Chapter 14

"Boom!"

Nerissa froze on the spot, totally caught off guard, her mind went blank.

The door flew open, and Liam stuck half his body inside. Nerissa's heart almost jumped out of her chest.

Before she could react, a tall figure darted inside like a flash, planting himself squarely in front of her. She was instantly pulled into a very familiar embrace.

"Liam, get the hell out!" Jace's face was dark as thunder as he barked the words.

"You seriously have a woman here, Uncle Jace?!" Liam's jaw fell open in shock. He didn't budge, clearly gossip-hungry, craning his neck to get a better look at who was in Jace's arms.

Nerissa buried her face into Jace's chest, not daring to move an inch.

The more Liam looked, the more he felt this girl's back seemed familiar — like he'd seen her somewhere. He tried stepping closer for a better look, but Jace sent a swift, brutal kick his way.

"I said leave. Are you deaf?" He was genuinely pissed this time. His usually indifferent eyes turned sharp and dangerous, like he could flip out any second.

Liam didn't dare look again. He mumbled something to himself and walked off. The bedroom door slammed shut behind him with a loud "bang."

Liam curled his lips and grumbled internally: 'Hah, Jace always looks all proper and serious, but turns out he's the one secretly bringing girls home. Guy's even wilder than me!'

Only when everything outside quieted down did Nerissa pull away from Jace's arms, still clearly shaken.

"Thanks... for earlier."

If he hadn't stepped in when he did, she would've been completely humiliated.

"Aside from me, who else did you contact about the egg donation?" Jace asked suddenly, catching her off guard.

Nerissa froze for a second, then shook her head. "No one. I only called you."

Jace glanced at her. "Next time you make a call like that, be smarter about it. Look around first. Walls have ears."

Realizing what he meant, her cheeks flushed red and she quickly nodded. She'd heard everything Liam said outside. Turns out she accidentally gave herself away during that phone call — and he happened to overhear it.

Well, good thing he didn't realize the guy she called was actually his uncle. If he had... it'd be a whole mess.

"So... I'll head out now."

Nerissa turned to leave, suddenly remembering she'd been blocked by him. She quickly added, sounding very well-behaved, "Don't worry. I won't bother you again. We're... totally done."

Jace was speechless. They'd already shared a bed twice, and she's acting like they're strangers or something.

Nerissa pulled open the door and walked out without so much as a glance back. Her pace was a bit wobbly, probably because her stomach still hurt.

Jace tugged up the corner of his mouth, turned around and started tidying the bed. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a faint bloodstain on the sheets. His gaze darkened.

So damn delicate.

Bleeds from the slightest touch.

Made him wonder how she'd handle things after getting married.