Christy’s POV
Kendrick’s promise still echoed in my ears long after his mother had stord out, the slam of the door vibrating through my chest like an aftershock I couldn’t shake.
"I will never let her, or anyone else, take you away from again." His words were supposed to soothe , supposed to make feel safe, but instead, I felt torn in two.
My heart wanted to believe him, to lean into the safety of his arms and let that promise shield from everything.
But my head... my head wouldn’t stop replaying the resentnt in his mother’s voice, the raw hatred burning in her eyes when she looked at .
She didn’t see as Kendrick’s love, or the mother of his child, or even just as Christy. No, to her, I was nothing more than a Lancaster, nothing more than an enemy.
The way she spat it, the way her voice cracked with years of resentnt, it was almost as if my very existence was an offense to her and no matter how tightly Kendrick held , no matter how fiercely he promised, I couldn’t silence the gnawing question inside .
Why? Why did she hate so much? What had really happened between our families?
I pressed my lips together and tried to blink away the sting of tears, but my chest still felt heavy, like my heart was being squeezed by invisible hands.
Kendrick kept his forehead against mine, his voice low and steady, murmuring assurances I wanted so badly to believe.
"Don’t you dare bla yourself,this isn’t your fault. It was always her choice."he said to softly and I nodded, but inside, the doubt lingered.
Because if his mother’s hatred was really rooted in the past, if it ca from sothing deep and unhealed between the Blacks and the Lancasters, then Kendrick and I being together will be impossible.
The thought sent a sharp ache through , so painful I almost gasped.
I didn’t have ti to process any of it before the door suddenly burst open again.
My whole body jolted as I turned to look at the entrance, but it wasn’t his mother this ti, It was Mason.
He stord in with an extrely cold expression on his face, his grip tight around Mira’s arm as he dragged her in behind him.
Mira stumbled, her designer heels scraping against the tiled floor, her eyes were wild and burning with rage.
"Mason! Let go, you’re hurting !" she shrieked, trying to yank free, but he only tightened his grip on her.
"What the hell are you doing here, Mira?" Mason asked sharply while staring at her.
He shoved her forward, and she nearly fell, glaring at him like she wanted to claw his face off.
My stomach dropped.
Mira again?
My pulse quickened as unease spread through .
"Mason, what’s going on?" I asked cautiously, but he ignored , his eyes locked on Mira with the intensity of a predator cornering its prey.
"What are you doing here?" Mason snapped at her.
"Don’t you dare lie to . Were you following us? Answer !" he questioned her angrily.
Mira scoffed, and rolled her eyes dramatically. She smoothed her hair, lifting her chin with that smug arrogance that always made my skin crawl.
"Following you? Oh.. Please.... Don’t flatter yourself, Mason. It’s a public restaurant, so I can eat wherever I please." she replied with a mocking tone.
She sounded defiant, but there was a glint in her eyes, I knew Mason was definitely right.
She had sworn to make my life a living hell, so I wouldn’t be surprised if she is the one that inford Kendrick’s mother about our whereabouts.
Kendrick’s hand tightened around mine as his sharp gaze landed on Mira.
"Then tell , Mira, is it a coincidence that my mother just happened to show up here right after you did? Or do you have sothing to do with it?" he asked her, his voice unusually calm.
Mira gasped as her eyes widening in mock innocence.
"What? Are you seriously accusing of conspiring with your mother? You’ve got to be joking!" She let out a bitter laugh while shaking her head.
"Wow... Just wow...You really think I’m that desperate, don’t you?"she asked him with an innocent tone.
But I could see it, the flicker of satisfaction that flashed across her face before she could masked it.
We all knew she was lying, only a fool would believe a psycho like Mira.
When she saw that no one said anything, her face imdiately darkened with anger.
"You people are unbelievable. First, you accuse of stalking, now of scheming? Maybe the problem isn’t . Maybe the problem is that Christy here can’t stop imagining that everyone is out to get her." She sneered and turned to glare at .
There it was again, that pure and unfiltered hatred she always reserved just for
I can’t say I like her either, only a fool would like soone that tried to kill her.
Her lips curved into a cruel smile as she stepped closer, her voice low but dripping with malice.
