Chapter 768

By morning, the rain had finally stopped.

A thin layer of mist still lingered around the forest surrounding the Devereux family’s second residence. Pale sunlight filtered through the towering trees, reflecting softly against the mansion’s enormous windows. After a long night filled with tension, the morning should have felt peaceful.

Instead, the calmness felt strangely unfamiliar.

Naomi woke only after her alarm had gone off several times. Even her two assistants had already tried waking her earlier, but she had ignored them both. She was definitely late this morning, yet it felt as though she had only just fallen asleep.

Her head still felt heavy from everything that had happened the night before.

For several quiet seconds, she simply stared at the ceiling, trying to convince herself that she was truly safe now.

No terrifying sounds of chaos.

No screams echoing around her.

No hurried footsteps from intruders trying to drag her away.

There was only silence inside the bedroom and the faint sound of servants moving back and forth beyond the corridor outside.

Naomi let out a slow breath before finally pushing herself out of bed. After washing up and changing clothes, she eventually gathered enough courage to leave her room. But she had barely taken a few steps along the stone corridor when she abruptly stopped.

“Morning.”

The man’s voice sounded casual and relaxed.

Naomi turned quickly, her eyes widening at the figure now standing beside her. She flinched slightly from the surprise. “Chris?”

The man stood there comfortably with a cup of coffee in his hand. The black shirt and dark trousers he wore made him look far more polished than the first time Naomi had met him at Cale’s house.

“You look like you just saw a ghost,” Chris teased with a quiet laugh.

Naomi blinked several times before slowly walking closer. “I just didn’t expect you to actually come.”

“My brother-in-law already told me to come last night.”

Naomi rolled her eyes in annoyance. Apparently, the Miller brothers shared the exact same hobby: irritating other people.

When they had first met, Chris had mostly stayed around Josh and Grace. The two of them barely had any real chance to talk.

“Or…” Chris tilted his head slightly. “Are you unhappy that I came here?”

“What are you even talking about?” Naomi clicked her tongue irritably before walking ahead of him toward the dining room located on the right side of the mansion.

11/3

Every now and then, she returned greetings from servants passing by in the hallway.

+25 Bonus

“Geez, I was just asking.” Chris grinned broadly as he quickened his pace to catch up beside her. “Hey, wait for me.”

“Why should I wait for you?” Naomi shot him an annoyed glance. “Watch your steps. You’re carrying coffee. If you spill it, I’m not asking the servants to mop the floor.” She pointed directly at him. “You’re the one cleaning it up.”

Chris burst into laughter. Apparently, teasing Naomi was far more entertaining than he had expected.

“Good Lord,” Chris said between laughs. “I didn’t realize you were this annoying.”

Naomi merely shrugged.

“Oh, about last night…”

The moment Chris said that, Naomi’s steps slowed. She turned to look at him, her gaze instantly sharpening with dislike.

Before the black-haired girl could protest, Chris spoke again first. “Lydia said you were pretty shaken up last night,” he continued, studying Naomi’s face carefully. “How are you feeling now?”

Naomi frowned deeply. Why was Chris even asking about this? Still, she had no interest in dragging out a

conversation with him.

“I’m fine.”

“That’s good then.” Chris smiled faintly. “Because honestly, this house is creepy enough already without someone crying in it too.”

Naomi stared at him in disbelief. “You think I’m a ghost?”

Chris only laughed softly at her reaction.

“Come on,” he said casually. “Breakfast’s ready. And we should probably get to the dining room soon. Lydia’s starting to get annoyed because nobody’s downstairs yet.”

Naomi let out an irritated groan.

“You’ve never been yelled at by her for making her wait forever, have you?”

The main dining room felt far calmer than it had the night before. The long table that had once been filled with tension was now surrounded by the comforting aroma of warm food and morning tea.

Still, the atmosphere remained slightly awkward.

Lydia sat beside Cale, occasionally glancing at him to make sure he was eating properly. The wound on Cale’s hand had been re-bandaged earlier that morning, but his face still looked tense and exhausted. His eyes were faintly red, dark circles more visible beneath them now.

On the other side of the table, Naomi sat across from Chris, quietly trying to adjust to the unfamiliar atmosphere.