BRAIDED BROOD

Chapter 12

“The chairman will erase everything you have to get what he wants,” Secretary York replied coldly.

Jeffery winced, a bitter laugh dying in his throat. “That man is a monster; he's really amazing.”

"Han Jeffery doesn't exist anymore," York said, turning back to him. "Only Kyle Jeffery."

“I said my name is Han Jeffery!” He glared at York, the veins in his neck straining violently against his skin.

York didn't even blink. "This is where your freedom ends." He turned on his heel and walked away.

Out of options, Jeffery dragged himself to a cheap motel down the road. "I need a room for a month," he muttered, sliding his card across the front desk. He pulled out his wallet and stared at the two IDs inside. Han Jeffery. Kyle Jeffery. He looked at them for a long time before dumping them both into the trash.

Across town, Chairman Kyle and his wife, Helen, were lounging on the sofa, discussing Emily.

"Wait, so she wasn't Huxley's fiancée?" Helen asked in surprise, lowering her glass with a sharp scoff.

“She was paid to act as his fiancée.” The Chairman answered softly.

Helen smirked. “What a brazen girl.”

Chairman Kyle smiled, setting his wine glass down on the luxury center table. "I invited the girl over... and told her to live with the boys in Jupiter’s Mansion."

Helen forced a smile, pretending to be curious. “What exactly do you like about that girl?”

Kyle leaned back. "I run a massive company, Helen, but half the time I can't tell if I control the money or if the money controls me. But this girl? She didn't flinch when I threw cash at her. She held her ground. That alone makes her qualified to handle the boys."

Chairman Kyle nodded his head. “Yeahh…”

The heavy doors opened, and Secretary York walked in. He bowed his head, greeting Chairman Kyle and his wife.

“So how did it go?” Kyle asked, looking directly at him.

“I've taken care of the issue regarding Jeffery, sir.”

“And what about the girl?”

“I've told someone to watch her,” York answered. “But I don't think she's going to change her mind. I don't think she'll accept your offer.”

Kyle sighed softly. “Exactly what I expected. But I don't want to lose her.”

Emily practically stormed through the front door, her expression dark. She kicked off her shoes and went straight to the cramped dining room to confront her father, Chris.

“Oh! You're home, Emily.” Darus crooned.

Her stepsister, Yara, flashed a mocking grin. “Come here and eat, my little sister.”

With fury burning in her eyes, Emily ignored them both. Her gaze fixed on Chris.

“Where's Mom?!”

“I'm right here.” Darus teased, pretending to be very caring.

“No, my mom,” Emily countered, still keeping her glare on her dad. “You... you took Mom's urn, didn't you?”

"Your mom is right here," Chris fired back, his voice rising. "Who else are you talking about?"

“It's fine,” Darus muttered softly, playing peacemaker.

Emily spun around and marched to the cramped balcony where she slept. Her stomach dropped. The space had been completely rearranged by Yara. Sweeping the room in a panic, she finally spotted the ceramic urn. She grabbed it, clutching it to her chest as she stormed back out.

“How could you do this?” she demanded, her voice trembling.

“You've never once paid for Mom's space at the columbarium! It was five thousand dollars overdue, so I paid four thousand dollars.” Emily cried. “We could have let her rest if you had just covered the difference!"

“Why spend so much money for someone who's dead?” Chris's shouted.

Emily stared at him in disbelief.

“Don't act like this is a big deal. People used to scatter ashes in the river or the sea in the past, so stop making a big fuss over nothing and get over it.”

"Get over it?" Emily choked out, tears finally spilling over. “How can I sit still...” she sobbed bitterly” …when she's been abandoned like this after losing her place?”

“How dare you?” Chris stepped toward her. "Is that how you talk in front of the woman who raised you? What are you saying in front of your stepmom?” He scoffed, glaring at the urn in her hands. “Still holding onto your dead mom...”

“I said I'm fine, honey.” Darus interrupted, pretending to be touched. “And I'll try to get the money. I have some saved for Yu Na and Ha Won's tuition...”

Emily cut through the lie immediately. "You told me you could only afford to send one of us to college!"

Darus let out a heavy sigh. "Emily, I know you're upset, but there's no need to lie."

"And where is all my stuff from the balcony?" Emily demanded. “You put them away randomly last time when Dad visited. I had to dig through the trash just to find Mom's photo!"

Darus widened her eyes innocently. “What are you talking about? Your belongings are in your room, of course. The room that you share with Yu Na.”

“My room is the balcony!”

Afraid her husband would catch on, Darus looked nervously at Chris before turning teary eyes on Emily. "Are you really trying to frame me in front of your father?"

“I'm not framing you. I'm only telling the truth! Emily yelled.

"That is enough!" Chris roared, slamming his hands onto the table. Seeing Darus's fake tears, he turned his anger entirely on Emily. “How dare you talk to your mom like that? You don't even appreciate her for having raised you all these years. Instead, you're lying and trying to tear this family apart.”

“Dad, you don't believe me at all, do you?” Emily cried.

He stepped up and slapped her hard across the face. "I never should have raised another man's child."

The words stung worse than the slap. The room went dead silent. Emily touched her burning cheek, her mind spinning. “What...What are you saying?” she stammered.

“Your mom had you with another man,” Chris confessed, his voice cold.

Darus and Yara’s jaws dropped, genuinely shocked by the revelation. They gasped in unison.

"I'm... I'm not your biological daughter?" Emily asked in total disbelief.

"I tried to believe you were," Chris responded coldly again.

“What? Honey. What are you talking about?” Darus asked, her eyes lit up with predatory glee. “Then she's not related to you at all?”

"So she was never really our family to begin with," Yara sneered, looking at Emily with disgust.

Crushed, Emily clutched the urn tighter, turned her back on them, and walked toward the door.

“Wait, where are you going?” Darus called out, chasing after her. "He didn't mean it, he was just angry!" But as she caught up to Emily at the door, Darus leaned in and whispered flatly. “That's right. Everything will be perfect once you're gone.”

Emily burst out into the pouring rain, shielding her mother's urn. As the cold water soaked through her clothes, a memory washed over her—a time when she, her mom, and her dad had run happily through a downpour just like this.

“It's raining!”

“We're getting wet.”

“Let's run!”

“We're here!”

“Let's go inside.”

They had huddled under a narrow roof to escape the storm.

“So, my little princess, are you upset that you didn't win the black belt?” Chris asked Emily cheerfully.

She had nodded miserably.

“Emily, what did Mom tell you?” her mother asked, squeezing her hand and patting her shoulder gently.

Chapter 1, Section 4! ‘The Art of War’. Wait at leisure while the enemy labors… Wait until my time comes.

“That's right. You can do better next time, right?” Her mom said, smoothing her hair.

“Of course I can!” Little Emily shouted.

“Come here, you two.” Chris laughed, pulling them both into a tight, happy hug.

Emily blinked, snapping back to the cold, wet reality. She trudged down the empty street, her father's brutal words playing on a loop in her head. She was soaked, freezing, and entirely alone.

At that moment, her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out to see an unknown number flashing on the wet screen.

“Hello?” Emily answered numbly.

“It’s me, Chairman Kyle.” His voice said over the sound of the rain. “Miss Emily, did you give my offer some thought?”

Emily stopped walking.

"Chairman... Kyle?" she called out in surprise.

“My offer still stands,” He said smoothly. “What do you say? Is your answer the same as last time? Or has your mind changed?”