The Sweetest Temptation
Chapter 161: First gift

Chapter 161: First gift

Ever since Beatrix came back from her comfort room trip, she was silent the whole way going back home. Matteo thinking it’s just her tired from the trip, he ignored it as he also believed that she is anxious to go home--seeing her other older brothers.

The moment they arrived at the airport, their father’s secretary came to pick them up with the car. As they drove going back home, Matteo looked at his younger sister from the corner of his eye and talked to her.

"We’re almost home. Are you alright?"

"Yes," Beatrix said, biting the nail of her thumb. With her dreaming about Damien and Rhys, in such type of dream as well... she obviously could not bring them out of her mind.

"Excited to meet your other brothers?"

"Of course," Beatrix answered almost immediately, turning her head to look at Matteo.

"That’s good. As you rest and recover, you’ll definitely have fun with us."

Beatrix grinned ear to ear. As the sight of their house from afar caught her attention, she had almost forgotten the dream she had on the plane and was now eager to see her older brothers. Before she knew it, she was already smiling as she wanted to come down from the car.

The driver drove through the gate and stopped right in front of the door. The moment the engine died, Beatrix immediately unbuckled her seat belt to go down.

"Aah... so excited, I see," Matteo commented, their father smiling at the sight even though he was worried about his daughter’s welfare just a moment ago.

From the entrance of their house stood Beatrix’ other older brothers, Remo and Ares. As they stood there, they watched their little sister rush to them to give them an embrace, the two brothers chuckling as they welcomed their little sister in a big bear hug, almost carrying her.

"Bea, welcome home," they greeted, Beatrix beaming at them with glee in her eyes.

"I’m home. It’s definitely nice to see you both," she told them, Beatrix looking back to see their father and brother Matteo.

"Well, she’s safe and here now," Matteo said, "she still needs to rest and recover, though."

"Alright, not a problem," Remo said, brushing off what Matteo had said. "Bea’s home. A lot of things can be done at home as long as the four of us are together."

"Or... we can eat outside. It’s not a strenous activity, anwyays. Why coop our little sister up at home when fun things are also outside?" Ares chimed in, the four siblings already talking over each other as they planned on what to do the moment Beatrix came home from the hospital.

"Ahem..." Their father cleared their throat, catching their attention. "Not too much outside. Your sister’s safety is important."

The four of them nodded. Beatrix whispered softly that only her older brothers could hear. "What has he found out?"

The brothers just shrugged. With them directly changing the subject, Ares put his arm around her shoulder and already directed her inside their home.

"Come on! Matteo said you didn’t eat so much in the plane. Remo and I made sure that your favorite food is prepared for your arrival."

"Oh! You mean... OUR favorite food?" Beatrix asked, Ares grinning ear to ear as they both exclaimed in unison.

"Buffalo chicken wiiiiings!"

The four of them already entered the house. Their father watched them walk away and a smile crept on his face as he did so. However, he could still not remove the worry he felt--especially on Beatrix’ safety.

He knows that he would have to secure her safety and would have to do something about it.

***

The four of them were already in the living room. They decided to watch TV while they ate their buffalo wings. Even though the television was on, they just had it on for background noise as they talked to each other and looked at the screen from time to time.

"Can’t you guys believe it?" Matteo started, chewing on his chicken as Beatrix rolled her eyes at him.

"Oh, shut up, Matteo. Don’t make such a big deal out of it," she playfully said, eating her piece as well as the other brothers were curious as to what they’re talking about.

"What is it?" Remo asked, Matteo answering his question. The moment they heard his answer, the eyes of the three brothers looked at Beatrix as if she did a crime.

"She said that Damien and Rhys are her favorite people."

"Oh, you really said that?" Ares commented sarcastically. "And your brothers aren’t your most favorite people?"

"Oh, come on... you guys," Beatrix reacted, kicking Ares’ seat, making him chuckle. "You guys know that you are in another category."

"Then what’s our category?" Remo asked, Beatrix cocking her head to the side as she thought for a while.

"Hmm..."

"Oh, you better think of one," Matteo teased. "You know, family--especially us, your most handsome and manly older brothers, are the favorite. No one else."

"Oh, cut it out," Beatrix replied, rolling her eyes at them. "Then let me ask... isn’t it that when you try to woo women, you tell them that they’re the most beautiful and that they are also your favorite?"

Ares narrowed his eyes at her. "Is that the reason why you have Damien and Rhys as your favorite people? You’re wooing them?"

Beatrix hit her older brother’s arm.

"Hey! You have sauce on your fingers! Cut it out!" Ares exclaimed, all of them laughing.

"Shut up. You deserve it!"

As the two of them continued teasing each other, Beatrix looked at Matteo and then asked him a request.

"Oh... I almost forgot... can you inform them that we’re already home?"

Matteo shrugged his shoulders. "Why aren’t you gonna do it?"

"The three of us are eating with our hands," she answered, gesturing to Remo and Ares. "But you, Matteo, eat your chicken by stabbing your fork. You’re more feminine than me," she added, Remo and Ares chuckling silently as Matteo glared at them.

"Yeah, yeah... whatever, Bea." Matteo grinned. "You could have told me that after I sent the message. Now I don’t want to message them at all."

"Ah! Don’t do that!" Beatrix exclaimed, throwing a small chicken bone at him to urge him. "Come on! You can’t resist me!"

"Hey!" Matteo threw her back the chicken bone that she sucked for all the meat to disappear. "I really won’t message them."

Beatrix gave him a warning look. "Want me to keep throwing chicken?"

"Damn... you’re petty."

Even though Matteo said that, he put down his fork stabbed in chicken aside, already getting his phone from his pocket. With him sending them a message, Beatrix smiled at him and made a comment.

"I knew it. You guys always do stuff for me."

Matteo playfully rolled his eyes at her. "I told them we’re home... told them also that you couldn’t text because you’re devouring a bucket of chicken alone, leaving none for your dear brothers."

"Hey, you make me sound like a pig," Beatrix said, the three brothers laughing at her.

"Well, you are when it comes to our favorite food," Ares commented, pointing at her plate. "Noticed that you already have consumed three pieces, and your brothers are only finishing their first or second."

Beatrix scoffed. "Those are small pieces that I got that’s why I was faster!"

"Reasons," the three brothers said in unison, making Beatrix laugh at their remark.

"Oh, shut up... if only I didn’t miss the three of you, if only I’m not recovering, I would’ve attacked you three with my saucy fingers!"

The siblings continued talking to each other. With their father watching them from the entrance of the living room, he smiled as he kept an eye particularly on Beatrix. She is home and she will now be safe, especially with her older brothers around.

However, soon after, his smile started to fade away from his face. He recalled that Beatrix is involved with a person from his past whom he thought he would never cross paths with.

And with the danger lingering around her, he wonders if it’s because of "him."

Soon after, his attention was caught by his secretary tapping his shoulder. With him handing him over a box, he was skeptical as to why there was no name in it.

"From whose is this?" he asked, the secretary answering his question.

"We do not know. It is a mystery sender. However, I’ll be doing my best to check on it."

The father nodded. As he looked at his children one more before going to his office, he felt an undeniable discomfort in his stomach as he walked away.

He decided to go to his office. He locked the door so that no one could disturb him. With Beatrix with her older brothers, no one would definitely notice that he is alone in his office.

He looked at the box on the table and hesitated to open it. For some reason, he knew that it’s sort of a warning--something unusual in the box that would make him worry to death.

In the box was an innocent fluffy teddy bear... turned into something undesirable for a young child. The bear was in tight ropes, even gagged indicating its suffocation.

It turns out that his gut-feeling was right all along.