Chapter 7
Lydia came to the estate because I invited her to breakfast.
Not because I accused her.
I wanted to watch her face before she knew what I knew.
She arrived at nine.
Pearls.
Silver hair.
Perfect posture.
She kissed my cheek.
Then saw Ella.
Her face did not change.
Good control.
Then Sophie.
A tiny pause.
Enough.
I noticed.
“Cute girls,” she said.
I looked at her.
“Do you know them?”
“No.”
Ella stared directly at Lydia.
Children are uncomfortable mirrors.
Lydia looked away first.
Interesting.
Claire entered behind them.
That did it.
My aunt’s mouth tightened.
Not surprise.
Recognition.
I smiled faintly.
“Breakfast?”
She sat.
Claire did not.
I asked her to.
Lydia noticed that too.
“You’re seating staff with family now?”
There.
One sentence.
Entire worldview.
I looked at Claire.
“She’s my wife.”
The room stopped.
Lydia did not.
“She was never legally—”
I raised one hand.
“No paperwork.”
She frowned.
I continued.
“She was my wife before anyone forged the ending.”
Claire looked at me.
I had not used that word in four years.
It felt strange.
Correct.
Lydia’s face hardened.
“You’re being emotional.”
I almost laughed.
Vincent.
Janice.
Now Lydia.
Same language.
I looked at Sophie.
“You met her.”
“No.”
“Three months ago.”
Silence.
Then Lydia sighed.
“Janice brought a child.”
“My child.”
“You didn’t know that.”
“You did.”
She said nothing.
There.
I leaned forward.
“Why?”
“Because someone needed to confirm.”
“Confirm what?”
“That the bloodline was yours.”
Claire’s hand tightened.
I saw it.
Lydia continued as if discussing inventory.
“Vincent was dead. Janice had become unreliable. We needed certainty.”
We.
There it was.
“Who is we?”
She smiled.
“Family.”
“No.”
My voice dropped.
“Names.”
She looked at me.
“You don’t actually want that.”
“I do.”
“No. You want one villain.”
That stopped me.
Because she was right about one thing.
I wanted simplicity.
Aunt Lydia.
Dead Vincent.
Cruel Janice.
One person to punish and a story to close.
But systems rarely come with one face.
Lydia leaned back.
“Your father knew Claire was pregnant.”
Silence.
Claire looked at me.
May you like
I looked at Lydia.
And the breakfast became something else entirely.
