Chapter 19
Sinclair Mansion
That afternoon, Grandfather Sinclair had invited Kiara to the mansion for tea. They sat together in the sitting room, enjoying the quiet afternoon, when the old man suddenly beckoned her closer.
“Rose, come here, my child.”
Kiara looked up at the warmth in Grandfather Sinclair’s voice. She set her teacup down and walked over to him.
The old man smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling.
“Congratulations. Zyan told me the news. You two are getting married.”
Kiara offered a shy, practiced smile. “Yes, sir.”
“You are a good child, so I have absolutely no reason to oppose this marriage.”
Her smile softened into something more genuine. “Thank you, Mr. Sinclair.”
He shook his head gently. “Call me Grandfather. You are family now.”
Kiara’s cheeks flushed slightly.
“Alright… Grandfather.”
“That’s better.”
He patted her hand affectionately, but his expression soon turned thoughtful.
“How about we invite your family? We should all sit together and discuss the wedding properly.”
Kiara’s smile vanished instantly. Her heart gave a painful thump.
Grandfather Sinclair noticed the sudden change in her expression.
“My child, what’s wrong?”
Kiara lowered her gaze, forcing herself to keep her voice steady.
“I… I don’t have any family. I’m an orphan. I never knew my parents.”
Well, that’s the truth, she thought bitterly. Not anymore. I’m not a Vale.
The old man’s eyes filled with sympathy. He reached out and gently patted her hand.
“I’m so sorry. But you don’t need to worry anymore. We are your family now.”
Kiara looked at him, a strange warmth blooming in her chest. She hadn’t expected his words to affect her so deeply.
For years, the Vales had made her feel like an outsider in the very home where she had grown up. Yet, sitting beside Grandfather Sinclair, she felt something she had almost forgotten what it was like to experience.
Acceptance.
“Thank you, Grandfather,” she whispered.
---
In Another Room
Zyan pushed open the door and immediately spotted Kade lounging comfortably on the leather sofa.
“Hi, brother,” Kade greeted him without bothering to sit up.
Zyan’s gaze was icy. “Don’t you have work to do?”
Kade smirked, leaning farther back into the sofa.
“Grandfather told me you were coming, so I decided to come and see your face.”
He placed a hand over his chest, feigning offense.
“Can’t a man visit his own brother?”
“I have no use for you right now. Leave.”
Kade stared at him for a moment before laughing.
“Are you this heartless with your new wife, too?”
Zyan’s eyes darkened.
“I wasn’t joking, Kade. Get out.”
The playful smile disappeared from Kade’s face. The atmosphere in the room grew heavy and suffocating.
“Aren’t you worried?” Kade asked, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.
Zyan frowned. “Worried about what?”
“That she could do to you what Father did to Mother.”
Zyan’s entire body went rigid.
“Don’t bring her into this.”
Kade’s anger flared, and his voice rose.
“He killed our mother, Zyan! And you expect me to sit quietly while you bring another woman into this house?”
Zyan’s jaw clenched so tightly that a muscle twitched in his cheek.
“He killed her because he couldn’t handle the fact that we were different from him,” Kade continued, his voice cracking with old pain. “Grandfather is getting weaker. You’re the only family I have left.”
He stared directly into his brother’s eyes, his gaze turning lethal.
“I won’t sit back if I notice anything strange about her. If I think she’s a threat to you… I will kill her before she gets the chance.”
In a split second, Zyan moved.
He crossed the room like a shadow, grabbed Kade by the throat, and slammed him violently against the solid wall. The sickening impact shook the room.
“Don’t you dare,” Zyan snarled, his face inches from his brother’s.
His eyes were almost black with murderous fury.
His grip tightened around Kade’s throat, cutting off his air. Kade’s feet dangled slightly above the ground as he clawed at Zyan’s hand, struggling to breathe.
Yet, he didn’t look afraid.
Instead, a dark, twisted laugh escaped his constricted throat.
“Try me,” Kade choked out, a bloody smile forming on his lips.
Zyan’s knuckles turned white. He looked fully prepared to snap his brother’s neck right then and there.
“Zyan!”
Both brothers froze.
Grandfather Sinclair and Kiara stood in the doorway, their faces pale with shock.
“What the hell is going on here?” Grandfather demanded, his voice booming with authority. “Zyan, release your brother!”
Zyan didn’t move. His chest rose and fell rapidly, but his eyes remained locked on Kade with deadly intent.
“Zyan…” Kiara called, her voice trembling slightly as she gripped the doorframe.
Slowly, Zyan turned his head.
The moment his eyes met hers, the murderous rage in his gaze fractured. The monster inside him seemed to retreat, replaced by a flash of deep shame.
He gradually loosened his grip and released Kade.
Kade slid down the wall and collapsed onto the floor, coughing violently as he clutched his bruised, reddened neck.
Grandfather hurried to his side.
“Kade!”
Zyan stood in silence.
He couldn’t bring himself to look at Kiara. He didn’t want her to see him like this—violent, unhinged, and dangerous enough to turn against his own brother.
Without saying a word, he turned on his heel and strode toward his car, his movements long and aggressive.
Kiara followed silently.
Neither of them knew what to say.
They got into the car, and the entire journey back to the mansion passed in suffocating silence. Not a single word was exchanged.
---
Later That Night
Zyan sat on the edge of his bed, a towel in his hands as he vigorously dried his damp hair after taking a shower.
A soft knock sounded at the door before it slowly opened.
Kiara stepped inside.
Zyan stopped drying his hair and glanced at her through the mirror. Almost immediately, he averted his gaze and tossed the towel onto the nightstand.
“You don’t have to sleep here tonight,” he said quietly, his voice rough.
Kiara stopped in her tracks.
“What?”
“I’m not in the mood,” he muttered, staring at the floor. “I want to be alone.”
Kiara stared at his back, a sharp ache settling in her chest.
“So, you’re avoiding me now?”
Zyan didn’t answer. He simply gripped the edge of the mattress.
Her expression hardened as she masked her hurt with pride.
“Fine.”
She turned and stormed out of the room, the door clicking shut behind her.
Zyan released a long, shaky breath. Relief and deep regret washed over his face at the same time.
He ran a hand through his damp hair, staring at his reflection in the dark window.
I don’t know how to face her, he thought miserably.
---
The Next Few Days
The atmosphere inside the Sinclair Mansion turned icy.
It began with small things. Zyan started leaving for the office before Kiara even woke up. He stopped waiting for her in the car, and whenever they crossed paths in the grand hallways, he offered only a curt nod before walking away, his face an unreadable mask.
At dinner, they sat at opposite ends of the long table. The only sounds were the clinking of silverware and the heavy silence hanging between them.
Even the staff noticed the change. The maids whispered among themselves in the kitchen, while the butler avoided making eye contact with either of them.
The couple who had once seemed inseparable now behaved like polite strangers forced to share the same roof.
Kiara tried to ignore it. She reminded herself that she was there for one reason: revenge. Her goal was to destroy the Vale family, and Zyan was merely a means to an end.
But every time he walked past her without saying a word, a sharp, uncomfortable ache twisted in her chest.
She missed his arrogant smirks. She missed the way he teased her. She even missed the way he challenged her.
She hated how much she missed him.
And she hated even more that she had no idea how to fix things between them.