CHAPTER 537: SURE, LET’S JUST GET MARRIED (2)

On another part of the island, Detective Leon stood in front of a small mirror in his new office. Today marked the official day he would assume the full head position rather than acting one, and it still felt surreal to him.

He straightened his tie one last time while he thought of recent events. The previous case had skyrocketed him into the peak of his career in what seemed like an overnight. It was only the parties involved who understood what Leon and Evans had gone through in order to make it to that glorious day.

The title was now his, etched in ink and sealed with brass. For a moment, the weight of it sank into his bones, but it didn’t feel heavy. It felt earned.

He ran a hand through his neatly trimmed hair and gave himself a quiet nod. His mind flicked back to those early cases, especially the one that had put James Wendover behind bars. Those were the ones that no one had wanted at the time. After all, who in their right mind would have tried to prosecute Ian Thornston of all people?

Leon did remember the naïve him from back then, too. How glad he was to recognize the path and follow it. Even the case that was thought to be the coldest of all: Strange deaths, unexplained disappearances, rumours of things no science could explain. And yet, they had solved them. He had. Obviously, with help, but it was still him and his partner, Evans!

At this thought, he glanced sideways at the man in question, Evans, who was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, watching him with an unreadable expression. His phone was limply held in his hand, and his expression told Leon that he was still reading those ridiculous details from the forums.

"Are you still reading that crap?"

"Hahahahahaa.... they are entertaining! They need to write a book with all those brimming, unfathomable ideas."

He said with all seriousness, which made the statement even funnier.

"That aside, I guess I can’t talk so informally to you again, Chief."

Evans said and then added, "Lucky bastard!"

The two broke into a friendly laughter, short, raw, and satisfying. It was the kind of laugh shared only by people who had been through something... otherworldly together.

"Worth it?" Evans said.

"Do you need to ask?"

Though Leon had started it, the ripple he created had propelled both of them to where they were. Who would’ve thought?

With his new position, and part of his new measures, Leon had set up a Special Investigations team headed by Evans. This team was tasked with identifying cases that seemed too unusual to handle.

This new team was assigned all the unusual crimes, those that didn’t neatly fit into the department’s other categories. The team consisted of approximately five people, of whom two were unofficial members, but provided them with the expertise that they could not get from anywhere else.

Evans felt that it was fun to be in such a place... until it was not. They were the things that no one discussed in official reports, but that still managed to happen anyway. Imagine Evans’s surprise when he first heard of the presence of Fae’s, witches and the likes, but that was precisely what his team was to handle.

The thing was that their work would never see the light of day, but Evans still felt fulfilled in it. At least, if anything, the renumeration was more than he would ever spend in his life, even if he turned into a spendthrift. Additionally, they had direct access to Currey for any assistance they needed and only had to report to Leon, who would handle any higher-ups, being Ian.

To their colleagues, the three detectives from the force who were part of this team were useless. Besides, what kind of elite task force did nothing but stay holed up for days? It looked like a thankless job, but what one does not know will never kill them, right?

Leon turned fully to Evans and added,

"Every damn strange second, it is, and I believe will be always well-worth it!"

As if summoned by their shared memory, the air shifted.

The lights didn’t flicker. The walls didn’t shake or anything, though sometimes, Evans wanted to see those dramatics.

A smallish man in a dark, finely tailored coat stepped into the office as though he owned the air inside it. There was no knock, nor was there an announcement. Currey just appeared in the middle of the office, like he owned it.

Leon and Evans immediately straightened, their bodies instinctively shifting into a posture of respect, not fear.

They didn’t reach for weapons, nor did they speak.

They simply gave a nod and awaited their next instructions, whatever they may be.

***

Thornston Estate...

Brad had slept in later than usual that morning. For once, there was no urgent call from the winery, no emergency knock, no late-night meetings - just his own time, and that felt refreshing after so long. Even Erik had been given an evening off as well. The estate was at peace — Ian and Shelby were finally back, and the shadow that had loomed over them for so long had been lifted.

Most importantly, that vile creature, Aliya, was no more. Brad could still not believe what had happened to that thing of a creature. In fact, that made him marvel more at Shelby’s capabilities!

