CHAPTER 61: SISTERS AND HUSBANDS

I didn’t expect Lewis to look at me like that.

He didn’t blink. Not once. His gaze stayed steady and deep. It wasn’t rude or invasive but it felt like he could hear every thought I was trying to hide. There was no hesitation in him. No awkward pause. Just calm focus. Intent.

It made my chest tighten.

"N-no, thank you," I said, my voice slipping before I could steady it.

That look was too warm. Too locked in. It felt like standing under a light I hadn’t agreed to step into. My instincts flared, uneasy, and I turned away without thinking.

"Go rest," he said easily, like nothing strange had passed between us. "Later tonight, meet me at Lustre Jewels."

"Okay," I replied too fast, then hurried toward the bathroom.

The moment I shut the door, I turned on the tap and scrubbed my hands again and again. The water ran cold, but it didn’t wash away the feeling. His presence lingered, faint but real, like heat trapped beneath my skin.

What was that?

Lewis had always been controlled. Distant. The kind of man who stood above chaos and never let it touch him. But just now... that wasn’t distance. That was attention.

Before I could sort through it, my phone rang.

Lincy.

My jaw tightened.

Lincy the so-called younger sister. The mistress’s daughter.

The story was ugly. Her mother had been pregnant with twins at the same time Lena was. Desperate to win favor, she forced an early birth. The boy didn’t survive. Only Lincy lived. And because of that, she wore the title of "younger," even though everyone knew the truth.

The mistress blamed Lena for everything. And Grant the man who should’ve known better believed her tears. From that day on, Lena became the villain in her own home.

Men like that were all the same. Grant. James. Julian. Strong on the surface, weak when it came to lies wrapped in tears.

Lincy had always enjoyed pushing Riley down. And when Riley tried to fight back, her father punished her instead. In the end, she stopped defending herself. She just went quiet.

But that girl was gone.

I answered calmly. "Lincy. What do you want?"

There was a pause. She hadn’t expected that tone.

"Well," she said slowly, fake sweetness dripping from every word, "marriage really changed you. You sound so polite now."

I smiled to myself.

"Get to the point," I said. "Why are you calling?"

She laughed softly. "Just thought I’d warn you. Yenik and I are attending the Hale family dinner in a few days. You used to avoid marriage like the plague, remember? And now look at you married to a cripple. Honestly, it suits you."

I laughed. Not sharp. Not angry. Just amused.

"Thank you, Lincy," I replied lightly. "You saved me the trouble of throwing out the trash. And now I’m married to Mr. Hale. Lewis and I will be happy to welcome you."

Then I ended the call.

The silence afterward felt good.

The old Riley would’ve been crushed by that. She would’ve swallowed the insult and carried it like a wound.

But I wasn’t her anymore.

Lincy and Camilla were dangerous in different ways.

Camilla attacked head-on. Loud. Obvious. Easy to spot.

Lincy was quieter.

She didn’t scream or threaten. She smiled. She whispered. She laughed softly while digging the knife in slow and deep. She chipped away at Riley piece by piece. A look here. A comment there. Until Riley stopped believing she deserved anything at all.

Until she learned how to shrink.

But Lincy forgot one thing.

Lewis.

His body might not move the way it once did, but nothing about him was weak. His presence was solid. Grounded. When he entered a room, the air shifted. People felt it before they understood why.

Marrying him wasn’t a loss.

It was the best turn my life had ever taken.

That evening, I went with Lewis to Lustre Jewels.

We didn’t enter through the main doors. The staff led us upstairs, past velvet ropes and guarded hallways, into a private suite hidden above the showroom.

I’d been here before back when I was Riley Morrigan.

Back then, I stood below, surrounded by noise and competition, fighting for attention, bidding against people just like me. Desperate to prove I belonged.

This room was different.

Screens covered the walls, showing every corner of the building. Quiet. Controlled. Untouchable.

This wasn’t just a VIP room.

It was his.

Lustre Jewels belonged to Lewis.

He sat comfortably, scrolling through a digital catalog like this was nothing special. "Take your time," he said. "Pick whatever you like."

The screen displayed things most people only saw in magazines rare stones, custom gowns, old texts sealed with wax, items that carried history and weight.

I glanced down at the showroom below and saw familiar faces. People who once stood beside me. People I once thought were my equals.

I finally understood the difference.

The Morrigans had money.

The Hales had territory.

And Lewis? He didn’t chase status. He controlled it.

The house we were moving into was his.

This place was his.

No wonder he had paid two hundred million for my paintings without blinking.

"You really mean anything?" I asked quietly.

"Anything," he replied. "If you want the whole place, I’ll have it delivered. You’re my wife."

There was no pride in his tone. No need to prove anything.

The lights sparkled around me, almost overwhelming.

"I don’t even know what I need," I admitted.

He scrolled again. "There’s a new collection tonight. Dresses. Want to see?"

I nodded.

Most were too heavy for my taste. Too loud. Then I saw one clean lines, soft embroidery, elegant and sharp all at once.

"That one," I said.

"Done."

As I studied the details, I noticed two figures below.

Lincy.

And Yenik.

So that was their plan. Come here. Dress up. Make an entrance at the Hale dinner.

Typical.

Lincy had always measured herself against Riley. Always competing. Always trying to shine brighter, even when there was no prize.

Camilla used pity.

Lincy used comparison.

She had drained Riley slowly, until her clothes turned dark, her smile disappeared, and silence became her shield.

But I wasn’t that woman anymore.

I leaned closer to Lewis. "Can you help me with something?"

He glanced at me. "What is it?"

I whispered.

He nodded immediately. "Of course."

"I can handle it alone," I added.

He looked at me, serious now. "We’re married. If they’re your family, they’re mine. Unless you don’t want me there."

"I do," I said without hesitation.

Downstairs, Lincy and Yenik stood near the counter. Yenik laughed at something she said. Lincy covered her mouth, playing soft and harmless.

I walked toward them with Lewis beside me.

"Lincy," I said calmly. "Didn’t expect to see you here."

They turned.

Yenik’s eyes widened.

Lincy’s gaze flicked to Lewis and froze.

Yenik was good-looking in a polished way. Clean. Safe.

Standing next to Lewis, he faded.

Lewis didn’t need to stand to command attention. The space around him answered to his presence.

I wore a champagne-colored gown, fitted at the waist, a slit along my leg. Simple. Powerful. Pearls at my ears and throat. The beauty mark above my brow stood out like a quiet warning.

Yenik stared.

I didn’t look twice.

"Riley?" Lincy forced a smile. "You’re here too? And this is...?"

Her words died when Lewis met her gaze. His eyes were calm. Cold. Unmoved.

I rested my hand on his.

"Lincy, this is my husband."

"Lewis Hale."