Chapter 14

Laura's POV

I didn’t have time for this.

Whoever she was, whether a lover, an old flame, or just some spoiled princess throwing a tantrum, it wasn’t my business. Kelvin was the one who she wanted to see, and if he wanted to entertain his guests, that was on him.

I had survived a dinner with his father tonight. That alone had drained every ounce of energy I had left. The last thing I needed was to get dragged into some ridiculous territorial dispute over a man I barely tolerated.

So, I did the most mature thing I could.

I ignored her.

Without another word, I turned on my heel and started walking toward my room.

I barely made it three steps before I heard her scoff. Then, the sharp click of heels against marble as she rushed after me. “Hey! I wasn’t done talking to you—”

She reached for my arm.

Big mistake.

Before her fingers could touch me, a strong hand shot out, blocking her movement.

It was one of the guards.

I didn’t stop walking, but I slowed just enough to glance back.

The woman’s face twisted in shock as the guard held her wrist in a firm, yet restrained grip. “Let. Go.” She seethed, eyes flashing in anger.

The guard didn’t flinch. He simply released her, but not before stepping subtly between us—a clear, silent warning.

At least they knew their priorities.

I bit back a smirk and continued walking, my head held high.

She wasn’t my problem. She was Kelvin’s guest, and whatever relationship they had was none of my business.

I had bigger things to worry about.

Like figuring out why my supposed husband’s father had gone out of his way to assess me like I was some kind of investment.

Or getting to explain to my boss and Camilla why I left work abruptly.

Or that rare, genuine smile Kelvin had given during his phone call that still lingered in my mind.

I shook my head. No. That was none of my business. I was here to make sure my mother got taken care of and nothing else.

I headed downstairs for dinner, determined to ignore whatever drama had just unfolded.

The dining room was already occupied when I entered.

She was there.

Seated at the long table, casually eating as if she owned the place. Her manicured fingers held a fork with practiced grace, and she chewed in slow, deliberate movements, completely at ease.

Fine.

If she wanted to pretend nothing had happened, I could do the same.

I walked to my usual seat and settled down, lifting my utensils without sparing her a glance. The quiet clink of cutlery filled the room, broken only by the faint hum of distant conversation from the kitchen staff.

I ate in silence.

But no matter how hard I tried to ignore it, I felt her gaze on me. It was becoming annoying having her breathe the same air

as me.

I clenched my fork tighter, forcing myself to keep my posture relaxed. If she was expecting me to acknowledge her, she’d be disappointed.

I wasn’t about to play into whatever game she was trying to start.

But then, as I reached for my glass of water, our eyes met.

She wasn’t smirking or glaring. Just watching me curiously. Assessing me.

I exhaled sharply and set my glass down, my voice low but firm. “What?”

The woman blinked, as if surprised I had finally addressed her. Then, to my utter shock, she flinched slightly.

“I…” She hesitated, shifting her gaze away for a split second before straightening her shoulders. “I wanted to apologize.”

That was the last thing I expected her to say.

I frowned, unsure whether she was being sincere or just playing some kind of mind game.

“For earlier,” she clarified, her voice softer now. “I shouldn’t have…” She sighed, as if struggling to find the right words. “I let my emotions get the best of me. I shouldn’t have grabbed you.”

I studied her for a moment, searching for deception, for hidden malice. But all I saw was… regret? Is she being for real?

I didn’t accept her apology.

Instead, I grunted in response, barely acknowledging it.

Maybe it was unfair, but I had learned not to trust apologies from strangers, especially ones who had just tried to start a fight with me. Her sudden change in attitude didn’t sit right.

She didn’t press the issue.

For a while, we ate in silence.

The only sounds in the dining room were the clink of utensils against fine china and the distant hum of the evening staff moving about.

I focused on my meal, trying to pretend she wasn’t there, but I could still feel her looking at me.

Then, she spoke again.

“I’m Katie, by the way.”

I didn’t respond immediately.

Instead, I took my time chewing and swallowing before finally lifting my gaze to her.

