Vampire's Veil Of Obsession-Chapter 197: Playful Banter

Lilia sat outside the beach house, organizing the fish on the bench chair. Night had already fallen, and a cold breeze brushed past her skin. Above her, countless stars shimmered brightly in the sky—more than usual tonight. A good sign, she thought.

The only source of light around them came from a modern bulb Zethan had fixed himself. It was a unique, stick-like light—almost like a balloon—that absorbed sunlight during the day and glowed as soon as darkness fell. It wasn’t ordinary electricity, but it worked perfectly for them: bright and efficient.

Zethan was by the barbecue area, tending to the setup. The ocean breeze kept sweeping things away, so he had tried to cover the back portion with something to keep everything in place. They still needed a bit of air to get the charcoals going, though. The soft sound of the waves in the distance made everything feel calm, soothing.

Lilia had already cut and spiced the fish, neatly arranging them in bowls. Her task was done, and now she just waited. She sat on the bench quietly, facing the sea.

"I’m done," she suddenly heard Zethan’s voice call out. A slow smile curved her lips as she stood up.

"It needs to sit for two minutes—it’s still hot," he added gently.

Lilia gave a quiet nod as he walked back to the bench. Zethan joined her, sitting beside her and gently pulling her into his arms. Her sleeveless gown fluttered lightly in the breeze—simple, perfect for the night.

"We’ll take pictures later," she said softly. "It’s so beautiful. We should take pictures and decorate the living room with them."

Zethan nodded. "Whatever my wife wants."

Lilia smiled again, deeply. She didn’t know what the future held, but in that moment, she wanted nothing more than a happy married life with him. She lifted a finger and pointed at her cheek with a playful pout.

Zethan leaned in and placed a soft kiss on it.

She giggled. "Seems like you’re finally understanding my language."

"Of course," Zethan said with a small smile, "your love language."

"Oh, please," she chuckled, nudging him. "Give me a break."

He turned her gently, his hands resting on her shoulders as he softly rubbed them, his touch warm and soothing. Her voice came low, almost a whisper against the sound of the waves.

"This place is beautiful, Zethan. I’d love to come here every day," she murmured. "We should always spend our vacations here. And... I’m honestly surprised you remembered. I told you about this place months ago—before the accident."

Zethan smiled softly. "Of course I remembered. Your husband has a very good memory... unlike his wife."

Lilia blinked, then narrowed her eyes playfully. "Wait—what did you just say?" she asked.

"I said," Zethan paused with a teasing smirk, "you heard me. I even repeated it twice."

Lilia gasped lightly and gave him a playful glare. "Oh please! You should be thanking me. I’m the one who helps you remember things. You’re the forgetful one between us."

He chuckled deeply, enjoying the back and forth. "If you say so."

Just as Lilia was about to flash a victorious smile, pleased she had finally won the banter, Zethan leaned in and spoke quietly, a teasing glint in his eyes.

"See, I still believe I’m the one with the better memory. But being the more mature one, I just keep my mouth shut."

Lilia gasped. "Oh no, you don’t," she said in a mock-serious tone, giving her shoulders a playful shake in that dramatic, sassy way.

Zethan chuckled and facepalmed himself, already bracing for her next move.

"Take that back," she demanded, poking a finger into his shoulder like one of those overly dramatic movie heroines.

Zethan laughed again, raising both hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. I take back my words, wife. You win. You don’t have to worry—I take them back. You are very mature, sweetheart."

His voice was soft, amused, and full of affection.

Then Lilia raised a brow, her voice laced with amusement. "Hmm, it seems like you’re already forgetting something."

Her eyes shifted toward the back of the setup, where the barbecue pot sat quietly.

Zethan suddenly straightened. "Oh my—! I forgot!"

Lilia gasped dramatically. "Aha! See? How many minutes did you leave it and you’re already forgetting?" She crossed her arms smugly. "If not for someone very special... and very beautiful, who knows what would’ve happened?" frёeωebɳovel.com

Zethan ran a hand through his hair, grinning as he moved toward the barbecue. "Thank you, oh wise and beautiful one."

Lilia giggled behind him. "That’s more like it."

She softened her posture as she watched Zethan walk toward the barbecue area. He glanced at the setup, then turned his eyes back to his wife.

"It’s hot enough," he said quietly. "You can bring the fish now."

