However, as Taya and Viktor entered the cottage, she suddenly noticed something and whispered to Viktor in a voice even lower than before, "You seem cold. Did something happen?"

"Oh, right. I just forgot to regulate, that's all," Viktor said, and Taya felt his hand getting warmer till it felt like a normal human being's.

But Taya looked at his eyes and asked doubtfully, "You haven't fed, have you? How long has it been?"

Viktor sighed and then said after a brief pause, "Just a week or more, I guess. It's very hard to smuggle blood back in that place and it's not like I could go around sucking off people."

"Gosh. Why didn't you tell me? No wonder you are so cranky, especially at this hour. If you delay it anymore, you will start to feel weak," She then said after a brief moment of hesitation, "I will give you some soon. Just let's finish celebrating Denys' birthday and go home."

Viktor looked at her side profile with a soft gaze and then whispered, "Of course, I have been waiting for you to say that to me."

"Oh, stop it!" Taya only rolled her eyes but her lips seemed to arch into a soft smile on their own which she stifled as she changed her expression into a cold one and asked, "How long are you going to keep your hand on me?"

Viktor's lips curved into a smile as he said, "As long as we are here?"

She replied in a frigid tone, "Hmph, I am still very angry about what you did back there. Don't think I am letting you go scot free just like that. After this, we are going to have a good long talk about what you did."

"Go easy on me," Viktor said with a stifled chuckle which made Taya's face redden like a berry in anger.

She couldn't understand why it was so hard to get angry at him or talk him down in a serious manner. Whenever she was with him, it was as if time was flowing backwards and she was nothing but a little girl before him who always walked beside him and followed wherever he went, just like all those years ago.

This feeling only made her even more peeved, and gave him another sublte pinch on his stomach.

"Ow. Do you plan to leave pinches of love on my body? Then you are most welcome," Viktor smirked to which Taya snorted as she glanced away, thinking that it was better to keep quiet for now lest her friends behind misunderstand even more.

This change in the air between them didn't go unnoticed by the five behind.

But everyone couldn't help but admit inwardly that the two looked so good together from behind that even Jessie and Mary, who were rooting for Denys, had second thoughts.

"Well, well, you two surely seem to have forgotten about us, hehe," Jessie giggled as she tried to give a knowing glance at Taya, who purposefully ignored her wink.

"Ah, how bad of me. Sorry, it's just that we two had a lot of catching up," Viktor said with a chuckle.

"Aha, I see. Come, let's all sit in the backyard and discuss how you two got so close. I mean, it's not every day that we see an ex-sister-in-law having such a good relationship with her ex-brother-in-law, haha," Mary said with a slight laugh while throwing a glance towards Taya.

Taya couldn't help but glare at Viktor again, who mouthed, "What? They are right."

"Of course. Let's all settle down. I have already prepared everything on the table, hehe," Sean said as he eagerly went ahead.

Denys still had a smile plastered on his face as he simply nodded and smiled to anyone who said anything to him while his mind was focused on the beautiful woman and man sticking close to each other.

He noticed how Viktor's hand still hadn't left Taya's shoulders, and she seemed totally okay with it.

Would a normal ex-brother-in-law keep his hand on his ex-sister-in-law for such a long time? Definitely no!

For the first time, he wondered why her ex-husband wasn't here so that he wouldn't have to see Lucien's overly attractive smile nor see him hugging onto her.

Everyone sat down at the table in the backyard with a beautiful, well-lit pool in the background, fragrant flowers, and fairy lights.

"So, Lucien, how is your brother doing, and how did you happen to be so close with our Taya?" Sarah eagerly asked though she was not clear herself why she asked.

Taya glanced at Viktor but then put up a smile knowing that he will anyway cook up some story.

historical

Viktor raised his brows and replied, "Oh well, my brother has actually disappeared. I think he has gone off-grid. In fact, the last message I received from him was a few months ago in an email where he mentioned that he had found the true love of his life and living his life to the fullest with his love in some god knows which island. That's all. Anyway, I don't care what that foolish brother of mine does. He always had a loose screw in his head. I really feel bad for my poor sister-in-law."

Viktor gave a sympathetic look to Taya, who pinched his legs while wryly smiling. She wanted to give him an earful for telling them things with too much unnecessary detail.

She knew Viktor was trying his best to make his 'brother' look contemptible.

Thankfully, she never really talked about her mysterious husband to anyone else nor the reason for her divorce. All they knew on paper was that it was a mutual divorce because of having different opinions. So that left room for a lot of things, and Viktor knew that as well.

However, the others bought it, and Jessie and Mary couldn't help but give a sympathetic glance towards Taya, who still had a cool expression.

Taya couldn't help but wonder for how long more Viktor was going to make things embarrassing for her.

"I see. You are right, Lucien. Your brother seems strange and weird. I like you. Now tell us about your story and how you seem to know Taya better than your brother," Mary asked as she rested her chin on her hands.

Denys nodded along helplessly and sighed as he looked at the table.

You people don't want to eat? How could you ignore all these appetizing dishes? How could you all forget why we even came here in the first place? How could you all forget me??

Viktor who was oblivious to Denys' indignant thoughts, eagerly answered, "Well, I first met Taya when I was just a school kid, and she was the beautiful pretty lady who stole my breath at first glance. Technically, she was my first crush at sight."

Taya couldn't help but blush slightly hearing his exaggeration, especially when she received smiles from Mary and Jessie in between. She couldn't help but wonder how he could say such things with a straight face.

Mary and Jessie made awed expressions while Sarah stared enviously at Taya, wondering why all the best ones were fawning over her.

Viktor continued in a disappointed tone, "But my first crush ended faster than a falling ball when I saw that she visited to meet my brother as a potential fiance. From then on, I started to meet her frequently, and she even began to help me out with my studies and assignments. I was not that great at studies, especially when I was the type who lazed and fooled around a lot. But she made studying seem so simple that I became a topper before I even knew it. Not bragging here, haha, just stating the fact."

Taya softly smiled as certain memories popped up where things Viktor said happened, only the roles were reversed and some other differences.

"She even accompanied me till school to drop me off and even for some of my business in school, and like that, we became friends. From then on, we became close friends till I had to go somewhere far away for some training that required me to be in someplace that didn't have many communication facilities. And now here I am....only to find out my sweet sister-in-law was divorced. I know she is not my in-law anymore on paper, but I still feel like I am her brother-in-law, so I just call myself that, haha. Is that weird?"

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