"This is the first time you've called me 'brother' since my mom adopted you." Ian's voice carried a hint of surprise as he looked down at Clara, his dark eyes were unreadable.
Then he added, "You can save those words and say it for the wedding banquet."
A wedding banquet?
She probably wouldn’t even be around for that.
Clara lowered her gaze while staring at the tip of her shoes. She muttered a vague response before escaping as quickly as she could.
Ian did not seem to care. He simply turned back and wrapped an arm around Rea’s waist and introduced her thoughtfully to each guest bringing gifts for her.
Clara stood still in a daze. At some point, their figures had disappeared into the crowd.
The engagement party was filled with people who were all businessmen, who liked to socialize.
She recalled how, in the past, Ian had always found a way to sneak away with his date because he knew how much she disliked such social gatherings.
It looked like he still kept the habit.
Clara let out a slow breath and stepped away, seeking a quiet moment on the terrace. However, before she could walk there, she saw Ian and Rea who had hidden there before her.
"Ian, after we get married, can you set up an art studio for me at the Cumberland mansion?" Rea asked. "I want a space that gets lots of sunlight."
She shook Ian's arm in a flirtatious manner. Before long Ian's indulgent voice drifted to her ears, "You don’t have to wait until after the wedding. Tomorrow, I’ll have Clara move out of the attic. The lighting there is perfect, it’ll make a great studio for you."
"Won’t that be a little unfair? She is your sister, after all."
"A sister isn’t as important as a wife."
He said it so casually, without hesitation. Then, as if to further prove his point, he leaned in and kissed Rea.
This kind of intimacy made Rea blush even more. Though she wanted to hide her reddened face, Ian held the back of her head and deepened the kiss.
Looking at the hot scene inside, Clara put her hand on her chest in a daze. Initially, she felt she would be upset and heartbroken, but she did not feel anything. Maybe she had used to it by now or because she had died long ago. Now, Clara only felt unprecedented peace and relaxation.
She had no interest in being an uninvited spectator. Wandering aimlessly through the halls, she didn’t realize she had ended up in a quiet corner.
Then, a voice, smooth yet laced with malice, sliced through the silence. "You heard everything just now, didn’t you? Does it hurt?"
Clara turned her head around and saw Rea standing before her with smugness on her face.
"Ian had told me everything," she continued. "He said you have … those feelings, like a woman has for a man, for him. However, I suppose it makes sense. He’s outstanding and you were at that … impressionable age."
Her voice was filled with artificial pity for Clara and yet, she suddenly leaned in. Her eyes filled with malice and her tone turned sharp, "However, he said he's only taking you as his sister, yet you have that incestuous thought about him, isn't that too disgusting?”
Clara's body stiffened as if she was struck by lightning. She never thought Ian would tell Rea about this.
Her cheeks flushed from embarrassment and she felt she had just been slapped.
It was clear that Ian had already rejected her and she was dead and their lives would never intersect again. Then why did he feel the need to trample her dignity like this?
She lowered her head and pressed her lips together, unwilling to engage. However, Rea had no intention of stopping.
Arms crossed, she looked Clara up and down with condescension, her stance exuding dominance.
"Ian had made it clear that he doesn’t want you around. You should stop clinging to the past and leeching off the Cumberland Family."
"I’ll be the lady of this house soon and I don’t have the patience to watch a little girl sulk in the corner, playing pathetic games," she continued.
"You’re an adult now, aren’t you? The Cumberland Family has already done enough for you. If you have any self-respect, you’ll leave on your own. Spare us all the unnecessary drama."
