Elias's heart raced in anger as he faced Kyle, a figure from his past he never expected to see again. The years they spent together melted away, revealing a mix of anger and disbelief at his betrayal.
"Kyle McKenny," he said, struggling to keep his voice steady. "What are you doing here?"
Kyle's expression was a blend of surprise and confusion, but it was momentarily overshadowed by another presence.
"There you are, baby! I was looking all over for you!" A young woman, seemingly around Elias's age, came running to Kyle and clung to his side. Her thin arms wrapped around his right, and she tiptoed to peck his lips.
Elias felt a stab of pain, like a thousand tiny needles piercing his heart. It had been months since their breakup and he thought he had moved on. Shaking his head, he refused to let emotions cloud his mind.
The woman was a brunette with striking green eyes, darker than Kyle's and Aiden's, yet equally cold. Her petite figure fit the beauty standards many men admired and judging by Kyle's choice, she seemed to be exactly his type. Gold and silver jewellery adorned her body, glimmering beneath the lights and accentuating the air of wealth she effortlessly exuded.
As Elias studied her face, a sense of recognition slowly dawned on him. He knew her. She was the very woman Kyle had cheated on him with—the one whose social media posts had haunted him for months after their breakup.
But the longer he looked at her, the more another realization crept into his mind.
"Lyla…?"
He had not seen her since childhood, back when she was one of the stepsiblings who had made his life miserable, constantly tormenting and belittling him. Seeing her again should have stirred up painful memories or perhaps even a lingering sense of fear. Yet, Elias felt none of that.
He was no longer the frightened child she could easily pick on. Instead, all that remained was a simmering resentment toward her for the cruelty she had inflicted on him in the past. He had no desire to revisit those memories, much less allow them to dictate his reaction now.
Still, Elias knew better than to let his anger get the better of him. He would not give Lyla the satisfaction of seeing her get under his skin, nor would he allow her to believe she still held any power over him.
Lyla's gaze shifted toward Elias, a flicker of disdain crossing her face before she swiftly replaced it with a pleasant smile. The change was fleeting, lasting barely a second, but Elias caught it nonetheless.
'Of course. She hadn't changed one bit.'
"Brother Evan! I didn't expect you to show up!" she exclaimed, her lips curving into a smile that looked anything but genuine.
Beside her, Kyle stared at Elias in disbelief, his expression shifting from shock to confusion.
"Brother… Evan?" he repeated, as though struggling to make sense of what he had just heard.
Elias merely rolled his eyes, thoroughly unimpressed by Lyla's little act. He had seen through her fake sweetness long ago and had no intention of entertaining it now. The way she so effortlessly slipped into the role of a doting stepsister was almost laughable, especially considering how she had treated him in the past.
He could not care less about her pretenses, nor did he feel the need to explain himself to Kyle. If the revelation had caught his former lover off guard, that was hardly his problem.
"Drop the act. I'm not your brother anymore and my name's Elias now."
His words came out cold and blunt, leaving no room for pleasantries. He had no interest in entertaining her fake warmth, much less pretending they shared any sort of familial bond.
Lyla's smile stiffened for a moment, her eyes flashing with displeasure at his outright rejection. However, she quickly regained her composure, seemingly unwilling to let him get under her skin. 'Or perhaps she simply didn't want to embarrass herself in front of the others.' Elias snickered internally.
He barely spared her another glance before turning his attention to Kyle, who had remained silent throughout their brief exchange. The sight of his former lover only reminded Elias of the betrayal he had endured, but instead of allowing the old hurt to show, he let a mocking smile tug at the corners of his lips.
"So," he drawled, looking Kyle up and down, "you've decided to settle for a witch instead."
His gaze briefly flickered toward the woman standing beside Kyle before returning to him.
"Good luck with that."
The remark was delivered with such casual disdain that it almost sounded like a genuine expression of goodwill. Almost.
Kyle's expression darkened, his jaw tightening as though he were struggling to hold back a retort. Beside him, Lyla's pleasant facade began to crack, her fingers curling slightly at her sides.
Elias noticed both reactions and felt a small sense of satisfaction. For once, he was not the one standing there, wounded and humiliated. He had no intention of letting either of them believe they could still get to him.
Before either Kyle or the woman could retort, a familiar voice suddenly rang out, making Elias flinch. The unexpected interruption brought all three of them to an abrupt standstill.
"You've only just gotten home, and you're already fighting?"
The voice carried a hint of exasperation, as though the speaker had walked in on a familiar scene that had played out far too many times before.
Everyone's attention shifted toward the staircase, where a man stood overlooking them. He exuded an air of authority and dignity, his mere presence enough to silence the room.
Before Lyla could open her mouth to complain, Elias spoke first.
"Father." The word left his mouth coldly, devoid of the warmth one might expect from a son greeting his father after years apart.
His hands curled into tight fists at his sides, anger simmering beneath the surface. Every fiber of his being urged him to lash out at the old man standing before him, but he knew better than to act on impulse. Years of discipline had taught him to keep his emotions in check, no matter how much he despised the person before him. Instead, he lowered his head in a respectful bow, concealing his resentment behind a carefully maintained facade of obedience.
"Son, welcome home," his father greeted him warmly, seemingly oblivious to the resentment simmering beneath Elias's composed exterior.
'Son? What a joke.' Elias fought the urge to snap at the man he was supposed to call his father. Sixteen years of neglect, and now the old man had the audacity to welcome him home as though nothing had ever happened. 'How utterly infuriating.'
Before Elias could indulge in any further thoughts, Lyla stepped forward, pointing an accusing finger at him, "Daddy! He called me a witch!"