She was watching me again, but this time, there was no challenge in her eyes.

No hostility.

Just a quiet curiosity.

“I just got back from vacation,” she continued when I didn’t respond. “I hadn’t even unpacked when I heard Kelvin was married.” She let out a small, almost disbelieving laugh, shaking her head. “I thought it was some kind of joke.”

My fingers curled around my fork, but I forced my expression to remain neutral.

So, she wasn’t a lover. She was family. Kelvin’s cousin. For some reason, that revelation didn’t make me feel any better.

I placed my fork down and leaned back slightly, studying her in return. “And?”

Katie tilted her head, clearly amused by my lack of reaction. “And I wanted to see for myself,” she admitted. “Kelvin’s never been the type to do things the traditional way. Marriage? It just seemed… odd.”

I raised a brow. “And now that you’ve seen me?”

She smirked. “I’m still deciding.”

Everyone in this family seemed to enjoy assessing me and coming up with opinions about me.

I narrowed my eyes slightly, but before I could say anything else, she sighed and rested her chin on her palm.

“Look, I know I came off as… aggressive earlier,” she said. “I’ve always been protective of Kelvin. We grew up together, and let’s just say, I’ve seen him make a lot of reckless decisions.”

I scoffed before I could stop myself. “Yeah, I’ve noticed.”

Katie grinned at that. “So you do have a sense of humor.”

I just picked up my glass and took a sip of water, not dignifying that with a response.

Katie groaned, dropping her fork onto her plate with a dramatic sigh. “Ugh. I said I’m sorry, okay?”

I arched my brow, unimpressed. “And?”

She threw her hands up. “And I really didn’t mean to attack you like some jealous psycho. I just…I walked in, saw you, and my brain kind of short-circuited.”

I tilted my head, watching her. “That still doesn’t explain why you came at me like a charging bull.”

Katie groaned again, rubbing her temples. “Look, in my defense, I thought you were some random gold digger. I didn’t know Kelvin actually married you.”

I let out a humorless laugh, knowing that she didn't know it wasn't an actual marriage. “Wow. You’re just so good at apologies.”

She winced. “Okay, that sounded bad. But, come on, you have to admit…it’s weird. Kelvin? Married? That man can barely commit to a phone plan or a pet. I once got him a pet and had to take it back before he shot it dead or something.”

I had to give her that. Kelvin didn’t exactly scream ‘devoted husband.’ He was anything but that.

Still, I wasn’t about to let her off that easily.

I leaned forward slightly, resting my elbows on the table. “Fine. I’ll let it slide.”

Katie perked up. “Really?”

I smirked. “Yeah. But only because your breasts had killing intent.”

She blinked. “What?”

“They almost choked me to death.” I deadpanned. “I’m pretty sure I saw my life flash before my eyes.”

For a second, there was silence.

Then, Katie burst into laughter, throwing her head back. It was a genuine, unfiltered kind of laugh, the kind that made it hard to stay annoyed.

“Okay, okay,” she wheezed between laughs. “That was a good one. Damn.”

I just took another sip of my water, fighting the twitch at the corner of my lips.

Maybe she wasn’t so bad.

Annoying? Yes. Dramatic? Definitely. But dangerous? Probably not.

I could tolerate her.

For now.

Katie could talk. A lot.

I had barely finished half my meal before I realized I had gotten myself into a verbal ambush. She had opinions on everything—the food, the decor, the staff, the weather, and even the “tragedy” of a failed romance between two actors I had never heard of.

“…And seriously, I told him that red is not his color, but did he listen? Nooo. And what happened? He looked like a walking tomato at the gala. I nearly died from secondhand embarrassment.”

I hummed absently, stabbing a piece of chicken with my fork.

She continued without pause, seemingly unfazed by my lack of enthusiasm. “Oh! And don’t even get me started on Aunt Sylvia’s latest ‘business venture.’ The woman is convinced she can sell organic sunlight in a jar. I swear, she’s one scam away from being featured in an investigative documentary.”

