I Owe the Tyrant Four Little Heirs novel Chapter 187

"Mommy, why are you yelling at me?" Aurelia whined, her lip trembling. "I was just saying."

"Well, you can't," Niamh said sternly.

"Why not?" Aurelia pouted.

"I've told you before, your father is dead," Niamh stated flatly. It was better to crush any hope than to let them live with false expectations and inevitable disappointment.

Dead? The word hit Jareth like a physical blow. His expression darkened. What nonsense were Niamh telling their children? He’s standing right here, very much alive.

He gently set Aurelia down.

"You two, go outside for a minute," he said to her and Jove. "Mr. Bragg needs to talk to your mother alone."

Once they were gone, he turned on Niamh. "Niamh, don't you think it's wrong to tell the children their father is dead?"

Did she really hate him that much?

Niamh did hate that man. With every fiber of her being. But Jareth's reaction was baffling. Why was he yelling at her? It wasn't his business. He wasn't that man.

Suppressing her own anger, she replied calmly, "Mr. Bragg, I'm telling them the truth. To us, that man is dead."

Jareth gritted his teeth.

"I'm sorry," Niamh said, realizing she had gone too far. "I didn't mean to shout."

"I don't care," Jareth said, his own anger receding slightly. "You can't tell them that anymore. You can't say their father is dead. It's not healthy for them. Didn't you see how sad Aurelia and Jove looked when you said it?"

Niamh stared at him, at his righteous indignation, and found herself at a loss for words. Maybe he was right. But she still felt she wasn't wrong.

"Just let them have a little hope," he said, his voice softening. "What if their father really does come back one day? How will you explain it to them then?"

Niamh was exasperated. They weren't his children. Why was he so invested in this? It seemed she wouldn't get him to drop it unless she agreed.

What a strange man.