Their father turned toward her, his expression softening slightly. He shook his head with a weary sigh, as though her complaint was nothing more than a childish tantrum.
"Let it go, Lyla. You're already an adult, and you'll be getting married soon. You shouldn't let such trivial things bother you."
"But—"
"That's enough." He raised a hand, cutting her off before she could continue. The gesture was firm, leaving no room for further argument. Lyla pressed her lips together, clearly displeased, but she dared not challenge him any further.
Having settled the matter to his satisfaction, the man turned his attention to the butler, who had remained quietly at the side throughout the entire exchange, "Leon, you're dismissed."
The elderly butler hesitated, his gaze instinctively shifting toward Elias. Concern flickered across his face, and for a moment, he seemed reluctant to leave the young man alone with his family.
Elias noticed his hesitation. Offering him a reassuring smile, he mouthed, 'It's okay.'
Only then did Leon seem satisfied. He bowed respectfully before taking his leave, his footsteps gradually fading into the distance.
Once they were alone, Elias straightened and braced himself as his father approached. Their eyes met, and for a brief moment, neither man spoke. The silence between them was heavy with sixteen years of unspoken grievances, a quiet standoff between a father who had been absent for far too long and a son who had long since learned not to expect anything from him.
"How have you been, Evan?" his father asked, his voice warm with what sounded like genuine concern.
Elias almost laughed. 'Sixteen years, and that's the first thing you ask me?'
"My name's Elias now," he corrected, keeping his tone as even as possible. "And I'm doing fine. Thanks for worrying about me all these years."
The sarcasm slipped out before he could stop it, though he made little effort to hide it. He nearly rolled his eyes but restrained himself at the last moment, forcing a smile that felt painfully foreign on his face.
He had no intention of giving his father the satisfaction of seeing just how deeply those sixteen years had affected him.
Instead, Elias shifted his gaze toward the others, finally taking in the way Kyle stood beside Lyla. Something about the scene struck him, and he raised an eyebrow, "They're getting married?"
"Hm? Oh, right." His father turned toward Kyle and Lyla, gesturing toward the former as he introduced him. "This is Kyle, Lyla's fiancé. The two of them will be getting married in six months."
The announcement struck Elias like a devastating blow, sending a sharp pang of pain through his chest. For a fleeting moment, it felt as though the ground beneath him had crumbled. Yet, he held his head high, refusing to let his hurt show.
'So, you left me just to marry my stepsister?' Elias scoffed inwardly, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. 'Well, good riddance. I'm glad you broke up with me, then.'
He lifted his gaze towards the couple, allowing his eyes to linger on Kyle for a moment longer than necessary. He searched the familiar face of the man he had once loved, but whatever lingering affection remained was buried beneath layers of disappointment and resentment.
Then, he forced a smile.
"Congratulations," he said, his voice calm and deceptively pleasant. "I wish you both a lifetime of happiness together."
To anyone else, his words might have sounded like a genuine blessing. His smile was polite, his tone composed and his expression betrayed nothing. Yet, beneath that carefully constructed facade lay a thinly veiled contempt, every word laced with a bitterness he refused to voice aloud.
Kyle, however, felt a chill creep down his spine at Elias's bittersweet well-wishes. Kyle had always admired Elias's kindness. He remembered the way Elias could light up an entire room with his laughter, how his smile came so effortlessly, and how even the smallest gestures of warmth from him could make an ordinary day feel special. However, the man standing before him now was different.
That familiar warmth seemed to have vanished, replaced by a coldness that Kyle had never seen directed at him before. Elias was smiling, yet there was no genuine affection in his eyes. His words were courteous, but they felt sharper than any accusation.
For the first time, Kyle found himself unsettled by the realization that Elias no longer looked at him the way he used to.
Before Kyle could gather his thoughts or say anything in response, Lyla stepped in, her sweet voice breaking the uncomfortable silence.
"Well, thank you, Brother Elias," she replied, her lips curling into a saccharine smile. To anyone who did not know her, she might have appeared genuinely touched by his well-wishes. However, the animosity lurking beneath her sugary facade was unmistakable to Elias.
Their father, seemingly oblivious to the tension lingering between them, glanced at the clock.
"Oh, look at the time. It's almost dinner." He turned toward Elias and gestured for him to follow. "Come along, Elias. You should meet the rest of the family."
He then glanced back at Kyle and Lyla, "And you two, don't be late for dinner."
"Of course, Daddy. We won't be late," Lyla answered sweetly, her expression softening as she turned her attention to her father.
With that, Elias followed his father away, leaving the couple standing behind.
Kyle watched them go, his expression unreadable. His gaze lingered on Elias's retreating figure until he disappeared from sight, leaving behind an inexplicable heaviness in his chest.
He could not quite put his finger on it. Perhaps it was the way Elias had spoken to him, or perhaps it was the complete absence of the affection Kyle had once taken for granted. Whatever it was, the feeling refused to leave him alone.
Beside him, Lyla noticed his silence. Her smile gradually faded as she studied his face, sensing that something was troubling him.
"Are you okay?" she asked softly, concerned flickering in her eyes.
Kyle blinked, seemingly pulled from his thoughts. He gave a small shrug, attempting to dismiss the weight pressing down on him, "Yeah… Everything's fine, babe."
His answer lacked conviction and Lyla seemed to notice. A flicker of uncertainty crossed her face, prompting Kyle to pull her into his arms and press a passionate kiss to her lips. She melted into his embrace, the tension between them gradually fading as they lost themselves in the moment.
As he kissed his fiancée, Kyle could not shake the inexplicable feeling that something was missing. Even with her in his arms, a strange emptiness lingered in his chest, leaving him yearning for something he could not quite put into words.