Chapter 415

“What else can we do? Your son’s the one fooling around. Can’t he use his brain for once?” Albert rolled his eyes at her, and the two began bickering.

“Enough with the pointless talk. Go help your son deal with that woman already,” Albert snapped, glaring at Carol. He still couldn’t understand how he ended up with a son like that.

Seeing her husband so upset, Carol found herself growing resentful toward Tessa. If it weren’t for her unexpected visit, would any of this have happened? If she’d just stayed in line and played her role beside Julian, none of this would have spiraled.

Carol muttered under her breath, “What rotten luck… she’s a walking curse.”

Hearing that only made Albert more irritable. “Oh, give it a rest. This is your son’s mess, and you’re still trying to blame someone else?”

“After all that talk, we’re still the ones who have to clean up after him, aren’t we?”

Albert led the way down the stairs, grumbling. With no better option, Carol followed him toward the basement. The housekeeper watched them, her body tensing with unease. She’d heard every word of their exchange, and it sent a chill down her spine. So, the sounds she’d heard before weren’t just in her head. This house clearly harbored secrets—ones no one was supposed to know. Otherwise, why would the couple be whispering so much? And another thing—she’d never once heard of any “strange habits” Julian had. At first, she’d brushed it off as gossip, but lately, she wasn’t so sure.

There were odd noises at night, coming from the basement. At first, she hadn’t taken them seriously, chalking it up to her imagination. But after several days in a row, the housekeeper began to realize something was amiss, especially after hearing what Albert and Carol said today. There had to be something in that basement they didn’t want anyone to know about. And whatever it was, it clearly involved Julian. Otherwise, why would they panic the moment Tessa showed up?

The housekeeper clenched her fists. She’d thought about sneaking over to see for herself, but in the end, she gave up on the idea.

Chapter 415

It wasn’t her place to get involved. And if it really was something terrible, getting caught would mean losing her job instantly. After weighing the risks, she decided not to investigate. Better to focus on preparing dinner. That was her job, and the safest choice.

Upstairs, Julian and Tessa had just returned to the room. The moment the door shut, Julian leaned in and kissed her with sudden intensity.

Tessa tilted her neck, letting out a soft, amused laugh. “Okay, okay—what’s the rush?”

Julian brushed against her neck, his voice slightly aggrieved. “It’s just been too long since I last saw you.” “You’re always busy doing your own thing. You’ve been neglecting me for a while now.”

Tessa chuckled, trailing a long, slender finger beneath his chin. As she gazed at his handsome features, another face flashed through her mind—Lucas’, even more perfect, even more striking. A flicker of dissatisfaction passed through her eyes, only to be replaced by another memory—Joseph, Aurora’s first boyfriend.