CHAPTER 71: CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE: FAMILY FEUD

Christy’s POV

The Lancaster mansion felt colder than usual this evening. The golden light from the chandelier did nothing to soften the tension simmering in the air, instead, it illuminated every sharp glare and every bitter twist of a mouth.

I stood there, surrounded by people I was supposed to call family, but the distance between us felt wider than the sea that had once separated me from them.

The moment I stepped into the living room, I could feel the shift. My mother’s teacup clinked sharply against the saucer while my father’s newspaper dropped slightly, his brows drawing together in a deep frown.

And Mira, my ever-so-sweet cousin with her venomous smile was already waiting like a vulture circling for blood.

"Is it true?" my father asked first. His tone was calm and that made my heart race faster.

"Is it true that you intend to go back to that Black boy?" he asked with an authoritative tone.

I inhaled slowly, steadying myself before answering.

"His name is Kendrick and yes, I do." I answered with a determined tone.

The silence that followed was suffocating. My mother pressed her fingers to her lips like she couldn’t believe what she had heard.

My grandfather sat still, his cane resting against his leg and his eyes were sharp with disappointment. Mira was the first to break the silence with a snort.

"Unbelievable, you are really determined to destroy what little peace we have left, aren’t you?" she said with a cruel smirk.

I turned my gaze to her. "You should worry less about my choices and more about your own life, Mira."

"Oh, please," she laughed mockingly.

"You think you are in a position to talk? You have been nothing but a walking scandal since you came back. You brought chaos into this family the very day you reunited with us." she said with sneer.

"Mira!" my mother snapped, but she ignored her.

"What? I’m only saying what everyone is too polite to admit!" Mira said, her eyes gleaming with malice.

"This family was fine before she came back. Now look at us, Constant fights and endless drama. Maybe we shouldn’t have gone looking for her in the first place." she said with a sarcastic tone.

My throat tightened as her words were extremely hurtful.

"You think I asked to be taken away? You think I wanted to grow up without knowing my family?" I asked her angrily.

She laughed cruelly.

"Oh, don’t play the victim, Christy. We all know what kind of people raised you. You were practically raised in a strip club by criminals. What values could you possibly bring into this family?" she asked me with a mocking expression.

My heart stopped for a second as my hands trembled, and before I knew it, my palm connected sharply with her cheek. The sound echoed across the hall. Mira gasped, clutching her face as tears of rage filled her eyes.

"How dare you... " she was about to hit me back but Grandpa interrupted.

"Enough!" Grandfather’s voice boomed like thunder in the living room. He slammed his cane against the floor, making everyone freeze.

"Mira, shut your mouth before I have you thrown out," he growled, his voice low and commanding. Mira instantly went silent, glaring daggers at me but saying nothing.

Grandfather turned his attention to me then. His face softened slightly, but the disappointment in his eyes cut deeper than Mira’s words ever could.

"Christiana..." he said quietly, using the name he only used when he was deeply serious.

"I have always carried guilt in my heart for what happened to you as a child and for failing to protect you. You were taken from us because of our mistakes, and you grew up in a world no child should ever have seen." He said with a sad expression.

I blinked rapidly as tears gathered in my eyes.

"I wanted nothing more than to give you the peace and love you were denied," he continued.

"And I still intend to do that. Whatever you need, be it comfort, security or protection for your unborn child, you shall have it. But you must promise me something in return." he paused to look at me.

I swallowed hard. "What?"

"Promise me that you will stay away from Kendrick Black," he said softly but firmly.

"That family has done enough harm. I will not see another Lancaster’s life destroyed because of them." he said while clenching his walking stick tightly.

I stared at him, unable to breathe for a second.

"I will even arrange for you to marry a good man, an aristocrat who can give you a stable home. Someone who will accept your child as his own," he said, his tone gentle, as if it were a reasonable offer.

"No," I whispered stubbornly.

My mother quickly reached for my hand.

"Christy, please..Your grandfather is only trying to protect you...That boy will ruin your life." she said amidst sobs.

I looked between all of them, my father, my mother, my grandfather and then at Mira, who was still smirking faintly, enjoying every second of my humiliation. My lips curved into a trembling and bitter smile as tears spilled down my cheeks.

"I thought reuniting with my family would finally bring me peace," I said softly with a shaky voice.

"But all I have gotten since I came back are orders, threats, and guilt. None of you have even tried to understand me." I said angrily with tears streaming down my face.

"Christy, that’s not fair.. " my mother started.

"No, it’s true!" I cried out loudly.

"You say you love me, but all you have ever done is try to control me. You want me to sacrifice my happiness just to fix old wounds that have nothing to do with me! ." I yelled angrily at her.

My father slammed his palm on the table as stood up angrily.

"That’s enough!" he barked.

"You are too selfish to see reason, You are willing to disgrace this family just to be with that boy." he said angrily.

"Disgrace?" I whispered.

"For loving someone?" I asked him amidst tears.

"You are no daughter of mine if you choose him over your own blood!" he shouted angrily.

The words hit me like a physical blow. I froze as I could feel my heart breaking all over again. I looked at him, my lips trembling .

