The Villains Must Win-Chapter 98: Valerian Cross 18

"For someone so small, you eat like ten people."

"You know," Evelyn said between bites, "when you live as long as I have, the only things that bring real joy anymore are good food and good pranks." She paused dramatically, then leaned back in her chair, hands on her chest. "And besides, haven’t you noticed these?"

She gave a deliberate bounce, her cleavage nearly spilling out of her dress.

Valerian turned away so fast he nearly knocked over his drink, his ears burning red. "I shouldn’t have asked."

Evelyn smirked, biting back a laugh. That reaction—those red ears—was far too familiar. She had seen it before.

Han Feng, Alexander Vale . . . They had the same flustered expressions when embarrassed. And their eyes . . .

Her smirk faded just slightly as an old thought whispered through her mind.

Coincidence?

Or something far more interesting?

She took another bite of food and let the question linger.

After breakfast, Valerian wasted no time. He strode toward his sister’s room, his footsteps heavy with unspoken tension. Stopping before the door, he knocked firmly.

A few moments later, the door creaked open. Stephany stood there, still groggy, her long, silken hair slightly disheveled from sleep. She blinked at him, rubbing her eyes. But the moment she saw the shadow over his face—the sheer weight of suspicion in his darkened gaze—her heart slammed against her ribs.

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"W-what’s wrong, brother?" she asked, forcing her voice to stay even.

Valerian stepped inside without a word, shutting the door behind him with a quiet click. The sound felt deafening in the silence.

"Why didn’t you join me for breakfast?" His voice was calm, but there was a steel edge beneath it.

Stephany swallowed. "I was . . . I was still sleeping."

Valerian’s sharp eyes narrowed. "You never sleep in late. What’s going on, Stephany?"

The shift in his tone sent a wave of unease through her. Panic curled in her stomach, twisting into frustration. How dare he question her like this? She was no longer a child—she was of age, free to make her own choices!

Her spine straightened. "I was reading books all night, alright? I didn’t watch the time," she snapped, folding her arms across her chest.

A muscle in Valerian’s jaw tightened. He studied her, his expression tight, but she could feel his mind working—piecing things together, dissecting her every word, her every movement.

"Don’t lie to me, Stephany."

His voice was lower this time. Dangerous.

She flinched, her anger faltering, giving way to something colder. He knows. Or at least . . . he suspects.

Stephany turned her gaze away, unable to meet his piercing stare. She could hear her own heartbeat drumming in her ears.

Valerian saw it then—the hesitation, the subtle tremble in her fingers, the way her throat bobbed as she swallowed. His little sister had never been a good liar. She had always been too pure, too innocent for deception.

But now?

Now, she was learning.

And that terrified him more than anything.

"I told you," she murmured, voice barely above a whisper. "I’ve been sleeping in late because I was reading books."

The silence that followed was thick—suffocating.

Valerian exhaled slowly, his fingers curling into fists at his sides. He didn’t believe her. Not one bit.

Valerian’s eyes swept across the room, cold and calculating. His instincts screamed that something was off—something wrong.

His gaze landed on the pillows. He knew his sister enough to know where she would hide important stuff to her. A flicker of suspicion tightened his chest. Without hesitation, he strode toward the bed and yanked them away.

"Stop!" Stephany gasped, moving forward as if to stop him, but it was already too late.

Nestled beneath the fabric, gleaming faintly in the dim light, was a rune stone.

The key to the magic ward.

Valerian’s breath hitched as the full weight of the discovery settled over him.

This shouldn’t be here.

He always kept the stone locked away in the vault of his chambers—secure, hidden. He had to. As someone who constantly roamed outside, hunting creatures of the night, he couldn’t afford to misplace it. Losing the key to the ward would mean leaving their home vulnerable to unseen horrors.

And yet, here it was. In her room.

The only person he had ever entrusted with the code and combination to the vault . . . was none other than Stephany.

His grip on the rune stone tightened as a wave of betrayal churned in his gut.

"You stole this?" His voice was low, disbelieving.

Stephany stiffened, her face paling.

Valerian’s mind raced through the possibilities, each one worse than the last. His heart pounded.

"Are you—" his voice trembled with fury, "—are you letting creatures of the night in? Are you the one stealing from the vault?!"

Silence.

Stephany’s lips pressed into a thin line, her face ashen. But she said nothing.

"Answer me, Stephany!" Valerian thundered, his voice shaking the room.

She flinched but remained silent, standing like a fragile, trembling shadow before him.

The rage inside him burned hotter, coiling in his chest like a beast straining against its chains. His hands trembled at his sides. He was this close—this close—to striking her across the face. But he didn’t. He couldn’t.

Instead, his nails dug into his palm, drawing blood.

"Why?" His voice cracked, filled with raw disbelief. "Why, Stephany? What the hell did you do?!"

Still, she remained silent.

Valerian felt as if the floor had been ripped out from beneath him. He didn’t understand. He couldn’t understand.

Was this some kind of revenge? Because he had refused to let her be a part of the family business? Because he had always been overprotective, shielding her from the darkness that lurked beyond their home?

Had he pushed her into this?

His chest rose and fell heavily as he forced himself to think. No. This wasn’t about petty rebellion. This was something deeper, something far more dangerous.

"Tell me what’s going on, Stephany!"

Still, there was no answer. Stephany knew her brother wouldn’t understand—speaking now would only escalate things further, spiraling everything out of control.