I resisted the urge to laugh.

It was hard to believe this was the same person who had practically lunged at me an hour ago. Back then, she had seemed like a cold, calculating predator ready to sink her claws into me. Now, she was… this. Lively, dramatic, and oddly entertaining.

If someone had told me I’d end the night listening to Kelvin’s cousin rant about overpriced candles and questionable fashion choices, I would have called them insane.

Just as I was beginning to wonder if she ever didn’t talk, the dining room door swung open.

Kelvin walked in.

Instantly, the atmosphere shifted.

Katie’s rambling halted as she straightened, her eyes narrowing slightly at her cousin. I set my fork down and leaned back, watching as Kelvin strolled in with his usual air of detached confidence.

He was dressed in a crisp black shirt, sleeves rolled up just enough to reveal his toned forearms. His expression was unreadable, but his sharp gaze flickered between Katie and me, as if trying to gauge the situation.

“Katie,” he acknowledged coolly.

“Kelvin.” She tilted her head, a slow smirk tugging at her lips. “Look who I found. Your wife.”

His jaw tensed ever so slightly, but he gave nothing away. “I see you two have met.”

“Oh, we’ve met,” Katie said airily, glancing at me with a knowing look. “Though, I must say, our introduction was… eventful.”

I lifted my glass and took a slow sip of water, saying nothing.

Kelvin smirked, looking like he could imagine what happened. “What did you do?”

Katie gasped in mock offense. “Why do you assume I did something?”

“Because you always do something,” he said flatly.

I just stared at both of them. I don't think I've ever gotten him to talk as much as he just did. They were bickering…like siblings. I never expected something so normal from such a monster.

She scoffed, crossing her arms. “Wow. Rude.” Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she leaned forward, her expression turning curious. “So? Are you going to explain?”

“Explain what?” Kelvin sounded already exhausted.

“This.” She gestured between us. “You. Married. The two words don’t even belong in the same sentence.”

He met my gaze for a brief second. That was the first time he glanced at me since he came in. “It’s none of your business.”

Katie let out a dramatic groan. “Ugh. That’s exactly what a suspicious person would say.”

Kelvin didn’t respond.

He simply pulled out a chair, sat down, and picked up his utensils, his movements fluid and effortless. As if Katie’s presence, or mine, was nothing more than background noise.

I watched him as he started eating, completely ignoring the conversation he had just stepped into. He cut into his steak with surgical precision, his posture relaxed but controlled. Even the way he lifted his fork and brought the food to his lips was measured, deliberate, devoid of any unnecessary motion. The hands of a killer. So I thought.

Katie huffed, leaning forward on the table. “Seriously? You’re just going to eat?”

No response.

She narrowed her eyes. “Kelvin.”

Still nothing.

He didn’t even glance up. He just kept eating, his jaw flexing slightly as he chewed.

It was eerie, the way he could shut the world out like that. As if nothing and no one existed unless he willed it.

Katie scoffed. “Unbelievable.”

I, on the other hand, wasn’t surprised. If anything, I had expected it. Kelvin wasn’t the type to explain himself to anyone, least of all a nosy cousin who thought she had a right to pry.

I picked up my own fork again, deciding to follow his lead.

For a while, the only sounds in the room were the clink of cutlery against plates and the faint ticking of the grandfather clock in the hall.

Then Katie sighed dramatically, flopping back in her chair. “You’re insufferable, you know that?”

I stole a glance at him, taking in the sharp angles of his face, the way his dark lashes cast faint shadows over his eyes. He looked exactly as he always did, like a man carved from ice, unaffected by the world around him.

But there was something about the way he held himself tonight. Something… off.

Subtle, almost imperceptible.

Most people wouldn’t notice.

But I did.

His grip on his knife was just a fraction tighter than necessary. His chewing was slightly slower, as if his mind was elsewhere. And that flicker in his gaze when he first walked in…

It wasn’t irritation. He had a calculating devilish shadow of a smile hung on his face.