Poised at the top of the staircase, Kaelyn held herself with effortless elegance, the silky slip dress clinging to her figure and casting a dangerously alluring silhouette.
Something about her presence felt almost unreal—radiant, untouchable, and impossible to ignore.
Without blinking, her steady gaze locked onto Andrew and Xenia below. "So, you want an apology?"
Resting near her was a decorative pillar topped with a potted plant. With a sudden, decisive motion, she seized it and flung it straight at Andrew. "In your dreams!"
"Stop!"
A sharp cry cut through the air, followed by a heavy, sickening thud.
At the last possible second, Xenia threw herself in front of Andrew, taking the full impact as the pot slammed hard against her back.
Shock drained the color from Andrew's face, panic flaring unmistakably in his eyes. "Xenia!"
Raising his head toward Kaelyn, he fixed her with a savage glare, as if he could rip her apart on the spot.
Not a single word left his lips before he bent down, scooped Xenia into his arms, and rushed out with urgent strides.
From behind, Kaelyn caught his sharp command to the driver, his voice tight with fear. "Get in—now. We're going to the hospital."
A faint twitch pulled at Kaelyn's cheek as she slowly shut her eyes and let out a measured breath.
Deep down, she knew all too well—when it came to men, their attention always circled back to the one they truly cared about.
Well, since she had already made up her mind to end things with Andrew, none of this mattered anymore.
Drawing in a steadying breath, Kaelyn forced herself upright, walked upstairs to change, then headed out without looking back.
As one of the city's most upscale malls, Vanguard drew a steady stream of well-dressed shoppers—people with money and influence alike.
Up front, Erika rolled to a smooth stop in a black Mercedes G-Class, the engine humming low. Her sleek, cropped hair framed her face perfectly, while diamond studs at her ears caught and scattered the light.
With an easy flick, she slid off her sunglasses and angled her head toward Kaelyn.
A playful smile curved across her red lips as she called out, "Hey, gorgeous—need a ride?"
Instead of playing along, Kaelyn's expression stayed cool as she gestured to a nearby security guard. Turning back, she spoke flatly. "Get down here. I'm covering everything today."
At once, Erika's eyes brightened with interest as she swung out of the car.
Without missing a beat, she tossed the keys toward the guard, her tone turning teasing again as she faced Kaelyn. "Wow, someone's clearly not having a great day. What? Did Dr. Hudson reject you in bed again?"
Drawing in a slow breath, Kaelyn stayed silent, her lips pressed into a thin line.
How was she supposed to tell Erika the truth? That Andrew had never loved her—that the one he truly cared for was her half-sister? Especially when she'd been so sure just days ago that there was no way he didn't love her.
Noticing the shift in her face, Erika's playful demeanor faded. She studied her closely before asking with cautious concern, "Don't tell me you actually broke up with him?"
"Yeah."
A quiet laugh slipped from Erika's lips. "Wait—seriously? Is he actually impotent?"
With a bitter scoff, Kaelyn crossed her arms. "If only that were the worst of it."
Piece by piece, she laid everything out—the truth about Andrew and Xenia—until the story hung heavy in the air. Swearing under her breath again and again, Erika shook her head in stunned disbelief. "He's the Hudson heir—big name, big power. Of course he knows exactly how to play people. Still, you handled it well. Honestly? You should've hit him even harder for it."
Dropping her gaze, Kaelyn kept her face carefully blank, not letting a single emotion slip through.
"Come on, there are plenty of better men out there," Erika said with a breezy laugh. "Why waste another second thinking about him?"
Hooking an arm through hers, she tugged her forward with playful insistence. "We're finding you ten upgrades today. And we're paying with his card—call it compensation."
Earlier, Andrew had handed her a card without a second thought.
Back then, she'd assumed he didn't earn much, which was why she never felt right using his money.
Only after uncovering his real identity—and quietly confirming it—did she realize the supplementary card came with no spending limit at all.
Considering how long he'd used her, she figured taking a piece of his wealth in return was only fair.
Kaelyn and Erika swept through the mall in a whirlwind, drifting from one high-end boutique to the next as they selected whatever caught their eye. Each purchase required nothing more than a casual swipe of the card, the staff promising to deliver everything straight to their doors.
Exhaustion eventually set in, and they retreated into a café to rest.
Slouched deep in her chair, Kaelyn tilted her head back, her unfocused eyes lingering on the ceiling as if lost somewhere far away.
