Warren's POV

As soon as my question dropped, Elvira’s face went pale. She forced a laugh and answered, “That’s just a coincidence. All the beaches in the Maldives look alike…”

Sensing the tension, Ray jumped in right away. “Dude, Elvira’s not lying. Those beaches really do look the same. Most people wouldn’t be able to tell them apart.”

My eyes swept over the messy bedroom, then back to the wine glasses on the coffee table. Finally, they landed on Elvira’s hand.

Her ring finger was bare. The engagement ring I’d given her, which was supposed to mark our promise, was gone.

I pointed at her hand and asked, “Where’s the engagement ring I gave you?”

Her gaze flickered nervously. “I… I’ve been learning how to do chores lately. I was worried I’d lose it, so I put it away.”

Before I could respond, Ray suddenly patted his stomach. “I’m starving.”

Elvira's expression softened instantly. “I’ll cook. You two sit down, it won’t take long.”

She slipped on an apron with practiced ease and started pulling food from the fridge.

Watching her move confidently in the kitchen, I felt a strange disorientation, like they were the true owners of this villa, and I was just a guest.

She chopped vegetables quickly, heated the pan, and didn’t even flinch when the oil splattered.

A memory from the day of our engagement suddenly popped into my head.

Back then, she poutingly said, “Warren, swear to me. You’ll never make me cook or clean. I’ll never touch housework, not before the wedding, not after. You have to spoil me forever.”

I had agreed, and I’d kept that promise.

But here she was, breaking her own words without hesitation, happily cooking for her so-called junior schoolmate.

Ray, on the other hand, lounged back on the sofa, legs crossed, a smug grin tugging at his lips.

He shot me a glance, then cheerfully said, “Bro, stay and eat with us. Elvira's cooking is amazing.”

I stayed silent, but Ray kept talking.

“Her food tastes just like home. Better than any restaurant.”

I pressed my lips together, then asked quietly, “So these past few months, she’s been cooking for you?”

Ray nodded without hesitation. “Of course. She takes such good care of me, always trying out new recipes. Says it’s tough living alone, and she wants me to eat well. Honestly, I’m so touched. She’s been nothing but kind to me.”

I squeezed out a smile, but it was a bitter one.

Just then, Elvira walked out carrying a plate of food, but she froze when she heard our conversation. Her hands stiffened for a moment before she forced a smile and set the dish down.

“Warren, try this. I just learned how to make braised ribs.”

I looked at her and slowly and deliberately asked, “Didn’t you once say you hated the smell of cooking oil? And that you’d never do housework?”

Her face instantly went rigid, and her fingers tightened on the edge of the apron.

But Ray jumped in smoothly. “Dude, people change. Isn’t it a good thing that Elvira's become so domestic? Isn’t this exactly what you’d want?”

I let out a cold snort and didn’t answer.

At the dinner table, Ray kept piling food into Elvira's bowl, showering her with endless praise.

She responded here and there, but her eyes never once dared to meet mine.

The food really was good. But every bite I swallowed tasted like ash.

Ray then dropped another rib into Elvira's bowl and softly, almost intimately, said, “Elvira, you’ve lost weight lately. Eat more.”

Then he shot me a sidelong glance, a faint, mocking smile tugging at his lips.

Elvira lowered her head, her cheeks flushed. Her voice was barely above a whisper as she replied, “Thanks, Ray. You should eat more too.”

Warren's POV

The more I watched their every move, the heavier my chest got as if a boulder pressed down on it.

Setting my chopsticks aside, I stood and said coldly, “I’m done.”

Ray put on a show of surprise. “Already, dude? Elvira's cooking is a rare treat.”

As he spoke, he reached over with a napkin and wiped the corner of Elvira’s mouth.

The gesture was so natural, so practiced, that it made my blood boil.

Still, I ignored them and walked out of the dining room.

But I heard footsteps rushing after me.

Shortly, Elvira caught up and grabbed my sleeve. “Warren, don’t get it wrong. I only wanted to help Ray. It’s not easy for him living alone, so I—”

“So you learned to cook for him? Learned to do housework for him?” I cut her off, my voice dripping with scorn. “Miss Bandman, you really do spoil your little junior, don’t you?”

Her teeth sank into her lip as she hurried to explain. “No! Ray’s stomach is weak. He can’t handle takeout. I was afraid he’d go hungry, so I learned to cook. And he really is talented. He’s helped me so much at work. The project with the French client, without him, it wouldn’t have gone through—”

“Enough!” I raised a hand, silencing her, and shoved open the door to my study.

But the sight inside froze my blood.

My mother’s portrait hung crooked on the wall, and the glass across the frame was cracked in a jagged line.

Beneath it, her diary and several old letters lay scattered across the desk, soaked and stained with dried yellow patches.

The acrid stench of cat urine filled the room.

“What the hell is this?!” My voice shook with fury.

Elvira stammered, “M-Maybe one of Ray’s pets got in by accident—”

“Accident?!” I roared, then snatched up the urine-soaked diary. The fragile paper crumbled in my hands. “These are my mother’s keepsakes! And you let some animals piss all over them?!”

