Fated To Three, And I Broke Them All

Chapter 132: 132-Their Secrets Bother Me

Gigi:

"Gigi, tell me. What else happened?"

Ragnar stood firmly in the kitchen, taking matters into his own hands.

I could tell he was ready to stand up for me.

I watched Theodore glance at Jaguar before sticking out his tongue and biting it, as if admitting they had made a mistake.

"No, it’s okay. Everything else is fine," I said, trying to play it cool.

Theodore and Jaguar looked even guiltier after I saved their asses.

Ragnar, however, wasn’t that easy to fool. I knew that.

I didn’t have to do anything else. He would dig the truth out of me eventually.

He turned toward his brothers, who immediately straightened their backs.

"Were these two there?" he asked, pointing at them.

I looked at Theodore and Jaguar, then back at Ragnar.

With exaggerated hesitation, I slowly shook my head.

I made sure my body language looked exactly like someone trying to cover for another person.

To Ragnar, it was obvious I was lying.

To Theodore and Jaguar, it looked like I was saving them.

One move, two targets.

"Why the fuck did I tell you two to stay with her when she arrived, huh?" Ragnar snapped, already scolding them even after I’d denied they were there.

"No, Ragnar, they weren’t there," I said quickly, acting surprised that he’d figured it out anyway.

"Seriously, I told you two to take care of her. What the fuck were you doing?" he growled.

Theodore and Jaguar looked at me before lowering their heads, guilt written all over their faces.

"Ragnar, please. It’s not their fault. Jaguar even stood up for me," I mumbled, deliberately singling Jaguar out.

I noticed Theodore glance at me before lowering his eyes again.

There was pain in them.

For fuck’s sake was he hurting?

He hadn’t defended me at all.

Every time his grandmother said something, he would only give me a helpless look and shrug, as if to say, ’What could I do?’

So I was genuinely glad he was getting grilled by his brother.

"Not right now, please," I insisted, wrapping my fingers around his bicep.

Even through his thick coat, I could feel the solid muscle beneath it.

"Now go and get changed. Freshen up. I’m about to serve dinner, and I want you there with me."

As I gently nudged him toward the kitchen door, I wanted Theodore and Jaguar to see that I wasn’t depending on them anymore.

Right now, I needed Ragnar.

"Fine. But don’t let anyone insult you again, okay?" Ragnar said, wrapping an arm around me, pulling me close, and pressing a kiss to my forehead.

Then, after giving his brothers a stern look, he walked out.

This was exactly what I had been talking about.

Ragnar had never been jealous of how close I was to his brothers.

He trusted us completely, and that trust was something we could turn into an even stronger bond.

As soon as Ragnar left, Theodore and Jaguar came over to me.

"Gigi, we’re really sorry," Jaguar said, the first to apologize.

I pretended not to look at either of them.

"It’s all right," I replied, turning my face away as I walked over to check the wine bottles we’d picked for the evening.

"Gigi, I was scared of Grandmother’s scolding. Sometimes she just goes on and on. But I’ll be on your side from now on," Theodore said as he approached me.

He gently took my hand, encouraging me to look back at them and give them my attention.

Once they were each holding one of my hands, they both pouted.

"I’m really okay with it. I mean, it’s fine, I guess. Your grandmother wants you to take care of Jenna the same way you take care of me, and that’s completely okay. She’s family. I’m just your brother’s girlfriend."

As soon as I finished speaking, I studied their faces.

Their expressions hardened, shifting from guilt to anger.

"But don’t say that. You know we’ll never treat her the same way," Jaguar replied. "I’m really sorry. I realized later that we should’ve asked you first, but we’re asking you now. Nothing has changed. You’ll still decide whether we pick her up and drop her off."

Jaguar bent down to my height, pointing a finger at me.

His fingertip brushed lightly against my collarbone, and my heart lurched inside my chest.

Lately, their touch has made my body incredibly sensitive.

Whenever they got this close, my knees threatened to give out beneath me.

"Yeah, we’ll hire a driver for her, and you’ll choose both the driver and the car she’ll use," Theodore added.

They kept making promises, looking genuinely apologetic.

I smiled through my tears.

"Thank you."

As I said it, I rose onto my tiptoes while they both leaned down.

I wrapped one arm around Theodore’s neck and the other around Jaguar’s.

They both wrapped their arms around me.

Their embrace closed around me, firm and protective, the way a giant snake coils around something precious to keep it safe.

"Now come on, freshen up, I want my favorite people at the dining table with me," I teased as I pulled away from the hug.

Very casually, I slipped both my hands to their cheeks.

Standing so close to them in the kitchen filled my mind with all kinds of possibilities.

Maybe we could do it on the counter.

Maybe they could take me on the floor.

Maybe behind the counter, hidden from everyone.

Those thoughts were driving me crazy, which was exactly why they needed to leave.

We weren’t the only ones living in the mansion anymore.

There was an uninvited family, along with one very snotty old lady, living with us now.

They both smiled before walking away.

I was feeling much better now.

Squaring my shoulders, I headed to Lady Lucille’s room to invite her for dinner and let her know everything was ready.

Before I could even knock, I heard Jenna’s voice from inside.

"I asked Theodore to hire me a secretary, someone who can come to the house and help me organize the events. I’m throwing a big party in honor of your birthday."

The old lady’s conversation with Jenna hit me like a punch to the gut.

It felt as though all the strength and happiness Ragnar had given me had been ripped away in an instant.