“I swear you're itching for a beating.” Theodore playfully raised a clawed hand.
Matthias ducked his head with exaggerated panic, shouting, “Nancy! Help! Your devilishly handsome husband is about to be disfigured!”
“Whoosh—”
Nancy yanked the curtain aside.
There Theodore sat, upright against the hospital bed, all smiles and full-on father-in-law mode, gently patting Matthias’s head like a saint.
Matthias tilted his head back obediently, grinning like a good boy.
The whole scene radiated fake peace and harmony.
Nancy’s temple twitched. She muttered a mental “these two idiots” before pulling the curtain shut and leaving.
The moment she was gone, Theodore yanked his hand back, teeth clenched. “You little punk... Just wait ’til I—”
Matthias didn’t even flinch, just