"Then I guess... I should’ve stayed lost." I whispered sadly.

"Christy!" my mother gasped, but I was already turning away.

"I wish I never found my way back here," I whispered, grabbing my phone and rushing out before anyone could stop me.

As I stormed out the front door, tears blurred my vision, but I didn’t care. The evening wind hit my face, cooling the trails of tears on my cheeks. I walked aimlessly, my heart pounding and my breaths shallow.

I just needed to get away from them.. from everything.

*****

Kendrick’s POV

The mansion was in chaos when my mother stormed into my room.

"You can’t be serious," she snapped.

"You are moving out?" she asked me angrily.

I zipped the last of my bags and slung it over my shoulder.

"Yes, Mother, I am." I replied her calmly.

"Because of her, isn’t it?" she demanded.

"That Lancaster girl, what is so special about her that you would throw your entire life away for her?" she questioned fiercely.

I looked at her as I could feel my patience slowly fading.

"You wouldn’t understand." I said, trying to remain calm.

"Oh, please," she scoffed.

"I could get you any girl you want. Dozens of girls, if that’s what it takes to get her out of your head." she said with a serious expression and I stared at her in disbelief.

"Do you even hear yourself? You sound exactly like that good for nothing father of mine." I said sharply.

Her lips parted in shock.

"Watch your tone, Kendrick." she said angrily while glaring at me.

"No," I replied her sharply.

"You don’t get to tell me to respect you when you are the one trying to turn me into him. You think love is a game of replacements, that people can be bought or forgotten, but I’m not him, Mother. I’m not a womanizer, and I’m not interested in living a lie just to make the Black name look spotless." I said to her with a stern tone and her expression faltered, the anger in her eyes dimming for a moment.

"I only want what is best for you... " she murmured.

"What’s best for me?" I laughed bitterly.

"You mean what’s best for you. What helps you keep up appearances while pretending nothing is wrong. I said with a disgusted expression.

"You have no idea what I’ve sacrificed for this family" she said with trembling lips.

"Then tell me, tell me where you were all those years you disappeared. Tell me why you came back pretending to have amnesia when your medical records say you were never injured and never even unconscious!" I asked her angrily and I saw a flash of shock as her face went pale.

"You... you saw my records?" she stammered.

"Yes," I said coldly.

"I saw everything. So tell me, Mother, what were you really doing all those years?" I asked her while staring intently at her face.

She looked away silently and her shoulders started shaking. That silence told me everything I needed to know.

"I thought so," I muttered, grabbing my car keys.

"You’ve been lying all along." I said with a tone of certainty.

"Kendrick, please... " She pleaded but I raised my hand to cut her off.

"I’m done living in this house full of secrets and schemes. I’m done pretending this family isn’t rotting from the inside." ," I said as I walked past her.

And with that, I walked out of the room. Her voice followed me down the hall, but I didn’t turn back.

The moment I started the car and pulled away from the Black estate, a strange peace settled over me. The mansion faded into the background, replaced by the open road and the evening glow painting the sky orange and gold.

I didn’t know where I was going, only that it was far from everything that had chained me for years.

Then my phone buzzed.

I was shocked to see that Christy was the one calling.

My chest tightened as I picked up immediately. "Christy?"

All I heard was quiet sobbing. "Kendrick..." Her voice broke, and I felt panic rise in me.

"What’s wrong? Are you hurt?" I asked anxiously.

"No," she whispered and I could hear her sobbing sadly.

"I just... I’m at the park near the Lancaster estate." she whispered while still sobbing.

"I’m coming," I said immediately and stepped on the gas.

The sun had dipped lower when I pulled up to the park. The place was mostly empty and there she was, standing under the old oak tree, hugging herself as if the world had turned its back on her.

The moment our eyes met, she ran straight into my arms, her body trembling as she buried her face against my chest.

"I’m so tired," she whispered brokenly.

"I can’t keep fighting everyone. They all hate us, Kendrick, My parents... my grandfather... everyone." he said amidst sobs.

I wrapped my arms around her tightly, holding her as if I could shield her from it all. "Let them hate us, they don’t get to decide what we deserve." I said calmly.

Her sobs came harder, her tears soaking through my shirt, but I didn’t care. I just held her tighter.

"We’ll figure it out, no more lies and running. Just you, me, and our baby."I murmured into her hair.

She tilted her head up, her eyes red and glistening with tears, yet there was a flicker of hope buried deep within them.

"Promise me, Kendrick. Promise you won’t let go, no matter what they say." she said with hopeful eyes.

I cupped her face gently.

"I swear it, Christy. I will never let go." I swore with a determined tone.

And there, in the middle of the quiet park, surrounded by the glow of the dying sun and the whispers of the evening breeze, she broke down again, this time not from despair, but from the fragile spark of hope she had been trying to protect all along.

I held her close, my chin resting on her hair, feeling the steady rhythm of her heartbeat against mine.

The storm around us could rage on for all I cared. Because for the first time in a long time, I knew exactly where I belonged.

Right here.

With her.