Chapter 3 : Frank''s Visit

The spacious kitchen was filled with the enticing aroma of food. A boy wearing an apron was busy moving around. Despite the sweat on his forehead and his not fully recovered body, his eyes were full of sweet smiles.

Today, Mr. Montague had sent him a message saying he would be home for dinner. Keith had started preparing early, and Mr. Montague had asked him to make a lavish meal, indicating he was in a good mood.

Thinking about this, Keith''s pale lips curved slightly, and his beautiful almond-shaped eyes sparkled with undisguised anticipation.

After finishing the preparations, Keith finally heard the long-awaited doorbell. He happily bounced over to greet the visitor, but when he opened the door, his heart sank. Standing next to Austin was a boy who looked somewhat like him—Frank!

Although the boy resembled him, his clothes were far more luxurious. Up close, his face was indeed more refined, and he exuded a noble aura. He even held a beautiful little white dog in his arms. The difference between them was stark.

Frank looked at Keith with disdain and contempt. He had investigated Austin''s situation over the past few years and knew about this substitute. He knew Austin''s feelings for him hadn''t changed and that this person was just a stand-in for emotional support.

As for this... substitute, the information Frank had gathered told him that this person had feelings for Austin. Frank despised anyone coveting what was his.

At this thought, a barely noticeable hint of malice flickered in Frank''s eyes, making Keith involuntarily shiver.

Feigning ignorance, Frank asked, "Montague, who is he? A friend of yours?"

Austin felt a bit awkward and ruffled Frank''s hair, his distinct fingers threading through Frank''s locks. His usually sharp eyes were now filled with affection. "He''s not important. Don''t worry about him."

Hearing this, a smug smile appeared on Frank''s lips. Even though he knew Keith held no significance to Austin, killing him outright wouldn''t be any fun.

He wanted to slowly torment Keith until he took his own life, without Frank having to bear any responsibility.

Keith stood there alone, completely ignored by Austin, not even receiving a glance, as if he didn''t exist. He lowered his head, fidgeting with his clothes, his eyes full of disappointment. Was he not even considered a friend by Austin?

Seeing Keith standing there motionless, Austin grew a bit annoyed, his sharp eyebrows slightly furrowing, his deep eyes filled with an unmelting coldness. "What are you standing there for? Go prepare the tableware."

Austin''s commanding tone made it clear he saw Keith as nothing more than a servant. Keith pressed his lips together, looking up at the two laughing and chatting. No matter how good Austin had been to him before, in front of the real deal, he was just a worthless substitute.

Keith followed Austin''s orders, knowing that Mr. Douglas was a guest and he shouldn''t neglect him, especially since he was no match for Frank.

Looking at the table full of food, both of them seemed at ease. Austin showed no extra expression, his chiseled face calm, only softening slightly when he looked at Frank. Keith''s good performance was taken for granted.

After preparing the tableware, Keith, sensing the atmosphere, wisely decided not to join them for dinner. Besides, Frank was openly releasing pheromones towards Austin, and the sweet creamy scent made it unbearable for Keith to stay.

But before Keith could get his own meal, Frank spoke again, "You must be Montague''s new nanny. My dog, Pudding, is a bit dirty. Could you take him down for a wash?"

Suppressing his grievances, Keith weakly said in his soft voice, "I''m not..."

Before he could finish, Austin impatiently interrupted, "Hurry up and go."

Austin said, casually placing a piece of meat on Frank''s plate. He was indifferent towards Keith, but at that moment, only Keith could feel the oppressive pressure from Austin''s pheromones.

Under this pressure, Keith felt almost suffocated. He couldn''t believe it. Although Austin hadn''t been kind to him lately, he never thought Austin would use pheromones against him. Was he trying to hide his identity from Frank?

Regardless, Keith had to obey Austin''s orders. He reached out to the little white dog named Pudding, but before he could touch it, Pudding''s growl startled him, nearly biting his hand. If it had, his fingers might have been severed.

Keith felt anxious, looking to Austin for help, but Austin''s brows were deeply furrowed, clearly impatient, as if he couldn''t see Keith''s fear. His thin lips parted, urging sternly, "What are you dawdling for? Hurry up."

Keith was startled by Austin''s voice, feeling the pressure around him intensify. He had no choice but to nervously reach out to Pudding with trembling hands.

Unnoticed by them, Frank secretly fed something unknown to Pudding.

