Ines laughed coldly inside. What lousy luck. "What kind of taste do you clowns have? That plain Jane is your idea of a beauty? Have you never seen a woman in your life?" Ines drawled, crossing his long legs, his expression dripping with disdain. He truly didn't get it. What was so appealing about this country bumpkin, Darcy? Her eyes weren't big, her chin wasn't pointy, and she had zero sensuality. What was so great about her that made Hugo throw caution—and brotherhood—to the wind? His lackeys took his words as a green light. If Ines wasn't interested, that was perfect for them. "Mr. Cross, we won't disturb your evening then. We'll head out first." With that, they moved to drag Darcy and Cindy away. Seeing Ines had no intention of helping, Cindy snapped, "Get your hands off me! Do you have any idea who I am?" These punks just laughed, "Who are you—some bar hostess? Give us the name, sweetheart, we'll call your pimp for you!" Cindy was genuinely panicking now, bitterly regretting her impulsiveness. Great. Can't get myself out of this and dragged Darcy into it too. She glared daggers at Ines. "Ines, shouldn't you be home taking care of your kid instead of getting drunk here? A soon-to-be father should be setting a better example." "Cough! Cough!" The mouthful of whiskey Ines had just sipped went down the wrong pipe, sending him into a coughing fit, his face turning red. He slammed his glass down. "What the hell are you talking about? What kid? What father? Don't think I won't do anything to you just because you're a Blackwood! We're not in Aethelburg anymore. Your family's reach doesn't extend this far!" A cold laugh echoed in Cindy's mind. So he still doesn't know Kaia is carrying his baby. What an idiot. She flicked her long hair back, looking at him like he was a fool. "Tsk, tsk, Ines. Sometimes I actually feel sorry for you. Being played like a fiddle by two women." "Damn it! Spit it out! What are you implying?" A vein throbbed on his forehead, a vague, unsettling suspicion starting to gnaw at him. Cindy seized the opportunity. "Let me, Darcy, and that innocent girl go, and I'll tell you." Ines leaned back into the plush sofa, propping his feet on the glass coffee table, his eyes fixed intently on Cindy. The booth fell silent. Suddenly, he let out a derisive snort. "Cindy. You're bluffing. Keep your secrets. I don't care to hear them." He waved a dismissive hand at his men, signaling they could do as they pleased. Gritting her teeth, Cindy enunciated each word slowly. "Ines. Did you sleep with Kaia? You know the answer best!"The smirk vanished from his face instantly. His icy gaze shot straight at her. Kaia... He hadn't seen her since that night at the hot springs resort. He'd assumed she was too humiliated to ever show her face again. Was he wrong? Combined with Cindy's earlier mention of a kid, his mind detonated with a sharp buzz. He surged to his feet, kicking a chair out of the way. "What the hell are you talking about? Explain. Now." Cindy held her ground. "My terms. Agree, and you'll get the full story." "Fine!" Ines ground his teeth, the muscle in his jaw jumping. "Let them go!" The rescued girl, a sobbing mess, kept thanking Darcy and Cindy through her tears. Darcy motioned for her to leave quickly, then stepped forward to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Cindy. Seeing that Ines kept his word, Cindy laid it all out. "Let me enlighten you. Kaia is pregnant. If I had to guess, the baby is yours. Your mother is handling it. My guess is she's trying to pay Kaia off to get rid of it. But Kaia definitely isn't willing. "Of course she isn't. She knows the difference between a one-time payday and a lifetime meal ticket. I saw her on a shopping spree at the mall recently. Seems your mother's being quite generous. I wonder why she's keeping it from you? "Oh wait, I just remembered! Word on the street is the Cross family's been setting you up on blind dates left and right these days. Think that's why they're hushing this up? Tsk tsk. A mother's love, huh... Hey! Where are you off to?!" Before she could finish, Ines, his face stormy, strode past her and out of the booth. Darcy reacted instantly, grabbing Cindy's hand and making a break for the exit. Back at their hotel room, with the door securely locked, they finally let out the breaths they'd been holding.Cindy, buzzing with curiosity, asked, "What do you think Ines will do to Kaia?" Darcy shook her head. "No idea." But one thing was certain. He wouldn't let her off easily. "Then... do you want to warn Kaia?" Cindy ventured. Darcy was taken aback. "She deleted all my contact info ages ago. Even if I wanted to warn her, I couldn't reach her." Besides, judging by Kaia's arrogant attitude the last time they met, she probably wouldn't listen to a word Darcy said anyway. Forget it. She chose this path. She must have anticipated the consequences. Darcy had no desire to interfere in someone else's karma.