Page 33 of TAINTED by TWINS

Velomina followed Jade as he had to carry Lei Ann into the car.

"Jonah told me we should pack her stuff and stay in a hotel for a while.

.. somewhere dad won't look. Miss Miller is in danger because if anyone can convince Lian not to take charge of Maison du Rouge, it's her. Father's not gonna allow that."

"Lei Ann has never been out of danger ever since he found out about the truth. Alright, take us to their house..." Velomina was about to go into the backseat but stopped when he son stood and stared at her bewildered, a bit lost. "Jade?"

"I... don't drive cars."

"You don't know how to drive cars?! Don't you have a license?!" She shrieked, with Lei Ann crying from inside the car.

"Fine I'll drive—god Jonah is much more functioning than you!" Velomina exclaims as she gets inside the driver's seat, and Jade gets in the passenger's.

But a small voice came from behind, "Are we going to see Lian... ?"

"No my love, we're going home to get your stuff but we're gonna stay somewhere else, okay?" Velomina says in a voice so gentle, Jade made a disgusted face.

"My love? Didn't you throw her off the stairs—"

"Shut up or I'm performing a late abortion on you, Jade Deveroux!" Velomina threatened as she drove off.

Lei Ann sat down, sniffing as her tears dried up on her face. "I just want Lian to be free. Khalid is going to destroy him... turn him into a cold hearted person. Mina... can't you... ? Help him?"

"I don't have the power to go against him, Lei Ann." Velomina says, "But I'll do my best. I want the best for Lian, and I know his father is not where he belongs."

"Mom, I'm done... I found documents like birth certificates, too." Jade came down with two bags filled with clothes and an organizer filled with files, but Lei Ann stood up.

"His pictures! My son's pictures—"

"We'll go back for them, my love. For now, we need to go before Khalid sends anyone after you." Jade watches his mother gently hold the woman's hand with her bare ones, a rarity for Lady Deveroux.

Lei Ann didn't seem to have a choice. They had to go check into a hotel. Before walking into the building, Velomina puts on giant sunglasses and a summer hat which Jade immediately calls out.

"You're wearing all of that at night, you look ridiculous, mom!"

"Shush, I don't want anyone to recognize me and track us here!" She hissed at his as a hotel staff approached them with a big smile.

"Lady Deveroux! Lovely to see you again, your usual suite madame?" He politely bows. Everybody could smell her luxury perfume and see her tall and slim stature from a mile away.

Jade gives her a look as Velomina begrudgingly removed her sunglasses.

"Yes, we will be checking in. Uhm... Ricardo?

Yes, uhm... will my presence here be confidential?

Kept secret from... let's say a powerful billionaire?

My husband and I are currently in a domestic dispute and I fear for my life.

.. you wouldn't want to be responsible for me being in danger, would you? "

Jonah's umbilical cord is indeed uncut, Jade concludes.

"Uhm... yes ma'am! It is required for all staffs to uphold guests' privacy, I will ensure your stay will be kept secret."

"Honey, would you be a dear and pay with cash?" Velomina sickly sweetly requests her son. "I don't have cash on me at the moment." Cards can be traced.

"Why, I thought I was dysfunctional? Don't tell me you too."

Velomina pinched his sides while glaring at him with that sweet smile. "Now, Jade. Be a good boy and pay for the suite. Make sure it is the one with a bathtub and humidifier, too—my skin gets dry."

"Ugh, I could care less if you prune up," Jade begrudgingly took out his wallet and pulled out a lot of hundreds. "If I knew I was paying, I'd just take us to a motel. That would truly be untraceable. But you just had to take us to a 5 star hotel."

"Honey this is 7 stars, I'd never stay in such a low rated hotel." Velomina held Lei Ann's hand. "Come my love, you need rest. Jade, come with us."

"Why, I don't want people to think I'm a pimp to the elderly—ow! Mom!" Jade has no choice but to follow his mother like a teen being forced to go to church.

As Lei Ann prepared to go to bed in the bathroom, Velomina paces around the suite's living room to think of how to reunite Lian with his mother. "I never should've threw the party. I should've immediately flown them to Alaska to hide from Khalid!"

Jade rolls his eyes, "I never really expected you to make good choices... those shoes were a choice."

"I trust Jonah with Lian—" Jade mutters about that being a choice as well, Velomina ignoring him. "But I can't trust Lei Ann alone or with a bodyguard. We're gonna have to stay with her."

"No, I'm gonna go because honestly, this place smelled nice until you went in here mother," Jade grumbled as he walks to the door, but Velomina calls out to him.