“Warren, calm down!” she pleaded. “Ray’s cats and dogs are usually well-trained. This must’ve been an accident.”

I shoved her hand away and pointed to the bookshelf, where photo albums were chewed through with deep bite marks. “And that? Was that an accident, too? All of my mother’s things were ruined!”

Her lips parted, but no words came out.

At that moment, Ray strolled up to the doorway with a glass of red wine in hand. “Sorry about that, dude,” he said casually. “My pets don’t like strangers. They tend to get destructive when they smell something unfamiliar.”

He took a slow sip, then smiled. “But hey, out with the old, in with the new, right? Don’t worry, I’ll have those photos reprinted tomorrow. They’ll look exactly the same.”

That was it.

I grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the wall. “Get out! Take your filthy animals and get the hell out of my house!”

But Ray didn’t flinch. He arched a brow, almost amused. “Bro, let’s talk this through. No need for violence.”

“Warren, stop!” Elvira cried out, rushing forward.

She pried at my hands, her nails digging deep into my arm. “Are you crazy? Where’s he supposed to go in the middle of the night?!”

Her eyes brimmed with worry. But not for me, but for him.

“I don’t give a damn where he goes!” I shouted, throwing her hand aside. “He can sleep in a park, under a bridge. I don’t care. But he will not live here!”

“No!” Elvira's voice rose into a scream. “He’s my junior, and I will take care of him!”

Warren's POV

I let out a bitter laugh, so angry I could barely speak. “Do you even know whose villa this is?”

Ray suddenly chuckled. Straightening the collar I had just crumpled, he said slowly, almost amused, “Dude, are you drunk? This villa obviously belongs to Elvira. What’s it got to do with you?”

His words hit me like a bolt of lightning. I snapped my head toward Elvira, waiting for her to deny it, waiting for anything.

But instead of explaining, she glared at me and reasoned, “The place is just sitting here empty. What’s the harm in letting Ray stay for a few days?”

I shot back, “And where exactly am I supposed to stay while he’s here?”

“You can book a hotel for a while, or move back to the old family house. Why make such a big deal out of it?” Elvira’s tone was casual, careless. “Once I find another place for Ray, you can come back.”

As soon as she said this, Ray picked up a ragdoll cat and ran his fingers gently through its fur. His eyes watered instantly, red-rimmed as he looked at her.

“Elvira, can I not leave?” His voice cracked as he rubbed his cheek against the cat’s head. “Look, Snow’s already used to this garden. Every afternoon, she lies on the lawn in the sun.”

Elvira’s face immediately softened with pity.

Ray then held the cat out to me and said, “Bro, here. Try petting her. Snow’s very gentle.”

But the cat bared its teeth, then hissed and swiped its claws across the back of my hand.

“Ah!” I hissed in pain.

Ray gasped in mock surprise, then only lazily scooped the cat back up after a deliberate pause.

“She’s never like this. Must’ve been scared by a stranger.” He tapped the cat’s nose with his finger, but his eyes flicked toward me with a mocking challenge.

Before I could answer, the living room suddenly erupted with barking.

I turned just in time to see three dogs tearing around in chaos.

One poodle had its teeth sunk into my limited-edition sneakers, chewing happily.

“Oh no, how did my babies all get out?” Ray dashed after them, feigning panic. “God, they must know we’re moving. It’s their separation anxiety acting up!”

He chased them recklessly around the room, knocking over two bottles of my most expensive wine in the process.

Elvira clutched her head, frantic. “Warren, you see? They really can’t handle moving to a new place!”

Before she could finish, the husky leapt onto the sofa and promptly relieved itself all over my custom pillow.

Ray let out another exaggerated gasp, slowly pulling out tissues. “Sorry, dude. He’s usually so well-behaved, always does his business in the yard. He must be spooked.”

While he wiped, he deliberately smeared the mess even wider.

Elvira grabbed my arm and pulled me aside, her voice soft and coaxing. But her words cut through me like ice. “Warren, you saw it yourself. Ray and his pets don’t want to leave. Why don’t we do this instead? There are other villas available in this neighborhood. You can just buy another one. Just let him stay here. He’s already used to it.”

I stared into her eyes. “You’re giving this place to him?”

“Of course not. I’ll rent it out.” Her tone was casual, like she was discussing groceries. “The rent will be what we agreed before. One buck a month.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I kept staring at her for several seconds, waiting for her to laugh, waiting for her to say she was joking.

But she didn’t.

Right then, Ray started up again, cradling the cat dramatically. “Bro, look, you’ve scared them all. Why don’t you leave for now? We can talk about this tomorrow.”

“Leave?” I gave a sharp, humorless laugh. The anger that had been simmering finally boiled over. “And why the hell should I be the one to leave?”

“Elvira, looks like you’ve forgotten your place! You’re just a driver’s daughter. How dare you think you could step all over me? If I can't finish you two filthy cheaters tonight, I'd better off dead!”