’I knew that sister-in-law was also a witch!’ Though he liked this witch more than the other one he had met, Aliya.

He shivered uncontrollably at the thought of what he had nearly done to Shelby during her first evening in the estate, quickly dismissing it.

With no threat of Aliya, there was no more fear of her sneaking through walls or harming them. Even the air in the house felt warmer now. Everyone had slept soundly, deeply — the kind of sleep that only came when your soul finally knew it was safe.

Brad stretched, yawned, and shuffled toward the breakfast room in slippers, scratching his head absently, not knowing what awaited him there. The smell of warm bread, roasted meat, and many others filled the air.

But even at that time, what really lingered in his mind... was the pregnancy.

He still couldn’t believe it. His sister-in-law was pregnant? Not just that, very pregnant. Visibly, comfortably and gloriously so! It had stunned him the moment he had seen her, and the shock was still there, apparently. Not because Brad didn’t think it was possible, but because of how fast it seemed like it all happened. How real and surreal it felt.

Brad could not help but think back to the first time he met her – during the wedding he had stood in for. That mesmerizing dance that had nearly caused him trouble. And now? She was family — theirs, fully, unmistakably.

"How time flies," he murmured with a wistful sigh, hands in his pockets, his pace slowing as he neared the entrance.

He could almost hear her laughter echoing from those early days, melodious like a rich, unheard song. And his brother? That poor fool had fallen so hard that no one could blame him. Shelby was the epitome of captivating allure beauty. No man could resist her.

Brad smiled to himself as a maid opened the door for him, and he entered.

Little did he know...

The moment he stepped in, the trap had already been long set.

The three brats were seated like little generals about their mother. It was cute, though, drawing a smile from him. Geneva had a dangerous glint in her eyes, and that should have alerted him. Even Ian’s smirk the moment their eyes met should have also been another warning, but Brad was so happy that morning to rely on any of those instincts, until it was too late.

It was when Shelby gave him an innocent smile — one that was too innocent. And Alex casually started battering a toast that Brad caught on.

The breakfast table had been turned into a battlefield, but he had been sucked in before he noticed. He froze.

"...Why do I feel like I’ve been set up?" he asked no one in particular.

Alex raised an eyebrow and almost doubled over in laughter. This was ingenious! Brad had never had a marriage mindset, and they all knew that. For some reason, they had just let him be apart from his mother’s occasional nudge, which she had almost let go.

Brad knew that he had been cornered! He should have seen this coming from a mile off, but who would have thought that Ian still had his cunning ways!

"I thought that by helping you with that issue, you woul-"

"... and what issue is that?"

"Ian- y-"

Ian waved his hand dismissively and then asked,

"So, what would it be?"

"Fine!" Brad huffed dramatically, knowing that he could see no way out. "I’ll meet this ’lovely girl’ that Mum wa-."

"Oh no, dear Brad, that offer is already off the table. The new offer is whoever comes through the door."

"Are you kidding me?"

"Do I look so?"

"Wait, I-an, you can’t mean that! What if a male walks in, or a -"

"Don’t worry, brother, we all know your preference-"

"But-"

"If you don’t have designs on my wife, then the next woman through the door will be your wife!"

Brad opened his mouth and closed it several times, but no words came out. How had they even gotten here? He knew that his mistaken attempt on Shelby some time back would come back to bite him, but Brad had never thought it would be this way. Besides, he could not understand the rush to get him married, and with the way things were, he could not back out. He finally mustered his weak voice,

"Fine... Do you mean, even the maids?

"Why? Are they not human?" Ian snapped!

Brad turned to his mother for help, knowing that Geneva was selective when it came to marriages, but Geneva only said,

"I already have the perfect daughter-in-law in Shelby, and I don’t want to push my luck... since you don’t want to marry for love, as you have repeatedly told me, then Ian’s idea is perfect!"

A maid who had just entered right before Ian said this, muttered a ’FUCK!’ She had missed the opportunity of a lifetime!

Brad slumped down, only to hear the door open again in a few minutes. He looked forward as another maid pulled the door open and he sucked in his breath...

*********

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