Chapter 68

Loretta pulled Wesley straight out of bed, her voice clipped and urgent. "I went to see a fortune-teller. He says your bad luck's been running rampant lately.Step aside for a minute. I'm sprinkling holy water right now."

His damp hair clung to his forehead, stray droplets sliding down the line of his neck as she dragged him away. Suppressing a groan, he muttered, "It'sthe middle of the night, Grandma. Can't we do this tomorrow?"

Her tone left no room for argument. "Absolutely not.Once we start, we finish-and we finish tonight."

From the doorway, Miriam hurried in, clutching a massive basin brimming with holy water.

The thing was so full it sloshed with every step, forcing her to walk stiffly, swaying like she was balancing along a tightrope.

Concern flickered across Wesley's face, his brow drawing tight as he moved in. "Here, let me give you a hand."

Loretta instantly blocked him with an outstretched arm. "Don't touch a thing-stay out of the way!"

He could only retreat a step, letting the two women fuss over the task themselves.

That was when Miriam, having overfilled the basin,wobbled under its weight. The water sloshed violently, spilling across the bed in a sudden wave.

Flustered, Miriam blurted an apology. "Oh dear, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for that to happen. This basin's far too heavy for an old woman like me to carry without spilling."

Wesley exhaled through his nose, his voice gentling."Are you hurt?"

Miriam shook her head with a quick smile. "I'm perfectly fine." Loretta's eyes swept over the room with a solemn air,her voice low and certain. "Your bad luck is no joke this year. It was already terrible, and now it's doubled."

Without warning, she clapped her hands together, as though struck by divine revelation. "The fortune-teller warned you-no new beds until the year's over.You need to move back to your original room tonight."

Wesley gave a flat reply. "I sometimes crash in the study, or at the office."

He'd even slepot in hotel rooms while traveling for work.

"That was before!" Loretta shot back, narrowing her eyes. "Things have changed. Go sleep in the master bedroom!"

Wesley let out a slow sigh, shaking his head."Weren't you the one who insisted on giving my master bedroom to my secretary?"

"The bed's large enough for both of you to sleep on your own sides," Loretta said as if the mnatter were already settled. "Gabriela's a proper young woman.You're a full-grown man. Surely you're not worried she'll try something she shouldn't with you?"

Wesley shot her a wary look, confusion flickering in his eyes.

From the moment Loretta stepped in, she appeared intent on criticizing Gabriela at every turn, yet within mere hours, she and Miriam were suddenly united in opinion.

Wesley had no interest in deciphering whatever peculiar schemes played out in these two women's minds. Instead of engaging, he pushed open the study door and called to a passing servant, "Prepare a guest room."

"Understood, sir."

Their displeasure was evident in the tightness of Loretta's mouth and the narrowing of Miriam's eyes,but the servant worked quickly, readying the room in no time.

Both women followed Wesley inside like shadows unwilling to be shaken.

He regarded the pair with thinly veiled exasperation and said in a firm, non-negotiable tone, "I'm feeling a little worn out today and need some rest. Let's do the holy water tomorrow."

Loretta's spine stiffened, her tone brooking no refusal. "Absolutely not. This is a brand-new room with a brand-new bed. At the very least, I have to light a blessed candle and pray for peace."

Wesley found the whole thing absurd. To him, the biggest source of unrest in the house was Loretta and Miriam, not some unseen bad luck.

But Loretta had been steeped in superstition for as long as he could remember.

Wesley had grown up knowing that Loretta's faith in her superstitious little rites was unshakable, and after he'd narrowly escaped a brush with death, her devotion to them had only intensified. Every month without fail, she kept to a strict schedule of prayers and consultations, and if the slightest sign of bad luck appeared, she would go to extraordinary lengths to counter it on his behalf.

And he knew her well enough to understand that if she didn't carry out her ritual tonight, she'd toss and turn until dawn.

With a resigned breath, Wesley gave a reluctant nod."All right. But try not to make a mess this time."

Without missing a beat, Loretta swept in carrying three blessed candles.

She arranged them neatly beside the bed, murmured a solemn prayer, and whispered sacred words before striking a match and setting the wicks alight.

Everything went off without a hitch, prompting her to clap her hands with satisfaction. "That's it. All done." But Wesley's gut told him the night was far from over.

Sure enough, Miriam's shrill voice broke the moment."The blanket's on fire!"

