After leaving home, Veil headed straight for the villa where the Murphy sisters were staying.
It had been a long night, nonstop—he was busy.
As soon as he arrived, Jodie stepped out from the living room to greet him, wearing a bitter expression. "I'm really sorry to call you over so late, but Julia's in a terrible mood. She's refusing to eat, and I don't know what else to do."
Veil already had a good idea of what had happened, but he still asked with a puzzled tone, "What happened this time? Another fight?"
A trace of resentment flickered in Jodie's eyes, but she quickly shrugged it off, her voice indifferent. "Forget it. Things are already out in the open—no point in hiding it anymore. It's still about that illegitimate child. No idea who kidnapped him, but Kosdy Murphy completely lost it. He was like a man possessed—he even accused me of being the one behind it!
Julia and I couldn't take it anymore, so we left. And we're never going back. If, in his eyes, that illegitimate kid is the only one who counts as his child, then he can live with him all he wants."
"What about Roy? He's your bodyguard now—don't tell me he's staying nearby too?" Veil looked around, not seeing him, but the tension in his tone revealed his unease. "What if that guy has bad intentions toward you two?"
Jodie stared into Veil's eyes. Not a trace of that nervousness looked faked, which softened her tone a bit.
"Roy's been too busy to bother with us lately. Honestly, I don't think much of his character, but Kosdy trusts his skills completely. He even said Roy is the one most likely to find that illegitimate kid."
"I see…" Veil nodded, unsurprised. Kosdy knew who Roy was—of course he wouldn't let such a valuable asset go to waste.
If Roy was out there actively searching, then everything was progressing exactly as planned.
Jodie glanced upstairs and sighed. "Julia's throwing a tantrum again, and I can't do anything. She won't even eat… sigh."
"Don't worry too much. Julia might be stubborn, but she's kind at heart. You should know that better than I do." Veil, now reassured about Roy's situation, felt a weight lifted off his chest.
Having someone tail Roy hadn't been particularly effective and was too risky. Instead, updates from Jodie—coming directly from the Murphy household—were far more reliable.
"I know… just go check on her, will you? She still hasn't opened her door." Jodie looked helpless and worried.
Veil gave a silent nod and walked upstairs.
When he reached Julia's door, he didn't even need to knock—the door had already been left slightly ajar for him.
Inside, Julia was sitting up straight, hands on her knees, like a student awaiting a teacher's scolding—completely obedient.
Veil didn't scold her. He just asked calmly, "Not hungry?"
Julia gave a small nod, then glanced up to see that he wasn't angry. Emboldened, she nodded again—this time harder.
"You're not even going to eat the food I made?" Veil asked.
"Huh?" Julia looked up, startled, and quickly shook her head. Something felt off, so she nodded vigorously right after. "I'll eat! I'll eat it!"
Her brother made the food—how could she not eat it?
Even if her belly was already stuffed, she'd still eat more!
"Then come downstairs." Veil took her small hand and led her down to the living room, tied on an apron, and stepped into the kitchen.
These kinds of things weren't supposed to be his responsibility—but for the sake of those precious villain points from the sisters, he'd make the effort.
Double the reward for a single move. Worth it.
He spent 20 villain points in the system shop to temporarily exchange for high-level culinary skills.
Sure, he had enough points to make it permanent… but why waste them?
The sisters stood off to the side in the kitchen, watching as Veil skillfully flipped ingredients in the wok and handled the stove like a seasoned pro.
No matter how bold Jodie usually was, even she couldn't wrap her head around it—Veil could cook?
In her mind, Veil was the kind of elite second-gen who wouldn't touch anything domestic. How could he possibly know how to cook?
But now, watching scene after scene unfold before her, her preconceived image of him began to collapse.
Maybe… Veil wasn't the person she had imagined him to be?
In less than thirty minutes, four dishes and a soup were served up to perfection.
Jodie stepped forward to help place the dishes on the table.
Veil and Julia sat together, while Jodie took the seat across from them.
The three of them dug into their simple home-cooked meal, scooping up rice as they ate.
"This is so good! So good! Big brother, how are you this good at cooking?" Julia's big eyes sparkled with delight.
She never had the most elegant eating habits, and with an empty belly combined with Veil's delicious cooking, she dug in heartily, eating with gusto while praising him between bites.
Perfect. Her big brother was just too perfect.
The more time she spent with him, the more convinced she became that he was her destined one. He was even better than the prince charming in her dreams.
She wouldn't even dare dream of something like this before!
"If it's good, eat more. You'll need the strength if you plan to keep bickering with your sister." Veil's words instantly cooled the atmosphere.
The rice in Julia's mouth didn't taste quite as good anymore.
"You think your sister's been living too comfortably, so you decided to stir up trouble for her, huh?"
"Or are you saying you're the only one suffering, and she's not?"
"Still planning on starving yourself?"
Three questions in a row left Julia utterly dazed. She shook her head furiously, repeating "No, no, no!"
Ding! Female lead Jodie's affection increased. Congratulations, host—villain points +500.
Ding! Female lead Jodie's affection continues to rise. Congratulations, host—villain points +800.
Jodie watched from the side, her heart growing warm.
He might still act unserious in front of her, but when it came to Julia, Veil played the role of a doting brother-in-law perfectly.
Somehow, her heart stirred unexpectedly. That night's desperate one-for-one exchange… didn't feel so unacceptable anymore.
At the dinner table, Julia sat there, her head hung low in shame as Veil scolded her gently.
Her sister had done so much for her—yet she'd thrown a childish tantrum and refused to eat, hurting the one person who always stood by her. Thinking back, it felt like she'd poured salt right into Jodie's wounds.
