Husband With Benefits-Chapter 39: Excuse Me?

In a world where sibling intrigue knew no bounds, Ian was not about to let a golden opportunity slip through his fingers. This was his chance to catch a glimpse of the individual who held the keys to his brother’s kingdom—a person with access to his brother’s house, private phone, and all those tantalizing secrets. With a speed that rivalled a squirrel spotting a particularly enticing acorn, Ian deftly retrieved his cell phone and casually strolled away in a different direction pretending to be on call.

Under the guise of a phone conversation that could rival an Oscar-winning actor, Ian adopted an undercover mode, trailing behind his unsuspecting brother, Demetri, his phone glued to his ear as if his life depended on it—though in truth, his life might very well depend on not getting caught. Despite the palpable fear that Demetri’s discovery could instigate an apocalypse, Ian’s determination to unearth the secret that lay ahead was unyielding. After all, what were brothers for?

As he skulked along the edges of shadows, Ian’s mind played host to an array of fantastical narratives, each more elaborate than the last, speculating on the identity of the mysterious figure who had captured his brother’s heart, and seemingly, all his passwords too. After all the couriers had probably taken it to Demon’s mailbox. And the other person had not needed to ask for the password to access the mailbox!

Slowly, Ian strategically stationed himself behind a modest pillar, an architectural ally in his clandestine escapade. The difference between the private lounge and the normal access was very different. There, Demetri only had to look back and Ian would have been caught, while here, the people were all bustling about.

Ian leaned forward and peeped around the corner before his eyes widened in disbelief. What was Arabelle doing here? Could it be that Arabelle was the person... No, Arabelle already went around claiming that she was Demon’s fiance and if Demon was interested, he could have married her. Also, hadn’t Arabelle been with grandfather when they had called Demon that evening..."

He observed as Arabelle said something to Demetri and extended a paper toward him, which he did not care to take. However, this helped him understand that Arabelle’s presence was probably a coincidental occurrence.

As anticipated, Ian witnessed his brother cast a glance at the paper before retrieving his phone and initiating a call. A jolt of surprise coursed through Ian’s veins as the phone pressed to his ear emitted a resounding vibration. Dam* it! He should have guessed that his brother would not hesitate in foisting off Arabelle. Making a swift attempt to compose himself, he answered the phone with a somewhat startled, "Hello."

His brother wasted no time, ordering, "Our grandfather has dispatched a guest. Fetch her."

The impulse to bash his head against the pillar surged within Ian. The dilemma was clear—if he were to retrieve Arabelle, the certainty of his ability to accomplish the most important task of his lifetime, dwindled considerably. However, there was no way he could deny his brother. He peeked around once again and saw that Demon had already turned away from Arabelle, but the woman was continuously talking. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com

Jogging in place so that it wouldn’t look as if he had run back all the way here, Ian made his way to the two people standing there. Smiling charmingly at Arabelle, he greeted," Ah... I was wondering what it was that grandfather had sent. It was a beauty. No wonder my brother wanted me to come here to bring you."

Smoothly, Ian took the papers in his hand and glanced over them. It appeared to be a letter granting security clearance for Arabelle to travel with them. Ian couldn’t help but let out a sigh. He found himself questioning who possessed the thicker skin—his stubborn grandfather or Arabelle herself—resolutely unwilling to yield. Did they really think that they could achieve their goals by forcing proximity? So, Arabelle wanted to get close to his brother using the long flight to country B. Well, it was going to be a good show, he thought to himself.

As he extended his arm toward Arabelle, he inquired, "Are you embarking on a vacation? Although I must caution you that there aren’t many tourist-friendly places to explore there this time of year."

Arabelle’s expression creased into a frown as she was deftly guided away from Demetri. Her response carried a distracted tone, "I’m actually going for a relaxation trip. I don’t have any plans to visit tourist spots; my aim is just to recharge. There are numerous natural hot water springs over there... By the way, Ian, why is Demetri lingering there? Is he waiting for someone? It was quite unexpected to find him standing there."

While Ian was not averse to exchanging sibling gossip with his cousins, he drew a firm line at divulging his brother’s private matters to anyone outside of the family circle. Thus, without much contemplation, he offered a succinct reply, "He’s waiting for some crucial documents that got left behind."

Arabelle halted mid-step, pivoting to face Ian and tugging lightly at his arm. "I thought he had assistants for that. Why did he wait here himself? Are his employees not competent enough?" Before Ian could say something to defend them, she continued," Then why don’t we wait here with him, and we can go back toget—"

Suddenly, he felt Arabelle stiffen and realized she had trailed off without completing her words. Curiously he looked at her face which was paler than a ghost and followed the direction of her gaze.

And there she was, a woman ensconced in Demetri’s embrace. Her arms were draped around his neck, as she was raised on tiptoes while Demetri, the ice mountain had his hair tangled in her dark long hair.

Ian itched to rush forward and take a look at the woman but now was not the time to satisfy his curiosity. He needed to take Arabelle away from here before she caused any problems. Quickly, he grabbed Arabelle’s hand and almost frog marched her out of there towards the boarding bay.