Kezia had been walking through the mansion's hallways for the past half hour, her mind busy with thoughts of escape and how she could gain some form of control over her increasingly helpless situation. But despite her best efforts to stay focused, there was a part of her that kept returning to the strange interactions she'd been having with Lucas. Something about him seemed... off. He had been kind to her lately, almost too kind, and it was unsettling. But could she trust him?
She was lost in thought when a voice, low but unmistakable, drifted to her ears from down the hall. It was Lucas. Her heart skipped a beat. She wasn't sure why, but she felt compelled to listen. She moved slowly, silently, towards the sound.
The door to the study was slightly ajar, and Kezia couldn't resist the urge to peer in. What she saw and heard next would change everything.
Lucas was sitting at the desk, speaking into his phone, the smooth timber of his voice echoing off the high ceilings of the study. His words were casual, but the venom in his tone was palpable.
"I swear, she's nothing but a pawn," Lucas said, his voice dripping with disdain. "A joke. A tool to annoy Ethan. You think I actually care about her? Please." He let out a mocking laugh. "She's there to keep him distracted, to rile him up. That's all she is."
Kezia's blood ran cold. She froze where she stood, her heart pounding in her chest. Every word Lucas spoke cut through her like a knife, but it wasn't until the next sentence that the full weight of his betrayal slammed into her.
"She actually thinks I care about her. That I'm here to help her," Lucas continued, his voice growing more contemptuous. "I'm just playing along. It's fun to watch her squirm. The more she gets her hopes up, the harder I can knock her down. And let's face it—Ethan's never going to give her a chance. He'll just keep using her as a punching bag."
Kezia's hands went clammy, and she instinctively backed away, stepping carefully as she retreated from the door. She could feel her breath growing shallow as the full realization of what Lucas had said hit her. He hadn't been kind because he cared—he had been playing a game. She was a means to an end, a puppet in his twisted competition with Ethan. His words echoed in her mind, over and over again.
*She's nothing but a pawn.*
The pain of the realization hit her harder than anything she had ever experienced. She had known for a while that neither of them cared for her, but hearing it so blatantly, so cruelly, from Lucas's lips made it real in a way she couldn't ignore. The illusion of hope she had clung to for so long crumbled into nothingness.
Her legs felt weak, and she could hardly stand as she leaned against the cold wall of the corridor. The betrayal was raw and immediate, but there was something else beneath it—a cold, burning fury.
How dare they? How dare they think she was so insignificant?
The tears welled up in her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away, unwilling to let herself break down like she had done so many times before. This was it. The final straw. No more. She would no longer let herself be a pawn. She would no longer be their joke.
Taking a deep breath, Kezia straightened herself and made her way to her room. She needed to think, to plan. The brothers had underestimated her. They thought they could toy with her, keep her trapped in a life she hated, manipulating her for their amusement. But what they didn't realize was that she had been learning, watching, calculating.
She had no intention of playing their game anymore.
When she reached her room, she locked the door behind her and sank down onto the bed. Her heart was still racing, but her mind was focused now, sharper than ever. She had to find a way out. She couldn't let them win.
---
### **Scene 2: Shattered Illusions**
That evening, as she tried to get some rest, the weight of Lucas's words gnawed at her. His laughter still echoed in her mind. He hadn't been playing a part in her life—he had been laughing at her, mocking her. Her role in their little feud was nothing but a tool to hurt Ethan, to drive a wedge between the two of them.
Kezia had always known that Lucas and Ethan shared a bond that was complicated and, at times, dangerous. But hearing Lucas's true feelings, hearing how easily he could dismiss her as a mere annoyance, felt like a betrayal deeper than anything Ethan had ever done.
Lucas had been the one person who had ever seemed like he might understand her, like he might offer her a way out of this nightmare. But now, she understood. He had been playing her the whole time.
Her fists clenched in frustration, but as she looked around her room, she felt something shift inside her. She couldn't sit here, passively waiting for something to change. She couldn't rely on these men any longer. If she wanted freedom, she would have to fight for it herself.
---
### **Scene 3: A Plan of Her Own**
The days that followed were filled with a quiet determination. Kezia's demeanor shifted—where once she had been compliant, hiding her emotions and staying in the background, now she was careful, calculating. She made no overt moves to challenge Ethan or Lucas, but in her mind, she was constantly plotting her next steps.
She began to observe them more closely, noting their routines, their weaknesses. She knew Ethan was unpredictable, volatile—his jealousy would always be his downfall. And Lucas, with his arrogance and overconfidence, would be her gateway. He had underestimated her, and that was a mistake he would come to regret.
Kezia was no longer just a pawn in their game. She was the player now.
---
### **Scene 4: The Realization**
Days turned into weeks, and though Ethan continued to act coldly toward her, there was a shift in his behavior. He seemed to be watching her more closely, as though waiting for her to slip, to make a mistake. His eyes narrowed whenever she was around, and his mood seemed to sour whenever Lucas made an appearance.
But Kezia didn't give him the satisfaction of knowing he was getting to her. Instead, she kept her distance, staying quiet, calculating her every move.
At the same time, Lucas seemed to grow more distant, though he would still offer her a smile when they crossed paths. She didn't let herself be fooled by it any longer. She was no longer seeking validation or affection from either of them. They had both made it clear where their loyalties lay.
She was on her own now.
And that, Kezia realized, was exactly how she wanted it.