Chapter 1

In the third year of my marriage as the second wife to Chris Lane, the Marquis of Wynward, he passed away.

The entire manor was in deep mourning. Everyone was grieving, the air thick with sorrow.

I leaned feebly against the coffin, pinching my thigh to force out tears.

"Chris, how could you be so cruel as to leave me behind?" I cried.

A laugh echoed in my head.

Laughter suddenly rang in my ears, and I turned around in shock.

Who had the nerve?

My gentle and refined stepson, his eyes brimming with sadness, softly comforted me.

"Lady Violet, please do not grieve too much."

Then I heard again.

"Finally, the old man is dead.

"From now on, Lady Violet will be mine."

Wait. What?

Hearing that voice suddenly appear out of nowhere, I froze in shock. The only person close by was Edward Lane. But his lips never moved. Could it be that I can actually hear his inner thoughts?

"Lady Violet, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Edward asked, stepping closer with a look of concern.

"Is she really that sad? The old man's gone, so now Lady Violet can focus on me. Wow, she smells so good. How wonderful it would be if I could hold her."

He looked so gentle and caring on the outside, but inside, he was thinking all this? Seriously?

*****

Fourteen years ago, Chris's beloved wife died from illness. He locked himself away, refusing to eat or drink for a whole two weeks.

His only son, Edward, was thirteen back then. Two years later, when Edward turned fifteen, Chris remarried, and the ceremony was as extravagant as his first wedding.

The servants whispered that I looked almost exactly like his late wife. For three years, I was honestly relieved Chris never laid a finger on me. He stared at my face, lost in his own memories.

The servants also told me I had a stepson living in the neighboring courtyard. When I first met Edward, he was in shabby clothes, hair all tangled, and so malnourished he was.

When he looked at me, his expression was wary and closed off. People whispered he was the late Mrs. Lane's bastard, and Chris cared about appearances. He doted on his wife but ignored the boy.

I felt sorry for him, so I started acting like a real mother, looking after him and trying to warm him up every day. So where did I go wrong?

I forced my lips not to twitch and dodged his hand when he tried to help me up. Covering my face, I said, "Edward, now that your father's gone, it's the two of us from now on. We'll have to rely on each other."

"You'd better remember I'm your mother," I muttered.

Edward's eyes flickered, and his voice was gentle. "You're right, Lady Violet. From now on, I'll take care of you like Father would have."

Inside his mind, he said, 'We're not related by blood. If I care for her as if she were my wife, isn't that still a kind of care?

'Her eyes, all red from crying, are so damn cute, blinking like a little rabbit. Makes my heart itch.'

Seriously? Here I was trying to be his mother, and he was actually thinking about becoming my husband?

"Lady Violet, some distinguished guests have come to pay their respects," a maid hurried over to report, leading a group of people.

My heart was racing as I quickly wiped away my tears and tried to greet them. But I tripped over a cushion and went tumbling straight to the floor.

"Lady Violet, watch out," Edward called, catching me in his warm arms. A faint, elegant scent brushed past my nose. "Are you okay? You nearly fell."

I opened my eyes and met Edward's worried gaze. His feelings were so open. It was like a flood about to sweep me away.

'Her waist is so soft and delicate, so tiny I could hold her with one hand. Damn, I want to pull her close and keep her all to myself, away from everyone.

'No, Edward, control your hand. If you don't hold back, she'll notice,' Edward said in his mind. His thoughts were bold and dark.

"I-I'm fine," I stammered, quickly pushed Edward away, and awkwardly straightened my clothes, feeling totally flustered.

Then, the distinguished guests arrived in the hall, all looking solemn. One lady was crying as she came over and took my hand. "Mrs. Lane, Mr. Lane's passing was so sudden. Please take care of yourself."

I stammered, "Oh, t-thank you." I barely ever dealt with these high-society types. I didn't know who half these people were.

"Thanks for coming, Mrs. Linton. Lady Violet isn't feeling her best today," Edward said softly.

Mrs. Linton nodded. "I get it. Take good care of Lady Violet. If you ever run into trouble managing Lane Manor, Mrs. Lane, you can always reach out to me."

Edward replied with a gentle tone, but his thoughts were anything but friendly. Inside his mind, he said, 'Yeah, she never said that before. Now that the old man's gone, she finally shows her face. Lady Violet's got me. No way you're getting a turn.'

I glanced at him. He still had that gentleness. The gap between his act and what was going on in his head was insane.

After Mrs. Linton left, a man stepped up. Instead of looking sad, he actually smirked. "Mrs. Lane, it's a real shame about Mr. Lane. But you're still young. Don't waste your best years."

Was he for real? Already pushing me to find someone new?

I hesitated, not sure how to respond, but Edward stepped in smoothly. "Thank you for your concern, Mr. Thornton. Lady Violet has everything she needs here at Lane Manor, so there's no need to worry about stuff like that.

"I've heard your place is always full of women and messy scandals. Maybe you should worry about your own affairs first."

Inside his mind, he said, 'Damn mutt, keep your filthy thoughts away from Lady Violet. Broke and ugly, you don't deserve to breathe the same air as her.'

One could practically hear Edward grinding his teeth. His inner jabs were so sharp. I couldn't help but quietly stifle a laugh.

Mr. Thornton gave Edward a dismissive snort. After paying his respects to the deceased, he walked off.

*****

It wasn't until late at night that I finally got a chance to rest. I told the maid to get the bath ready, massaging my sore back as I headed to my room.

Suddenly, Edward's thoughts popped up in my head again. 'I need to find an excuse to spend the night with Lady Violet tonight.'

I whipped my head around. There was Edward, following behind with that gentle, innocent look on his face. "What's wrong, Lady Violet?" he asked.

I was utterly speechless.