Chapter 133 Dine with who?

Chapter 133 Dine with who?
Chapter 133: Dine with who? 

The dining room at Roy’s mansion was unusually quiet for a house that large. The long table gleamed under soft lighting, polished to perfection, set with plates that barely looked touched. 

Claudia sat at the head, her posture stiff, her movements controlled. Tems sat to her right, restless, tapping her fingers against her plate, irritation simmering just beneath the surface. Inna sat opposite them, barely eating, her eyes fixed on the table as if staring too hard might make her thoughts disappear.

The silence broke when the front door opened. Footsteps echoed through the hallway. Before anyone could ask who it was, Roy walked into the dining room.

Coco was with him.

For a brief second, no one moved.

Tems shot up from her seat so fast her chair scraped loudly against the floor. Claudia’s fork clattered against her plate. Inna’s breath caught sharply in her throat as her eyes lifted and met Coco’s.

Coco stood beside Roy, tense, her body stiff like she might bolt at any second. Roy’s hand was firm around her wrist, not rough, but unyielding.

“What the hell is she doing here?” Tems snapped, her voice breaking the frozen moment.

Roy didn’t answer her. He didn’t even look at her. He glanced briefly at the table, at his mother, at his sister, at Inna, then nodded slightly as if greeting strangers.

“Good evening,” Roy said calmly.

Coco swallowed, her eyes darting around the room. The weight of their stares pressed down on her chest.

Claudia stood slowly, forcing composure into her expression. “Roy,” she said carefully, “you didn’t say you were bringing a guest.”

Roy tightened his grip on Coco’s wrist. “I didn’t feel the need to announce it.”

Tems laughed sharply. “A guest? That’s what you’re calling her now?”

“Tems,” Claudia warned under her breath.

Roy finally looked at his sister, his gaze cold. “Not now.”

Inna pushed her chair back quietly and stood. Her eyes lingered on Roy’s hand around Coco’s wrist, then on Coco’s face. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but no sound came out.

Coco felt it. The guilt. The tension. The wrongness of being there.

Roy didn’t give anyone time to react further. He turned, pulling Coco along with him.

“I’ll be upstairs,” he said flatly.

“Roy!” Tems shouted.

He ignored her and walked out of the dining room, dragging Coco through the hallway and toward the stairs.

Inna stood there, frozen, tears welling up in her eyes as the sound of their footsteps faded. She lowered herself back into her chair slowly, then just as quietly stood again.

“I’m… I’m done,” she whispered.

Neither Claudia nor Tems stopped her.

Inna walked out of the dining room, her shoulders shaking, her hands clenched tightly at her sides as she disappeared down the hall.

Tems slammed her hand on the table. “Did you see that? Did you see the audacity?”

Claudia exhaled slowly, pressing her palm against her forehead. “Lower your voice.”

“How am I supposed to lower my voice?” Tems snapped. “He brought her here. Into this house. In front of his wife.”

“He knows exactly what he’s doing,” Claudia said, though her own hands trembled slightly. “Anger will only make it worse.”

Tems scoffed. “You’re always trying to manage things. Look where that’s gotten us.”

“Enough,” Claudia said sharply. “You will not make a scene. Not tonight.”

Tems pushed her chair back and paced. “This isn’t over.”

Upstairs, Roy didn’t slow down until they reached his bedroom door. He opened it, pulled Coco inside, and shut it firmly behind them.

Coco yanked her wrist free immediately. “Roy, stop.”

He turned to face her. “Sit.”

“I said stop,” she repeated, her voice shaking. “I don’t want to be here.”

Roy ignored that and walked to the edge of the bed, sitting down heavily. He rubbed his face with both hands like the weight of everything was finally catching up to him.

Coco stood near the door, arms crossed tightly over her chest. “You just dragged me into your house like nothing has changed. Like you don’t have a wife sitting downstairs.”

Roy looked up at her. “I know exactly what I have downstairs.”

“Then why bring me here?” she asked. “Why put me in this position?”

“You weren’t safe,” Roy said.

“I was fine,” Coco snapped. “I told you I wanted to leave.”

“And I told you no,” Roy replied. “Not by yourself.”

Coco shook her head. “You lost right to make decisions for me anymore.”

Roy stood and walked closer. “You took those rights away from me.”

“Can you stop reminding me about the past?” She said, her voice cracking. “I’m uncomfortable, Roy. I want to go.”

He stopped a few steps away from her. “It’s late. Emotions are high. People are watching.”

“People are always watching,” Coco shot back. “That never stopped you before.”

Roy sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Stay tonight.”

Coco’s eyes widened. “No.”

“Just stay,” he said. “We’ll figure things out in the morning.”

“There is nothing to figure out,” she said sharply. “You’re married.”

His jaw tightened. “That marriage isn’t real. It’s not legal, I faked it…” 

“Tell that to your wife,” Coco replied. “She was crying when we walked out.”

Roy looked away.

“I can’t let you walk out alone,” Roy said finally. “Not after everything.”

“Everything is exactly why I should leave,” Coco said. “This house is not safe for me.”

“I’m here,” Roy said.

“That doesn’t make it safe,” she replied.

He stepped closer, lowering his voice. “You’re not going anywhere tonight.”

Coco laughed bitterly. “You sound just like before.”

Roy reached for her hand, hesitated, then took it. “We survived worse than this.”

She tried to pull away but his grip tightened slightly, not painful, just firm enough to stop her.

“Roy,” she whispered. “Please.”

He softened at the sound of her voice.

“Stay,” he said again, quieter now. “We’ll work things out together.”

She looked at him, searching his face for certainty, for answers he didn’t have.

“This isn’t fair,” she said.

“I know,” he replied.

He leaned in and kissed her.

It wasn’t rushed. It wasn’t aggressive. It was familiar, heavy with history, with everything they hadn’t said and couldn’t undo. Coco froze for a second, then her body betrayed her as she leaned into it despite herself.

Roy pulled back before it could go further.

“Sit,” he said gently.

Coco hesitated, then moved to the bed and sat on the edge, her hands clenched in her lap.

Roy stepped back. “I’ll be right back.”

He turned and walked toward the bathroom.

Coco watched him go, her chest tight, her mind racing, the sound of the door closing behind him echoing louder than it should have.