Bedmates Soulmates
CHAPTER 370

He glowered at Liam, infuriated by his flippancy.

"Kira? How do you know her name? You've met her?"

Austyn wouldn't have pulled a gun on Liam just because the latter asked about his wife.

Oh, we did more than just meet.' Liam smirked. 'A fortunate stroke of serendipity brought us together."

"What did you do to his wife?'

Liam shrugged. 'Nothing'

Then he added, "Yet."

He wiped a drip of blood from his nose with his fingertip. I like her. She's cute. If she leaves Austyn-which is bound to happen sooner or later, given my brother's inability to hold on to a woman-I might consider taking her off his hands. What do you think? Henry wanted to strangle his impudent, brazen-faced son.

Leave, Or I'll Make You

Henry pointed to the door.

"Leave Stamford tonight. Get out of the country. You heard your brother."

Liam crossed his arms over his chest,

chest, chin raised. 'What if I say no?"

'Then I'll make you go

to away, using whatever means necessary,

1. ry. Don't try my patience."

A sardonic smile spread slowly across Liam's face.

The wounds on his arm were smarting

He took no notice of the pain.

'Just like you made my mother go away? You didn't want to be labelled a cheating bastard, so you got rid of the evidence by getting rid of my mother. You forced her to leave. What means did you use back then, hmm? Did you threaten her like you're threatening me right now?! Henry froze at the mention of Liam's mother.

'Mom died a horrible death. Liam gave his father a frosty, hate-filled look 'I'm not leaving Stamford till I found out who killed her."

Liam turned on his heel and walked away.

Henry slumped down on his recliner, thoroughly drained.

Short strands of grey hair glinted under light from the chandelier.

The fifty-year-old patriarch seemed to have aged a decade in the last fifteen minutes.

The Hummer pulled up on the circular driveway outside the villa.

"Buss, we're here,' Kal said.

Austyn opened his eyes.

He knitted his brows when he glanced out the window. 'Didn't I ask you to go to Duxton Hotel? Why'd you drive here?"

Kai forced out a smile. 'Boss, this is your house. East and West, home is the best. A hotel can't beat the comfort of

He swallowed the rest of his words at the cold glare from Austyn.

"Sorry, Boss. My mistake, Boss, I'll turn around right now, Boss.'

'Forget it.' Austyn pushed the door o unless it's something urgent."

open.

"You should head back to the office. I'm taking the rest of the afternoon off. Don't call me

'Yes, Boss."

he TV was on in the living room...

The

Austyn changed his shoes and went inside.

Elsie looked up, surprised. "Young Master!"

She didn't expect he would be back at noon.

Austyn's eyes flicked to the figure curled up on the sofa in front of the TV.

He lowered his voice. 'Elsic."

The housekeeper followed his line of sight. "Young Madam has been waiting for you the entire morning. She probably didn't sleep well last night and dozed off just now. 'She's waiting for me?"

'Yes. Young Madam called you, but you didn't pick up."

Austyn's hand went to his pants pocket.

His phone had shut down.

The battery had died.

With all the turmoil of last night, he'd forgotten to charge it.

Austyn went to the sola

The jumbo-sized six-seat sectional sofa seemed to be swallowing up Kira's petite frame.

She was lying on her side, facing outward.

Her cheek was squashed against the cushion and her lips were pressed together, like she was pouting in her sleep.

She wore a loose blouse with a low-cut collar, revealing a bit of cleavage.

Austyn looked away, his Adam's apple bobbing

'Get me a quilt,' he said to the housekeeper.

The sliding glass doors were open, allowing a draught to blow through the living room.

Kira's bare forearms were covered in goosebumps.

Elsie slapped a palm to her forehead. 'I forgot. Give me a minute. I'll go and get it."

'Never mind." Austyn bent down and picked up Kira In his arms. 'T'll take her upstairs."

'Okay, Young Master."

Kira stirred in her sleep.

Sensing the warmth of his chest, she snuggled closer.

Her face was pressed against his shirt.

Austyn carried her upstairs, careful not to touch her right shoulder, and laid her down on the bed gently...

Kira rolled over, grabbing onto his waist.

He stood at the bedside, his head lowered.

Austyn watched her sleep.

Without him noticing, the murderous fury raging in his chest since he left Cedarwood had dissipated.

Kira was dreaming.

She saw her father in the dream.

It was her seventh birthday.

He had been saving up for the occasion.

Dad bought her a pink dress with puff sleeves, like the one worn by Princess Ariel.

Then he took her to the amusement park

They did everything-the log flume, the bumper boats, the Ferris wheel.

She even walked through the haunted house with her eyes closed, gripping Dad's hand.

Kira gorged herself on ice cream until she almost got sick.

Then she dreamed of Gideon.

Kira was an only child-Georgina did not count.

She had always been envious of other families with multiple kids.

Being young and greedy, she wanted one of each-an older brother to spoil her, an older sister to teach her how to paint her nails, a younger brother as her playmate, and a younger sister for her to spoil. When Gideon came to live with her and Dad, it was as if her dream had come true.

He was everything she'd ever wanted in a sibling, like four good things packed into the body of one.

He didn't teach her to paint her nails, but he did help her through her first period. Leave Or Make You

Despite what happened later, Kira never regretted the decision to bring him home.

She'd found Gideon on the street like a stray cat.

It was a weekday.

She was in secondary school.

She had to stay back after school for cleaning duty.

On the way home, she treated herself to an ice cream cone.

It was almost two-thirds gone when she noticed the boy.

He was hunkered down in a corner against a wall, head lowered, shoulders slouched.

His hair was a mess.

His clothes were bedraggled and unwashed.

He looked like a street urchin

A small crowd of onlookers had gathered around him, pointing and whispering.

Kira joined them

She squeezed through the crowd and squatted in front of the boy, trying to look at his face. He didn't move, didn't raise his head, didn't appear to be conscious or even alive.