"I can't use my phone, Jade! Khalid tapped it and one call will alert him my location.

I need your help getting a new phone, getting cash, getting—I can't run away from your father alone, Jade.

It's night time, we need rest and I need you to help me watch Lei Ann.

Don't do this for me, do this for her and her son. "

Just then, Lei Ann came out of the bathroom in her pajamas. "Hello, is Jade leaving?"

Velomina waited for Jade's answer. If anyone can truly protect them, it's him. Even Jade's conscience prevents him from leaving them alone in a world that his father controls.

So, he sighed. "I'll just go outside to make some calls. I'll have my agents from Nightingale watch the hotel. I'll also withdraw some cash but... I'll come back. I'll stay for tonight."

I was once an ordinary teacher. One without a father, one who thought no one could love me because of my appearance, one who thought I could only live to survive.

Then I met the most dangerous twins in my life. At first, I thought the one with spikes on his jacket and exploits people for money was the dangerous twin. Little did I know... it was the twin who has blonde hair, a top student, the perfect son.

I was fooled. By everyone in my life.

My first lover cheated and used me. My student exploited me. My mother wasn't an ordinary drunk woman. My father, a billionaire who has hunted us down for years. His wife... used her sons to track us down. Her sons...

Oh, her sons made me fall dangerously in love to the point where I want to kill myself. I'm looking at the whole chandelier above me reminiscing if I could.

I have my mother to take of.

"Lian, you haven't touched your breakfast—" the moment Lord Deveroux spoke, Lian snaps his eyes at him. Khalid smiles at him, "I was thinking of throwing a gala in your honor. To formally introduce the Deveroux heir. I sure would like to show you off."

The Deveroux heir turns to stare at Jonah across the table, who gave Lian a reassuring smile as if he liked shovingcaviar up his nose in the first plac—he doesn't, rich people's food are weird.

Lian decided to ignore the statement, pushing his untouched plate away. "Where is Jade?"

Khalid chuckles, "Probably selling a container full of drugs somewhere—you cannot trust that boy. Jonah here is much more reliable, a prodigy, efficient. He is clean with a bright future ahead. I would like you to be the same as him."

"Why not just make Jonah the heir?" He casually suggested, making Jonah's face fall. "He's more capable than me, isn't he? Trained since childhood?"

"Mmm, indeed," Khalid had to finish chewing on his breakfast. "But my dear, the position can only go to my blood. Skills can be learned, but blood... you're only born with it."

Lian rolls his eyes. "I would like to see my mother. Both of them."

Khalid stares at Lian with a less delighted face. Jonah doesn't know what he's doing, purposely provoking Lord Deveroux like this.

But Lian tilts his head, "Did you not promise me to them? Wasn't I supposed to be raised by the both of them? They were my mothers, are they not?"

Lian, what are you doing? Jonah wonders, seeing the vein in Khalid's head pop out slightly.

Khalid laughs, "They would've if Lei Ann didn't pretend to be a corpse for two decades. It's unfortunate, really. Ohh, you would've loved growing up here. You'll have the best toys, the best tutors. Study in the best schools."

"But I already did, I graduated at Carvalle.

.. the most prestigious school in the world," Lian smiles proudly, but Jonah could see right through that facade.

"My mother did that while single, depressed, and living as a corpse.

I grew up to be someone you'd want to show off, aren't I? I believe my mother did a good job."

Khalid's hands can be seen twitching. "Huh. Lei Ann owes me a son after letting her have an affair with my wife. And she owes you the best life she could; it should be the bare minimum for you to grow up decent. But you could've had more, Lian. You deserve more than a drunkard mother."

"I've had enough," Lian politely answered with a smile, before calmly standing up. "I'm done with dinner. I'd like to go see my mother now, thank you."

As he left the chair, a fist is heard slamming against the table in a less delighted manner.

"I forbid you to see Lei Ann. That woman has done nothing but keep you away from the life you deserve—keep me from the son that I am owed.

I gave her a wonderful life here, and what did she do?

Hide in a box and drinking wine from cheap boxes while you suffered a life of poverty.

" Khalid slams his hand against the table, "SHE IS NOTHING, while I could give you everything. "

Lian storms out of the dining room. Khalid breathes in sharply, commanding Jonah, "Keep him in this house. Lei Ann is a horrible influence and I don't want her to taint my son."

Jonah tilts his head, smiling at him. "Of course, father. Nothing but the best for Lian."

