Sapphire's POV
I went back to the kitchen to finish preparing our meal. Once everything was ready, everyone took their places at the dining table one by one. I called out to Jauna so she could join them. As for Dayesh... well, I figured it was best to just bring his food upstairs.
Stepping up to his door, I knocked gently. When he demanded to know who it was, I answered calmly, and he gave me permission to enter.
"Eat some food first," I said, setting the tray down. "Don't let my cooking go to waste."
"Maybe later," he murmured, his voice strained. "I'm sorry... I just lost my temper out of nowhere."
I walked over and sat on the edge of the mattress where he lay. Sensing my presence, he shifted, turning his body to face me. He stared directly into my eyes, a heavy, desperate vulnerability in his gaze.
"What am I supposed to do?" he asked, sounding utterly lost.
"Talk to her. She was your wife, after all."
"It hurts too much. I don't want to."
"Don't be so stubborn. Just talk to her," I urged, trying to keep my voice grounded. "Who knows? Maybe your family can be whole again. At least do it for the kid."
"You don't understand... what she did to me, it still cuts deep."
I sighed, rolling my eyes inwardly. "This is unbelievable. You're a grown man, yet you're being such a drama king."
"Sapphire..." Dayesh suddenly breathed out, his expression turning intensely serious. "Did you really never love me? Not even a little? Even up until this very moment?"
I took a slow breath, looking at him with absolute clarity. "Look, big bro, I know exactly where I stand in this house. I work for you, you pay me right, sometimes even more than enough. For that alone, I am incredibly grateful, and I consider myself lucky to be under your care. But that doesn't mean we are ever going to elevate our dynamic into something more."
"But I've fallen for you," he confessed, the raw honesty in his voice almost startling. "I don't want to lie to my own heart."
"Listen to me, big bro," I replied softly but firmly. "I wish you all the best. Go back to her. Make your family whole again."
Before I could even process what was happening, his hand suddenly cupped the back of my head. He pulled me down sharply, closing the distance until his lips met mine in a sudden, forceful collision.
My eyes squeezed shut as our lips clashed in a chaotic, tangled mess of an unexpected kiss. I couldn't even begin to comprehend what the hell was running through this man's mind right now.
When he finally let go, I gasped, trying to regain my composure. "Your wife is literally outside! This is insane."
"She's not my wife anymore," he countered stubbornly, his breathing heavy. "We are separated."
I swear, I wanted to hit my boss right then and there. He had a golden opportunity to sit down and talk things out with Jauna, yet he refused to budge. The sheer magnitude of this man's pride was infuriating.
"Can you please just set your anger aside? If not for her, then do it for Lzith."
Hearing the child's name, Dayesh let out a long, defeated sigh. The hard edge in his shoulders finally sagged.
"I'll try," he whispered.
—
Ghoth and I walked briskly away from the house later on when we finished eating, practically fleeing the suffocating tension that had settled over everyone back there. We desperately needed a breather, even if just for a little while.
His fingers were tightly intertwined with mine as we walked, but after a few minutes, I noticed a sudden, heavy silence fall over him. He was staring ahead, completely lost in thought.
"What's on your mind?" I asked, nudging his shoulder.
"I'll tell you later, once I remember it properly," he answered, his voice distant.
"Weird. Why not just tell me now?"
"Later is better."
"Ugh, whatever. You're such a killjoy," I teased, playfully poking his side.
He flinched and took a half-step back, a low chuckle escaping his lips before he reached out and pulled me into a soft, brief hug. "Later... actually, wait. This spot is good enough. Close your eyes again."
"Fine," I murmured, a small smile tugging at my lips.
The moment my eyes closed, the familiar, dizzying sensation of his warp magic washed over me. In a literal blink of an eye, we crossed the distance straight to his house.
But the exact second we materialized inside his room, our jaws dropped. There was someone already lying on his bed, a young girl.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Ghoth demanded, staring down at her.
The girl blinked up at him, entirely unbothered. "Big bro! They're renovating my room, so they told me to stay here for a while."
Ghoth's brows furrowed in pure confusion. "I locked my door securely before I left. How on earth did you even get in?"
Without a word, the kid simply pointed at the door. I followed her gaze and immediately burst out laughing. The doorknob was completely wrecked and hanging by a thread.
"By the way, big bro, who is she?" the girl asked, her curious eyes darting toward me.
Ghoth cleared his throat, adjusting his posture. "This is Sapphire. Just call her big sis."
"Big sis?!" The girl's face instantly lit up, her eyes wide with excitement. "Oh my gosh, am I finally getting a sister?!"
Ghoth and I quickly exchanged glances. His eyes were practically begging me to just play along with whatever the kid was thinking. I offered her a polite smile, though internally, I was sighing. Yep, I have a feeling our little love-making session for today is officially canceled.
"I'm gonna go call Mom and everyone, big bro!" she squealed, scrambling off the bed.
"Wait! No! Don't you dare, you brat!" Ghoth hissed, catching her by the arm before she could bolt out the door.
He dragged her back toward us, his voice dropping into a stern whisper. "Keep your mouth shut. You're the only one who knows about this, got it?"
The girl giggled and immediately turned her attention to me. "Big sis, do you actually like my bif bro? Please take him off our hands. He's actually really nice! He just looks scary because his face is always so serious, but he loves to joke around. Though, fair warning, he's terrifying when he's angry," she revealed, laughing as she exposed her brother's secrets.
"I am so sorry for my sister, Saph," Ghoth muttered, scratching the back of his head in sheer embarrassment, his face flushing slightly.
"It's totally fine," I replied, amused.
But beneath my amusement, a strange, unfamiliar warmth bloomed in my chest. It was a happy, fluttering kind of ache. For the first time, someone from Ghoth's actual family was aware of us, aware that we were seeing each other. It made everything feel a little more real.
"Seriously, don't tell anyone we came here," Ghoth warned his sister, pointing a finger at her. "If you make a scene, I'm going to be really mad."
"Yes, big bro, I promise. Just make sure you and big sis come back to visit, okay?"
"Fine. And get my door fixed. I'm coming back in a week to check on it."
"Okay! My name is Loura. By the way, where did you came from big sis?"
She turned back to me, extending a small hand with a bright smile, how the heck am I supposed to explain this?
Thankfully, Ghoth stepped in. "She's from the world where Dayesh currently is."
"Ahhhh!" Loura gasped, nodding in understanding. "The grumpy big bro?"
I couldn't help but grin at her choice of words. "Yeah, him."
Grumpy? Dayesh? I thought to myself. Hmm, actually, yeah. That description fits him perfectly.