Betrayed By Husband, Stolen By Brother In Law

"Mr. Thomas? What are you doing here? I thought you were going to be gone for the weekend. Is Mrs. Thomas back as well?" Melanie asked as she looked at Richard Thomas walk into the house in the middle of the day, once again.

Richard Thomas paused in the doorway, his gaze lingering on his daughter for a moment before he gave a short nod. "I had an urgent meeting come up. I'll leave after that, later in the evening. Marianne is already gone."

Melanie tilted her head slightly, then nodded in return, with a small smile on her lips. "Ah, I see. So, did you forget your medicine again? Is that why you are here?"

For a long moment, Richard simply looked at her, his expression unreadable. Then he exhaled slowly, as though weighing his words. "Actually," he said at last, his tone quieter now, "I returned to talk to you. Melody, join me in the study."

Melanie's smile faded as she caught the faint strain in his voice. She raised an eyebrow, studying the tensed set of his shoulders, the way his jaw tightened as he spoke. Whatever this was, it wasn't casual. Melanie shrugged and followed him silently into the study, where he took his seat behind the desk and gestured to the opposite chair for her to sit.

She lowered herself into the chair opposite him, crossing her legs and resting her hands lightly on her lap. For a moment, neither of them spoke. Richard's eyes lingered on her face, as though trying to read something there, before he finally broke the silence.

"How are you doing?" he asked, his voice steady but without much warmth.

Melanie gave a small shrug. "As well as I can, considering everything."

He nodded once, slowly, then leaned back in his chair. "Melody, even before your memory loss, you and I were not close. I know you were always stubborn and willful… but you were also my innocent child. So..." He paused, his gaze drifting to the desk for a moment before his eyes closed briefly.

"I don't know how to say this," he admitted, his voice dropping lower. "But you should keep away from Adam."

Melanie stilled, her shoulders tensing at the name. Her gaze sharpened, narrowing as she studied his face. "Why?" she asked directly. Was this man also warning her to stay away from Adam, because he wanted to support Melody?

"Melody," Richard said, his eyes opening again, "even if you have no memory of Melanie or of the past… even if you didn't grow up as sisters… Adam is a married man. He is married to your own sister. He is a known womaniser who also has a son from a previous relationship. So, please… keep your distance from- "

"Mr. Thomas," Melanie interrupted carefully, "What are you talking about?"

She leaned forward slightly, her eyes never leaving his. Was he genuinely warning her for her own sake… or was there something else here? His tone was heavy, but there was something underneath it—something sharper, more personal.

Richard's expression tightened. The muscle in his jaw ticked. Her question seemed to strike a nerve, and the mask of controlled calm slipped.

"Don't try to pretend innocence," he snapped, his voice rising with sudden irritation. "I saw Adam sneaking out of your room early this morning."

Melanie's breath caught, but her face remained composed. She sat back in her chair, tilting her head slightly as if weighing his words, but inside she was cursing herself. If she had not asked him to stay longer, then he might not have been spotted.

"You saw what you wanted to see," she replied evenly.

Richard's eyes narrowed. "What I saw," he said slowly, "was exactly what I think it was. You might have lost your memory, but you are not naïve enough to think you can do as you please without consequences."

Melanie's fingers tightened slightly on the armrest, but she kept her voice controlled. "And you are not naïve enough to think that appearances always tell the truth," Melanie answered quietly.

Richard leaned forward, placing both hands flat on the desk. His voice was measured as he watched Melody stand up and walk away, so he could not help but shout the threat, " If you continue with this… if you keep getting close to Adam, I will cut you off from my will. You will have nothing from me, Melody. Not a single thing. I know you are earnign well, but not enough to meet the luxuries you are used to. So..."

Melanie didn't move away from the door. Her nails pressed into her palms beneath the fold of her hands, but she kept her face calm as the older man continued to prattle in a heavy tone, "Melanie is your older sister. She has stayed away from this family for so many years. She's finally here, trying to live under this roof and getting to know all of us all over again, and instead of helping her… instead of showing her respect, you are behaving like a homewrecker."

The word hit the air like a stone dropped in still water. Melanie's lips pressed together, the retort burning in her throat. She wanted to throw the truth at him. She wanted to tell him that she was Melanie, not Melody. That she wasn't breaking a marriage but only being with her husband. She wanted to watch the shock on his face when he realised he had been accusing the wrong person all along.

But she didn't.

She forced her hands to relax, took in a slow, steady breath and turned around to face the man. Right now, the biggest thing she wanted to know was why did she have panic attacks due to this man. "Fine. If you want me to keep away from Adam… then tell me something in return."

Richard's brows drew together. "Tell you about what?"

"My mother," she said simply.

"Marianne?"

Melanie shook her head, "Not Marianne." Her tone cut across the space between them like a blade. "My mother, Melrose."

The name seemed to land differently. His posture stiffened, his eyes narrowing for just a second before his expression settled into a guarded mask.

"Tell me what happened to her. And tell me why my grandmother decided to take Melanie away."

Richard didn't answer right away. He studied her face, his gaze steady, as though he was trying to decide whether to push her away or finally give her the truth. The silence stretched between them, thick and unmoving.

Melanie didn't flinch under it. She held his eyes, waiting.