"Alright, you two should go downstairs to take a bath and rest first," Vernon said to Mackie and Chloe. "I will go back to my room to take a bath and change my clothes as well."
"Um, okay, Uncle!" Mackie nodded.
Chloe smiled and nodded, "Then you should rest first, I will cook lunch in about an hour."
Vernon wanted to say that Chloe didn't need to do a thing today because she had just done something incredible by defending herself and her daughter against Maria and her men.
But Vernon knew that Chloe needed to busy herself so she wouldn't be reminded of what happened just now, so he just nodded and allowed her to do whatever.
Vernon's smile vanished as he entered his bedroom. Though Chloe and Mackie didn't blame him, he was still very angry at what Maria did to them.
Honestly, he wanted to do the worst for that old bitch. He wanted to personally snap her neck and cut her into pieces, then feed her mutilated corpse to the pigs. It was the most appropriate punishment for Maria because she was truly a madwoman who treated everyone except Vaughn and Vincent as pigs. Vernon could feel Maria's contempt for everyone around her, as if everyone was lower than a subhuman in her eyes.
Unfortunately, he didn't want to stain his hand with blood, not when he would use the same hand to hug his beloved woman and daughter.
"Now that she is dead, all that is left is Vincent," Vernon muttered. "I cannot rest until Vincent is dead or suffers fate worse than death. He deserved the worst pain imaginable for hurting my beloved woman for the past ten years."
He knew he might sound cruel, but he felt very dissatisfied after ending Maria's life in the tamest way possible.
So he decided to plan a fate worse than death for his one and only Big brother.
Vernon grinned as he had an idea in mind.
"Thankfully, his ex-slut contacted me a few days ago. I know she must've been triggered seeing the news online about Vincent and Chelsea."
Usually, Vernon wouldn't even bother talking to any woman other than Chloe unless necessary. But he knew one thing about Vincent's ex-slut;
She was batshit insane and was hopelessly obsessed to be the next Mrs. Gray.
She contacted Vernon a few days ago to ask for his assistance to get back on her feet and return to Vincent's side.
Fortunately, Vernon had a better idea instead because he wanted to make sure that Vincent would suffer for the rest of his life.
"Let's see, Big bro. You abused my woman for ten years, so you deserved to be abused for the rest of your life."
**
Chloe and Mackie finished cleaning themselves after about an hour. Chloe told her daughter to play in her room while she cooked lunch for them.
As she went up, she saw Vernon with a pink apron that looked mini for his big body. He was chopping vegetables and also preparing the hot oil in the pan.
Chloe approached him and patted his muscly arm, "You're not supposed to cook, Vernon. It's my job."
"It's fine," Vernon replied. "I want to help you cook something for lunch, then I'll go to handle something."
"Something?"
"… it's not something nice to hear, Chloe. It's better for you not to know," Vernon said.
Chloe went silent after that. She connected the dot easily and decided to help Vernon without saying anything.
As they finished cooking the food for lunch, Chloe went down to call her daughter and then ate together as three.
Mackie ate lunch happily, though it didn't taste as good as usual, so she knew that Uncle must've been the one who cooked lunch today.
She glanced at her Mommy and asked, "Mommy, can I meet with Gran and the boys today?"
Chloe stopped eating her food once Mackie dropped that question. She glanced at Vernon, who didn't seem to be bothered by the question, either because he had tolerated their existence after Maria's death or because he was just too distraught by the whole thing right now.
Nevertheless, Chloe thought Mackie had seen way too much anyway, so meeting with her cousins shouldn't be a problem. She should probably watch over them and listen to the kids' conversation in case one of the boys brought up Chelsea.
'I should probably tell Dorothea about this as well, so she can help in case I'm not around.'
"You should ask your Uncle first. He's the one who allowed the boys to live with us," Chloe said.
Mackie shifted her attention to her Uncle and asked, "Uncle, can I meet with my cousins? I miss them so much."
Vernon smiled at Mackie and nodded, "You can. It must be lonely for you to play all by yourself."
Mackie's doe eyes brightened instantly, "Thank you so much, Uncle! I want to play with them! I will bring all of my toys so they won't get bored too!"
Chloe was slightly worried about the whole thing, and Vernon immediately noticed it.
Honestly, he understood Chloe's worry. She was very protective of Mackie, so she didn't want to expose Mackie to the harsh truth because she was too young.
But Chloe underestimated the mental fortitude that the little girl had.
Mackie was a very strong little girl. She also went through a lot in school as Vincent turned everyone in the school against her.
She was also strong enough not to cry when Maria ambushed them and was brave enough to stand against Vernon because she didn't want Vernon to yell at Chloe.
She was a strong little wolf that reminded Vernon so much of himself when he was young. They were both feisty, had a strong will, and never broke down, even if they faced harsh realities in their respective families.
And with Chloe around her daughter, Vernon knew that Mackie would grow up to be a great woman in the future.
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