Lian's tears are blocking his vision and the cold air of the empty mansion catching up to him. He had to hug himself, sobbing into the hallways until he realized he got lost... he is lost.

He cursed, walking back and forth while looking at the decor to recall which ones he passed through on his way to his bedroom. But instead, his eyes came across the young portrait of a 20 year old Khalid Deveroux, a small photo that he never would've noticed if he didn't recognize the man in it.

It's me. It's my nose, my eyes. Khalid Deveroux is tanner, but that is undeniably Lian's face. A mix of French and Mongolian features, both dominated over Lian's Chinese half. No wonder all employees seeing him has that look on their faces, they suddenly saw the young Deveroux Master.

"Lian."

He gasps, turning around only to see Jade soaking wet from the afternoon rain he couldn't even hear from inside. He was carrying his helmet, his jacket soaked but his hair dry. Lian immediately embraces him.

"Jade! Jade, you have to help me—my mom! I need to go see my mom, her medicine! I have to give her medicine on time!" Lian exclaims, but Jade isn't really doing anything. "Jade, let's go please?"

"Don't you see, Lian?" His face looks heartbroken, disappointed. "You can't go back. Once you went with Jonah, what our father—your father—says, goes. We can't do anything."

"What do you mean you can't do anything, just drive me out of there!"

"And there will be consequences for us!" Jade says, "I can insult my monster of a mother all I want and she won't do anything, but Khalid is a different kind of monster, one that doesn't wear lipstick so he's uglier. It's not a good idea to go against him!"

"But my mom—"

"She's fine, we took her home." Lian is confused, so Jade clarified, "My mom. She took yours home. I don't know if she's safe, her and Jonah have the same level of obsession."

Lian grabs his head, falling against the wall and looking up at Jade with a hopeless look. "You mean I can't see my mom anymore?!"

"Lian, I'm sorry—"

"Then I wouldn't have come with them! I want my mother! I told her I'll come back for her!" Jade had to hold him by both arms because Lian was getting hysterical. "Please Jade, don't trap me here!"

"Lian, calm down!" Jade is struggling to even get him to stand up. "Lian, please!"

"LET GO OF ME!"

"Come on, Jade. Until now you don't know how to comfort a lover? Where have you even been?" Jonah appears behind his twin, gently putting a hand on Jade's shoulder before looking down sympathetically at a panicking Lian.

"I had to take care of Lian's mother and that pale wicked witch of the west—"

"No need to be aggressive, Jade." Jonah's voice deepens as he spoke to Lian, "If you want to see your mother again, be patient and let me work my magic, okay?"

"Jonah, please..." he sobs.

"Shhh, shh... just trust me, my darling..." Jonah's smile indicates he just loves how Lian cries, and Jade wants to punch him for his weird fetish. "Jade? How is his mother?"

"The pearled octopus is with her. The woman won't stop crying, and refused to drink alcohol."

"That's good. See, your mother's doing well." Jonah pats Lian's head as he nods, taking in a deep breath. If she didn't drink, she must've been doing better. Lian just wants her to be taken care of.

"Come on," Jonah lifts up Lian bridal style, making him panic and hold onto him. "He didn't eat much today; let's take him to the dining room and cook for him there."

Lian sniffs his tears, too confused to keep crying. "Y-you cook?"

"As much as I hate to admit, he makes good soup," Jade shrugs.

"I make Jade soup every time he gets sick—he refuses to tell anyone else because mother will immediately bring him to the hospital and he thinks that emasculates him—"

When they got to the kitchen, Jonah gives Lian to his twin before rolling up his sleeves to open the pantry. "This house has two kitchens; the gigantic staff's, who cooks majority of our food. And this one, for just casual snacks. We can still cook quick meals here."

"I've been here before," Lian recalled the first time he met Lady Velomina Deveroux.

"This is where we eat because eating with our parents are insufferable, couldn't stand them." Jade sits with Lian as Jonah worked his way through the fridge and counters. Lian noticed how clingy Jade actually is because he intertwined their arms and is fidgeting with Lian's hand.

Jonah was slicing freshly baked bread as he spoke, "As the heir of Maison du Rouge, you'll be introduced to the staff tomorrow, but our Mama Selda is the Head Housekeeper. She also raised us when our mother couldn't; and the tutors and babysitters are too strict."

Lian remembers her; she probably saw Khalid through him and couldn't tell Lian about it.

"Then we have a Head Butler Joseph, Senior Landscaper Markee, and both mother and father has their own drivers. There's 8 butlers, 13 maids, 5 groundskeepers, and 4 chefs each with their own assistants."

