Chapter Ten:Dinner for Four
1291 Words
Katherine came downstairs for dinner
The dining room was already occupied.
Damien at the head of the table. Richard's seat. He'd moved up like it was natural. Like he'd been waiting for the chance.
Elijah to his left,Sebastian across from him,He looked up when she entered. The others didn't.
No Richard.
No Linda.
Katherine stopped in the doorway.
"Where's my mom?"
"Not joining us." Damien didn't look at her.
hiding in her room after nearly having a breakdown in public.
"And Richard?"
"Business."
Right.
Katherine looked at the table. The empty seats. The three brothers who had left her in the woods and hadn't spoken to her since.
No.
She turned to leave.
"Sit down."
Sebastian's voice. Quiet but somehow filling the room.
She stopped. Didn't turn around.
"I'm not hungry, I'll eat in my room."
"Sit down, Katherine."
Something in his voice made her turn. He was looking at her now. Those strange pale eyes fixed on her face.
"Staff prepared dinner for four. The food is here. You're here. Sit down and eat."
"I don't want to—"
"I don't care what you want." He said it without malice. "You haven't eaten properly in two weeks. You've lost weight. You're not sleeping. Your body is running on caffeine and spite." He tilted his head. "How long do you think that lasts?"
She stared at him.
How did he know any of that?
"Sit. Down."
She should leave. Should tell him to go f**k himself. Should—
Her stomach growled. Loud enough that Elijah snorted.
"Just sit," Elijah said, finally looking up. "It's food, not a marriage proposal."
Katherine's jaw tightened.
But she sat.
The first ten minutes were silent.
Except from the occasional sound of Elijah's phone buzzing.
Katherine ate because she was hungry. Kept her eyes on her plate. Didn't look at any of them.
The food was Some kind of roasted chicken with vegetables she couldn't name.
"Classes start in two days." Damien's voice broke the silence. "You're prepared?"
She looked up. He was watching her now. Expression unreadable.
"Why do you care?"
"I don't. Richard asked me to ask."
"Richard's not here."
"He'll want a report when he returns."
"A report." She laughed. Bitter. "What, am I an employee now?"
She wanted to throw her fork at him. Restrained herself.
"I'm prepared. Classes, books, schedule. All set."
"Basketball tryouts?"
"Next week."
"You'll make the team?"
"Yes."
He raised an eyebrow. "Confident."
"Realistic. I'm good."
"We'll see."
Silence again.
Elijah put his phone down. Leaned back in his chair.
"So. This is fun. Really great family bonding. We should do this more often."
No one laughed.
"Tough crowd." He picked up his wine glass. "Come on. Two weeks of silent treatment and now we're all at the same table. Someone has to acknowledge how weird this is."
"Nothing weird about it." Damien's voice was flat. "We're having dinner."
"We're having a hostage situation." Elijah gestured at Katherine. "She clearly doesn't want to be here. You're playing dad at the head of the table. Seb's being creepy as usual. And I'm the only one trying to make conversation."
"Then stop trying." Damien went back to his food. "It's not helping."
Katherine watched this exchange. The dynamic between them. Elijah pushing. Damien shutting down. Sebastian observing.
Something cracked in her chest.
"So we're just going to pretend nothing happened?"
The words came out before she could stop them.
All three of them looked at her.
"The club. The woods. You—" She pointed at Damien. "—left me in the middle of nowhere. At night. Alone." Her hand moved to Elijah. "You sat there and watched those men corner me and did nothing." Then Sebastian. "And you—you timed it. Like it was a f*****g experiment."
Silence.
"That was two weeks ago." Damien's voice was bored. "You survived. Move on."
"Move ON?"
"Yes. Move on. You're still breathing. Still eating Still living in this house. Whatever trauma you think you experienced—"
"THINK I experienced?"
"was a lesson. One you clearly needed." He set his fork down. "You came into this house expecting what? That we'd welcome you? Accept you? Play happy siblings?" He shook his head. "This isn't a fairy tale. You're here because your mother spread her legs for my father. That's it. That's your entire value to this family."
Katherine's blood turned to ice.
"Damien." Elijah's voice had an edge now. "That's enough."
"Is it? She wanted honesty. I'm giving her honesty." Damien's eyes never left Katherine. "You're not one of us. You never will be. The sooner you accept that, the easier your life becomes."
Katherine's hands were shaking. She pressed them flat against the table to hide it.
"You're wrong."
"Am I?"
"You think I want to be one of you? Think I want to be part of this f****d up family?" She laughed. It sounded broken even to her own ears. "I had a life before this. Friends. A boyfriend. A future that didn't involve living with three psychopaths who get off on tormenting people."
"Then leave."
"I CAN'T. You think I haven't thought about it? My mother won't let me. Your father won't let me. I'm TRAPPED here."
"Poor little victim." Damien's voice was mocking. "Is that the narrative? You're the innocent prisoner and we're the villains?"
"If the shoe fits."
"You kissed Elijah."
The words hit like a slap.
Katherine's mouth opened. Closed.
Elijah went very still.
Sebastian's eyes moved between them. Interested.
"Did you think I didn't know?" Damien's smile was cold. "I know everything that happens in this house. You were in his room. Door closed. Fifteen minutes before you ran out looking like you'd seen a ghost." He leaned forward. "So tell me, Katherine. Is that what innocent prisoners do? Sneak into their captors' bedrooms at night?"
Her face was burning. Shame and rage fighting for dominance.
"That's none of your business."
"Everything in this house is my business."
"Damien." Elijah's voice was harder now. "Drop it."
"Why? Protecting her? That's new." Damien turned to his brother. "What happened in that room, Elijah? Did you f**k our new stepsister? Is that why she's been avoiding you?"
"Nothing happened."
"Liar."
"Nothing HAPPENED." Elijah stood up. Chair scraping against the floor. "We kissed. That's it. She left. End of story."
Damien's eyebrows rose. "She left? Mid-kiss?"
"Before it went further. Yes."
"Interesting." Damien looked at Katherine again. That cold, assessing gaze. "What made you stop?"
She didn't answer.
"Katherine. What made you stop?"
"You want to know?" Her voice came out steadier than she expected. "He called me little sister. Right when—" She stopped. Swallowed. "Right at the wrong moment. And I remembered what I was doing. Who I was doing it with."
Silence.
"So you do have some self-control."
"f**k you."
"Language."
"f**k. YOU."
She was on her feet now. Didn't remember standing.
"I don't have to explain myself to you. I don't have to justify anything. You're not my father. You're not my brother. You're just some rich asshole who gets off on making people feel small."
Damien stood. Slowly. Deliberately.
He was taller than her. Broader. He moved around the table with that predatory grace she'd noticed the first day.
She held her ground.
He stopped inches from her. Looking down. Eyes dark.
“You don’t want to find out how I actually make people feel small”
She didn't know what to say. Didn't know what was happening.
"Damien." Sebastian's voice cut through. "You're crowding her."
Damien blinked, stepping back. The moment broke.
"Finish your dinner," he said,Back to controlled. "We have an early morning tomorrow."
"I'm going to my room."
"Katherine—"
"Goodnight, Elijah."
She walked out.
- Writer