"I'm sorry, Brother… I was wrong. I shouldn't have acted out like that. I was just upset and frustrated…" Julia pouted, her voice small and remorseful. She had finally realized her mistake—her temper had hurt the person who cared about her the most.
Veil gave her head a light pat, a warm smile tugging at his lips. "Why are you apologizing to me? The one you should be saying sorry to is your sister."
Julia nodded quickly, then hopped down from her chair in her fluffy slippers. Her small legs, wrapped in white thigh-high socks, carried her across the room. The pink dress she wore swayed with every step—she wasn't quite curvy, but there was a youthful charm in her every move.
Across the table, Jodie had just set down her chopsticks, a faint smile on her lips. Before she could react, Julia launched herself at her, throwing her arms around her neck in a full-bodied tackle.
"I'm sorry, Jodie! I didn't mean to make you sad. I was just so, so mad… the way Dad treated us—it made me feel so awful…" Julia nestled against her, adjusting until she found a comfortable spot. She mumbled firmly, "From now on, I'll never get mad at you again. Not ever."
After hearing her brother's words, Julia had finally realized how hurtful she'd been. She knew—no one loved her more than her sister. But even the smallest tantrum could weigh heavily on Jodie's heart.
Her guilt grew the more she thought about it, and she didn't even dare meet her sister's eyes.
Jodie glanced at Veil across the room, her smile deepening with a quiet warmth.
She gently pinched her little sister's cheek and said softly, "As long as you're happy, Julia, that's all that matters. No more fighting, alright? From now on, I'll always be here to protect you.
This house—this place—it's ours now. A home just for the two of us."
No matter how hurt she felt inside, Jodie never let it show.
Julia was her little sister—her real sister, flesh and blood. She'd raised her since she was small, and she loved her more than anyone else in the world. How could she ever bring herself to blame her?
She glanced at Veil standing nearby, her heart warming even more.
Maybe… leaving the Murphy family wasn't such a bad thing after all.
Maybe, just maybe, her life could be freer. Happier.
"Not just the two of us!" Julia chimed in quickly, nodding eagerly. "It's a home for the three of us! Brother's part of the family too!"
Then she pouted with a snort. "I'm not gonna be mad anymore. Even if Dad doesn't love us, I've still got Brother! He's way better than Dad anyway—I don't care about him anymore! And Jodie, you only have me now. I'll take care of you from now on, I promise."
Only her?
Jodie gave a bitter smile inside, listening to her sister call Veil "Brother" again and again.
She wasn't jealous exactly, but something about it just felt… odd.
Because deep down, she knew—
The man her sister so dearly called "Brother" had already cared for her sister more times than Julia could imagine.
And whenever she thought about Veil, her mind would involuntarily wander in that direction. The more she thought about it, the more she found herself… anticipating the night ahead.
The sisters continued exchanging heartfelt words, holding each other tightly.
After a while, noticing how late it was, Veil stood up and smiled at the two girls holding hands. "Seeing you both getting along so well makes me happy. I won't get in the way of your sister time tonight."
"You're leaving already? But you just got here…" Julia pouted again, clearly reluctant.
Jodie patted her sister's head and nudged her upstairs, whispering a silent promise that she'd do her best to keep Veil from leaving. Only then did Julia finally head up, casting wistful glances back with every step.
The living room fell quiet. Only Veil and Jodie remained, facing each other.
"What?" Veil grinned teasingly. "You don't think me staying would be… a little disruptive to the two of you?"
Jodie rolled her eyes flirtatiously, her tone light. "You think? Julia's so obsessed with you, I'm starting to get jealous myself.
It's late, Veil. Why bother going back? You've got a room here, don't you? And if not, I can bunk with Julia and let you take mine."
Veil shook his head. "Then what's the point of staying? If you're gone, why would I hang around?"
His eyes swept down her graceful figure, slow and bold.
Blatant. Unapologetic.
Jodie hesitated, then bit her lip and said softly, "Fine. Seeing as you helped out so much tonight… if you stay, I'll come find you after Julia falls asleep."
She wasn't even sure herself if it was out of gratitude… or something else.
Lately, every time she found herself alone for too long, she'd grow anxious and restless, haunted by Kosdy Murphy's disgusting face.
But when she was with Veil—even if he teased her, even if it hurt sometimes—she felt a strange peace afterward. A kind of mental blankness where nothing else mattered.
It was addictive.
Veil, however, turned her down with a smile. "Let's save that for another night."
For one, he had things to do. Kosdy had already sent Roy to hunt down Damon Murphy. Not that he didn't trust Kai's work, but Roy wasn't just some errand boy—he was the leader of the Blood Wolf Mercenary Corp. With that kind of power, any slip in the plan could lead to disaster.
He had to act quickly, to lock things into place before anything unexpected happened.
Secondly… after just that brief exchange earlier, his body still hadn't fully recovered.
Jodie narrowed her eyes, her voice carrying a quiet edge. "You're not in such a hurry to leave just to meet up with Lisa, are you? Don't forget, you put me in charge of the beauty pill business. Don't go falling for some pretty little trap."
She was annoyed—after making the offer herself, being turned down stung more than she expected.
If Veil was going to see Lisa, she knew she'd be fuming all night.
"Don't be ridiculous," Veil said immediately. "What would I be doing with her?"
He stepped forward and wrapped an arm around her waist, his expression uncharacteristically sincere. "Manager Jodie, the company is in your hands. I trust you completely—I'm not going to interfere. But I do have one request."
"What request?"
He gave a sheepish smile. "I'd like to apply for a one-day break. Let the chairman have the night off, will you?"