Caught

"Son-in-law, what are you talking about?"

Seeing Ryan lost in thought, Olivia frowned and asked.

Ryan snapped back to reality. He couldn't quite figure out what the extra task was, but he replied decisively, "Mom, I'll handle the resignation myself. After all, I've been working for almost ten days, and I need to at least collect my salary."

"Honey, are you really planning to go back to work?"

Lily looked reluctant. "Didn't you say those computers you own are worth at least hundreds of thousands?"

"Even the smallest ant is still meat!"

Ryan replied seriously, "Over four thousand is still money. Mom, Lily, every cent is hard-earned. How we spend it is our family's business, but we should at least earn it back."

"My son-in-law is right!"

Olivia smiled approvingly. "I'm glad to see you being so responsible. Lily chose the right person."

Her earlier scornful remarks—calling him useless, poor, and a burden—were still fresh in Ryan's memory. Despite the cheerful atmosphere now, he couldn't shake off the bitterness from those harsh words. Olivia's nature to value wealth over character was hard to ignore.

After dinner, Olivia volunteered to wash the dishes, while Ryan took Lily's hand, and they went out for a walk. When they returned, Olivia went off to play cards, leaving the couple to share a knowing smile before heading upstairs to bathe together.

"Honey, Mom asked yesterday when we're planning to have a baby," Lily said later in bed.

"She mentioned that if there's an issue, we should check it out sooner. It seems there's been some conflict with my eldest sister."

Pillow talk often wandered into gossip, but it also held a certain intimacy. After a while of passionate lovemaking, Lily lay exhausted, her body trembling slightly as she drifted into a blissful slumber, a satisfied smile on her lips.

Ryan, however, still hadn't reached his climax. His enhanced physical abilities were becoming something of a marvel. He could control his release now—a fact he found both fascinating and unnerving.

Life had settled into a rhythm, normal yet subtly different. At least Olivia no longer treated him with disdain. It was, to put it bluntly, the magic of money.

What puzzled Ryan, though, was the frequent calls between Olivia and his sister-in-law Sophia. Their conversations seemed tense, often ending in quarrels. When Lily tentatively asked Olivia about it, she was met with a sharp rebuke, leaving Ryan reluctant to stir up further trouble.

The weekend arrived, marking the end of the first military training session of the summer vacation. Before Ryan left for work, Lily reminded him, "Honey, pick up Vera from school, okay?"

Although Vera came from a strict and controlling family, she was stunningly beautiful and had a natural charm that drew people in. The moment she entered school, she was already a campus celebrity. Even Liam, known for his high standards, couldn't take his eyes off her.

As Ryan waited at the school gate, his sister-in-law emerged, running toward him with a bright smile.

His eyes lit up, "Vera, take it easy when you get home. You've earned some rest," 

"Brother-in-law, I knew it was you! My mom would never come."

Vera chuckled and tossed her small schoolbag to Ryan as she approached. With a teasing grin, she added, "Brother-in-law, did you get my phone fixed?"

"Of course," Ryan replied.

The traffic jam in front of No. 1 Middle School was as chaotic as ever. Since it wasn't a main road, many drivers behaved recklessly. Motorcycles swerved through the congestion, and cars barely had space to maneuver.

"Vera, why haven't you replied to my messages?"

A pretty girl suddenly appeared, her tone sharp and her gaze hostile, directed at Vera while she adjusted her schoolbag.

Ryan blinked in confusion as Vera's face flushed red. She snapped, "It's none of your business! My phone was being repaired."

"Who's this man? Your mom?" the girl sneered.

"None of your business!" Vera shot back fiercely. Grabbing Ryan's hand, she darted away from the confrontation. The two quickly hailed a taxi at the intersection and headed home.

Once home, Vera's first words were a nervous question: "Brother-in-law, where's my phone?"

"I told you—it's fixed," Ryan said calmly. "I left it in your room, as you asked. It's locked, and the key is still in its original place."

Without another word, Vera rushed to her room with her schoolbag and immediately shut the door behind her.

Teenagers, Ryan thought with a sigh. They're always so dramatic.

He was sitting in his own room, racking his brain about how to start the mysterious quest line he was contemplating, when Vera's door suddenly burst open—or rather, was kicked open.

"Brother-in-law!" she shouted, her eyes teary. "Did you snoop through my phone?"

"No!" Ryan replied quickly. "Why would I do that while fixing it?"

"Then explain why the phone's memory is running slow—and why there's browsing history still on it!"

