Chapter 33: Problems at the doorsteps

Chapter 33: Problems at the doorsteps

Natasha was sitting in the kitchen, reading a 'fashion' magazine... or maybe saying that she was looking through the pages with sexy undergarments would have been more precise... while she waited for Tom to return.

Today was one of the very rare days when he actually left the house because he had to do something.

Natasha had no idea what was on his agenda but she didn't worry. With the creepy Jasin thug-wannabes dealt with, there was not much that could happen to Tom.

Tom wasn't weak and now that the Jasin family couldn't outnumber him five to one in an ambush anymore, Natasha's mind was fully at ease. Life was once again peaceful.

Suddenly, she heard a noise from the hall and raised her head towards the door, only to see Tom numbly walk inside, his expression blank, yet, she could tell he was nonplussed as he sat down and looked her in the eyes. nove(l)bi(n.)com

"Did you kill the heirs to the Jasin Family?" Tom flatly asked, his body relaxed yet, his eyes were full of tension.

Natasha didn't like where this was going and her good mood suddenly plummeted... but she wouldn't allow herself to lie. Not to him.

"Did I do something wrong?" She uneasily asked, her voice a bit nervous.

That was all the confirmation Tom needed and his shoulders sagged as he dropped his head on the table, his forehead hitting its surface while he let out a deep groan.

"Wrong?" Tom raised his eyes toward her and asked in an aggravated and exasperated tone, "It was a freaking bait. The masterminds in the shadows might not have expected them to drop dead but they wanted us to retaliate against their pathetic attempts to get through our wards."

He didn't raise his tone and kept it flat and emotionless but frankly, right now, Natasha would have liked it more if he screamed at her. It was obvious he was angry and she realized she might have made an unrepairable mistake.

Natasha felt as if cold water was poured on her. She thought getting rid of these four would help! They were literally trying to find a way to breach their wards. That seemed pretty hostile to Natasha so she took care of the problem. Nobody ever had to know it was her handiwork either!

But apparently, she didn't have the entire picture when she acted.

"I..." Natasha clutched her hands under the table, her expression stricken with utter disbelief. As her thoughts whirled through her mind, understanding the situation more and more, her disbelief slowly changed to determination. She gulped and opened her mouth, hesitating only briefly before she anxiously asked, "Is there any way I can make this right?"

Her feelings came as a shock even to her. Because... Even if Tom wanted to turn her in for the murders, she didn't think... no, she knew she wouldn't have resisted.

She... loved him.

Her eyes slightly widened as she came to that realization and anguish filled her at the thought that it was under these circumstances that...

Tom looked at her weirdly. It took him a second to understand what she was suggesting and it really made him snort in amusement.

Natasha slowly nodded, "But what does that have to do with this?" She gestured at the letter between them.

"The Jasin Family was just a bait planted by the people wanting to get me into trouble in order to lower my influence in the magician community even more." Tom dryly chuckled. Some people were just that bored. "The thing is, in the deal with the high-ranked families, the stipulation safeguarding me comes into play only when my Family or I personally are attacked first. Technically, they don't have to do a squat if the aggressor is me." He wryly frowned.

To be honest, even Tom didn't see this coming. He expected a lot of angles from which he could be attacked, most of which were social, but to think it would have been a small mistake made by him like this that brought him so many problems

He never intended to start hostilities with anybody anyway so at the time, this didn't seem like such a big deal. Yet, it came to bite him in the ass.

"The Jasin Family..." Natasha understood. Biting her lower lip, she bowed her head a bit as a complicated expression appeared on her face.

What the heck was this complicated political bullshit?

The mundane world was full of complicated relationships between people, countries, and business partners, and in her job, she sometimes had to take that into account, but this was another level of complexity.

"Yes. Our only blessing is that nobody has any proof it was you who killed them." Tom sighed. "Your decision to wear a wig to fool Jacob instead of using the ring was what stumped most of those trying to accuse you of the crime. They can't explain how he didn't notice you using the ring since it is pretty obvious to any adult magician and it would definitely set him on edge if somebody was trying to conceal their identity next to him."

Such a small thing and it saved their hides from a more vicious approach from the hostile families. Tom couldn't help but inwardly chuckle at the irony.

Hearing him, Natasha's eyebrows furrowed in surprise, "But if they don't know then..."

Tom understood what she meant but he only helplessly shook his head, "In my current political state, even a suspicion is enough to give a leeway for some annoying people to do... that." He nodded at the letter which was practically a challenge to a duel by a mid-ranked family.

"It's unreasonable and retarded but the high-ranking families won't step in. As long as the duel is not to the death, they won't be contractually obliged to help me and the opposition clearly knows that." Tom explained. This was some kind of stupid punishment to him for 'dealing' with the devils beyond some imagined limit or whatever.

This was exactly what having the families as his proverbial social shield was supposed to prevent. That's why Tom was so put out. He could care less about money. His time was wasted here.

"What are we going to do?" Natasha took his hands into hers and asked in worry.

Tom took a deep breath, "I am going to accept the challenge to duel." He helplessly shrugged, already predicting what the ensuing events will lead to.

Even if he declined, it would inevitably worsen his standing in the magician community... which wasn't important to Tom. The problem was that this would open him to more challenges and underhanded plays.

What he needed right now was the time accepting the challenge would provide.

Nevertheless, his future relationship with the magician community didn't seem to have a nice future, all things considered.