Rhys spent the remainder of the morning moving through the house on pure autopilot. He vacuumed every rug, wiped down the granite countertops until they gleamed, and folded laundry with mechanical precision, anything to keep his hands busy and his mind off the suffocating web tightening around his life.
To his immense relief—and perplexing confusion—there was no sign of Vespera. No sudden opening of the front door, no quiet click of heels, no spotted tail sliding into view.
Yet, despite his relief, his thoughts kept drifting back to her against his will. His mind lingered on her far more than he cared to admit. Was he actually jealous of Marcus? Was some twisted, traitorous part of him possessive over his... “lover”?
No. Absolutely not, Rhys told himself harshly, scrubbing a tile with unnecessary force. It’s not jealousy. Marcus is my brother-in-arms. I know how utterly ruthless Vespera is. I’m just worried for my friend.
The hours dragged on, each minute ticking away like a slow-burning fuse. Finally, around noon, Rhys’s phone buzzed on the kitchen island.
He picked it up to see a notification from Vespera.
Vespera:Getting ready for my big date tonight~ I’m just oh-so-excited, hero! Help a girl out—which outfit do you think will drive him wilder?
Attached were three photos. Vespera posing in front of a full-length mirror in her opulent penthouse dressing room. The first showed her in a tight, form-fitting crimson cocktail dress that accentuated every dangerous curve. The second was a sheer silk dress that left almost nothing to the imagination. The third was a lacy, midnight-black lingerie set, her slitted amber eyes looking directly into the lens with a wicked, predatory heat.
Rhys stared at the screen, a surge of disgust washing over him. Yet, deep down, he hated himself for the sudden jump in his pulse. He couldn’t deny that he had been waiting for his phone to light up, or that the sight of her was undeniably stunning.
Refusing to give her the satisfaction of a response, Rhys simply left the message on ‘Read,’ hoping the silence would sting her vanity.
A second later, as if Vespera had a psychic tether to his thoughts, another notification flashed.
She had sent a photo fully undressed, lying back against satin sheets, her legs stretched wide, staring down the camera with a sultrily arched brow.
Vespera:Left on read? How rude. Maybe if Marcus is a very good boy tonight, he’ll get to see this in person~ 😉
Rhys’s blood boiled. His thumb flew across the keyboard.
Rhys:Don’t you dare try anything with him. Marcus is a good man, Vespera. Leave him out of your sick games.
He held his breath, staring at the screen in tense anticipation, waiting for her to lay out her demands.
Instead, his phone chimed with a single reply: a vague, animated GIF of a cartoon cat winking mischievously. Nothing else.
“Damn it,” Rhys growled, slamming the phone face-down onto the island. He hated how easily she spun him around her finger, refusing to engage with her childish mind games any longer.
Ding-dong.
The doorbell echoed through the empty house.
Rhys let out a frustrated sigh and walked to the front entrance, throwing the door open. Standing on the porch was Dione, the voluptuous Triton mage turned suburban housewife. She was dressed in a sun dress that showed off her curves. Her striking features flushed with a delicate and nervous warmth.
“Dione...,” Rhys said, keeping his voice polite but firm. He didn’t have the energy for another "catering" call today. “Look, if you’re here for... what happened before, I’m really not in the mood right now.”
Dione seemed completely deaf to his exhausted tone. She sheepishly looked down at her hands, shifting her weight on the doorstep. “O-oh... um, may I come in for just a moment, Rhys?”
Rhys rubbed the bridge of his nose, letting out a long, defeated breath. He stepped aside, opening the door wider. “Fine. Come in.”
As he closed the door behind her, a quick thought crossed Rhys’s mind. Vespera isn’t here right now. Maybe I can actually reason with Dione. I can convince her to just leave, and we can both lie to Vespera and say we did--something. That should be enough to satisfy the contract, right?
He turned around, opening his mouth to speak. “Listen, Dione, about Vespera—”
Before he could finish the sentence, the shy demeanor Dione had displayed on the porch evaporated in a heartbeat. She stepped forward with startling speed, wrapping her soft arms around Rhys’s neck and pulling him deeply into a velvety, breathless kiss."Mmph!"
Rhys froze, completely caught off guard. He stood rigid as her plush lips pressed against his, taking the full brunt of her sudden affection while his brain scrambled to execute his plan. Gently but firmly, Rhys placed his hands on her waist and pushed her back a few inches, breaking the seal of the kiss with a light pop.
He looked into her face, completely bewildered by the glowing euphoria beaming from her eyes.
“Dione, wait,” Rhys said carefully, trying to sound as reasonable and persuasive as possible. “We don’t have to do this today. Vespera isn’t even around. Why don’t we just postpone this? We can tell her whatever she wants to hear later.”
Dione tilted her head, a sweet, thoroughly confused smile playing on her lips. “Postpone? But Rhys... I was told to come over and pick you up today.”
Rhys blinked. “Pick me up? What are you talking about?”
“Vespera didn’t tell you?” Dione asked, her brow furrowing slightly. “She messaged me an hour ago telling me to drive over, get you, and bring you to the location.”
Right on cue, Rhys’s phone on the kitchen counter vibrated repeatedly with a barrage of delayed notifications.
Rhys turned slowly, walking back into the kitchen to retrieve his phone. He flipped it over, his eyes scanning the screen as a bone-chilling cold settled deep into his chest.
There were three unread texts from Vespera, sent right after her teasing GIF:
Vespera:Oh, darling, you didn’t think you were getting the day off just because I have a date, did you?Vespera:Dione is on her way to fetch you. Be a sweet little house husband and go with her.Vespera:I prepared a special little ‘surprise’ for you today. Don’t keep her waiting~
Rhys stared at the glowing screen, the cold sweat returning to his palms. The illusion of control vanished instantly, replaced by the grim reality of his situation.
Yup, Rhys thought, swallowing hard as he looked back at Dione waiting patiently in his entryway. So there’s the trap.