Chapter 6 Hard of Hearing?
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Kaia stood at the villa gate, refreshing her Uber app, waiting for a driver.
The villa was tucked away, far from downtown.
It took ten minutes before she got a ride and slipped into the backseat.
Unbeknownst to her, a sleek Maybach loomed in the shadows, its owner observing her every move.
Lucien checked his Rolex and muttered, “Just got home and off she goes again?”
Once Kaia reached her cozy 1076–square–foot apartment, she sighed in relief.
She checked her bank account balance–almost enough to buy the place outright.
Just a few more paychecks to independence.
After college, Kaia had made it a point to live on her own,
renting apartments.
Tobias had always footed the bill for her tuition, but ever since she turned 18, she was eager to break free from the Domont family.
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The Domonts feel like strangers to me now.
And to Tobias, I’m just a bargaining chip.
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If I want to end this engagement with Alden, I’ll have to burn bridges with my dad.
With those thoughts swirling, she soon drifted into a peaceful
slumber.
***
At 5 p.m., Kaia walked out of the courthouse.
She looked every bit the sharp lawyer in her sleek black suit.
She’d just seen her client off when her phone rang. It was
Tobias.
“Kaia, bring Alden home for dinner tonight. Sally’s gone all out and made your favorite dishes. Be back early, you hear?”
Kaia ended the call with a disdainful scoff.
She had zero intention of reaching out to Alden, so she decided
to head home and confront the situation head–on.
“Ms. Domont, you’re back,” said Sue West, an elderly family
servant.
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Sue was the only one who addressed her with the full “Ms.
Domont.”
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Every time she did, Kimberly would shoot her a withering look.
“Sue, I brought you some dessert. I know you’re a big fan,” Kaia said, offering the box with a warm smile.
“Thank you, Ms. Domont. You’re always so thoughtful. If only your mother were still here,” Sue replied, her voice tinged with sadness.
Kaia gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder. “Shh, don’t let them hear. They’ll make life difficult for you.”
Kaia strode into the foyer in her sharp professional suit and immediately caught Tobias frowning.
“Why haven’t you changed your clothes?” he grumbled.
He never liked Kaia’s career, thinking a woman arguing in court wasn’t ladylike.
“Didn’t you tell me to come back early?” Kaia shot back, her tone sharp.
“Go wash your hands first. Alden’s already here,” Tobias said, his voice brooking no argument.
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Kaia frowned and spotted Alden sitting on the sofa.
“What are you doing here?” she demanded.
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She hadn’t invited him, so his presence was a complete surprise.
“I called Alden and asked him to come,” Tobias said.
He shot a glare at Kaia before quickly plastering on a polite
smile.
“Alden, don’t take it to heart. She runs her mouth sometimes.”
“I like her exactly that way,” Alden said, his tone soft and
sincere.
“Ugh!” Kaia couldn’t hold back. His words made her stomach
churn.
Tobias‘ face clouded over. “Show some respect!” he snapped, his voice laced with annoyance.
Kaia pressed her lips together tightly. “You guys go ahead and eat. I had a big breakfast, and I’m still stuffed. Dinner’s a no–go for me,” she declared, then made a beeline for her room.
As soon as she pushed the door open, a stack of boxes came crashing down.
Her eyes turned icy.
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Boxes everywhere. Opened, sealed, scattered.
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Her bedroom had been turned into a makeshift storage unit.
“Ah, Kaia! No knock or anything? This is my room,” Kimberly said.
Kaia narrowed her eyes.
“Your room? Since when? You’ve got five minutes. Explain why my room is filled with your junk,” Kaia demanded, her voice cold and firm.
Kimberly lifted her chin defiantly.
“Come on, your room is way bigger than mine. And you hardly ever stay here. What’s the big deal? It’s just a few boxes. Don’t be dramatic.”
True, she rarely stayed. But hell if she’d let this slide.
Without a second thought about getting dirty, she started grabbing the boxes off the floor and chucking them into Kimberly’s room.
