepare some gifts for her? Let’s go now. We should prepare something for her husband as well," he suggested.

Mrs. Darson shot her husband a glacial glare before standing up and marching out of the house. Mr. Darson cast one last, lingering glance at Corinthian and David before following her out the door.

Once they left, Susan finally stood up. "You both—"

"Go to your room!" David and Corinthian roared in unison, turning their rage-filled eyes on her.

Terrified, Susan nodded quickly and retreated to her bedroom.

"I’m going out with my friends. I’m not sure if I’ll be back tonight," Corinthian stated. He stood, casting a dark, brooding look toward the ceiling above—toward Nova’s bedroom—and stormed out.

David stared at his brother’s retreating figure, his body trembling with suppressed fury. "At this point, you people are forcing my hand. Jenifer can only be mine," he muttered darkly, before turning and leaving the house as well.

Inside Nova’s bedroom, the atmosphere shifted instantly from suffocating danger to raw, electric heat.

The moment the door clicked shut, Alan pinned Nova against it, crashing his lips onto hers. The kiss was deep, desperate, and rough. Nova didn’t push him away, instead, her hands tangled in his hair, wrapping around his neck to guide him into an even deeper, breathless embrace.

The kiss lingered, a frantic exchange of heat, only breaking when both were gasping for air. Alan breathed heavily, his dark eyes locked onto hers, his large hands gripping her waist with possessive strength.

"Mhm... someone has the strongest scent of jealousy on him. Baby, it’s coming from you," Nova whispered teasingly. Her lips curled into a breathtaking, genuinely perfect smile.

"Snow, those two brothers and their father are all eyeing you," Alan rasped, refusing to tear his gaze away. His heart pounded wildly against his chest, a frantic rhythm she could feel, and his eyes glistened with unshed tears of frustration.

Nova pressed her lips together, fighting a laugh. "I know," she replied smoothly.

"Then... then why don’t you beat them up? Or let’s just leave. I... I know you have your reasons for being here, but I still don’t want you in this house. Just looking at them makes me want to kill them," he confessed, pulling her flush against his chest in a bone-crushing hug.

Nova gently patted his back, her touch soothing. "Aw, my baby is so jealous. But you’re with me now, aren’t you? If they dare make a move on me, I will definitely beat them up," she assured him.

Alan pulled back slightly, nodding, before burying his face in the crook of her neck. He bit down gently on her soft skin, a possessive nip. "Thank goodness I came here. Being under the same roof with those perverts is terrifying," he whined, his voice muffled against her skin.

Nova laughed softly. "You showed up so suddenly. Didn’t Cassian follow you?" she asked.

"No," Alan replied, pressing his body even tighter against hers. "He said he had things to do and would be stuck in his office for days." As he spoke, his hands expertly pulled her jacket aside, slipping beneath her shirt while his lips continued to mark her neck. "I missed you so much, Snow," he breathed.

Nova completely surrendered to his embrace. She felt the searing heat of his breath and the undeniable, hard press of his arousal against her hips. She knew exactly how worked up he was.

"You... you must have been having a hard time calming down, right?" she asked in a breathless whisper.

"Mhm," Alan admitted, sounding as pitiful as a neglected child. His hands, already roaming beneath her shirt, moved upward to cup her breast reverently. Then, pulling back slightly, he tugged her shirt over her head, his gaze sweeping over her perfect curves before snapping back to her face.

"Snow... didn’t they feed you well?" Alan’s voice cracked, choked with emotion, as if he were fighting back tears.

"Huh?" Nova blinked, momentarily confused.

"You’ve gotten smaller, Snow," Alan whimpered, genuine heartache lacing his tone. He gripped her waist tightly, burying his face against her cleavage, which was still supported by her black lace bra.

Nova let out a melodic laugh, suddenly realizing what he meant. "Which part is smaller?" she teased, giggling as his words washed over her.

"Your... your breasts" Alan complained softly, holding her closer, refusing to lift his face away from her warmth.