Chapter 8
៣
OX
“Me?” Hayden blinked in surprise and pointed at herself. “Are you talking about me?”
Kellan nodded expressionlessly. Seeing that, Hayden finally snapped, frustration and helplessness bubbling over. “Just look at who I am–and who they are. Me, keeping an eye on the big boss?”
Kellan shot him a sharp glance. “Do it, or I have more dirty work for you to finish.”
“Fine.” Hayden’s defiance wilted, “Just don’t send me to some remote island again.”
He bent over his work again, forcing himself to focus while silently apologizing in his head. ‘Kellan’s crazy,’ he mumbled inside. “This has nothing to do with me.
The night grew darker. Immersing himself in thoughts, Kellan’s gaze grew heavier as he stared out into the shadows.
The next morning, Zina was gently woken by Yvonne’s soft voice.
“Zina, may I come in?” she asked with a gentle knock on the door.
“Come on in.” Zina opened the door. Yvonne was already dressed, though Zina couldn’t tell when she’d gotten up.
“I hope you’ll be patient with Lydia a little longer,” Yvonne said softly. “She’s probably still adjusting. But don’t worry–I’ll help her settle in quickly. I’ve left a gift for you downstairs. Want to take a look?”
Zina didn’t reply, just nodded. But as she walked down the stairs and stepped into the living room, she froze.
The room was filled from floor to ceiling with rows of clothes, bags, and jewelry–every color, every style imaginable. It was dazzling and overwhelming.
“They’re all for you.” Yvonne stood quietly nearby, smiling gently. “I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I picked out a bunch to start with. Take a look, and if you feel like something’s missing, I’ll get it for you.”
Zina forced a smile, unsure how to respond. But when she caught Yvonne’s hopeful eyes, she stammered, “Thank you… this is too much…”
Just then, sleepy–eyed Lydia shuffled downstairs rubbing her eyes. She stopped dead when she saw the mountain of clothes and jewelry in the living room, her eyes wide with disbelief.
Thinking back on yesterday, Lydia was certain this was compensation for her from their parents. Her heart soared. But when she spotted Zina standing near the jewelry, her expression instantly collapsed.
Yvonne hadn’t expected Lydia to come down then, and her face flickered with awkwardness.
“This is for your sister, who just came back,” she said kindly. “If you like any of it, I’ll prepare something for you too, okay?”
“Mom! There’s all this stuff, and none of it’s for me?” Lydia’s voice cracked as she shouted, eyes darting to Yvonne’s guilty glance. She understood perfectly.
Small and fragile, tears threatening to spill, Lydia looked pitiful enough to break anyone’s heart.
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Chapter 8
“I’m really not interested in these things. If you want them, take whatever you like.” Zina approached, her tone calm and
sincere.
Lydia was just a spoiled kid–and to Zina, there was no reason to fight her. Since she genuinely didn’t care about the gifts, she might as well do her a favor.
“Stop pretending to be kind!” But Lydia shot her a venomous glare. With that, she shoved past Zina and ran upstairs crying. Awkwardly, Zina turned to meet Yvonne’s guilty gaze. “Maybe you should go check on Lydia,” she suggested gently.
Sighing, Yvonne pressed her lips together but didn’t move. Instead, she stared up the stairs with a worried expression.
N
Zina understood this was Yvonne’s way of showing where she stood. She didn’t know what else to say, so she stayed quiet. But then suddenly, Yvonne’s eyes brightened.
“Oh, by the way, Adrian is coming back today.” She said. “He’s your third brother.”
Eager to change the topic, she pulled Zina onto the sofa and started explaining about him. Zina listened quietly, her thoughts drifting.
*****
#1
Meanwhile, the Sinclair household was in chaos. Rosie sat on the couch, crying pitifully, while Kevin paced anxiously, wringing his hands.
Avery Sinclair maintained a more composed front but her face was pale and tight.
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“That brat–why did she come back?” she roared, cursing bitterly. “And why make such a scene at the engagement party? Now everyone knows our dirty laundry.”
Then, catching sight of Linda nearby, she was even more furious.
“Linda!” Avery snapped. “How could you let that little brat slip through your fingers?”
h”
Linda shrank back, stammering, “Mrs. Sinclair, it’s not all my fault. Look at my arm–who could have predicted how Zina would come out of prison? There are all kinds of people in there. It’s obvious this is-”
“Enough!” Kevin barked, cutting her off. “What were you doing back then?”
#
He shot a frustrated look at Rosie, who was still sniffling. “And you–what’s with the crying? You couldn’t even handle Kyle; how do you have the nerve to sob here? You’re running the family business into the ground.”
His face reddened with anger, chest heaving. Rosie wiped her tears but couldn’t let them fall. “Dad!” she cried out.
Seeing her pitiful expression, Kevin realized he’d been too harsh. But he couldn’t bring himself to soften.
“What good does crying do?” he sighed. “Think about how to use the Carter family to pull us up. Look at how the stock plunged after his engagement.”
“I get it, Dad,” Rosie said, swallowing hard, nodding. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and she looked at Kevin. “How about this- Zina isn’t making any moves right now. She just got out of prison. No one’s buying her story over ours, so this is our chance.”
That made Kevin smile, trying hard not to laugh, looking ridiculous. “Alright. I get you. But remember to mind your
Chapter 8
manners.”
Rosie nodded sweetly, lowering her eyes, but a ruthless glint flashed in them. ‘Zina,‘ she thought, ‘you belong in hell. You dared to cross me–let’s see how this ends for you.’
She then looked up, forcing a harmless smile. “Dad, we need to plan this carefully. Maybe there’s a chance to turn this to our advantage.”
“That’s my smart girl,” Kevin said, grinning greedily. The family gathered quietly in the living room, voices lowered to whispers full of scheming. Storm clouds gathered outside, and the sunlight dimmed, casting a shadow by the window.
