Rehab for SuperVillains (18+)
Chapter 262: gentle

Chapter 262: gentle

Kael leaned forward, his voice dropping, teasing but gentle.

"You think I didn’t notice? Breakfast this morning? My food was plated better. Hotter. I had two eggs. Rhea had one and a half."

"Coincidence," Tila muttered, her black eyes narrowing, her fingers gripping a shirt tightly.

"My teacup had a mint leaf. No one else’s did," Kael continued, his grin widening, his hazel eyes glinting.

"You’re hallucinating," she snapped, her cheeks burning hotter.

"My fork was polished. Rhea’s still had a spot on it, which I don’t think she seemed to mind" he said, his voice soft, playful.

Tila was silent, her black eyes fixed on the laundry pile, her heart pounding as if she could sink into it and disappear.

Kael leaned closer, his voice softer still, warm with affection.

"And when you came to refill water, you refilled mine first. Even though Rhea was holding up her glass like a damn goblet of demand."

Tila’s black eyes flickered, her ears twitching, her tail stilling as the truth settled over her, heavy and undeniable.

Kael’s grin softened, his hazel eyes warm, his voice barely above a whisper.

"So... I want to say... Thank you," he said. "That was sweet."

Tila didn’t answer.

Her black eyes wide, her cheeks flushed.

And her ears were red.

The last of the laundry sat in a neat stack beside them—folded, sorted, flawless, a stark contrast to the chaotic pile Tila had been wrestling with moments before.

She stood, brushing dust off her skirt, her black eyes narrowed, arms crossed tightly over her maid dress, the tail plug swishing faintly behind her.

Kael stretched, his joints popping, his hazel eyes glinting with a small, playful grin as he looked at her.

"There’s a place I want to go. Would you like to join me?"

Tila scoffed, her black eyes flashing with defiance, her wild black hair bouncing. "If I have to. I am your maid, remember?"

He smiled, his hazel eyes warm, his voice light. "Then good. We leave in ten."

He left her there, her frown lingering, but she didn’t protest further, her black eyes fixed on the floor as she adjusted her skirt.

Kael moved through the villa, his steps soft on the hardwood, his mind buzzing with plans.

He found Liss on the balcony, leaning against the railing, the summer wind playing with her loose blonde hair, her tank top and shorts clinging to her toned frame.

She turned at his approach, her electric-blue eyes cool and knowing, a smirk curling her lips before he even spoke.

After a brief exchange—low, smooth words traded in the warm air—they made their plan, a quiet agreement sealed with a nod.

In the common room, Kael gathered Freya and Rhea, who were draped lazily across the couch, their bodies heavy with fatigue from Liss’s brutal training the night before.

Freya’s long legs were crossed, her arms folded, her platinum-cyan hair spilling over her shoulders, her blue eyes sharp despite her exhaustion, her cyan T-shirt and navy lounge pants accentuating her elegant frame.

Rhea sat curled, hugging a cushion to her chest, her crimson hair a tangled mess, her amber eyes glinting with restless energy, her black tank top and shorts revealing her curves and a bit more than that.

"I want you two to stay at the villa," Kael began, his voice steady, his hazel eyes meeting theirs.

"Take care of it while I’m gone. Liss, Tila, and I are heading to the Haven to assess the damage."

Freya smiled.

"Liar," she said instantly, her blue eyes cutting through him like ice, her voice sharp, unyielding.

Kael blinked, his hazel eyes widening, caught off guard. "What?"

"You’re lying," Freya repeated, her blue eyes cool but piercing, her posture stiffening, her voice laced with a quiet fury that made the air heavy.

"I—what are you talking about?" Kael said, his voice faltering, his hazel eyes flickering.

Rhea sat up straighter, her amber eyes narrowing, her cushion falling to her lap. "I’m coming with you too, I don’t believe you," she said, her voice firm, her gaze blazing with defiance.

Kael frowned, his jaw tensing, his hazel eyes darkening.

"No. I need someone to stay behind. I don’t want anyone sneaking into the villa or planting something while we’re away. I’m serious."

"Bullshit," Freya snapped, her blue eyes flashing, her hair shifting as she leaned forward, her voice cutting through the room like a blade.

Kael’s jaw tightened, his hazel eyes meeting hers, his silence a confession.

Freya’s gaze didn’t waver, her voice dropping, raw with hurt.

"This isn’t about damage or the Haven," she said, her words sharp, trembling with emotion. "It’s about the twins. Isn’t it?"

Kael didn’t answer, his face shifting—just slightly, a flicker of guilt in his hazel eyes, but it was enough to confirm her suspicions.

Rhea’s amber eyes narrowed further, her voice laced with heat and betrayal. "So you were lying."

...

"I’m sorry," Kael said quietly, his voice heavy, his hazel eyes dropping to the floor, the weight of his secrecy pressing against his chest.

Freya scoffed, the sound raw, her blue eyes glistening with unshed tears, the pain behind her breath a visible wound.

"There’s no need to lie, Kael," she said, her voice trembling, cutting sharper than any blade. "But it’s pathetic that you still do."

Kael looked down, the word pathetic slicing through him, a wound that stung deeper than it should’ve.

He heard the hurt beneath her anger, a raw vulnerability that made his chest ache.

Rhea tilted her head, her amber eyes blazing, her voice thick with guilt and fury.

"Yes, Kael," she snapped, her words sharp. "I hate that you don’t trust us. Even though we... trust you so much."

Kael swallowed hard, the guilt sitting like a rock in his chest, his hazel eyes meeting theirs, heavy with regret.

"It’s not that I don’t trust you," he said, his voice low, raw. "There are things I can’t explain. Things I don’t want you involved in—not because you’re not capable, but because I’ve lived through what happens when the people I care about get too close to my secrets."