"Why are you staring at me? Your wife is over there," Melinda muttered, shooting Ethan a sidelong glance.
"Huh? Oh!"
Ethan turned his head dazedly and met Maria's eyes directly.
She immediately looked away, her face flushing red—down to her neck.
"Bro… brother-in-law?" Markham murmured.
"Holy shit… that's a lot to process."
Matriarch Whitmore turned to glare at him, and Markham shut his mouth immediately.
Ethan finally realized what was going on. This was Matriarch Whitmore's way of protecting him.
But to make such a declaration in front of the Noble Eight families… the implications were massive.
".…"
If Lyla found out about this, he was going to have a lot to explain.
But at this point, denying it wasn't an option. Not only would that leave the situation unresolved, it would also be a direct insult to Matriarch Whitmore.
For now, he could only accept it—with a bitter smile.
