The learned posture of a top celebrity was captivating. Her back was straight, her knees were together, her legs slightly slanted to the side, and her feet crossed over one another. Her shoulders were relaxed as she held onto her tea set.
If one weren't looking too closely, they would have failed to notice the clenching of her fingers and the taut jaw and neck.
CLANK
The clinking of the cup to the plate echoed throughout the quiet house. The hired maids and butlers stood with their heads down. It was clear to them that the Madame was in a terrible mood with the way she had already changed the tea five times in the past hour.
Their muscles ached from how tense they had been feeling. It had been difficult to navigate the unusually gloomy household, feeling as if they were walking on eggshells.
I'm begging for Miss Keira and Miss June to return quickly. They had never felt the absence of such a presence so much as now. A newfound appreciation of the two people grew as the hours went by.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief after hearing that Young Master Matthew and Miss Selene had returned. Once Miss Keira returns, everything will return to normal.
"Mom—!" Selene ran into the sunroom with red eyes, sobbing slightly as she tried to fall into her mother's arms.
"Where are your manners?" Before Selene could reach her, Rania slammed her teacup onto the table, eyes glaring at her beloved child. She hadn't realized the harshness of her tone.
"Are you—are you angry at me?" The pitiful tears would have worked if Rania's heart wasn't filled with anger.
"What are you crying for?" Not only did her best friend walk away with her daughter, but Madame Hillary had mocked her with such civility. Rania felt her mind ill at ease, barely able to get decent rest. For the first time since her birth, Rania felt annoyed by Selene's presence.
"But Mom! Keira mocked me in front of everyone, not only that, Sister said something to make it seem like I cared more about a man than I did her! I'm so heartbroken!" Her whining wasn't loud, it was as gentle as her soft sobbing. Her delicate shoulders shook as she bit her lips to hold in her grief.
If it was before, every worker in the house would have seen her as pitiful, but after experiencing the terrible moods of the Masters and Young Masters, they pitied themselves more.
Seeing her act so made Rania's head throb. For a brief moment, her head was filled with, 'I wouldn't be dealing with this if it was Keira. That child doesn't complain even when she feels grieved. I don't need to bother with her nonsense whining.'
It wasn't until Matthew walked in that Rania woke from those thoughts. Her mind spun with confusion. Did I just think that…?
"I failed to bring her back." Matthew sighed and sat down on one of the chairs. His shoulder slouched with defeat. He suddenly felt exhausted even though the day had just begun. "Madame Hillary is determined to keep her. She said she might consider it if you and Father begged."
CRASH
The sound of glass shattering against the floor sent shivers down everyone's spine. Everyone watched with amazement and horror as the Madame threw her cup across the room. They had never seen her act out in such a way, it was haunting.
"Mo—mother…" Matthew got up, approaching Rania who had stood up trying to control her anger. Her chest heaving and her breathing was rough.
"She dares—!" Rania could only see red. Her hands were clenched. If she could choke the other, she would have done so already. "That old lady is getting more brazen with age!"
"What's with all the ruckus?" William heard of Matthew's return. Right as he arrived on the first floor, a loud clattering could be heard.
"Master, please watch your step." His eyes lingered on the shattered glass on the floor, frowning slightly. Seeing this, the head butler signaled for the other workers to quickly clean up the scene.
"Your mother-in-law is truly a nuisance." With a scoff, Rania spat out those words through gritted teeth.
"She's not my mother-in-law." With a sigh, William replied to her sarcasm. It had been 29 years since then, he wasn't expecting Rania to still think about it.
"Dad!" Selene ran into his arms, crying as she shivered with fright. "Something is wrong with Mom!"
William felt complicated as he tried to calm the frightened Selene. He couldn't find the heart to blame his wife for scaring their daughter, but he also couldn't reprimand his daughter.
"Good. Comfort her. This issue wouldn't be this complicated if she kept her mouth shut."
"Rania…"
"Look at where we are now. That slimy family has their hands on my daughter, and that one to be exact!" Rania couldn't help but be even angrier the more she thought of it.
For their family, if Selene had never existed, Rania wouldn't have been so fearful of Keira's existence. Keira's unusual birth was a stain on their names. She couldn't bear the thought of her in someone else's hands, especially the hands of a Pierce.
"It would have been better if they took Selene!" She rubbed her hands on her head. "I even put aside my pride to beg them for help with the rumors. A lie that they were twins with one being born prematurely is bound to be found out by that type of person."
Her gaze fell on the girl that hid in her husband's arms. That frail, shivering body made her stomach churn with fury. The stainless reputation she had put her blood, sweat, and tears into creating was being threatened for the first time.
This is why I didn't want daughters…
What a nuisance!
BZZT BZZT
The ringing of her phone drew her attention. "Hello?" She answered after calming herself down enough to sound monotone.
[Someone is fueling the rumors of surrogacy. Madame…what should we do?]
Rania felt her vision blackened. Her hand clenched the phone tightly, wanting to throw it at Selene.
"How serious?"
[Every major news is currently covering it. Public opinion doesn't look too good. Should we release a statement?]
"Give me a few hours." Once the call ended, she immediately chugged the phone onto the sofa. "That old witch! How dare she threaten me!?"
"Mother." The calm voice of Lucas interrupted her rage. He merely glances at Selene, not saying a word to her. "I'm assuming that you heard about the scandal."