The flames had only just licked across the fabric, not yet taking hold, and Wesley lunged for his coat to smother them.

Before he could, Loretta caught his arm. "These are blessed candles-you can't just snuff them out like that!"

In the next heartbeat, Miriam upended the basin of holy water, dousing both fire and bed in one dramatic splash.

The mattress sagged under the weight of the water,dripping onto the floor.

Wesley's patience frayed to its limit.

Still, he bit back his frustration, fixing both women with a tight-lipped stare as he endured their chaos in silence. Hearing the alarm about the fire, the servants swarmed in from every direction, eager to help douse the flames.

In moments, the hallway descended into a noisy scramble.

Gabriela, startled by the commotion, snatched a coat from the hook and hurried out.

A crowd of over a dozen people jammed the corridor,their faces tight with worry.

At the center of the commotion stood Wesley,draped in a black, robe-like pajama. His hair was still damp, dark strands falling over his eyes, and his expression radiated irritation.

A flicker of unease tightened Gabriela's chest."What happened?" she asked.

Loretta sidled up to her, looking utterly defeated, and lowered her voice. "The fortune-teller was right-Wesley's bad luck this year is worse than ever. First the bed in his study was soaked, and now the guest- room bed caught fire. He can't sleep on a new bed at all."

Wesley's gaze cut toward her, the corner of his mouth twitching. The sheer gall it took for Loretta to twist events like this made his eyes darken in mild,simmering exasperation.

Gabriela couldn't wrap her head around it. "How does a bed just catch fire out of nowhere?"

Was Wesley lighting up a cigarette or something? No,even if he did, he wasn't the type to be that reckless.

No one offered her an explanation.

Miriam, standing close by, muttered, "Poor Mr. Moss.Everyone else gets to relax during the holidays, but he's still buried in work. Spends his days locked in meetings and now doesn't even have a proper place to sleep."

At that, the situation finally clicked for Gabriela.

She turned to him and immediately insisted, "Mr.

Moss, why don't you just go back to your bedroom tonight? I can fix up a guest room and manage for the night."

Wesley's lip dipped in a curl, his expression growing even more darker.

"Not happening," Loretta cut Gabriela off without hesitation. "You're a guest here, and I'm not about to have you shuffling rooms in the middle of the night."

"But Mr. Moss.." Gabriela began, biting back the rest.

Wasn't he supposed to be avoiding any new rooms or beds because of al that ominous bad luck talk?

With a coaxing lilt, Loretta added, "Wesley's room is huge! Why don't you just share it with him?"

Gabriela's eyes widened as she countered,"Absolutely not. If it's that inconvenient, I'll just head home right now."

Wesley hadn't uttered a word, yet his expression was already set in a grim, unreadable mask. Was she really that unwilling to stay near him? Would she rather return to that oppressive house-the same one that could bolt its door in her face in the dead of night-than spend one evening in the same bed with him?

Loretta caught Gabriela by the wrist and drew her aside, lowering her voice to a hushed whisper. "Let me be straight with you-Wesley isn't into women.You're perfectly safe with him."

Her eyes glistened as she launched into an exaggerated sob. "Please, just do me this favor. Stay with him tonight. You can take the bed and let him sleep on the floor."

Gabriela stood there, stunned into silence.

She hadn't expected to learn that Wesley was not only a masochist but also gay. Bosses truly had their own baffling quirks!

And what kind of person would let him take the floor while she claimed the bed? She knew all too well that if Wesley spent the night on the rigid floor, she'd likely be unemployed by morning.

Loretta's casual disclosure of such an intimate secret feIt like someone had just handed Gabriela a ticking time bomb.

Knowing too much about her boss was dangerous.She was doomed.

Tears glistening in her eyes, Loretta leaned in, voice trembling as she pleaded, "I told you something incredibly important. You have to help me, all right?"

The question landed like a blade. Was that...a threat?Gabriela's chest tightened. She drew in a sharp breath,then nodded. "Fine. I'll do it."

What choice did she have? When Loretta begged with tears yet pressed with subtle menace, refusal wasn't on the table.

The master bedroom was spacious anyway; she could always sleep on the floor. The moment Gabriela agreed, Loretta lit up, seizing her hand and all but dragging her toward Wesley."Wesley," she announced with cheerful triumph."Gabriela's agreed to let you come back to the master bedroom. You two can share it tonight!"

A storm gathered instantly over Wesley's face.