I Faked My Death—Now I Have to Tame the Crazy Men I Left Behind-Chapter 76 - 74: Pleasing Her, Seducing Her

Mia Grant lowered her gaze to the hand gripping her wrist.

Her eyes traveled up from his fingers. His sleeve had ridden up slightly from the movement, but she still couldn’t see anything.

Mia Grant sighed.

She really wanted to rip his clothes off, strip him bare, and get a good look.

’How could someone as perfect as him have a mark like that on his body?’

’I have to see it for myself.’

’But I can’t be too forward. He’s so fragile. What if I hurt his pride?’

Back in the school infirmary, she had wanted to take a sneak peek while he was sound asleep.

But the cuff of his sleeve was buttoned too tightly, and she stopped, afraid she might wake him.

’Now, I’ll just have to wait for him to change into some loose pajamas and fall asleep. Then, I’ll sneak over...’

Her mind drifted, and she completely forgot that Felix Sinclair was still waiting for her answer.

To Felix Sinclair, her silence was an admission of guilt, a sign that she was at a loss for words.

His jaw clenched, and the hand gripping her wrist tightened.

He tried to soothe his roiling emotions.

’What’s there to be angry about?’

’I knew this all along, didn’t I?’

’Haven’t I known for a long time that she likes being with Ian Sinclair?’

’So what’s the problem if they’ve become a real couple now?’

’Their flirting, their dates, their relationship... what’s wrong with any of that?’

’The one with the problem has always been me.’

’I knew she wasn’t mine, but I still held out hope, even changing myself completely to please her, attract her, seduce her.’

Growing up, his family had always bought him and Ian Sinclair the same clothes, the same toys, and they had never fought over a single thing.

So when he was faced with the one and only Mia Grant, he was a mess, hiding in the shadows. He tried to look away and correct his own twisted feelings, but at the same time, he masochistically craved to know what they were like together...

Every time he saw them standing together, hugging, holding hands, reason would beat against his nerves, screaming a reminder that this was the girl his brother liked.

’She belongs to Ian...’

The young man’s eyes reddened. He released her wrist.

Even as he recoiled, he didn’t forget to steady her by the arm so she wouldn’t lose her balance.

After doing so, he pulled his hand back without a trace of hesitation. "The dorms haven’t closed yet. I’ll call Ian to come get you."

He stood, steadied himself, and turned to flee to his room to lick his wounds in private.

Suddenly, he felt a tight grip on his wrist.

The warm pads of her fingers pressed against the deepest scar on his wrist.

The scab there had just fallen off, leaving the skin dotted with red. The new flesh couldn’t conceal the scar.

"What’s wrong?" Mia Grant asked, surprised by his reaction. ’Wasn’t he fine just a moment ago? Why is he trying to kick me out now? And he mentioned Ian...’

’Wait, Ian.’

’The question he just asked me... wasn’t it about Ian, too?’

"Ian and I aren’t together. We never have been. Didn’t I already tell you that last time?"

"Why would you think that?" Mia Grant blinked.

Felix Sinclair’s emotional turmoil wasn’t eased by her words. He turned away, his voice harsh and verging on collapse.

"Then what about you and me?"

"What are we?"

"..."

His face was pale, but his eyes were red-rimmed, a heart-wrenching sight. And yet, Mia Grant hated his question.

’He’s so smart, how could he ask such a stupid question?’

’If Ian had asked this, I would’ve just turned around and walked away.’

Felix Sinclair knew he must sound like a jilted lover.

’So stupid.’

But he couldn’t stop himself. He couldn’t control it at all.

Jealousy grew like wild summer weeds. He was on his knees, trying to rip them out one by one.

But in no time, the wasteland would become a dense jungle again, surrounding him, swallowing him, blocking every escape route.

Mia Grant’s red lips parted, then pressed together as if she were deliberating on how to respond.

Or, more accurately, how to placate him.

"Forget it."

He suddenly felt drained.

He didn’t want to hear it anymore.

"Let’s just leave it at this."

Mia Grant let out a small "ah," caught off guard.

’Hey, at least give me a chance to work my magic!’

’Don’t give up yet, buddy... at least let me try to sweet-talk you a little more, right?’

Felix Sinclair looked at her, his expression suddenly calm. "Alright, let go of me. I’ll go get you some of my pajamas."

"..."

"O-Okay." Mia Grant pulled her hand back.

’He seems fine again. Did he just brainwash himself in a matter of seconds?’

Brainwashing.

It was, indeed, brainwashing.

In the walk-in closet, Felix Sinclair yanked down a set of pajamas, his fingertips white from the force of his grip.

’She’s not in the wrong.’

’Why did I question her?’

’Why did I try to make her choose?’

’I love her. The fact that she spares me even a single glance is a blessing.’

’There’s no guarantee she would choose me...’

’But I can’t bear to let her go completely.’

In that instant, he had considered countless possibilities.

’Forget it. This is how it has to be.’

’I won’t obsess over this anymore.’

’Seeing her with Ian is better than... her never seeing me at all.’

—

Kian Keller left the police station that same day after cooperating with the investigation.

That evening, as he passed through the main hall, his eyes fell upon a conspicuous and loathsome figure.

Meeting his gaze, the man sitting in a chair waved at him enthusiastically. "Good evening! Had dinner yet?"

"..."

If they hadn’t been in a police station, Kian Keller would have undoubtedly thrown a punch.

The two exchanged no words that day. Not wanting to see Yates Donovan’s face any longer, Kian left the police station immediately.

The Keller family received the news that night, and Kian’s grandfather flew into a rage.

"Absurd!"

"Utterly absurd!"

"How in the world does Donovan Donovan raise his grandson!"

The next morning, the second uncle of the Donovan family came to their door to apologize.

But his grandfather wouldn’t accept it, because Yates Donovan, the one who had started the trouble, never once made an appearance.

The Donovans’ second uncle had no choice but to try to see Kian himself, but Kian refused all visitors, using his injuries as an excuse.

Late that night, the rain outside had just stopped.

Kian Keller sat by the window, listening to his subordinate’s report. "We’ve confirmed that for the past two months, Yates Donovan was vacationing on an island. He never left."

"After returning to the country, he didn’t go back to the Donovan estate. He was urgently summoned back last night and hasn’t left the estate since."

"We speculate the old head of the Donovan family is worried about our retaliation and is trying to protect him this way."

"What do you think his motive is?" 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"His motive..." The subordinate frowned. "This Mr. Donovan has always been unpredictable. Perhaps he’s just doing it for fun?"

"Everyone thinks he’s just a dog—a good-for-nothing mutt who only knows how to eat, drink, and fool around."

"But what if everyone has been wrong about him all along?"

"You mean... he’s actually a wolf?"

The subordinate was sharp and caught on instantly. "Is Mr. Donovan trying to use this chaos to fight for the family fortune?"

Kian Keller’s grip tightened on the armrest of his wheelchair. "I’m afraid it’s not the family fortune he’s after."

"It’s status."

"Or... a certain someone."