When Keith held Pudding in his arms, he could feel the vibrations from its belly, as if it was ready to pounce. The fierce expression on its face made Keith even more uneasy.

Austin took Frank''s hand, his long, narrow eyes filled with deep affection and tenderness—something Keith had never seen before. At that moment, Austin''s eyes could only see Frank, completely ignoring Keith''s fear. All he wanted was to fulfill every one of Frank''s requests.

When Keith brought Pudding to the bathroom, Frank''s lips curled into a cold smile.

Entering the bathroom, Keith''s anxiety peaked. Tears welled up in his eyes, and his legs trembled uncontrollably. He didn''t even dare to close the door.

Keith turned on the shower, but the moment the water hit Pudding, it suddenly lunged at him.

Keith tried to escape, but the door was pushed shut from the outside by Frank, whether intentionally or not, and it locked.

Immediately, a sharp pain shot through Keith''s arm, causing him to cry out. His pale face was streaked with terrified tears as he pounded on the door, calling for help. But the bathroom was well soundproofed, and no one outside could hear his screams.

Austin and Frank chatted and ate, enjoying a warm moment together, while in the bathroom, Keith cried until his voice was hoarse. Blood trickled from the deep bite wounds on his arm.

The more Keith struggled, the harder Pudding bit. After a long while, Keith finally managed to fling Pudding away. His arm was a bloody mess, with blood dripping onto the floor, and his slender arm trembled slightly.

Looking at the mess, Keith bit his lip, thinking that Mr. Austin would surely find it dirty. Mr. Austin loved cleanliness the most.

Just then, the bathroom door suddenly opened, and Pudding landed at Frank''s feet.

Keith curled up in the corner of the bathroom, trembling. His big, watery eyes looked at Austin, full of grievance. Had he finally noticed him? Was he here to save him? If only Austin had come a little earlier.

Frank picked up Pudding, gently smoothing its fur, then looked at Keith with feigned anger. "If you didn''t want to help bathe him, you could have asked someone else. If it was really too much, I could have taken him home to bathe. How could you treat him like this? What if he got hurt from the way you threw him?"

Keith, feeling wronged and on the verge of breaking down, hurriedly explained, "I didn''t bully him. He bit me." He raised his arm, showing the bloody bite marks. However, Austin didn''t even glance at him, his eyes fixed solely on Frank.

"It''s okay. I''ll call a vet to check on him later," Austin said, gently rubbing Frank''s head, a slight smile on his lips. Frank seemed a bit happier.

As they turned to leave, Frank deliberately asked, "What about him? Does he need to be checked?"

Austin brushed aside the hair on Frank''s forehead and, under Keith''s gaze, softly kissed Frank''s forehead. "He''s had his rabies shots. Don''t worry about him."

Then, he walked away with Frank, leaving Keith alone and ignored.

So, in front of Frank, was he really worth less than a pet? Keith shivered, holding his injured arm, silently wiping away his tears.

He used to be happy when Austin made him get rabies shots, thinking it was a sign of care. But now, he wished he hadn''t gotten them. Maybe then, Austin would care for him like he used to, holding him and urgently taking him to the hospital.

Keith was just about to leave when he saw the dog again. Pudding bared its teeth and barked at him. After what he had just been through, the sound filled Keith with fear. He stumbled and fell to the ground.

At that moment, a sharp pain in his stomach gave Keith a bad feeling. He kept calling out for Austin, tears streaming down his face uncontrollably. The blood flowing from below made him panic.

Keith wailed and called for Mr. Austin, who was outside reading the newspaper. Annoyed, Austin''s face darkened. He impatiently tossed the newspaper aside and stormed towards the bathroom.

"What''s all the noise about?" Austin''s cold words cut through the air. But when he saw Keith clutching his stomach, blood everywhere, he froze.

At the hospital, Austin sat on a chair in the hallway, smoking. His long eyelashes covered his eyes, hiding his emotions. He stared at the red light of the operating room, feeling an inexplicable heaviness in his heart.

When the doctor finally came out, he told Austin, "Sir, the surgery was relatively successful. There''s no danger to life. Both mother and child are safe."

Hearing the doctor''s words, Austin frowned. "What did you just say? Mother and child are safe?"

"Yes, sir. You should be more careful in the future. An Omega who''s pregnant can''t handle this kind of stress."