"Not everyone wants your pathetic little fairytale, Christy. You think Kendrick actually chose you because you’re special? Oh.. Please....You’re nothing but a Lancaster and eventually, he’ll realize that blood matters more than whatever little fling you two think you’re having."she said with a mocking smile.
Her words reopened every raw wound Kendrick’s mother had just left bleeding inside .
I swallowed hard, forcing myself not to let her see how much her words affected .
Don’t give her the satisfaction, I told myself, even as my heart squeezed painfully in my chest.
"Enough," Mason growled, stepping in between us. His eyes flashed with protective fury, but Mira only smirked, knowing she had already struck a nerve.
Kendrick’s cold voice ca from beside . "Mira, I’m only going to ask you this once. Did you have anything to do with my mother showing up here?"
Mira straightened, her chin tilting defiantly.
"No, I don’t know why she ca, and frankly, I don’t care. But don’t you dare put this on . I don’t owe you or Christy any explanations." she replied, her voice was sharp and dripping with hatred.
A scene was about to erupt, and the last thing I wanted was for this ugly fight to spill out in front of everyone else in the restaurant.
"Stop it, just let her go, Mason. She’s not worth it." I said with a smile.
Mira’s eyes snapped to mine, her smirk widening as though she had won. She smoothed her dress and shot one last smug look, before she turned on her heel.
"That’s right," she said sweetly, though her eyes burned with hatred.
"You keep playing peacekeeper, Christy but peace won’t save you in this family."she said before walking out of the room.
Her words made frown but I didn’t want to give her importance by thinking about her.
Mason exhaled harshly, rubbing a hand over his face.
"She’s hiding sothing," he muttered.
"She always is," Kendrick replied, his voice dark.
Then he turned to Mason, his expression softening just slightly.
"Sit with us for dinner, we could all use a mont to breathe." Kendrick said with a slight smile.
Mason hesitated, glancing at , and I gave a small nod.
The little fight had drained , probably because of the pregnancy, and honestly, I didn’t want to face Mira again if she was still lurking nearby.
Dinner with my brother and Kendrick, felt like a fragile shield I desperately needed.
I ate silently while the both of them talked about business matters, which I couldn’t understand. By the ti we were done, it was already quite late, so we made our way out of the restaurant.
Just as we stepped out, Mason’s phone rang. He frowned while pulling it out of his pocket.
"It’s Mom," he said, before swiping to answer.
I watched his face as he listened, the shift in his expression startled . His eyes widened, and his mouth parted slightly.
"Wait... what? Are you serious?" His gaze darted to , then Kendrick, then back to his car.
"Alright...We will be ho soon," he said before hanging up.
"Kelvin has been released." he said to
My breath caught in my throat and I didn’t know how to react imdiately.
Released.
The word echoed in my head, carrying both relief and a sharp sense of unease.
By the ti we reached ho, the Lancaster estate was alive with noise.
It was filled with laughter, cheers and the clinking of glasses.
Our family was gathered, faces filled with joy, celebrating Kelvin’s release like a long-lost treasure finally returned.
I stood in the doorway, watching it unfold. I was happy as well but all I could feel was the weight of Kendrick’s mother’s words.
Everyone moved around in a blur, Kelvin was smiling, Mom hugging him, Dad pouring drinks but I felt detached, it felt like my mind was caught in a loop.
’She will destroy you , just like all Lancasters destroy everything they touch’
His mother’s voice played on repeat in my head until I couldn’t take it anymore.
I turned to my mother, who was smiling happily, her eyes wet with tears of relief as she clung to Kelvin.
The sight should have ward , but instead, it gave the push I needed. The question that had been clawing at since returning from the restaurant.
"Mom..." My voice was shaky, but it cut through the noise of celebration. She turned to , her face still lit with joy, but when she saw my expression, her smile faltered.
I swallowed hard as my heart was pounding loudly in my ears.
"What happened between our family and the Black family?" I ask
My mother’s face drained of color, her joy vanishing in an instant. Her hands trembled as they slipped from Kelvin’s shoulders.
Her eyes locked on mine, wide and unfocused, like I had just unearthed a secret she had buried deep.
And in that mont, I knew. Whatever it was, whatever dark history bound our families together, it was worse than I had imagined.
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