“Enough with the small talk. Spill the rest-what happened at the hotel?”
“Yeah, don’t leave us hanging!”
Henry spread his hands. “How would I know what they did inside? All I heard was they left together this morning.”
The story spread like wildfire.
By midday, the entire sophomore year was buzzing.
“Did you hear? Zayden and Sarah got a hotel room together!”
“No way. Is that true?”
“Totally! Word is they’ve been secretly dating for ages.”
In the hallway, a few girls were still whispering about it when Elena stepped out of the restroom.
As soon as they saw her, they fell silent.
Some of them even looked at her with sympathy.
Everyone knew how much Elena had liked Zayden-how deep it ran. She’d even jumped into the ocean for him.
She was his fiancée.
And yet her own sister had swooped in and taken him.
Who wouldn’t feel sorry for her?
Just as Elena was about to head back to class, Sarah’s voice rang out behind her.
“Elena!”
Sarah jogged up, smiling sweetly. “It’s my birthday tonight. You’re coming home, right?”
Elena frowned.
Sarah went on, “Zayden’s coming with me. We could go together. You haven’t been home in two months. Mom and Dad still miss you, you know.”
Miss me?
What a joke.
Not one phone call from her parents in all that time.
Not that she wanted one.
“Sorry, I’m busy.”
“Elena, I’m still your sister. Can’t you come home for my birthday? Isn’t that a little cold?”
She was clearly baiting her.
Elena didn’t believe for a second Sarah genuinely wanted her there-not after what had happened with the math competition.
Sarah’s nature made it obvious-she might not say anything on the surface, but she’d always find a way to get revenge in secret.
“You should go home with her if she asked you,” Zayden’s voice suddenly came from behind them.
Elena looked over just in time to see him wrapping his hand around Sarah’s. The gesture was intimate-Sarah had often linked arms with him, but this time, it was Zayden who reached out first.
With only a glance, Elena responded calmly, “Sorry, I really don’t have time.”
She turned to leave, but Sarah called after her, loud enough for the nearby students to hear,
“Elena, did you know? Zayden and I are dating now.”
Zayden said nothing.
Sarah continued, “You’re my sister, and I want your blessing. I’ve already agreed with
Grace-we’re getting engaged after graduation. Our parents are meeting tonight to talk about it. If you don’t come, I’ll be really sad.”
Elena raised an eyebrow. “You really want me there?”
“Of course!” Sarah smiled sincerely. “No matter what, you’re my sister. I want your blessing.”
“Alright then. I’ll come with you tonight-and give you my most heartfelt blessing.”
Her voice sharpened at the last few words, and without looking back, she walked straight into her classroom.
…
That evening, the Holt family’s car waited outside the school.
Sarah climbed in with ease, patting the leather seat beside her. “Elena, come on.”
She and Zayden sat together, leaving Elena across from them.
In the car, Sarah grabbed Zayden’s hand.
In the past, such a scene would have cut into Elena like a knife.
But now? She didn’t feel a thing.
She remembered this routine from her previous life-Sarah clinging to Zayden, constantly using these little gestures to get under her skin. It was all too familiar. Too tired.
Inside the small, confined space, Sarah leaned against Zayden like she was trying to become a part of him.
Still, Elena’s expression didn’t change.
When they arrived and Zayden had already stepped inside, Sarah turned to her again. “Elena, aren’t you curious how we got together? I was going to tell you.”
“Oh?” Elena played along. “How did you get together?”
Sarah blushed. “Last night, Zayden took me out. I didn’t know he was going to confess to me… and after that, we went to a hotel.”
Her tone was vague on purpose, designed to let imaginations run wild.
But Elena saw through it immediately.
If Sarah were telling the truth, she would’ve bragged about it in the car-with Zayden right there-just to humiliate her. That she didn’t only confirmed the lie.
“Elena, now that I’m with Zayden… you’ll give me your blessing, right?”
“Of course,” Elena replied with a bright smile.
She thought back to how Sarah had stolen everything from her in her past life-without shame, without hesitation.
Her smile deepened.
She wasn’t here to give blessings.
She came to return the favor-and make Sarah feel what it’s like to have something you love ripped away.
…
Inside the Delaney family home, Nathan and Evelyn beamed as they greeted Zayden and Grace.
But the moment they saw Elena step through the door, their smiles froze.
No one expected her to come.
“Mom, I brought Elena back on purpose,” Sarah said sweetly, linking arms with her. “She said she wanted to give me a birthday blessing.”
Evelyn’s smile thinned. “Didn’t we already cut ties? Why did you bring her back? Wash your hands and get ready to eat.”
Her dislike for Elena was open and unfiltered.
Elena didn’t say a word.
While Sarah went to the bathroom, Elena glanced toward Zayden, already seated at the table.
“Zayden,” she said. “I’ve got something for you.”
She walked up beside him and spoke in a low voice only he could hear.
After a moment of hesitation, he stood and followed her upstairs.
Zayden had never known where Elena’s room was.
Not until she led him all the way up-to a tiny attic room on the top floor.
Servants usually lived in spaces like this.
He’d always known she had it hard here… but he hadn’t imagined it was this bad.
Elena opened the door and walked inside. From a drawer, she pulled out a small metal box and handed it to him.
Zayden looked down. “What is this?”
“You used to ask why I had so many photos of you,” Elena said softly. “I liked you. So I made this box-every picture inside was taken by me.”
She paused.
“But now that you’re engaged to my sister, I figured I should give it back.”
Zayden looked down at the metal box in his hands. It was worn and old-clearly something that had been around for years.
If Elena hadn’t said anything, he never would’ve guessed that she’d collected so many photos of him-let alone stored them so carefully.
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