Love In Disguise: Rebirth of the Heiress
Chapter 85

Chapter 85: Chapter 85

"I’m outside your apartment," Gabriel said.

"I’m not home," I replied, rolling my eyes and glancing back at the door I was trying to figure out. My patience was already thin.

Gabriel hummed. "Your landlord said you’ve moved out. Care to explain that?"

My grip on the phone tightened. A lie was needed, quickly. "I had some renovations to do," I said smoothly. "You know how it is. The old place was falling apart."

There was a long pause on the other end. "Right," Gabriel finally said, his tone skeptical. "Is that all you wanted to say?"

"I wasn’t the one who called you," I shot back. "Why are you bothering me again?"

"I want you to come with me to a dinner party tomorrow," he said, as if it were the most normal request in the world.

I froze. "What? No, Gabriel. We broke up. Get over it."

He chuckled, low and condescending. "You broke up. Not me."

My irritation boiled over, and I spat out, "That’s not how breakups work, Gabriel. You can’t just decide we’re still together because it suits you."

Harold, sitting smugly on the desk, flapped his lid slightly. I gave him a warning glare, mouthing told you this wasn’t important. Harold just shrugged dramatically.

Gabriel’s voice brought me back. "Look, this isn’t about us. My mother wants to see you."

My breath hitched. Lyra Sterling.

Memories rushed in like a floodgate had opened. Her sharp voice. The way she looked down her nose at me. The constant disapproval in her eyes.

---

Flashback

I sat on the plush couch of the Sterlings’ mansion, my hands nervously clutching the hem of my dress. It was too tight, too plain, too...wrong for this place.

Lyra’s eyes bore into mine as I sat stiffly on the edge of a chair far too luxurious for someone like me. Her posture was perfect, her designer dress pristine. She exuded wealth and authority, and she wielded both like weapons.

"You’re with Gabriel?" she asked, her voice sharp enough to cut.

"Yes, ma’am," I replied, my hands clutching my purse tightly.

Lyra tilted her head, her lips twitching into a mockery of a smile. "Why?"

I blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Why?" she repeated, circling me like a vulture. "What do you have to offer someone like my son? Love? Loyalty? How quaint."

I swallowed hard, forcing my voice to remain steady. "I love him. Isn’t that enough?"

Her laughter was cold and humorless. "Enough? Oh, my dear, you’re adorable."

She leaned down, her lavender perfume overwhelming as she whispered, "Girls like you are a dime a dozen. You’ll never be enough for Gabriel. You’ll never be enough for this family."

I bit the inside of my cheek, the sting of her words sharp.

Lyra straightened, her icy gaze locking onto mine. "Let me give you some advice. If you truly care about him, leave. Save him the embarrassment."

I stood abruptly, my heart pounding. "With all due respect, ma’am, Gabriel and I love each other. And I’m not going anywhere."

She smiled then, but it wasn’t warm. It was cruel.

"Brave words," she said, her voice dripping with condescension. "But bravery won’t change the fact that you don’t belong here."

"I..."

"Listen to me, little girl," she continued. "You’ll never be enough. Not for this family. Not for my son. You’ll only ever be a liability."

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, but I refused to cry in front of her. I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction.

Lyra turned and called out to the maid, her voice cold and detached. "Get her out of here, she is already causing a stain."

---

Back to Present

I blinked, pulling myself out of the memory. My heart raced, but I forced a calmness into my voice. "When is this dinner party?"

Gabriel sounded surprised. "Tomorrow. Seven. I’ll text you the address."

"Good," I said curtly. "And Gabriel? Stop using different numbers to call me. It’s pathetic."

I ended the call before he could respond.

"Spicy," Harold piped up, his metallic lid clicking shut. "Not gonna lie, I didn’t expect you to agree."

I glanced at him, my lips pursed. "I have my reasons."

"Yeah? Care to share?" he asked, his tone nosy.

"No," I snapped, turning away.

Harold let out a loud huff. "You’re so secretive. Just saying, if it involves that Gabriel guy, it’s probably a bad idea."

I laughed bitterly. "Oh, trust me, it involves much more than him."

"Oh, I’m listening," he chirped.

I sighed, staring at the floor. Harold didn’t know about Lyra Sterling. He didn’t know how much pain that woman had caused me. Not just in my past life, but how her shadow still lingered over me now.

---

Flashback

I was sitting on the worn couch in Gabriel’s tiny apartment. The room smelled faintly of mold, and the sunlight creeping through the grimy windows felt heavy, oppressive.

