Kacie Oliver POV
The air in the hospital room was stifling, a nauseating cocktail of sharp antiseptic and cloying lilies.
In the corner, a cameraman from the Family's PR team stood like a sentinel, recording every frame. Jayden was live-streaming directly to the Outfit's internal network.
"I just want everyone to know I'm okay," Jayden murmured to the camera, her voice trembling with practiced perfection.
She looked small and fragile in the hospital bed, a stark contrast to the pure malice in her eyes when she flickered her gaze toward me.
"It was just an accident. I know... I know Kacie didn't mean for the rumors to start."
She paused, looking at Cedric for validation. He nodded at her, encouraging her performance of benevolence.
"I forgive you, Kacie," she said, turning the camera slightly so I was forced into the frame. "We're sisters now."
I felt bile rise in my throat. It was a masterful trap. If I denied it, I looked like a heartless monster. If I accepted it, I admitted guilt.
"Thank you, Jayden," I said, my voice flat. "I'm glad you're recovering so quickly from such a... traumatic event."
I straightened my spine, seizing the only opening I had.
"We should do a blood test," I added, looking directly at Cedric. "Just to make sure there are no lingering toxins. Given the severity of your reaction."
Jayden's eyes widened in genuine panic. "No! I hate needles. Cedric, please, don't let them stick me."
Cedric stepped forward, placing a protective hand on her shoulder. "No tests. She's been through enough."
He looked at me with heavy disappointment. "Stop pushing, Kacie."
I turned and walked out of the room without another word.
I didn't stop walking until I reached the elevator. I considered letting the doors close and simply walking right out of the hospital, disappearing into the night.
But where would I go? I had no money, no allies, and a heart that could give out if I ran too fast.
That evening, dinner at the Moon Estate was a torture session.
Cedric's parents, Carroll and Burt, sat at the heads of the long mahogany table like statues of judgment. They were the Old Guard-ruthless, traditional, and entirely charmed by Jayden.
"Jayden, darling, you must eat," Carroll cooed, pushing a plate of roast duck toward her. "You need your strength."
She didn't even look at me. To her, I was nothing more than a vessel too cracked to carry a strong heir. A waste of a marriage license.
I picked at my food, my appetite nonexistent.
Under the table, I caught a glimpse of movement. Cedric's hand was resting on Jayden's knee. He was rubbing her leg in slow, soothing circles.
I dropped my fork. It clattered loudly against the china, shattering the polite silence.
"Is something wrong, Kacie?" Burt asked, his voice sharp.
"I'm not hungry," I said quietly.
Cedric didn't remove his hand. He was peeling a shrimp with his other hand, placing the meat delicately onto Jayden's plate. He leaned in, whispering something in her ear that made her giggle.
I felt invisible. I was a ghost haunting my own marriage.
"Oh, Cedric made his special fish soup," Jayden announced, her eyes gleaming. "He only makes it for special occasions. Remember when we were kids? You made it for me when my dad died."
"I remember," Cedric said softly.
"Here, Kacie," Jayden said, standing up. She picked up the tureen. "Let me serve you. It's delicious."
She walked around the table to my side. She leaned down, bringing the heavy bowl close to my face, invading my personal space.
"You know," she whispered, her voice dropping so low that only I could hear the venom, "there was a betrothal contract. Between me and Cedric. Long before you came along with your sob story."
My hand shook. I jerked back instinctively, hitting the ladle.
Hot soup splashed over the rim, scalding my arm.
"Ow!" Jayden screamed, dropping the tureen.
It shattered on the floor. She threw herself backward, clutching her foot dramatically. "She burned me! Cedric, she burned me!"
I stared at the red, blistering skin on my own arm. The pain was sharp, immediate, and real.
But Cedric wasn't looking at me.
He was already out of his chair, scooping Jayden up into his arms.
"It's okay, I've got you," he said, panic in his voice.
He rushed her out of the dining room, stepping over the broken pottery and the soup pooling around my feet.
He didn't look back.
