Love In Disguise: Rebirth of the Heiress
Chapter 61

Chapter 61: Chapter 61

I glanced down at the cute, meticulous bandaging Lucian had done, feeling a strange warmth blossom as I looked at the neat wrap around my ankle.

It had cute red hearts on it.

It was almost... sweet.

But that thought brought up another, a memory buried under years of pain and resentment.

One that caught me off guard.

---

"Kiki! You just scraped your knee!" My mother’s panicked voice echoed, her face hovering over me as she gently lifted my leg, inspecting the small scrape with wide, tear-filled eyes.

"Mom, I’m fine," I mumbled, embarrassed, my cheeks hot as she fussed over me in the middle of the playground.

"You’re not fine! You’re hurt!" she insisted, fishing a tiny pink bandage from her purse with trembling hands. She pressed it to my knee, the little cartoon hearts on it making me smile despite myself.

Her fingers brushed my cheek softly, her face filled with concern that only seemed to deepen as she looked at me. "Kiki," she said, her voice soft, "promise me, always take care of yourself. Even if it’s just a scratch, don’t ignore it. You’re too precious for that."

I laughed, reaching out to pat her hand. "Mom, it’s just a scratch."

But she didn’t smile back, her eyes serious. "It’s never just a scratch. Promise me?"

Her face was so earnest, so warm. "I promise, Mom," I’d whispered.

---

A long breath escaped me as I snapped back to reality, blinking at the hazy memory.

I touched my cheeks which had a little bit of tears and wiped it away.

Rest in peace mum.

I cracked my ankle, left and right, feeling it pop back into place.

The pain dulled immediately, confirming it was just a minor shift. But despite that, I decided to leave the bandage on.

It wasn’t really necessary, but... it was cute.

With my spirits slightly lifted, I made my way to a nearby boutique, one of those luxury stores that I hadn’t dared step into in years.

It feels like ages since I’d indulged myself in something extravagant, shopping, a manicure, a day that was just for me.

Inside, soft classical music played, filling the space with an elegant calm. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, their light reflecting off mirrors and polished glass displays that showcased racks of clothes so pristine it was as if they’d never been touched.

I took my time browsing, running my hands over silk blouses, designer dresses, feeling the soft fabric slip between my fingers. Just as I was contemplating trying on a beautiful black dress, a voice, smooth and pointed, cut through the air.

"Well, if it isn’t Kiara Williams, gracing us with her presence," a familiar, cutting tone sneered.

I looked up, and there she was, Brianna Williams.

Heiress to the Williams Conglomerate.

My evil step sister.

Though I felt like it was the opposite.

After my mother died and my father married Nyra, bringing in Brianna, I hurt Bree. Treated her awfully.

Childish jealousy. Bullied her at school. And then she changed with me.

We became worse enemies and I played the victim card and finding an escape with Gabriel. Worse decision ever made.

I deserve her hate though. And she deserved the Williams money.

I never really got to apologize for the things I did to her and I had never felt guilty until today.

I gave her a warm smile. "Bree, how nice to see you."

Brianna’s eyes narrowed, her lips twisting into a sneer. "Nice? Really?" She let out a mocking laugh, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "You think I buy that? What’s next, you going to pretend we’re all buddy-buddy now?"

I took a deep breath, "I’m not here to argue with you, Bree. I am past that."

She scoffed, flipping her perfectly flat ironed dark hai, eyeing me up and down, her gaze dripping with disdain.

"Then what are you doing here?" Her eyes flashed with annoyance. "In this store, of all places? High end stores are my thing. Do you want to steal that too?"

"For an heiress, one would think you would be less...childish. We haven’t seen in what...8, 10, I don’t know how many years and you are acting like this?"

I didn’t bother to look at her, continuing to look at the shelves.

"I made a promise to myself. I don’t act nice to bitches like you."

I poured, nodding. "Okay."

"Did you sneak someone’s card to get in here, or are you planning to max out another one of your ’boyfriend’s’ limits?"

I swallowed down the biting retort bubbling up in my throat. "I can afford it."

"Right," she replied, rolling her eyes. "The girl who’s been scraping by, suddenly acting like she belongs here." She reached over, snatching a designer bag from the display. "Look, I picked this one first," she said pointedly, pulling it close to her chest with a smug smile. "Trash like you shouldn’t even be looking at it."

I gave her a smile. "Go ahead. Take it. I wasn’t that interested anyway."

"Of course, you weren’t," she sneered, holding the bag possessively. "Probably couldn’t afford it if you tried. Gosh I really need to tell the manager to stop making broke people enter this store."

I held my breath, forcing myself to stay calm.

I don’t attack people unless physically attacked.

Brianna’s words were just...words. From a well pompous young girl. Even though in this lifetime we were the same age.

Kudos to having a cheating dad.

Deep down, I knew she had every reason to hate me. The resentment was justified, a consequence of all the terrible things I’d done to her when we were younger. No matter how much time had passed, some wounds were hard to heal.

I won’t apologize, obviously, it’s in the past

To be matured, I won’t engaged.

I was about to turn away, ready to let her win this little standoff, when another figure stepped into the store. I froze, my stomach twisting.

It was Joselle Laringer.