"That's... a lot," Lian says, making Jade scoff because they don't even have a dessert chef.

Jonah was chopping avocados as he says, "Then next week we will go to Paris to show you Maison du Rouge's biggest vineyard. One that produces 600 wine bottles every week, the rarity of it driving prices to the roof. You do know how much each bottle costs, right?"

Jonah looked behind to see Jade snuggled into Lian's neck, his arms hugging his waist as if he is the one being comforted by hugging his personal teddy bear. Lian shakes his head.

"Each Rouge bottle costs $14,400, and not everyone could get their hands on it. Buying from authorized retailers cost double if you really want a bottle."

"Who would spend 14k on wine?!" Lian exclaims.

Jonah cuts him off by loudly putting a plate of avocado French toast on the counter, "That is irrelevant Jade, Lian's already ours."

"Who said I'm yours?" Lian cuts both of them off, taking his hand away from Jade. "I'm your brother, aren't I? It's kind of disgusting."

The moment he uttered that word, the air felt colder than it was and their eyes seemed to darken—no, it's just their pupils expanding. They don't look happy.

Lian raised an eyebrow, taking the fork to eat the toast. "That's the reality, isn't it? It's inappropriate."

But the twins' eyes were on him like observant hunters eyeing their prey. What first felt like an offense taken from what Lian said, turned into what seemed to be hunger and not for food. As if they shared the same brain, the twins stared him down as he shoves bread in his mouth to deflect.

When he ate everything, Jade suddenly took his empty hand. "Let me taste too, Lian..."

"But there's no—" Jade puts two fingers in his mouth and licks the crumbs in it, softly biting the pointer finger. "Ow! Jade—"

He refused to let go, holding onto Lian's waist and pulling him and his chair closer. Lian was trying to get away. "I'm serious, not here!"

Only then did he notice Jonah behind him, sleeves rolled up to prepare a different kind of meal. He held Lian's shoulders to keep him in place, much to the young man's horror.

"At first, you were closeted. Then, you had a boyfriend. Then, you were a teacher. Now... you're our brother? Are we really not meant to be, Lian?" Jonah said his name coldly, in a way that broke Lian's heart.

"I don't know," Lian admits, begging to tear his hand away from Jade, "I'm scared. I've been fooled by everyone in my life including you! So please... while I still can, I want to stay away..."

Jade lets those fingers slip down his tongue, "Wrong move. Because if fate doesn't want us to be together, we'll take care of fate itself." He looks up at Jonah, "That man behind you... he's willing to derail a train just so it'll go where he wants it to go."

Jonah smirks as his twin has caught up to what he has done—Jonah was the one who told Khalid Deveroux about Lian's party, where he is, and made sure Lian is shackled into the house. That angelic Prince Charming behind him... is the devil.

"Am I not allowed to stay away even if I wanted to?" Lian whispers.

Jonah answers, "Can you, even if you're allowed?"

Lian was right, Jade thinks, watching Jonah unbutton Lian's shirt from behind. He's still being fooled. Jonah still wants to make sure he stays with us by chaining him to our side.

"Jonah—! Don't touch me there, it tickles! Ahh~"

"I'll stop when it hurts," Jonah replies cheekily as he jerks off Lian's member to arousal. "You need to be punished for saying it's disgusting to be ours."

But I can't do anything... Jade kisses him as Jonah holds him down, taking advantage of the fact that Lian is distracted from the kiss. If I go against Jonah, he'll derail me too. It's best not to make an enemy out of Jonah. But I promise, Lian...

I'm always on your side. I'll always be protecting you.

Jade whispers against his lips, "Let me make you feel good. Lian, please..."

He took one good look at Jade's bright blue eyes, seeing nothing but yearning from them, begging to get a taste. Like a human tempted by the forbidden fruit, Lian swallows his reluctance and bites his lip, silently allowing Jade to wrap his mouth around him.

"Ahhh!"

"It has become Jade's favorite, you know... sucking you off. Making you moan with that hot voice, it makes him want to suck so you get louder," Jonah whispers in his ear.

"Wh-what if... someone comes in? I don't want them to see me like this..." there's no doors, just a straight up hallway with no covers to shield anyone from the sight of Lian getting ravaged by the Deveroux twins—while he's the Deveroux heir himself.

"I won't ever let anyone but us see you like this," Jonah says, grabbing onto the hollows of Lian's cheeks so he'll stay watching Jade pleasure him to completion, producing the most angelic moans in the household. "You are ours, and ours alone, Lian Deveroux."