Chapter 9

Dimitri released Brooklyn and had Heather bring the food in. When she came in and saw Brooklyn in bed, she cleared her throat and said, "You should control yourself, Mr. Wood. If you continue like this, Mr. Hart won't be able to return home. You know his father has been waiting for him."

"All you needed to do was bring the food in. You're just being annoying with your so-called advice," Dimitri said irritably. After a while, he continued, "I'll take Zachary home tomorrow. Inform Kenneth about this and tell him not to worry."

"Alright." That was what Heather wanted to hear. Kenneth had already called them several times to urge "Zachary" to return. It hadn't happened since Brooklyn had gone into heat.

Brooklyn quietly had his oats as he thought about how Kenneth probably had many things to tell him. After all, he had to pretend to be Zachary and had no idea how to do it.

"Focus on your food," Dimitri said. He patted Brooklyn on the head. "It's not good to be distracted when you're eating."

Brooklyn looked at him, unable to stop himself from blushing. He was reminded of them making love whenever he gazed at Dimitri. He had no idea what was up with that.

"I don't really have an appetite," he said. He wasn't lying—he didn't feel like eating anything because he didn't feel too comfortable. The lack of appetite could be because he was still in heat.

"You're in heat, but it's almost like you're sick." Dimitri sighed. "Forget it if you can't bring yourself to eat, then. You can have some more when you feel better."

He took the bowl from Brooklyn and set it aside. Then, he checked the time and said, "It's still early. If you want to stroll around, I can go with you. You'll feel better that way."

Brooklyn leaned close to him to see the date on his phone. Then, he was stunned and said incredulously, "It's already the 21st of September? How does time pass so quickly?"

"Does it?" Dimitri couldn't understand why he felt like that. "Don't Omegas usually go into heat for about a week? It's only been three days since yours started. It's already considered out of the ordinary."

"But…" Brooklyn wanted to say something but didn't know what. He was worried about Liza. If he did the math correctly, it had been five days since he'd been away from home, which meant Liza had gone without anyone caring for her for close to a week. He was worried sick.

He frowned, feeling distressed. Still, he didn't know how to bring this up.

"You can let me know if there's anything wrong. I'll help you wherever I can," Dimitri said patiently. He could tell something was bothering Brooklyn.

"Well…" Brooklyn wanted to mention Liza, but the thought of Kenneth's words made him falter. Ultimately, he shook his head and said, "It's nothing."

"It's not good to lie." Dimitri caressed his head dotingly. "You can just be frank with me. I won't get mad at you."

Brooklyn didn't dare say anything. All he did was shake his head and ask, "Can I know where my phone is?"

He couldn't tell Dimitri the truth, but he could at least get his phone. That way, he could call his neighbor and ask how Liza was doing. At least, that was the plan. Dimitri's answer wasn't what he wanted to hear, though.

"Your phone was already broken when we retrieved it, so the maids threw it away," Dimitri said helplessly. "I've asked someone to get you a new one, though."

"Oh." Brooklyn had nothing else to say. As long as he could get a phone, he could contact other people and find out how Liza was. He just wanted one as soon as possible.

"If it's okay with you, could you get it for me as soon as possible?" Brooklyn asked tentatively. He desperately needed to speak to someone to find out about Liza's condition.

"Do you need to call someone?" Dimitri asked gently. "Is it someone important?"

Brooklyn was afraid of getting his cover blown, so he shook his head and said, "No, it's not that. I just wanted to play a game."

"What game is it?" Dimitri handed him his phone. "You can use mine first. Meanwhile, I need to step outside to deal with something."

He rubbed Brooklyn's head before leaving. Brooklyn looked at Dimitri's phone, which was obviously expensive. He held it gingerly and dialed Liza's landline.

"Hello?" The call was connected, but the voice didn't belong to Liza. Instead, it belonged to a seemingly middle-aged woman whom he didn't recognize. "Brooklyn York? Is that you?"

"Who are you?" Brooklyn asked shakily. "Where's my grandmother?"

"She's already been taken to a hospital for treatment and has people watching her. She's fine," the woman said. "I'm Mr. Kenneth's secretary, and I came here so I could watch out for your call to let you know about this."

"I'm fine with anything as long as my grandmother is safe. Does this mean I can see her once I head to the Hart residence?" This was what Brooklyn was more concerned about. "I'll be back immediately."

"We'll arrange for you two to see each other when you come back," the woman said a little indifferently. "You know I have no reason to lie to you."

Yes, no one would lie to someone who was worthless. Brooklyn didn't have any money or power—there was no need to lie to him.

"Okay. Take good care of my grandmother." He wanted to hear Liza's voice but could only hold himself back for a while more. Once he headed to the Hart residence, he would be able to see Liza. This significantly improved his mood.

"Zachary." As soon as he hung up, he heard someone call him. He turned to see Heather standing at the door, and his expression became confused.

Heather said, "Get changed and come out—I have some things to tell you. I won't be around later, and Mr. Wood won't be, either. It'll be a hassle if you get into trouble."

"Okay." Brooklyn nodded. He was worried about doing anything wrong, too.

He changed and slowly headed to the living room downstairs. Heather cleared her throat when she saw him and said, "Firstly, Mr. Wood—Dimitri Wood—is the second son of the Wood family. Currently, you're at the Wood family's estate."

"Uh-huh." Brooklyn nodded. He'd yet to really take in his surroundings. Now that he had the chance to, he realized how lavishly the place was decorated. There was gold everywhere, which was somewhat tacky, but he still felt envious.