Chapter 2

The next morning at breakfast, Lyra poured me a glass of milk. She hesitated for a moment before saying, "Kendra, could you not practice boxing at home?"

She paused before lowering her voice, her tone gentle and considerate. "The housekeepers told me they were a little scared. They're worried that one of these days you might lose control and hurt someone."

"I was only practicing my stance yesterday. I didn't make a sound."

"I know, but accidents happen."

"Which housekeeper told you that?"

Lyra was stumped.

"Call them over so I can clarify." I took a sip of milk. "I believe everything you say, but I still need to know who it was."

"I don't know exactly who it was either. Someone just mentioned it in passing."

I set my glass down. "No one mentioned it. In other words, you made it up."

Her eyelashes trembled slightly.

"You want everyone in this household to think that people who practice martial arts have violent tendencies."

"That's not what I—"

"Why don't you just ask me point-blank—Kendra, are you going to hit me in the future?"

Lyra was at a loss for words.

"I won't." I rose from my seat. "But if you keep making things up like this, I can't be so sure."

Callum was beside us, sipping on his coffee. His hand froze in midair, and for the first time, he didn't chime in.

Katherine emerged from the kitchen, her apron still tied around her waist. She had heard the last of our conversation, and her movements faltered.

She took one look at Lyra, who had her head lowered, her lashes casting shadows over her eyes. Katherine didn't walk over to her. In the past, she would've rushed to her defense.

…

In the afternoon, as I walked past the living room, I found Lyra on the phone with her back to the hallway. "Kendra didn't mean to upset you yesterday, Cas. She grew up in a small town and doesn't know any better. So, please don't hold it against her."

Caspian's voice leaked through the receiver. "She feels wronged? What right does she have to feel wronged?"

"Kendra was brought up elsewhere, so her perspective's different—"

I walked up behind her.

Catching sight of me in her peripheral vision, she hung up the phone.

I placed my voice recorder on the coffee table. "Go on. I didn't catch all of it."

Looking at the recorder, the blood drained from her lips. "You recorded me?"

"You were speaking up for me. In that case, why would you be afraid?"

Without saying a word, she spun on her heel and headed upstairs. Her pace was twice as fast as usual.

I slipped the voice recorder back into my pocket.

Callum stood at the entrance to the kitchen with a glass of water. It was full. I had no idea how long he had been standing there.

He looked at the staircase, where Lyra's figure had just disappeared around the corner. Then, he shifted his gaze toward me.

Neither of us said a word. He carried his glass of water back to the living room without taking a single sip.

…

The following evening, Caspian paid us another visit. He came carrying a shopping bag—a limited-edition handbag for Lyra.

"Thank you, Cas!" Lyra accepted the bag and lowered her head. "Don't do this. Kendra's still here."

He stuffed the bag into Lyra's hands. "I'm giving you a gift. What does that have to do with her?"

Reaching into the fruit bowl on the coffee table, I picked up an apple and bit into it. "It has nothing to do with me. However, you called off our engagement yesterday, and in less than 24 hours, you're back to give my sister a gift. It seems like you're way more interested in this household than I am."

His expression stiffened.

"You're the one who called off our engagement, yet you're also the one who keeps coming here. Do you want to call off our engagement, or do you want to be engaged to someone else?"

Mortified, his face flushed crimson before turning pale. He picked up the bag and left, his leather shoes striking against the floor even faster than before.

Lyra chased after him before stopping in her tracks and turning to look at me. The look in her eyes was rather strange; she wasn't hurt or aggrieved. In fact, she smiled at me. "Kendra, is your apple sweet?"

"It's alright."

"In that case, you should eat a few more." She took two steps toward the stairs before turning around. "After all, there isn't much in this house that you can just take whenever you want."

With that, she went upstairs.

…

A couple of days later, Katherine dropped by my room. Cedric was hosting a grand banquet for his 50th birthday, and he planned to use the occasion to formally introduce me to his connections in Neovita.

A housekeeper delivered a custom-made gown for the event. It was purple and made of good material.

I tried it on. The inner seam of the skirt had its stitching removed, and the fabric had split open. If one didn't look closely, they wouldn't notice it. Yet, after putting it on and taking a few steps, it would tear apart.

I folded the gown and placed it back in the wardrobe.

Footsteps sounded from outside the door. Lyra poked half her body into the room, smiling sweetly. "Kendra, how's the fit on the gown?"

"It's alright."

"That's good to hear." She beamed at me. "Don't be late three days from now."

Her light, cheerful footsteps faded into the distance.

…

Late that night, I went downstairs to grab a glass of water and noticed the kitchen light was on. There were two people inside.

Lyra had her back to the entrance, and a housekeeper stood across from her. It was the one who had shown me around the first day I arrived.

"Plant this under her pillow on the night of the banquet. Once it's found, you don't have to make a sound. All you have to do is hang your head and stand here."

The housekeeper hesitated for a moment. "Ms. Lyra, if I get caught—"

"You won't." Lyra unlocked her phone and showed it to them. "Even if you do get caught… who do you think Dad is going to believe? You or me? Once the dust has settled, you'll get this much. It'll cover two years of your son's tuition. If you refuse, I'll replace you tomorrow."

The housekeeper fell silent.

I took a step back into the shadows of the unlit staircase. My voice recorder was in the pocket of my pajama pants, its red light glowing in the dark. Without making a trip to the kitchen, I headed back to my room and called Pops.

"Pops, do you have someone dependable over here in Neovita—"

"I do," he cut me off. "Your senior. He runs a security firm in Neovita named Bedrock Security. He handles most of the security for banquets in the capital. I'll have him reach out to you."

"My senior?"

"The kid who lived in the gym for five years. He even held you when you were little." He paused before inquiring, "Did something happen, Kendy?"

"Not yet, but it'll happen soon."

"Save his contact for now. It's up to you whether you call him or not, but you need to let them know you're not alone. By the way, Kaden's son is also in Neovita. You two should meet up when you have time."

In no time, I received a friend request from Bedrock Security, Hayden Brown.