“Kaia! What the hell are you doing? Are you out of your mind?” Kimberly shrieked, her voice shrill with panic.
Kaia flashed a saccharine–sweet smile. “Wasn’t losing it before,
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but you’re pushing me right over the edge.”
The ruckus upstairs finally piqued Tobias’s interest.
“Sally, go up and see what they’re squabbling about,” he ordered, a hint of irritation in his voice.
Sally rose from her seat, forcing a smile.
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“Oh, dear. Kaia is really something. She always starts beef with Kimberly as soon as she gets home,” she tsk–tsked, acting like it was nothing new.
Alden wasn’t a frequent visitor here.
Despite dating Kaia for five years, he’d set foot in this house fewer than five times.
“Mr. Domont, maybe I should go up and have a look,” Alden offered, concern etched on his face.
“No need. Just stay put. They’re always at it,” Tobias replied casually, waving off Alden’s suggestion.
When Sally reached the upper floor, she stopped in her tracks.
Kaia was standing in the hallway, fuming.
She was hurling messy cardboard boxes one by one into Kimberly’s room.
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“Kaia, what the hell are you doing?” Sally gasped, voice sharp with shock.
“Kimberly’s graduating this year, right? Not a kid anymore. Maybe it’s time you taught her some basic manners.”
She folded her arms, voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Because out there in the real world? People don’t tolerate spoiled brats.”
“How dare you!” Kimberly snapped, her face turning red with
anger.
Sally forced a tight smile, trying to play peacemaker.
“Alright, alright. Kimberly didn’t mean anything by it. No need to go nuclear just because she used your room. Look, next year I’ll talk to your dad about renovating this place, okay?”
Kaia’s eyes turned as cold as ice.
This villa is the only place that holds memories of my childhood
when Mom was still alive.
And now she wants to ruin even that for me!
Kaia sneered, her tone dripping with sarcasm, “Hey, Sally. Forget about the renovation. Why don’t you ask Dad to buy a
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brand–new house for Kimberly as a wedding present? Grandma probably won’t even give the green light for the renovation anyway!”
Sally’s face froze.
She stared at Kaia intently for a long moment. “Well, we’ll figure that out later.”
All she can do is bring up that old woman to put me down.
***
The room was thick with dust.
Kaia told Sue to clean it up and decided to change the lock on her bedroom door.
She’d give one key to Sue and keep the rest for herself.
When Kaia made her way downstairs, Alden had just wrapped up his chat with Tobias.
“Hey, it’s getting late. Alden just got back from a business trip and came straight here right after landing. Kaia, go home and take good care of Alden. He needs some rest,” Tobias said.
Kaia let out a scoff. “Don’t worry. There are tons of people who’d be more than happy to look after him.”
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Alden wasn’t fazed. “Kaia, let’s head home. We’re getting our marriage license tomorrow, remember?”
Kimberly, who had just come downstairs, caught wind of this. A glint of malice flashed across her eyes.
Alden is seriously marrying that shrew?
Tobias burst into a boisterous laugh. “Tomorrow’s the perfect day to get the marriage license. That’s just splendid!
“Kaia, I need a quick word with you. Alden, why don’t you wait in the car for a bit?”
Alden gave the father–daughter duo a knowing look and flashed a gentle smile.
“Sure thing. I’ll be in the car,” he said.
As soon as Alden stepped out and Tobias shut the door, his expression turned grim.
“Kaia, you’d better watch your mouth when you talk to Alden. Is that how a wife is supposed to treat her husband?”
Kaia nonchalantly shrugged her shoulders.
“Not happy with my attitude? Well, tough luck. I’m calling off this marriage, anyway.”
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“What did you just say?” Tobias’s voice suddenly shot up. He pointed a finger at his daughter and barked, “Say that one more time.”
Oh, for goodness‘ sake. Is he hard of hearing, too, like Alden?
Kaia retorted, “I said I’m canceling this marriage!”