"Hey," Erika called, extending her foot to lightly tap Kaelyn's ankle, her tone probing. "What are you going to do next? Are you seriously planning to go confront Andrew?"
"No."
"Then what's your plan?"
"I'm getting married."
"What?" A flash of disbelief snapped across Erika's face as she jerked upright. "What did you just say?"
Remaining perfectly still, Kaelyn looked almost eerily composed. "When my grandfather was still alive, he had a close friend. Back then, they made an agreement—a marriage between our families. After my grandfather passed away, no one brought it up again. But they got in touch with me recently. It's because…"
"Because of what, exactly?"
"Because the grandson of my grandfather's friend has lost his sight."
A flicker of unease crossed Erika's face, her brows knitting together. "Lost his sight? So they're struggling to find him a wife, and suddenly they remembered this old engagement?"
"That's right."
"Your family has two daughters. Why does it have to be you?"
"Do you really think my father would ever let Xenia marry someone who can't see?"
The answer hung unspoken between them. Of course he wouldn't.
If he had any intention of marrying Xenia off, he wouldn't have dragged his feet and dodged the arrangement for so long.
"What a scumbag…" Erika finally muttered under her breath, her lips curling with quiet disgust. It was unclear who exactly she was condemning.
Silence settled over Kaelyn as she said nothing more, her gaze drifting upward, the mottled ceiling reflected in her eyes.
With the last sip of coffee, their mood for shopping quietly disappeared.
After a meal together, they drifted off on their own paths.
Reaching the entrance of Reynolds Manor, Kaelyn's eyes immediately caught the car parked in the driveway—it belonged to Phillip.
For a brief second, she stilled, then pushed the door open with steady hands.
Inside, a heavy tension hung in the living room like a storm waiting to break. Still dressed in his suit, Phillip sat rigidly on the sofa, not even bothering to change, his posture sharp with restrained anger.
The instant he saw Kaelyn walk in, his heavy stare shifted toward the seat across from him. "Kaelyn, come here and take a seat."
Without a word, Kaelyn strolled over and lowered herself onto the sofa, then crossed one leg over the other. "What's up?"
Irritation flickered across Phillip's face as his gaze swept over the mountain of glossy shopping bags beside her, and he finally snapped, "Take a look at yourself… your sister's still lying in a hospital bed, and you're out shopping like nothing happened? Do you have any conscience at all?"
Without the slightest hesitation, Kaelyn shook her head, her lips curving faintly. "No, I don't."
After a beat, she lifted her eyes and added, "So tell me… is she dead?"
Rage surged through Phillip in an instant. His palm crashed against the tabletop with a sharp crack, making the cups rattle. "What kind of nonsense is that? She's your sister!"
A cold laugh slipped from Kaelyn's lips as she leaned back. "My mother only ever gave birth to me. I don't recall having any sister."
"You!" Color flooded Phillip's face, his raised hand trembling in midair as if he might strike her at any second, barely holding himself back. "Kaelyn, listen carefully. This is the last warning you'll ever get. If you lay a finger on Xenia again, you're out of this house. Do you understand me?"
In truth, she would be leaving soon anyway.
Reading the tight lines around his mouth, she could tell the Murray family hadn't reached out yet.
It was better to keep him in the dark—let him and Andrew cling to the illusion that they still had a way to save Xenia.
It would be a spectacle when their carefully plotted schemes unraveled into nothing in the end.
"Is there anything else?" Lifting her eyes to meet his, Kaelyn's gaze remained utterly calm, stripped of any warmth. "If you're done, I'm going upstairs. I'm exhausted."
A sharper rebuke rose to Phillip's lips, yet he swallowed it down, fully aware that neither reason nor authority had ever managed to bend Kaelyn's will.
Clearing his throat twice, he shifted in his seat, a flicker of unease passing through his eyes. "Well… the company's been struggling lately. I may need your mother's firm to step in and help. I'll have my assistant send over a document for you to sign."
Concerned she might refuse outright, he hurried to reassure her, softening his tone. "You don't need to worry. I won't let you take any losses. We're family—what belongs to you will always be yours."
A faint, almost inscrutable smile curved at Kaelyn's lips as she gave a small, compliant nod. "Of course, Dad… You're absolutely right. Still, you've been pushing yourself so hard these days—it's painful to watch. I'll take care of this for you and lighten your load."
Caught completely off guard, Phillip blinked, unable to tell whether her sudden willingness came from sincerity or some hidden motive.