Tears welled in Vera's eyes as she bit her lower lip. Without waiting for a response, she stormed back into her room, slamming the door and locking it as usual.

Moments later, Ryan heard the lock click open again. He stepped inside and shut the door behind him with a loud snap, locking it this time from the inside.

"I put the key back where it belonged," he said, leaning against the door. "Don't you think it's fair for me to use it now?"

"That's not fair at all! You're such a pervert!" Vera fumed, glaring at him. "Why would you even touch my things after fixing my phone?"

She got up and tried to push Ryan out, but he stood his ground.

Ignoring her protests, Ryan exhaled sharply and lit a cigarette. Smoke curled through the air.

Vera wrinkled her nose. "You know we're not allowed to smoke in here," she grumbled. "Only Lily lets you get away with this nonsense."

Blowing out a smoke ring, Ryan smirked. "If you're so worried, why don't you search your room properly? Maybe I touched your things—maybe I didn't. But if you're afraid I went through your underwear, you should make sure everything's there."

"Brother-in-law! I didn't mean—" Vera stammered, but Ryan didn't wait for her to finish.

He walked back to his own room, leaving her flustered. Stretching out on his bed, he tried to clear his thoughts, but images of Vera—with her youthful face and... other notable features—clouded his mind. He couldn't help but feel annoyed. How was he supposed to focus on this elusive quest line?

"Ding… The quest line has not yet been initiated."

"Ding… Generating extra mission…"

Ryan clenched his fists in frustration. The system's cryptic messages weren't helping.

Before he could think further, his door creaked open again. Vera stood at the threshold, hesitating.

"Brother-in-law…" she said cautiously. "Can I come in?"

Ryan waved her in. "It doesn't matter."

As she entered, Ryan couldn't shake the growing sense that he was missing something important—something that would change everything.

"It's not up to you to decide how this should go!" Ryan muttered under his breath, irritated.

His thoughts spiraled as he remembered how his mother-in-law had started the quest by touching her underwear. However, Vera task just doesn't start.

What a disaster.

Vera closed the door behind her, leaning awkwardly against it. After a moment of hesitation, she gritted her teeth and asked, "Brother-in-law, um… what did you see?"

"I saw everything," Ryan said with deliberate slowness, watching her reaction.

Her eyes widened in panic, and her cheeks flushed a deep red. "What exactly did you see? Tell me!"

Vera was visibly anxious, on the verge of tears, her face betraying her guilt.

Ryan leaned back in his chair, lit a cigarette, and exhaled a plume of smoke before replying sarcastically, "Your eldest brother-in-law? I don't believe for a second it was a mistake."

The room was small, adding to the tension.

He continued, "Your eldest sister is tall, you're tall, but not that tall. And unless he's blind, he wouldn't confuse your things for hers. Your hips and hers? Not even close."

Vera's face burned with embarrassment, her frustration boiling over. "I think so too!" she snapped. "He did it on purpose just to take advantage of me!"

Ryan took another drag of his cigarette, staying silent.

Vera grew more agitated, her voice rising. "Brother-in-law, what else did you see?"

"I told you—I saw everything," Ryan said, meeting her gaze with a meaningful look. "Vera, listen. As your brother-in-law, it's my job to look out for you, but I also know I have no right to lecture you."

The guilt hit her hard. Flustered, she blurted out, "I—I didn't promise Gillian anything!"

She confessed everything without being prompted, then hung her head, her guilt plain as day. But as the reality of her words sank in, anger took over. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Brother-in-law, how could you do this to me?" she cried, her voice trembling. "I trusted you! How could you invade my privacy like this?"

The accusation was lofty, but her childish expression made Ryan chuckle despite himself.

"Vera," he said calmly, "I admit I was wrong, and I'm not going to make excuses. But I have a suggestion that might help you calm down."

Vera sniffed, stubbornly wiping away her tears. "What suggestion?"

Ryan smiled. "Everyone has their secrets, right? So why don't we have a shared one? I promise not to tell anyone what I saw. It'll be a little secret, just between us."

"You—you better not tell anyone! Especially not my mom!"

Her anger was palpable, but her embarrassment made it hard for her to articulate her thoughts. Ryan could see how upset she was.

"Our Vera is so beautiful, even when she's mad," he teased with a grin.

"Don't you dare compliment me, you pervert! You stinking pervert! You voyeur!"

Vera snatched the room key off the table and stormed out, tears streaming down her face. The more she thought about the situation, the more wronged and humiliated she felt. Crying softly, she locked herself in her room, burying her face in her hands.