Chapter 27 Who's He?
Claire
I finally made it back home after being completely wrung out by Liam.
He hadn’t let me leave—not until I told him that I’d be expecting my twins tomorrow and that I needed time to prepare myself to see them. Only then did he finally loosen his grip and allow me to walk away.
That man is an absolute beast in bed, I’ll give him that much. And knowing I was the only woman who ever managed to make him lose control like that, no one else, stirred an odd sense of pride in me—one I knew I had no business feeling.
But still I hated the unfamiliar sensation creeping under my skin—the feeling of being controlled, of being maneuvered and pushed into corners without even realizing it. It unsettled me more than I cared to admit.
Still, being with Liam had forced me to confront parts of myself I never knew existed. Some of those discoveries felt empowering, others disturbing. It was a lesson wrapped in pleasure and discomfort all at once.
The moment I stepped inside the house, I froze.
Luppy had decorated the entire place.
Soft colors, delicate arrangements—it was warm, welcoming, and impossibly thoughtful. A genuine smile tugged at my lips before I could stop it. I’d hired a catering company to handle the cooking for the entire week, and judging by the mouthwatering aroma lingering in the air, they’d already come and gone while I was away.
The decision felt justified. It would’ve been too much work for Luppy alone—especially with Max, whose appetite was nothing short of legendary. The thought made me chuckle softly.
“You’re back, ma’am,” Luppy said, relief clear in her voice. “Were you able to find out where sir was?”
She looked genuinely concerned. Even Riette had been asking nonstop questions about his father lately. I hadn’t given him much to work with, and I could tell he was starting to suspect that something was wrong between his dad and me.
He wasn’t entirely wrong.
“Yes,” I replied, sinking heavily into the sofa. “I did. He’ll be coming home.”
Luppy glanced around carefully, making sure Riette wasn’t nearby, before stepping closer to me. Lowering her voice, she asked, “And the blackmail, ma’am? Have you dealt with it?”
My gaze drifted into nothing as I slowly shook my head. “Not yet. But it won’t be a problem, Luppy. I’ll handle that too.”
Her lips curved into a knowing smile, and she nodded. Then she tilted her head slightly, eyes flicking to my neck.
“I think we need to get you more turtlenecks.”
Instinctively, my hand flew to my neck just as Luppy burst into laughter.
“Get away,” I muttered playfully.
I stood up too quickly and hurried toward my room, my face warm with embarrassment.
I really needed to be more careful.
Silly me.
Now it was dinnertime, and the three of us were seated around the table, eating and talking quietly, when the atmosphere subtly shifted.
Ian was home.
Riette noticed it immediately. He pushed his chair back, got up without a word, and walked toward his father. I turned my head slowly, my expression hardening as I watched him approach.
“It’s been hard seeing you these days,” Riette said plainly.
Ian smiled and patted his back, the practiced ease of a man who knew exactly how to play his role. “I’m sorry about that. Business has really needed my attention lately,” he replied smoothly. “Didn’t your mother tell you?”
I shook my head faintly to myself.
Pathetic.
Business, my ass.
“Welcome,” I said from my seat, cutting into my steak with deliberate focus.
“Welcome back, sir,” Luppy added, immediately rising to retrieve his bag.
“Thank you,” Ian murmured.
He stepped closer, coming up behind me, and bent down to press a kiss to my cheek.
There it was—the act. The perfect parents, the intact family, all carefully performed in front of our child. He smelled better than he had earlier today, which only irritated me more.
The moment his lips touched my cheek, my skin crawled. I forced a smile anyway, the kind that didn’t reach my eyes. As he straightened, he spoke softly.
“Are you still angry at me because I didn’t call like I should have?”
He took the seat beside me just as Riette returned to his food, a small smile tugging at his lips. Riette probably thought this was familiar territory—the kind of playful annoyance I and his father used to fake, bantering back and forth until it dissolved into nothing.
So I played along.
“Why wouldn’t I be?” I replied calmly. “You weren’t even in contact with your kids. I think I’m allowed to be upset.”
He lifted his hand and touched the side of my face. I didn’t look at him, but I knew he was smiling.
“Well then,” he said lightly, “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”
Of course it won’t.
Your precious Pattie wasn’t so precious after all.
I finally turned to him and smiled. “Yeah. Of course it won’t.”
The smile faded from his face almost immediately. He nodded, about to look away, when something seemed to catch his attention. He paused.
“That’s a new style,” he said slowly. “You never wore turtlenecks before.”
My eyes widened just a fraction before I dropped my gaze back to my plate, fiddling with my food.
“I guess my taste changed,” I replied, placing a bite into my mouth.
“Yup,” Riette chimed in cheerfully. “Mom’s been buying a lot of new stuff lately.”
I shot him a “seriously?” look, and he laughed without remorse.
Ian simply nodded, a smile returning to his face. “Well, women do love shopping.”
Soon, Luppy returned to the table, and Ian served himself food. And just like that, there we were again—sitting together, smiling politely, playing the roles of a perfect family.
As if nothing at all was broken.
After dinner, Riette stayed behind to catch up with his dad, their voices drifting faintly through the house, while I excused myself and went upstairs to my room.
I already knew I wouldn’t be sleeping here tonight.
Between the marks scattered across my body from earlier today and the weight of pretending everything was fine, the guest room felt like the safer option. Still, I’d have to wait until Riette was asleep before sneaking in—no raised eyebrows, no questions, no suspicions.
The door clicked open.
Ian stepped inside, and the moment he did, he said, “I’ll be taking one of the guest rooms.”
I snapped my head up to look at him.
Seems we were thinking the exact same thing.
“Whatever,” I muttered under my breath. Good for me.
He moved toward the closet, probably to grab his pajamas, while I sat down on the bed, busying myself with nothing in particular.
He was taking longer than expected, and impatience crept in. I turned sharply in his direction.
What I saw froze me in place.
Ian was holding one of my lingerie pieces.
One of the sexy ones.
My eyes widened in disbelief.
“And why are you going through my things?” I demanded, jumping to my feet and marching toward him, my tone instantly defensive.
He turned to face me, still holding it between his fingers—the lace one that barely covered anything.
“And since when do you buy things like this?” he asked coolly.
I frowned, my jaw tightening. “And how is that any of your concern?” I shot back, my features sharp.
Then he laughed.
It wasn’t warm or amused—just a low, humorless sound that sent irritation crawling up my spine.
“Wait,” he said, still chuckling. “Don’t tell me you bought this because of me.”
I stiffened, caught off guard.
“Because you think I’ll suddenly find you attractive if you put this on?” He tossed it aside dismissively. “But I won’t, Claire. I’ll never find you attractive. I’d rather date other women than go back to your boring sex life.”
The words hit harder than I expected.
They shouldn’t have gotten to me—but they did.
And before I could stop myself, before my brain could catch up with my mouth, the words slipped out.
“Well, that’s different from what he said.”
The second the sentence left my lips, I knew.
I had said too much.
The room went still.
Ian’s laughter died instantly. His eyes widened, and his expression twisted into something dark and sharp. His hands clenched at his sides.
“Who’s he?” he asked, his voice low and dangerous.