Femme Fatale: The King's Deadly Temptress

Katherine was so engrossed in Mrs. Nieves's' story. It wasn't lost on her that the older woman only spoke of the truth, judging by the way she told the past events. Mrs. Nieves didn't falter; she didn't waver, and her expression only displayed honesty.

What made Katherine nervous was how the story was going. If Grandpa Theo and his then business partner fought, was that the reason for their fallout? Did something else happen?" Her heart pounded against her chest so hard that she could hear it in her ears. She had to take a seat to steady herself because this was too much information to process.

She didn't like the doubts that slowly crept into her head. She refused to acknowledge their possibilities.

"What happened then?" Katherine asked.

One of the men near Mrs. Nieves walked over to the old woman and assisted her towards the pews on the side. She was already old and had been standing for a while. When Mrs. Nieves got seated, she became quiet for a moment. A sigh left her lips before she continued.

"I didn't see Mr. Wyatt come by for a while. And for days, your grandfather spent more hours at work that he came home very late. And whenever he was home, he always looked stressed—his brows were drawn together, seemingly always worried about something. One afternoon, I was in the library dusting the shelves when he came.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Young Master," Teresa greeted, bowing her head slightly when she addressed Theodore. "I'll leave you to rest and come back later. Would you like some tea?"

Theodore waved her off. "No, thank you, Teresa. I just want some quiet."

"Understood." Teresa bowed once more before heading out the door, only to stop when Theodore spoke.

"Do you think I'm selfish?"

Taken aback by the sudden question, Teresa faltered, unsure how to answer the young master. "You…have always been kind to me and my parents. And you always look out for everyone. No, Young Master. I don't think you're selfish."

A long and heavy sigh came out of the man. He stood by the window, overlooking the long entrance to the estate. He looked troubled, causing Teresa to hesitate in leaving him alone. Servants weren't supposed to engage in a conversation with their masters and mistresses unless they were asked. She was nervous, but she gathered up her courage and for the first time, she probed, "Would you like to talk about it, Young Master?"

Theodore glanced at her, and when he didn't answer, she shuffled and bowed her head, "Forgive me, Young Master. It's not my place. I…only thought you would like an ear for your troubles. I would never dare gossip with the other housekeepers." Her face turned red from the nerves.

"It's fine, Teresa. You didn't do anything wrong." Theodore rubbed his forehead. It appeared as if he was having a headache. "George and I got into a fight today. We didn't agree on something and I said some words that angered him. I told him an engineer knows better than an architect. I shouldn't have said it that way."

Teresa chewed her lower lip as she glanced from side to side. When she looked up again, she wondered, "Is it true?"

"Pardon?"

"Is it true that engineers know better than architects? Because if it is, then he shouldn't have gotten mad over the fact." She swallowed.

Theodore threw his head back laughing, the tension on his shoulders lessening by the second. And then he shook his head. "That's not something you should say. Both engineers and architects are important. Neither is better than the other. What I said to him was a mistake. I was angry because he didn't listen and wanted things his way."

"I see." Teresa nodded. "If I may, Young Master…"

"Please."

"You and Mr. Wyatt are good friends. I'm sure you'll reach an agreement without angering each other. Frankly, you're too old to have fights." She slapped her hands over her mouth and Theodore laughed again.

"You are right. I should talk to him when I come back to the city."

"Are you leaving, Young Master?"

He nodded, a smile crossing his face. "I'm taking my family to France for a few days."

Delight flashed on Teresa's face. "It's Mason's birthday very soon. I'm sure he's excited to fly for the first time."

Just then, a little boy came running through the doors, squealing. "Papa!"

Little Mason jumped into his father's arms and giggles filled the big room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Katherine sniffed at the mention of her father. She couldn't stop the tears that welled up in her eyes. Warm hands covered her shoulder and in the next second, she was pulled to Damien's chest, his arms wrapped around her.

"A few days later, there was a big accident on the construction site," Teresa added, flashing Higgins a look. "And it took George Wyatt's life. He was already dead when Theodore came back from his trip. So you see? It's not the Master's fault. That was an accident."

"What is she talking about?" Deborah questioned, her voice hoarse and toneless.

Old Higgins's breaths grew harsh that his nostrils flared. But he didn't speak and just kept his stare on the ground.

"Uncle!!! You told me Father killed my real father! What is she talking about?"

Deborah's cry pulled Katherine out of her thoughts. Looking over Damien's shoulder, Katherine narrowed her eyes on Deborah. It only made sense to her just now. Her questioning stare jumped between Deborah and Mrs. Nieves. "Uncle… Are you George Wyatt's daughter?"

Mrs. Nieves's brows were also knitted. "I didn't know Mr. Wyatt had a woman. I've never heard him mention anyone."

"Uncle!" Deborah yelled, her eyes looking vicious.

Higgins squeezed his eyes for a second and when he looked up, his face grew hard. "Deborah is indeed George's daughter. I stand by my words. Theodore is the reason why my brother is dead and he swept it all under the rug, forgotten like he was nothing! All his riches should've been ours—his daughter's! Deborah is the real heiress!"