Chapter 232
KASMINE.
I hadn’t even dropped the cup of coffee when a high–pitched, syrupy giggle broke the silence and nearly startled me into cardiac
arrest.
My body jerked so fast in the direction of the sound that the dizziness I’d been ignoring all morning slammed harder into my skull, turning my vision into a funhouse mirror. Fantastic. If the walls spun any harder, I might start levitating.
Maybe it was finally time I stopped playing tough and visited the damn hospital.
“Look who I get the pleasure of meeting all alone in the kitchen!”
Karina’s voice was a little too loud and sweet, like poisoned honey and her expression? Pure sunshine with a chance of lunacy. Too abnormal to be this cheerful so early in the morning.
God. Was she high or something?
She had that glittery–eyed, overenthusiastic vibe of someone who’d either snorted something very illegal or returned from making a deal with the devil. Or maybe she was the devil. Who could tell with her?
Either way, I didn’t have the energy for it.
I said nothing. Just dumped the mug into the sink like it had personally offended me and turned to leave.
Since she moved into the house, I’d done a good job of avoiding her.
The only time I’d actually seen her face was during the family dinner last night–and even then, I’d pretended like her entire existence didn’t itch beneath my skin.
My being indoors because of Kester helped me stay away from her. I heard she was trouble, and Mum also told me everything she had done to Kester, including being the reason he was finally sent to the psychiatric hospital.
Everyone believed whatever story she made up back then because Kester already suffered from anger issues. So, it was easy for Karina to pull such a big one on him.
God, the girl was a walking red flag in designer shoes.
I wonder why I never knew about all these. I mean… Yes, I was still a bit too young, but come on… They should have at least said something to me then.
“That’s not a very nice way to greet your stepsister, you know?” she said, pouting dramatically.
Okay. Confirmed. She was high on something.
The playful frown didn’t reach her eyes. Nothing ever did. Those eyes were always scanning,and observing like a monster dressed in bubblegum pink.
But wasn’t it too early for that?
“Hi, I muttered flatly, already halfway out of the kitchen. My brain had filed her under irrelevant, and I was ready to go back to pretending she didn’t exist.
But then her voice caught me mid–step.
Chapter 232
“Why the rush, little sis?” she purred, still all sugar and venom. “You got some unfinished business to get back to? Hm?”
She giggled again in a high, flirty, almost manic voice, and something in my stomach twisted so hard I nearly turned back to throw up in the sink.
I paused in front of her.
“What do you want, Karina?” I sighed, spinning around with an exhausted eye–roll. My head was already pounding, and now she wanted to add herself to the list of things I couldn’t deal with today?
Her finger tapped against her bottom lip, mock–thoughtful, Иke a child pretending to think during a game of Clue.
“Oh, nothing much… Her grin widened. “Just wondering… about last night…”
My heart decided that now was a good time to try and escape through my ribcage. I swear, I could feel it racing toward the door, dragging my composure behind it like a dead weight.
“What about last night?” I snapped, a little too fast and breathless, hoping it wasn’t what I was thinking.
But the wicked twinkle in her eye sharpened.
“You had quite the fun with him, didn’t you?” She giggled again and walked past me with a swish of her robe and the smugness of someone who knew exactly what she was doing.
I almost choked on my breath. What was she talking about?
Dinner or my room?
Who was the ‘him‘ she just talked about?
Kester or Jaden?
Shit!
Did she hear us last night?
No. It couldn’t be. The room was soundproof. But I had to make sure
“What fun, Karina?” I tried to keep my voice steady, though it felt like it had turned to glass in my throat. Cracked. Brittle. Close to shattering.
My plan to keep my distance from her? Abandoned. Crumpled and tossed into the trash.
I turned and followed her back into the kitchen like a storm trailing smoke.
“Ooh… she purred, turning halfway to face me, her lips curling in triumph. “Someone finally wants to talk to me.”
