Chapter 5

Everyone turned their heads at the sound.

Rachel stood there, her face bare and her hair still damp. She clutched a towel tightly to her chest, revealing her delicate collarbones.

The bathroom was still filled with steam and the scent of soap.

Dennis quickly turned away, his ears turning red as he stammered an apology, "Step-grandma, I'm sorry. You didn't answer the door, and we thought something might have happened."

Rachel's beautiful eyes were filled with anger. She pointed to the door and shouted, "Get out!"

Abigail's face changed, but she was still unwilling to give up. "Mrs. Smith, have you seen Kevin?"

Her eyes darted around the room.

But there was nothing unusual in the room.

Rachel looked at her coldly, a mocking smile on her lips. "Your boyfriend is missing, and you come looking for him here?"

Rachel's tone was far from polite.

Her features were naturally alluring. But when she was angry, there was a cold distance in her eyes. "Get out."

Dennis hurriedly spoke up, "Step-grandma, please don't be angry. We'll leave right away."

Ralph's face showed no emotion, but there was a hint of disdain in his eyes. "It seems there was a misunderstanding."

The group left as noisily as they had come, each with their own thoughts.

Rachel quickly walked over and shut the door behind them.

She let out a heavy sigh and couldn't help but glance at the window.

The white curtains fluttered in the breeze, and a cold draft made her shiver.

After getting dressed, Rachel went to find Isaac.

Isaac was leaning against the headboard, the light in the room highlighting the lines on his face and the age spots that seemed ready to surface from beneath his skin.

Rachel hid her disgust. She even felt that the air Isaac was breathing was foul, making her feel nauseous.

"What happened just now?" Isaac asked.

Rachel's shoulders trembled slightly, and she bit her lower lip, looking pitiful. "I don't know what got into them. I was in the middle of a shower when they suddenly barged in. They have no respect for me at all."

Normally, Rachel wouldn't dare speak so directly, but now she had an opportunity to vent her frustrations.

"I don't want to live here at all. The way they look at me, it's like I'm just an object on a shelf. And my private room—they think they can just barge in whenever they want."

Isaac didn't speak, his cold eyes fixed on Rachel. "They were indeed in the wrong."

Tears welled up in Rachel's pale blue eyes, and before she could speak, they fell like broken pearls.

"I know you want to take care of me, but I can't stand those looks anymore." Rachel's voice was fragile. "I want to move out of here."

Isaac didn't respond. He just patted the spot next to him, signaling Rachel to sit down.

Rachel hesitated but eventually obeyed.

Isaac's eyes softened. "Don't worry, I'll handle this. I won't let you be treated like that again."

Rachel bit her pink lips until they almost bled. "I know I shouldn't make a big deal out of this, but if I had reacted any slower..."

She trailed off.

Rachel didn't continue, and Isaac's gaze deepened.

He reached out to grab Rachel's wrist.

Rachel suddenly clutched her chest and coughed a few times.

Her already pale face looked even worse.

Seemingly worried, Isaac asked, "What's wrong? Did you catch a cold?"

"Maybe I got a chill while showering last night," Rachel said as she quickly stood up and took a few steps back. "I should stay away from you, in case I pass it on."

Isaac nodded thoughtfully and waved his hand, looking tired. "You can go back. I'll warn them and take back the keys."

Rachel nodded reluctantly and didn't say anything more.

As she left the room, the hatred in her eyes was almost uncontrollable.

She knew Isaac would never let her leave the Smith Manor so easily.

Rachel didn't sleep well that night.

The next morning, when she went to have breakfast, the Smith family was already seated at the table.

The seat next to Isaac was naturally reserved for her, directly across from Kevin.

Rachel walked over calmly and pulled out her chair to sit down.

Isaac covered his mouth and coughed. "I know what happened last night. From now on, all master keys will be destroyed."

Dennis's face turned red with embarrassment, and he stammered, "Grandpa, it was my fault. I was just too worried about Step-grandma."

The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees.

Kevin gripped his milk tightly, a hint of displeasure in his narrow eyes.

He felt like there was more to Dennis's words.

His lips pressed into a thin line, and his gaze was icy, making Abigail glance at him uneasily.

Dennis rubbed his arms, feeling a sudden chill.

Isaac nodded casually, easily brushing the matter aside. "Alright, I don't want this to happen again."

Rachel kept her head down, eating her breakfast without speaking.

Destroy the master keys?

That was a lie only a child would believe.

She wore a light-colored dress today, revealing her calves.

Suddenly, she felt something cold slowly brushing against her skin.

The unexpected touch made Rachel's face change slightly.

Who had the nerve to touch her leg under the table?

Rachel leaned back, her eyes quickly scanning the room.

The answer was obvious—Kevin.

The cold fabric of his pants felt like an invisible snake slithering over her skin.

But Kevin sat there calmly, as if nothing was happening.

He cleverly used the tablecloth to hide his actions.

Rachel wanted to move away, but she was trapped in the narrow space of her chair.

The leg grew bolder, moving higher.

Rachel clenched her fists.

She couldn't understand what Kevin wanted.

Just then, Ralph looked up and stared at Kevin. "Kevin."