4

Kaia’s POV

Tomorrow was departure day.

I thought the rest of my time would pass quietly—maybe even peacefully—until my phone lit up with an unexpected call from Noah.

“Are you coming home for dinner?” he asked.

The question caught me off guard. “Probably not. I’m busy packing.”

A pause. Then I heard the faint sound of his breathing on the other end.

“Today’s my birthday,” he said.

Right. I’d never forgotten their birthdays before. Not once—until this year.

“Sorry,” I murmured, guilt twisting low in my stomach.

Noah spoke again, softer this time. “So come home for dinner? I made pasta. Your favorite.”

I almost said no. I imagined walking into the dining room, only to feel like a stranger in my own family while the three of them orbited around Sylvie like she was the sun.

“Sylvie’s not home,” Noah added, like he could hear every thought in my head.

“Okay then,” I said.

…

When I pulled up to the Renner estate, Asher was in the yard, watering the plants. He looked up and smiled. “Come on. Noah made your favorite.”

It almost felt like old times.

At the table, Asher poured wine into my glas. Jace brought out the cake. Noah filled our plates with fresh, still-steaming pasta.

The air, which I’d braced to be thick with awkwardness, was surprisingly light. Even Jace made polite conversation, asking about the lab, like he actually cared.

Then Noah cleared his throat. “Care to join us for our trip to France?”

The fantasy of a French winter.

“I would be already in our lab in Cuba,” I said, carefully twirling my fork.

“Right…” Noah looked down at his plate.

“Can’t you postpone it?” Jace asked. “Just a few days, until we’re back.”

“I already made the appointment.”

Asher stepped in smoothly, passing me a fresh plate of salad. “Kaia’s always been the serious one. No use pressing her to come if she’s got work.”

“Want some?” Asher kept looking at me. Like there was something he wanted to say but couldn’t. Finally, he cleared his throat. “Noah told me… about the other day. Your guard. James, was it?”

“That’s right.”

“Well,” Asher began, choosing his words too carefully, “you know how people are around the Renner family. A lot of them get close for the wrong reasons. It’s important to know who actually cares about you—and who’s just after the benefits.”

I set my fork down, my appetite gone.

James was one of the only people who hadn’t treated me like I was disposable. And now, Asher was questioning his loyalty.

“James is a good man,” I said evenly. “If you’d bother to know him, you wouldn’t say that.”

“I’m just looking out for you—”

I cut in. “You stopped looking out for me a long time ago. This isn’t about me. You’re just afraid I might leak family secrets to someone who actually treats me like a human being.”

Asher’s eyes hardened. “You—”

The fragile peace shattered.

Jace slammed his chair back and stood, his cheeks flushed with anger. “I told you, Asher. She’s not family anymore. Spoiled and blind. Can’t even tell when she’s siding with outsiders.”

I stood too. “At least I wasn’t pretending.”

“Sit down, Jace,” Asher snapped, eyes narrowing. Then he turned to me. “I looked into your friend James. He’s connected to one of our rivals. The Orman Group. You need to be careful who you trust,” Asher continued. “Letting them near our product lines isn’t just reckless—it’s dangerous. If you—”

“Enough. Thank you for the concern, brother, but I can take care of myself. The last thing I need is you standing in front of me, acting like you get to question my friends.”

So this was why they invited me to dinner. Not to celebrate Noah’s birthday. It was a warning. Stay in line, or else.

If only they knew. I was the one who was about to join the Orman Group.

The dinner unraveled fast after that. Jace threw a plate at the floor. Asher stared me down like I was a traitor. And Noah… Noah said nothing at all.

I left without another word.

…

Departure day came faster than I expected.

James arrived early, his knock light against the door.

“You ready?” he asked, voice low. He meant for everything that would come after.

I nodded.

…

My life with the Orman Group began the day I stepped off the ferry in Mexico. Their coordinator met me at the port and gave me a day to rest before taking me to the estate.

The compound looked more like a modern manor—white stone, lush gardens, and smaller mansions dotting the land like scattered pawns in a game I was just beginning to play.

Mr. Orman met me at the main hall.

Early thirties. Blonde hair, brown eyes. Polished. Charming. And not at all what I’d expected from a man rumored to order executions between wine tastings.

“I hear you come from a family like ours,” he said smoothly. “What made you leave?”

“My parents died,” I said. “Figured it was time for a change of scenery.”

He nodded, eyes studying me. “A shame. I imagine they’d be proud of a girl like you.”

Then he leaned closer, voice dropping. “If there’s anyone you want to reach out to… do it today. After tonight, you’ll be off the grid.”

He walked off, leaving me alone with that choice.

I pulled out my phone.

My thumb hovered over each name—Asher, Jace, Noah.

I chose Asher. The line rang once. Twice. Then— “Kaia?” It was Sylvie.

My stomach dropped. “Where’s Asher?” I asked.

“He’s with Jace. He told me to answer his calls. You can tell me whatever you need to tell him.”

In the background, I heard laughter. Asher. Jace. Even Noah. “Come on, Sylvie!” they called, carefree.

I swallowed the knot in my throat. “Nothing. Just checking in.”

I ended the call. Pulled out the SIM card. Dropped it to the ground and crushed it beneath my heel.

There wouldn’t be a Kaia Renner tomorrow. Just a girl with a new name. A new life.