Chapter Sixteen
The Sibling Showdown
The private garden at King Estate was quiet, the fountain bubbling softly in the background as Cassie waited on the wrought iron bench. It was mid-morning, the sky bright with sun but cool with early spring air. Kelly had agreed to meet under the pretense of sisterhood, of civility.
Cassie wasn’t here for either. She wore cream slacks and a navy blouse, understated elegance. Her hair was pulled back, her demeanor calm. The hidden microphone nestled inside her locket was already recording.
Kellya arrived late, of course. Oversized sunglasses. High heels too tall for grass. The hem of her trench coat fluttering behind her like a designer cape.
“Cassie,” she drawled, removing her shades. “You called this meeting. Let’s not pretend it’s a friendly catch-up.”
Cassie stood. “You’re right. I’m not here to reminisce.”
Kelly’s smile was tight. “Then what, exactly? Another warning? Because I assure you, I don’t respond well to threats.”
“No threats,” Cassie said smoothly. “Just truths. Which, I’ve noticed, you seem allergic to.”
Kelly’s eyes narrowed. “You’re still playing the victim?”
Cassie stepped closer. “Oh, I was the victim. For two years. But not anymore.”
Kelly scoffed. “You think Damien will choose you in the end?”
“I don’t need him to choose me,” Cassie said. “I only need the truth to come out.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
Cassie tilted her head. “Wouldn’t I?”
Kelly’s expression cracked. “You’ll destroy your own marriage.”
Cassie didn’t blink. “It was already destroyed. I’m just giving it a proper burial.”
There was a tense silence between them.
Kelly crossed her arms. “You know what your problem’s always been? You think you’re above everyone. That you can control the narrative. But you can’t control me.”
Cassie smiled slowly. “No, but I can expose you.”
Kelly leaned in, her voice a whisper of venom. “You think anyone will care that your perfect little husband had an affair? In our world? Affairs are tradition.”
Cassie’s eyes stayed steady. “What they’ll care about is the fact that it was with me. Your sister.”
Kelly faltered.
Cassie pressed. “That you seduced him the night before our wedding. That you’ve been whispering poison into his ears while sleeping in my bed in his memory.”
Kelly flushed. “He came to me.”
“Say it louder.”
Kelly’s jaw clenched. “He came to me. Again and again. Because he was never fully yours.”
Click.
The subtle sound of the locket snapping shut echoed louder in Cassie’s ears than the birdsong around them.
Kelly froze.
“What did you do?” she asked.
Cassie smiled, stepping back. “I told you. I came for the truth.”
Kelly lunged, grabbing Cassie’s wrist. “Delete it.”
“You’re not in control anymore,” Cassie said, voice cold. “I am.”
She turned and walked away, leaving her sister standing alone among the roses. Each step echoed a promise. The reckoning had begun.