CHAPTER 112: THE TWIN’S SECRET MISCHIEF

Sylvia’s POV

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"Mommy, he’s not waking up no matter what I do!"

Egypt complained while pressing Rome’s cheek over and over again. From the way she giggled, it almost looked like she was enjoying it.

I let out a deep sigh. Why on earth would this jerk suddenly decide to sleep right outside my house? He really had no shame.

"Kids, you should get ready for school now. Just leave him—whatever he’s up to, it has nothing to do with us. We don’t know him."

I ushered the twins back inside. The last thing I wanted was for Rome to wake up and have my children be the first thing he saw. I quickly closed the door and returned to preparing their lunches.

"Mommy, are we just going to let him lie outside like that?" Egypt asked, her lips forming a pout as she tugged on my arm. "The ground is dirty... and he looks uncomfortable. What if the neighbors see him and think we’re bad people for just leaving him there?"

I froze for a moment. I clenched my jaw, my hands tightening on the lunchboxes I was packing.

I didn’t want my children to think badly of me, but I also couldn’t let Rome just walk freely into my home. He had no right to be inside our house.

Still, their innocent eyes were on me, waiting for an answer.

"Maybe we should just let him sleep inside instead of out there," Paris chimed in almost hesitantly. "It’s your day off today, right, Mom? You can just tell him to leave once he wakes up."

I felt my heart soften at her words. What should I do with my kind babies? No matter how angry I was at Rome, I didn’t want them to think their mother was cold and heartless.

They didn’t know yet that Rome was their father.

Perhaps... just this once, it would be alright.

I crouched down and gently patted both of their heads before forcing a small smile.

"Alright," I said quietly. "Let’s do that."

Both their faces brightened instantly, and that alone made my chest ache.

I stood, glanced at the closed door, and sighed again.

Rome, you idiot... why are you making me do this?

With heavy steps, I moved toward the door and reached for the knob. The cold morning air swept in as I opened it, and there he was, still slumped at the threshold.

"Fine," I muttered under my breath. "Just this once."

I bent down, hooked my arms under him, and with a groan managed to drag him inside. He was heavy, and the smell of alcohol clung stubbornly to him, making me wrinkle my nose.

The twins peeked curiously from the doorway.

"Back inside," I warned them quickly. "Don’t come near him—he’s dangerous."

They nodded and hurried back, whispering to each other.

I shut the door firmly, leaned my back against it, and let out another sigh. This better not be a mistake.

Trying to shake off the uneasiness, I went back to the kitchen and continued preparing the kids’ food for school. For a moment, the house was too quiet. I should’ve known that meant trouble.

"Mom, can I put this on him?" Egypt asked sweetly when I turned my back for only a second.

I froze when I saw what she was holding. It was my lipstick.

Before I could even stop her, she had already dabbed it on Rome’s lips while he was still fast asleep.

I slapped my forehead in disbelief.

"Egypt! No, no, no. You can’t put that on him! That’s my lipstick!" I snatched it out of her little hand, groaning.

I just froze while staring at my lipstick, not even sure how Egypt managed to get her hands on it.

Now I can never use it again, it’s been contaminated by Rome’s lips.

" Mom are you mad?..." Egypt mumbled, fiddling with her fingers. "He looked so pale. I thought he needed it."

I stared at her, utterly speechless. And as if to make things worse, Paris piped up with that same serious tone kids use when they think they’re doctors. "Yeah, Mom. It’s true. He looks sick. The lipstick made him better."

I inhaled deeply through my nose, counting to three like I’d read in those parenting books.

Don’t lose it. Don’t show them you’re uncomfortable and annoyed. Breathe. You can do this.

"No, baby," I said before forcing a smile. "What you did isn’t bad. But you can’t do that again, okay? Not everyone with pale lips needs lipstick."

Sometimes they just need a slap to bring color to their face—but of course I can’t tell them that.

I sighed heavily, hoping the madness was over. But then Paris slipped behind me for just a moment, and when I turned back, she was hiding something behind her back. My gut told me I wasn’t going to like it.

"Mom," she said innocently, "can I practice my drawing skills on him?"

...Huh?

Too late. Before I could even blink, Paris had already drawn a big, squiggly mustache on Rome’s cheek with a black marker.

"PARIS!" I shrieked in a whisper, snatching her hand away. I scooped her up, panicking.

"Do you two want him to wake up and eat us for breakfast?! You can’t do that!"

The twins looked at me with wide, fake-innocent eyes, but the corners of their lips twitched as they tried not to laugh. When I glared at them, they both quickly looked away, pretending to study the floor.

Oh, I knew that act too well. They wanted to mess with Rome. They were enjoying this far too much.

Were they doing this on purpose? Testing my patience?

I narrowed my eyes. They were definitely doing this on purpose... but why Rome? Of all people, why were they targeting him?

I rubbed my temples, feeling a headache coming on.

If this kept up, Rome was bound to wake up looking like a circus clown instead of the arrogant fool he already was. Lipstick, marker mustache... really?

They weren’t like this with other people. So why were they being this naughty when it came to Rome?

Did they somehow know he was their father?

No. I quickly shoved that thought out of my head. There was no way. Even if he did look like them, the twins were far too young to realize that. Absolutely no way.

I repeated it over and over in my mind as I stared at the two of them.

Maybe they were just in a playful mood, and Rome had just happened to be the unlucky target.

"Twins, enough," I hissed, glaring at them. "Both of you—sit. Down. Now."

Egypt plopped onto the couch, swinging her legs like nothing had happened. Paris followed and sat beside her, both of them staring at me with those innocent faces I absolutely did not buy.

I exhaled slowly. I didn’t know if they were testing my patience, but I wanted to convince myself that they didn’t know anything.

And as if on cue, Rome groaned.

The three of us froze.

His eyebrows twitched. His hand shifted against the floor. My stomach dropped.

Panic began to set in. The last thing I needed was for him to wake up right now—and see the twins.

The girls’ eyes went wide as saucers. Egypt clutched my arm.

"Mommy, he’s moving! He’s waking up!"

"Shhh!" I waved my hands frantically, trying to silence them. "If he wakes up and sees himself in the mirror, you’re doomed!" I muttered, trying to scare them into staying quiet.

But Paris just tilted her head. "Why doomed? He looks better now, Mommy."

Better?! He looked like a drunk, unconscious version of a cheap party clown!

Before I could think of anything, Rome let out a deep, heavy sigh and rolled onto his side, muttering something under his breath.

The twins burst into giggles.

I shot them both my fiercest glare, but it was useless—they were already laughing so hard they had to cover their mouths.

"Quiet!" I whispered sharply. "If he wakes up now, no ice cream for either of you!"

Egypt, still grinning, leaned close to Paris and whispered a little too loudly, "Should we give him earrings next?"

I almost screamed.

"No more experiments on him! We don’t even know him! You shouldn’t do things like that to someone you don’t know!" I snapped, grabbing both their arms and dragging them toward the kitchen.

"But Mom, isn’t he just Mr. Bear in a costume?" Egypt asked, but I ignored her.

"That’s it. School. Now. Forget him."

I shoved their backpacks into their hands, but as I did, I couldn’t stop myself from sneaking one last glance at Rome.

Even passed out, even looking ridiculous, he still somehow managed to worm his way into my morning.

And judging by the mischievous little smirks on my twins’ faces, I knew one thing for sure....

They were enjoying this way too much. Almost like they shared some secret... a secret they didn’t want to share with me. I

I just hoped it wasn’t the one I feared—that they already knew Rome was their father.