Katherine refused to leave. Instead, she settled herself in the living room, crossing one leg over the other as she waited for Morgan to return. The mansion was unusually quiet that late afternoon, the silence only deepening the unease gnawing at her chest.
As the clock ticked by, she turned her sharp gaze toward Albert.
The old butler had served the family for years and was fiercely loyal to Kristine. In the past, Katherine had even imitated her sister just to pry information from him. Unfortunately, Albert had become far more careful over time.
"Albert," she called lazily, though her eyes remained piercing, "what do you think about Isobel?"
The butler stiffened almost imperceptibly.
He took a moment before answering, carefully choosing every word. "Miss Katie... for now, all I can say is that Miss Isobel appears harmless."
"Appears harmless?" Katherine repeated with a faint scoff. "Do you honestly believe it’s mere coincidence that she suddenly became the twins’ wet nurse?"
Albert had questioned it too in the beginning. Anyone would. The timing had been too perfect.
Yet every time he looked into Isobel’s clear, innocent eyes, his suspicions strangely melted away.
"I cannot answer that, Miss Katie," he replied diplomatically. "Perhaps you should ask Master Morgan himself... or Cindy."
Katherine tapped her manicured nails against the armrest, deep in thought.
After a while, she waved dismissively. "Forget it. I’ll ask Morgan myself."
An entire hour passed and still no sign of Morgan returning.
Katherine’s patience finally wore thin.
With a quiet sigh, she rose from the sofa and made her way back to the nursery, the sharp click of her heels echoing against the marble hallway.
The moment she stepped inside, her eyes immediately swept across the room.
Isobel was nowhere to be seen.
A faint crease formed between Katherine’s brows before her attention shifted toward the twins.
The nursery was dimly lit by a warm night lamp, its soft amber glow wrapping the room in an almost dreamlike calm. Inside the oversized crib, the twins slept soundly, their tiny bodies tucked beneath a cashmere blanket.
Katherine walked closer, her movements slow and deliberate.
For a long moment, she simply stared at them.
The baby boy slept quietly on his back, while the baby girl had curled one tiny fist near her cheek. Innocent. Fragile. Precious.
A complicated emotion flickered across Katherine’s beautiful face.
’Kristine really is lucky,’ she thought bitterly. ’She gave Morgan two babies at once.’
A faint smile curved her lips, cold and mocking.
’Though she paid dearly for it.’
She bent lower to inspect the baby boy.
Kit was practically Morgan’s miniature version—the same brows, the same sharp nose, even while asleep. The baby girl, however, resembled both parents, though Kristine’s delicate features were far more prominent in her tiny face.
’Fraternal twins...’
"Their features will still change as they grow," Anne said softly after noticing Katherine staring intently at baby Kat.
"Hm."
Without warning, Katherine reached down and picked up Kit awkwardly, as though he were nothing more than a porcelain doll.
Anne nearly stopped breathing.
"Miss—Miss Katie!" she exclaimed in alarm as she rushed forward. "Please support the baby’s neck!"
She quickly slid her trembling hand beneath Kit’s fragile head.
"They were born prematurely," Anne explained nervously. "Their bodies are still weaker than other babies."
Katherine’s expression darkened in embarrassment, but she allowed Anne to adjust her hold.
"Like this," Anne guided gently. "Then hold him closer to your chest so he feels secure."
Katherine reluctantly followed the instructions.
But the moment Kit stirred awake, his tiny face scrunched up before loud cries filled the nursery.
Katherine immediately frowned. "Why is he crying?"
"He may feel uncomfortable," Anne answered carefully. "Let me carry him for a moment."
Katherine wanted to refuse.
However, the baby’s relentless crying grated against her nerves, pounding painfully against her temples. More importantly, she could not risk anything happening to Morgan’s son.
With visible reluctance, she handed Kit over.
The instant the baby settled into Anne’s familiar embrace, his cries gradually softened until they disappeared completely.
Silence returned to the nursery.
Katherine’s fingers curled tightly into fists.
Humiliation burned in her chest.
Even an infant rejected her.
Suppressing the ugly emotions twisting inside her, she turned sharply on her heel and stormed out of the nursery, her heels clicking furiously against the marble floor as she returned to the living room to continue waiting for Morgan.
...
The moment the massive double doors of the mansion swung open, Katherine immediately straightened on the couch.
Her eyes lifted toward the entrance—
—and softened the instant she saw Morgan step inside.
Even after years of knowing him, the sight of him still made her heart skip.
He stood tall beneath the warm chandelier lights, his broad shoulders wrapped in a dark overcoat that only amplified the commanding aura surrounding him.
Power seemed to follow Morgan effortlessly wherever he went. Just his presence alone was enough to make the entire room feel smaller.
But tonight, something was different.
Katherine’s smile slowly faded as her gaze settled on his face.
Morgan looked exhausted.
The faint shadows beneath his eyes were impossible to miss, and the sharp lines on his handsome face seemed deeper than usual, as though he had not slept properly in days.
A small frown appeared between Katherine’s brows.
"Morgan, you’re finally home," she said softly as she rose from the couch.
Without hesitation, she walked toward him with the confidence of a woman who belonged in the mansion.
Before Morgan could react, Katherine wrapped her arms around him briefly and planted a quick kiss against his cheek.
Morgan froze.
His brows immediately furrowed in displeasure.
He had not expected the sudden intimacy, and by the time he realized her intention, it was already too late to avoid it.
"Katie."
His deep voice carried a dangerous warning beneath its calm tone.
Slowly, he stepped back, deliberately putting distance between them.
"What are you doing here?"
Katherine’s expression stiffened for a split second at his cold reaction, irritation flashing through her eyes before she quickly concealed it behind a sweet smile.
"Ah, I came to visit my nephew and niece," she answered gently. "My sister is still in the hospital, and as their aunt, I naturally want to help take care of them in her place."
Morgan’s forehead creased slightly.
"There’s no need for that."
His tone remained indifferent.
"The twins already have six nannies working in three shifts." He loosened his tie as he spoke, exhaustion evident in his movements. "And Isobel is staying as their temporary wet nurse."
The moment Isobel’s name left his lips, Katherine’s eyes darkened almost imperceptibly.