The presence of her favorite son helped her calm down. Her gaze was filled with worry as she fell into her son's arm. All the stress and worry had fully eaten at her mentality, her world was crumbling and she could do nothing but watch. She felt so powerless.
"We can still turn the situation around. Although I hate that we have to do this, Keira needs to be let go. It is clear what Madame Hillary wants by threatening us." His gentle pats attempted to comfort his crying mother. He had never seen her so distraught before, yet his mind could barely focus on her.
The image of Keira crying overlapped with Rania's, greatly confusing Lucas. Was she also this distressed, to cry like mother…
Everything about her expression was similar to his mother's. The clenched fist and pained expression were the same. It wasn't until today that he noticed their similarities. Perhaps because of June's existence, Lucas had never wholeheartedly seen Keira as his sister. She was simply a family member, someone he needed to care for.
"I don't want her to go to them…" Rania choked out words, hands clenching her son's shirt. Her eyes held desperation as she spoke. "Can't you find another way? Keira can't be away from me, I don't like the thought of that…"
"There's nothing we can do…" Lucas looked toward his father for help. William could only sigh helplessly. He had also never dealt with Rania in such a state of distress. Rania was the image of perfection, never angered, never cursed, always poised and pleasing.
"Madame Hillary controls the string of information unless you're fine with our secret being out in the open?" William handed Selene over to Matthew. He approached the two, taking his beloved wife into his arms.
Willingly allowing a stain on my name? Rania couldn't fathom the thought.
"Let her go. Send a notice of release."
While everyone was busy comforting Rania and dealing with the issue, Selene hid her face in Matthew's chest. She felt the curve of her lips the moment her mother relented and agreed to have Keira leave.
Her chest pounded from the excitement of having one of her wishes come true. Although she momentarily angered her family, the final result was too pleasing to keep her from feeling sad.
I can always coax them into forgiving me later. At least she's gone.
+
"This is the most I can do for now." Rita handed the tablet over to Madame Hillary, allowing her to browse the forums as she pleases. "As for the evidence and confirmation, I need more time."
I don't actually need time…but I can't ruin my friend like that…
June's existence alone should be more than enough for evidence…
"That's fine. We can forget about the evidence for now. They should fold to my will regardless." A pleased grin spread across her face. "Give Giganta a call."
"Understood." Her secretary bowed and left to complete her task.
An assistant replaced the secretary, serving the two some snacks.
"What is the little devil doing?"
"The Young Master was with Miss in the garden of Jasmines earlier."
"The garden of jasmines? It seems he likes her more than I thought." She took a bite out of the lemon loaf. Her usual serious expression greatly softened at the mention of her grandson. "What is your thought on my grandson, Madame Rita?"
"A well-accomplished young man. He is already being referred to as the new 'King of Acting.'"
"Such praises. I would have thought that your friendship with Rania would make you biased toward her son. Matthew Castillo is also very accomplished."
"Young Master Matthew can be a bit difficult to deal with sometimes."
"Hahahaha. I like you, Madame." The rumbling of Hillary's laughter sent chills up Rita's spine. The hair on her body stood up at the gaze she sent her. It felt like she was being probed by the older lady. "What are your thoughts on my grandson and his relationship with dear Keira?"
"Sorry?" The question caught her off guard. Rita frowned as she thought about the potential romance between the two.
"You seem to dislike it."
"I can't say that I endorse it."
"Surely not," Hillary responded to her answer with laughter. Her eyes crinkled with her grin, showing that she was in a good mood. "Let the children decide for themselves. I don't object to the potential of gaining a granddaughter-in-law. It is the first time I've seen that little devil so interested in someone. I can't bring myself to deny him of the chance to be a fool."
"As long as the relationship is built on respect, I will not disapprove of it." Austin was the best choice anyone could wish for, yet she couldn't bring herself to feel at ease at the possibility of their relationship.
Keira reminded her of Rania, someone who pleased others even when she didn't want to do it. The only difference between the two was that Rania acted, while Keira truly had that personality. The former was in control, while the latter was the one being controlled.
The age gap of 7 years was concerning for Rita. She feared for Keira, scared that the young lady would be tricked into things she didn't know or understand.
"A house filled with only men is truly boring."
"Yes?" Rita wasn't sure why Hillary suddenly brought that up.
"I know your worries, Madame Rita. I raised my grandson. You can rest assured. He knows what he should and shouldn't do."
"Is it showing on my face?" Rita sighed and took a sip of her coffee.
"No. Your hands gave it away." At her words, Rita looked down to find that her hands were shaking. On her palm were red lines caused by her nails scratching them nervously.
"My apologies."
"I remember you mentioned that Keira had a fitting at a boutique today."
"Yes, at 4 pm."
"Let Gina accompany you. After the fitting, she will take you to Keira's new living quarters." The assistant that had been serving them nodded as a greeting to Rita. "She will be your exclusive assistant from now on. Use her well."
"Pleasure to meet you, Madame Rita." Gina reached out for a handshake. Rita's reputation was widely known in the industry, just the thought of working with her was exciting. "I will help you with everything you and Miss Keira need."
"Pleasure is mine. Please take good care of us."
"Now that we've settled the issue. Let us have lunch together. We can sign the contracts after." Madame Hillary stood up from her seat. "Go and get the two ready."
"Yes, Madame."