Chapter 8

Alfred smiled and said, "Ma'am, if it's not to your taste, just let me know. I'll have the kitchen adjust it." Leslie snapped out of her thoughts and replied calmly, "No, it's fine. I actually like it." Only then did Alfred leave with a bit of relief. Leslie stayed seated and quietly finished her breakfast. A maid came to clear the table. Another maid followed closely behind her. Leslie glanced at her and waved her off. "You can go. I want to be alone for a while." "Yes, ma'am." The maid quietly left. Broderick always liked peace and quiet. Unless something urgent came up, no staff would usually come into the main house. The living room quickly fell silent. Leslie reached for the remote but hesitated, thinking of Broderick working in the study. In the end, she put it aside. She leaned back on the sofa, slowly scanning the room with her eyes. Everything felt so familiar. Suddenly, her phone rang. The caller ID showed Samuel. Her gaze instantly turned cold. She hit decline without a second thought. The call barely rang twice before it was cut off. Samuel stared at his phone in disbelief. Did he dial wrong? He tried again, and this time the call went through. "Leslie, it's Samuel. You didn't answer earlier-were you busy?" His voice oozed with gentle care over the line. But Leslie felt sick to her stomach. She took a deep breath and replied with a flat, distant tone, "Oh, must've hit the wrong button. What is it?" The cold detachment in her voice made Samuel frown. Was he overthinking it? No-she must be upset. Upset about marrying into the Ackerley family. Thinking that, Samuel's tone softened even more. "Leslie, I know you're unhappy. You've been through a lot. But trust me, I'll protect you. I'm gonna get you out of there soon, alright? You know Mom and I love you the most." Leslie didn't want to hear another word. Her hands clenched tight, jaw locked so hard it creaked. For a moment, she feared she might just lose it and barge in front of Samuel and punch him dead on the spot.What a two-faced liar! ***** Leslie ended the call, casually tossed her phone aside, and headed toward the study. A loud thud echoed from inside-something heavy had clearly hit the floor. She froze for a second. Back in their previous life, whenever Broderick got upset, he'd start smashing things. People loved to whisper that he had some kind of manic disorder. When he lost control, it was like flipping a switch. Lydia and Samuel would always be in her ear swearing he'd snapped on someone again, started something with another poor soul. Lydia even used to say, sooner or later, he'd snap and hit her too. But the truth was, in all his episodes in that past life, Broderick never once laid a finger on her. She suddenly remembered that on this very day back then, he had one of his worst meltdowns-trashed half the house. The Ackerleys were a massive presence in Windmere. Compared to them, the Green family didn't even register on the same scale. The Ackerleys had three kids. Broderick, the eldest, took over after their parents passed away in a car crash when he was only sixteen. The sheer weight of responsibilities-running a huge family business while raising his younger siblings-was brutal. He had to guard against greedy relatives eyeing their inheritance, fend off rivals circling to steal clients and resources from Ackerley Group. Despite all that, Broderick didn't just survive-he crushed it. He was intense, ruthless, a total storm. Even if he had to bleed for it, he'd make sure the other guy bled more. People in Windmere froze up just hearing his name-nobody wanted to be the next target of one of his blowups. Leslie's chest tightened as the crashing sounds continued. She rushed over. Anyone watching would've been shocked. Leslie moved with such speed, it was almost like she vanished and reappeared. She flung the door open. Right then, Connor came running up too, drawn by the commotion. He looked over, and for a second, it didn't feel like he was human. The red at the corners of his eyes glowed faintly, his expression twisted in something between rage and pleasure. Beautiful... and terrifying."Get out!"