Lilia walked to the table and gently picked up the bowl of fish. As she moved, Zethan handed her one of the pieces, and side by side, they began to carefully place the marinated fish on the grill. They worked in sync, using tongs with focus, gently laying each piece down. As they did, the fish let out a soft ssss—sizzling against the heat.

After placing all four pieces on the grill, he looked over at Lilia. "Please wait here, wife. I’ll get the juice and plates."

Lilia nodded, her eyes still on the fish, the soft sound of waves and the crackle of charcoal filling the air.

Not long after, Zethan returned with a plate, a jug, and two cups neatly arranged on a tray. He set it down on the bench table, then stepped back, picking up a spoon to gently flip the fish to the other side.

"Isn’t it a little early to be flipping the fish?" she asked quietly.

Zethan, without looking up from the grill, replied, "Yes, it is. But..." He paused, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I just want to impress a certain someone."

Lilia couldn’t help but giggle softly at his words.

"I’ll turn these two fish," he said, reaching for them carefully. "You turn the others."

Lilia raised a brow, intrigued. "Then we’ll see whose turn is better."

Zethan smirked lightly. "Deal."

She chuckled. "Of course mine will be the best."

"You put a lot of trust in yourself, my wife," he said, shaking his head fondly. He loved that about her.

"Confidence is key," she replied with a sly grin.

Zethan leaned closer, voice low. "Then I’m holding the key, my love."

Lilia leaned in slightly too, her smile still cool but smug. "Oh no, no, no—I’m holding both keys. That’s why I have extra confidence. Yours... are mine."

Zethan laughed at her cuteness, nodding. "My wife always finds a way to make me laugh so brightly, so loudly. Don’t you think?"

Lilia nodded with a playful flutter of her lashes. "Of course."

Zethan quietly flipped the barbecue, turning the fish to the other side. Lilia followed suit, matching his pace.

Then Zethan muttered with a wide grin, "A certain someone is cheating, you know. But I won’t blame them... they learned from the best."

Lilia gasped lightly. "Oh nope," she said with mock offense. "I saw you peeking first."

For some unknown reason, Lilia felt the urge to tease and play with him, and somehow, their playful banter felt more fun than ever.

A thought finally hit her. She asked quietly, "Zethan, how did you even learn how to make barbecue?"

Zethan replied calmly, "I watched..."

Lilia finished the sentence for him. "Online." Then she laughed softly.

Zethan turned to her with a small pout on his lips, and something about it made Lilia freeze. Her eyes widened slightly, a sweet chill running down her spine. Her brows pinched gently.

"Why are you so cute today, my husband?" she whispered.

Zethan gave a soft smile. "Oh, sweetheart. I’m not cute—I’m handsome. You’re the cute one here."

She laughed again, not bothering to deny it. Turning back to the barbecue, she flipped the fish one last time—it was nearly ready.

Zethan moved to get the platter. Together, they placed the four grilled fish onto the plate. Then he adjusted the cover of the barbecue, letting the ocean breeze sweep through to cool the charcoals.

They carried the platter to their bench and sat down. With forks in hand, she took a bite of hers.

Lilia’s eyes lit up. "Wow... it’s so nice."

"Here—taste mine!" she urged excitedly. "Taste my fish!"

They each picked a piece of hers and tasted.

"Wow," Zethan agreed.

"Now yours," she said, reaching over with her fork. They each took a bite of his.

Then Zethan held up his fork with a teasing shrug. "In my opinion, they taste the same."

Lilia shook her head. "Nope. Mine is better."

Zethan chuckled, nodding. "My wife is always right."

Lilia giggled, pleased. "I’m glad you know."

"Eat more," Zethan urged softly, reaching for the glasses.

He began to pour the juice slowly, the soft sound of liquid filling the space between them adding to the soothing sounds. As he finished pouring, Lilia shook her head gently.

"I don’t want to get too chubby," she said in a low voice.

Zethan glanced at her and gave a light shrug. "You look perfect in all sizes."

Lilia looked at him, surprised by how sincerely he said it. "You’re just saying that," she murmured.

Zethan chuckled, shaking his head. "No, my wife. I’m serious."

His smile widened as he leaned in and gently pinched her cheeks. "Absolutely perfect."

While the two of them laughed and enjoyed their peaceful evening, a certain someone—sitting in his room in another country—was already laying out dangerous plans for them.

What was left... was just to launch it.

New novel chapters are published on fr(e)ew𝒆bnov(e)l.com