The first thing Jennifer tried to do was diffuse the situation.
"It's okay, Adrian. I got this." She tried to gently push him a step back because she needed the breathing space—only to realize she could feel the warmth of his skin beneath his T-shirt, and that she had already lost all cognitive sensibilities, such as the need to breathe, the moment Adrian arrived at her side.
It didn't help that the landlady's son took that as his cue to step forward as well. Jennifer was sure he was only properly squaring up to Adrian, completely unaware of how alarmingly smooth his expensive jacket felt against her arm—or that she could smell the citrus-woodsy top notes of his cologne from here.
So she must still be breathing somehow.
"There is no problem. We were only talking," the landlady's son demurred.
Adrian lifted her hand off his chest—oh, was it still there—and moved her behind him. "Yes. Of course."
Although Jennifer knew that was exactly what had happened, neither man sounded like they were telling the truth.
This was completely confusing. It was as if the two men had picked a random scene out of a webnovel and decided to spontaneously act it out.
Wth.
And of course, at that exact moment, the front door of the building emitted a quiet whir as the lock released. Drake Darkfall stepped inside, his broad shoulders filling the threshold as his brooding gaze swept the scene.
"Wait outside for me," he rumbled to his associates. His voice was low thunder.
The door shut behind him, and the entire world tilted toward the alpha.
"Is there a problem?" he asked.
"No," said Jennifer.
"Yes," said the other two men.
"Wait—yes," Jennifer corrected herself. She walked to the front door. "How did you get in? Did Damien give you his key card?"
Drake frowned slightly. "It was unlocked."
That wasn't possible. The door had been auto-locked since Day One of Jennifer moving in.
"That's not good," Adrian muttered. He went to check. The door was locked. He had to press the release switch to open it.
He stepped outside and shut it again. Everyone watched as the lock remained firmly engaged.
Eventually, Adrian used his key card. The lock whirred, and the door opened. He pocketed the card. "Strange."
"Is it because you have alpha powers?" Jennifer asked Drake.
Drake raised a brow.
Well. Yes. That did sound ridiculous now that she'd said it out loud.
"I'll have a locksmith come check it," the landlady's son decided.
"Who are you to do that?" Adrian demanded.
"I'm the landlady's son."
Both Adrian and Drake turned to stare at Jennifer in disbelief.
"You're old enough to be a grandfather," Adrian said flatly.
"The former landlady's son," the older gentleman clarified calmly. "And I will ensure the property is reverted to its rightful owner."
Jennifer was quite sure he was trying to reassure her. Unfortunately, this only provoked the other two men.
"Now I know you're trouble," Adrian said.
Drake growled lowly in agreement.
"No!" Jennifer snapped, her kindergarten-teacher instincts finally taking over. "You are the one who's trouble."
Oh wait. No. Adrian had been nothing but helpful since moving in. The only way he was trouble was the way his presence caused her brain to malfunction.
Sort of like right now.
Jennifer was malfunctioning in real life.
"All of you are trouble!" she declared.
She must have looked like a madwoman, because all three men nodded gravely.
"Some more so than others," the landlady's son said, side-eyed at Drake.
Drake continued growling. This was not to be confused with a cat purring.
Perhaps the men finally noticed Jennifer might be a madwoman. Or perhaps they were simply the sort who took matters into their own hands by force of habit. Either way, a negotiation of sorts began, voices dropping into low registers.
"I'll call the locksmith," Adrian said. Why the tenant was suddenly in charge of building security was beyond Jennifer's comprehension.
"This place isn't safe," Jake agreed. "It's not as if my useless son would be around to guard it."
Why was any tenant responsible for guarding the building?
"Meanwhile, I'll have my boys patrol the area," the landlady's son added.
And suddenly, it clicked.
Not the strange discussion happening in front of her—but the gentleman in the suit.
The landlady's son was the conglomerate-king grandfather from her latest webnovel, in the flesh.
Which meant his "boys" were nothing like Adrian's cheerful and energetic ALIVE boys.
No. If he truly was the reincarnation of her character, then he was also the Lord of the underground world—the one she had modeled after her landlady, because she'd thought giving him a gentle smile and mild charm would make his authority infinitely more dangerous.
Wow. She was good.
Jennifer swallowed. "So," she said brightly, addressing three men who could probably destroy her life in three entirely different ways, "let's all get along now."