Love In Disguise: Rebirth of the Heiress
Chapter 89

Chapter 89: Chapter 89

The car I had hired came to a stop in front of the extravagant Sterling estate.

An estate built in my own inheritance.

Idiot.

That’s exactly who I was.

My palms were sweaty despite the coolness of the evening, and I took a deep breath.

"Showtime," I muttered under my breath, stepping out in my midnight blue dress.

My short hair had been styled neatly, soft waves framing my face. The dress hugged my figure perfectly, and I could feel the gaze of the security on me as I ascended the steps to the entrance.

The door opened before I could knock, revealing Gabriel. His jaw literally dropped.

"Kiara..." he breathed, his eyes scanning me from head to toe. "You look..."

"Breathtaking?" I finished for him, raising an eyebrow.

He blinked, clearing his throat. "Yes, exactly. You...wow."

I smirked slightly, brushing past him. "Thanks, Gabriel. Now, where’s your mother?"

His mother, Lyra Sterling, stood in the grand sitting room, her perfectly coiffed hair and pearl necklace practically screaming wealth. Her gaze landed on me, and for a brief moment, I caught a flicker of surprise before she replaced it with a calculated smile.

"Kiara, is it?" she asked, extending a hand.

I shook it lightly. "Yes, Mrs. Sterling. It’s a pleasure."

"Likewise." She gave me a once-over, her lips twitching. "That’s quite the dress. The latest edition, isn’t it?"

I smiled politely. "It is."

She chuckled softly, "Oh, I didn’t know they started selling those at cheap retailers now. Times have really changed."

My smile didn’t waver, though my nails dug into my palm. "I’m sure it’s news to Edgar Thorn too, considering he designed it exclusively."

The corner of her mouth twitched, and Gabriel stepped in quickly, gesturing for me to sit.

We all settled into the lavish room. The conversation was light at first—small talk about the weather, the latest societal gossip. Lyra, however, couldn’t seem to help herself from throwing in backhanded comments.

"You must be quite busy, Kiara," she said, sipping her tea delicately. "Especially for someone who hasn’t had much success in...what was it? Your previous endeavors?"

I tilted my head, pretending to think. "Oh, you mean supporting Gabriel’s ambitions while managing my own life? Yes, it was quite exhausting. But thankfully, I’ve moved on to more rewarding ventures."

Gabriel stiffened slightly, giving me a warning glance, but I ignored him.

Lyra’s smile tightened. "Of course. Speaking of rewarding, Gabriel mentioned how helpful Jessica has been lately."

The deliberate mention of Jessica made my blood boil, but I kept my composure. I smiled sweetly. "Oh, yes. Jessica. She’s been...invaluable, hasn’t she?"

Gabriel quickly changed the subject, but Lyra wasn’t done. She began talking about grandchildren, how she couldn’t wait for them, how they’d carry on the family legacy.

"And Kiara," Lyra said, her voice dripping with false sincerity, "what’s your take on children? Or...is that not in your future plans?"

My nails bit into my palm again. I glanced at the clock, mentally counting down.

"I love kids. When they are babies but not so much when they become toddlers."

"Oh...when I met Jessica, she said she love kids. And would have as many as possible. In my day, women were willing to find a husband and have his children. How times have changed."

My lips twitched. I stood up abruptly, a polite smile plastered on my face.

"Excuse me for a moment," I said, picking up a coffee cup from the table.

Lyra arched an eyebrow. "Oh? Is something wrong?"

I tilted the cup slightly, watching the steam rise. Then, without warning, I flung the scalding coffee right into her smug face.

Lyra screamed, clutching her face as she stumbled back. The cup clattered to the floor, and Gabriel shot to his feet, eyes wide in shock.

"Kiara! What the hell?"

I shrugged, wiping my hands on a napkin. "This is why I didn’t want to dress too expensively. Things were bound to get messy."

"You—" Lyra hissed, her voice muffled by her hands.

"Me?" I interrupted. "Yes, me."

I giggled. Oh my God. Revenge was so sweet.

For all the things she did to me in my past life? This was justice. Every scream, every insult, every slap from her... I was finally getting my due.

Lyra stumbled forward, her face red and blotchy from the scalding coffee. "You filthy little—"

"Careful, Lyra," I said, tilting my head and smirking. "You might choke on all that venom."

Her eyes burned with rage, and Gabriel, always her obedient puppet, stood up with fury in his eyes. "You’ve gone too far, Kiara!"

Before I could react, he lunged, his hand flying toward my face.

"Oh no, you don’t!" I snarled, instinct kicking in. My knee shot up, connecting with his groin in a swift, brutal motion.

Gabriel crumpled to the floor, clutching himself and groaning.

"Gabriel!" Lyra screamed, rushing to her son. "My son! My son!"

I couldn’t stop laughing. This was delicious.

Absolutely delicious. "Oh, don’t be so dramatic, Lyra. He’s still alive. Just a little... winded."

"You witch!" Lyra screeched, her voice reaching a shrill pitch.

I stepped closer, my grin widening. "You know, Lyra, I’ve waited a long time for this."

Her mouth opened, but before she could spew another insult, I slapped her. Hard.

The sound echoed in the room, and for a moment, everything went still. Lyra’s hand flew to her cheek, her eyes wide with shock.

"For every slap you gave me," I said, slapping her again, "for every time you called me worthless,"—slap—"for every insult, every kick, every bruise."

Slap.

Slap.

Slap.

Her lip split, blood trickling down her chin. She whimpered, her tough exterior crumbling as she stumbled back.

"Security!" she finally screamed, her voice cracking. "Security!"

"Coward," I spat, slapping her one last time for good measure.

I felt a hand grab my hair from behind, yanking me backward.

"Enough!" Gabriel’s voice was hoarse as he struggled to pull me away from his mother.

Wrong move.

With one swift motion, I grabbed the knife from the table and drove it into his hand.

Gabriel let out a painful scream, stumbling back in shock.

The room was silent except for his cries and Lyra’s gasps.

I leaned closer, my voice a low growl. "Never touch me again, Gabriel. Ever."

I stepped back, wiping my hands on a napkin as if I hadn’t just stabbed someone.

"And one more thing," I said, my tone light. "We’re over. Go marry Jessica. I’m sure she’ll love being your mother’s new punching bag."

I turned on my heel, grabbing a piece of cake from the dessert table and taking a table napkin.

Lyra and Gabriel stared at me, frozen in shock as I walked out of the room, a wide grin plastered on my face.

"Well deserved, Kiara," I muttered to myself as I stepped into the cool night air. "Well deserved."