?Chapter 1678:


    The other three observed from a distance and exchanged nces.


    Patrick cleared his throat.


    “Ahem, don’t you guys think this looks a bit odd?”


    “Weird?” Thiago squinted slightly, his eyes on the distant figures, trying to discern something.


    Aldrich dusted off the sand, hands in his pockets, and casually remarked to Thiago and Patrick, “Focus on your own love lives, you two single guys.”


    With that, Aldrich walked toward the vi’s courtyard, leaving Thiago and Patrick exchanging puzzled nces. Had they misheard? Single guys? Since when did Aldrich have a girlfriend? Why hadn’t they heard anything? This was big news that had to be shared with Harlee!


    Thiago and Patrick quickly scrambled to their feet and dashed toward the vi. Even Thiago, usually the epitome of gentleness and refinement, lost all semnce ofposure.


    In the realm of juicy gossip, maintaining a refined image seemed trivial.


    When Harlee came downstairs, Rhys had already prepared breakfast—sandwiches and milk. His attempt at seduction having faltered, he now sought to win her heart through his culinary skills.


    As Harlee entered the dining room, Patrick and Thiago burst in from outside. Their initial excitement quickly dampened when they saw Rhys. They lowered their heads, their expressions nk.


    Noticing that Rhys had prepared breakfast just for Harlee, Patrick and Thiago silently exited to fetch their own meal.


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    Harlee took a bite of her sandwich, her gaze shifting to Rhys, who appeared somewhat aggrieved. Smirking, she teased, “Switching to the culinary approach? You’re quite resourceful.”


    Rhys’s cooking was indeed to Harlee’s liking. Under normal circumstances, she might have softened, but with the memory ofst night’s failed seduction still fresh in her mind, she found herself more entertained by his efforts than moved. She yfully hinted that she might let him into her bed tonight if he attempted to seduce her again.


    Across the table, Rhys paused, a frown crossing his brow. Was his culinary charm also falling short? He cleared his throat and replied nervously, “No, I just wanted to cook something special for you.”


    As he spoke, he sipped his coffee, watching Harlee eat with a content expression, his eyes filled with affection. Hmm… As long as Harlee was happy, not achieving immediate forgiveness through his cooking didn’t seem too harsh a failure.


    After finishing her meal, Harlee noticed Patrick and Thiago returning with their own breakfast. She nced at them casually and askedzily, “Did you get roughed up this morning?”


    Her tone was nonchnt yet pointed. When Patrick and Thiago had first rushed in, she had discerned the telltale signs of internal injuries—a clear indicator that their assant had been more formidable than them. The identity of their morning adversary was obvious, so her query carried a light, teasing undertone, indirectly flirting with Rhys.


    Unbeknownst to the couple’s yful flirtation, Patrick and Thiago misinterpreted Harlee’s inquiry as concern…


    Rhys took an elegant sip of his coffee, his sharply defined features unreadable. He didn’t need to utter a single threat.


    Thiago and Patrick exchanged nces, a silent conversation passing between them. After a brief pause, Patrick spoke, “No, Harlee. The five of us were just sparring. It’s been a while since west sparred, and we got a little carried away. We didn’t hold back as much as we should have.”


    Thiago nodded quickly.


    “Yeah. We just wanted to test our skills against each other. It was nothing serious—just a friendly match. We’ll recover in a couple of days.”


    Both men looked genuinely sincere, but beneath their calm exteriors was a shared fear that Harlee might not believe them. If she didn’t, they risked being dragged out by the merciless Rhys for another grueling training session at the crack of dawn.


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