"You’re useless," Lyra hissed, pacing back and forth. Her designer heels clicked against the floor, a stark contrast to the peeling linoleum.

My chest ached, my head pounding. "Please, Mrs. Sterling, I—"

"Don’t you dare call me that," she snapped, turning on me with a glare that could freeze fire. "You’re nothing to this family. Nothing."

Tears stung my eyes, but I bit them back. "I’m doing my best. Gabriel and I—"

"Gabriel?" she scoffed. "You’ve ruined him. He doesn’t work anymore. No money is coming in. And why? Because of you."

My stomach churned, nausea rising as her words hit every vulnerable spot. "It’s not my fault—"

She grabbed a vase from the table, smashing it against the wall beside me. I flinched, my body trembling.

"Not your fault?" she screamed. "You’ve turned him into a failure. And now, look at you. You can’t even give him a proper child."

Her words sliced through me like knives. My hand instinctively moved to my stomach, where the life I’d carried was already gone.

Lyra stepped closer, her face inches from mine. "You are a curse, Kiara. A black hole sucking the life out of my son. And I will do everything in my power to make sure you disappear."

---

Back to Present

I clenched my fists, the memory still vivid. Lyra’s words, her blows—they had broken me, piece by piece.

Harold interrupted my thoughts. "You’re really quiet. Is it because I’m right?"

I rolled my eyes. "No, Harold, it’s because you never shut up."

"Touché," he replied, completely unbothered. "But seriously, why are you going?"

I hesitated. "Because... I need to do cure my inner self."

"Cure your inner self? With psychos? Sounds healthy."

"Harold," Gerald chimed in for the first time, his tone sharp. "Hush."

Harold stopped mid-rant, his lid clamping shut.

I blinked. "Wait, what?"

Gerald didn’t reply. Neither did Harold. They just... stopped.

"Hello?" I called, staring at them.

Nothing.

I sighed, throwing my hands up. "Great. Thanks for the help, guys."

Turning on my heel, I started walking. I was too distracted to notice the figure coming toward me until I bumped into a hard chest.

"Watch it—" My words faltered as my eyes moved up.

Jason.

But something felt... off. His stance, his gaze—it wasn’t the same. His grey eyes were gone.

Replaced by a sharp blue.

"Hey, Kiara," he said, his voice calm but with an edge that sent a shiver down my spine.

I swallowed hard. "Hey... What happened to your eyes?"

Jason’s fingers brushed across his temple, his lips curling into a humorless laugh. It was deeper than usual, colder. "Lucian’s magic. Or whatever you want to call it. Apparently, it comes with side effects."

I frowned, taking a step back. This wasn’t Jason. Not the Jason I knew. His usual playful charm was gone, replaced by a quiet intensity that made me want to run.

"You’re... different," I said, my voice unsteady as I glanced toward Harold and Gerald, who had retreated into the shadows like frightened children.

Jason followed my gaze, his eyes narrowing slightly. "They’re scared."

I nodded. "Yeah, of you."

He tilted his head, smirking. "They should be. After all, they’ll tremble when they meet their true master."

I blinked. "Huh?"

Before I could process his words, Jason reached out, his hand cupping my cheek. His palm was warm, but the touch felt foreign, almost invasive.

"Beautiful," he murmured, his thumb grazing my skin.

I flinched, stepping back and breaking his hold. "What’s gotten into you?"

Jason’s laugh was low, sending a chill down my spine. "Into me? Nothing, Kiara. You just... haven’t seen all of me yet."

My frown deepened as I studied him. His posture was too stiff, his movements too calculated. Where was the annoying, cocky Jason who couldn’t stop smirking like a schoolboy?

"You’re scaring me," I admitted, keeping my voice steady despite the unease creeping into my chest.

"Good." His lips twisted into a smirk, but it didn’t reach his eyes. "Fear’s healthy. It keeps you alive."

"Jason," I said firmly, taking another step back. "Whatever game this is, cut it out. You’re acting like someone I don’t know."

He watched me for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then, as if flipping a switch, his features softened, and he stepped back.

"Relax," he said, his tone lighter, though it still held that strange edge. "Maybe I’ve just had a long day."

I didn’t believe him for a second, but I nodded anyway, not wanting to push him further.

"Fine," I said warily. "But if you ever call me beautiful again like that, I’m punching you."

Jason chuckled, his smile more familiar this time. "Fair enough."