"Rose, you go trace the shoreline and find a good spot—" Ace instructed Dame Wasp as he returned from the lake under the cover of the 'Invisible' talisman. He had just reached the sliding glass door of his room when a sudden voice interrupted him.
"Ace, is that you? Are you outside? Who are you talking to?"
Recognizing the voice, Ace quickly deactivated the talisman, grabbing a nearby flower pot to cover his groin. Dame Wasp, already in stealth mode, remained unseen. The sliding door opened, and a blonde head peeked out—it was Mandy. Her eyes widened in shock as she took in the sight of a naked Ace, her gaze lingering on every exposed inch. A frown creased her brow as she scanned the patio, clearly searching for the invisible companion.
"Where did Rose go? I wanted to meet her," she inquired playfully, her voice tinged with confusion.
"Mandy, what the heck are you doing in my room? And are you just going to stand there, or will you pass me my clothes?" Ace exclaimed, his voice rising in panic as he desperately shielded his groin with the flower pot, his eyes darting in alarm at Mandy's lingering gaze. She reached for her phone, a mischievous smirk playing on her lips.
"No! Don't you dare," Ace pleaded, his eyes wide with desperation, but Mandy ignored him and raised the phone to capture the moment.
"Fuck it!" In one swift move, Ace lunged forward, snatching the phone from her grasp and shoving her aside. Grabbing his scattered clothes, he dashed into the bathroom, slamming the door shut with a force that echoed through the room.
"Ace, you jerk! I almost scraped myself," Mandy complained, rubbing her elbow with a grimace. Her eyes flashed with irritation as she examined the tender skin. If not for her quick reflexes and a nearby object to grab onto, the force of Ace's push might have caused a more serious injury.
"My purity was at stake. I did what I had to," Ace muttered as he emerged from the bathroom, now fully clothed. He fumbled with Mandy's phone, checking for any accidental photos of his exposed form. Mandy snatched the phone back, a teasing smirk still on her lips.
"It's bad manners to go through other people's phones," she teased.
"And it's bad manners to walk into other people's rooms late at night without permission," Ace shot back, his voice laced with irritation. "So, what are you doing here?"
"I woke up feeling thirsty, so I came downstairs. I decided to check on you while I was at it, but I didn't expect my nephew to be experimenting with the opposite sex, and naked, no less. So, who's Rose? Don't tell me she's the girl you ditched me for this morning?" Mandy asked playfully, momentarily forgetting the boundaries between aunt and nephew. Her expression quickly turned serious as she recalled the events of the previous day.
"It's not what you think. I just went skinny dipping—" Ace began, offering the first excuse that came to mind. However, Mandy cut him off, her tone stern.
"Save those stories for your gullible parents. Tell me the truth, or do you want me to wake them up?" she warned.
Ace narrowed his eyes, his tone hardening. "If you don't leave this room soon, you'll be the one explaining to my mom what you were doing here late at night. If I were you, I'd leave right now," he threatened.
"You—damn it! I should've been smarter and sneakier about taking those photos. Ace, you might have won this time, but remember: a thief always gets caught. And when that happens, no amount of pleading will work. Don't say I didn't warn you," Mandy muttered, her voice laced with frustration. Knowing she had overplayed her hand, she retreated, leaving behind a firm warning that next time he got caught, no amount of begging would change her mind.
"Sure, don't let the door hit you on the way out," Ace scoffed, rolling his eyes as he settled back into bed. Mandy glared at him, her eyes burning with a mix of anger and frustration. With a final, defiant look, she turned and left the room, slamming the door shut. Ace sighed, dismissing her threat, knowing it was the only way to defuse the situation.
Just as Ace began to relax, his mother's voice echoed through the house. "Mandy! Why are you coming out of Ace's room?"
Mary, who had come downstairs for a drink of water, stood frozen, shocked to see Mandy emerging from her son's room. Hearing his mother's shout, Ace groaned inwardly, regretting his choice of the room near the dining hall. It was proving to have the most foot traffic than anywhere else in the house and why was everyone feeling thirsty tonight of all nights.
Mary's shout startled everyone. Dan, a retired military man, reacted first, his instincts kicking in. He burst out of his room, his face etched with concern. "What's going on?" he demanded, his voice sharp and commanding.
"This witch came out of my baby's room! Ace! Ace!" Mary shrieked, her voice filled with panic as she rushed into Ace's room, her eyes wide with alarm. Caught in a situation ripe for misinterpretation, Ace felt a wave of dread wash over him.
"Mom, calm down. It's not what it looks like—" he tried to explain, but his words only seemed to fuel her anger.
Without waiting for further explanation, Mary slapped him hard across the face, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Didn't I repeatedly tell you to stay away from her? Why didn't you listen? Why?" she cried, her voice trembling with anguish. She only stopped when Pam grabbed her hands, pleading, "Mary, control yourself. He's your son."
Dan, the voice of reason, turned to his brother, Alwin. "Al, get Mary to calm down and help us figure out what's going on here," he instructed, urging him to calm his wife so they could make sense of the situation.
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