Chapter 3 I'll Give You a Kiss
1407 Words
Clark immediately snapped his gaze away from Kate's painting, his expression shifting to concern. "You're hurt and still trying to tough it out? Get that wound bandaged right now!"
He rushed off with Fiona in tow, with Samuel right behind them.
Fiona smirked while sneaking a glance at Kate, her heart swelling with triumph.
Fiona muttered in her mind, 'See? No matter how much attention you get from Grandpa, the uncles are still on my side. I'm the one who earns their favor!'
But Kate didn't even spare Fiona a glance.
Christopher, in his usual commanding tone, asked Kate to stay by his side and meet the various prominent figures at the party.
Kate was polite and composed, and she effortlessly won people over with her grace.
When the event finally ended, Christopher called Clark, Samuel, Fiona, and Kate to his study.
Christopher's serious expression had everyone on edge.
"Fiona," he said, his voice icy but firm, "I don't care how things went down today, but whatever resources I've given to Kate are hers. You are not to take anything that belongs to her. If you do, the Bennett family won't be there to help you anymore!"
Fiona bit her lip, but before she could say a word, Clark chimed in, "Dad, how can you be so biased? Kate and Fiona are both your granddaughters!"
Samuel, equally displeased, added in a venomous tone, "Exactly! Fiona works so hard, and Kate's nothing but a loser. Why can Kate get more opportunities than Fiona? Who wouldn't be upset by that?"
Fiona stayed silent, her face a picture of hurt, though she was seething inside. 'That old guy is so biased. But at least two uncles are speaking up for me.'
Christopher's face turned gloomy as he shouted, "Who did you just call a loser?"
Samuel sneered. "I'm just telling the truth. Kate's got no skills; she can't even compare to Fiona! I've been her agent for years, and I can see Fiona's got a real talent for acting. If we support her, she'll make the Bennett family proud one day!"
Fiona smirked inwardly and thought, 'That's exactly what I want to hear.'
Suddenly, the cane came down hard on Samuel's back, making him wince in pain.
"Dad!" he cried out, his voice cracking.
"Say one more word against Kate, and I'll kill you!" Christopher barked.
"I..." Samuel opened his mouth but was immediately struck again.
He gritted his teeth and wisely stayed quiet.
Clark couldn't stand it anymore and interrupted, "Dad, Samuel's right. Fiona's so smart and hardworking. She deserves the best— Ouch!"
Clark too was hit by the cane, and he was shuddering from the pain.
"Anyone else got something to say?" Christopher's voice was low and dangerous as he glared at everyone.
Fiona was so terrified that she shrank back, afraid Christopher might turn on her next. She didn't dare open her mouth, her face drained of color.
Christopher's disappointment was palpable.
He complained in her mind, 'The two idiots... They took the hits for Fiona, and she can't even speak up for them. This is their so-called "perfect" niece? I can't believe they are so foolish!'
Kate, who'd been quietly observing the chaos, walked over to Christopher and gently massaged his shoulders. "Grandpa, calm down. You need to watch your health."
Christopher's expression softened instantly, and he replied, "Okay, my sweet. You and Fiona should go to bed. I've got a few words to discuss with your uncles."
Kate nodded and made her exit.
Once returning to her room, Fiona immediately picked up the phone and made a call.
"Oh, David...!" She sobbed into the phone.
"Hey, what's wrong?" David's voice was gentle, tinged with concern.
"David, I didn't get the endorsement deal. I won't be able to shoot the ad with you."
"Don't worry, sweetheart. Leave this to me," David reassured her with a hint of relief in his tone. "The only person I want to work with on this project is you."
Fiona's face lit up as she wiped away her tears, her eyes now glinting with a mix of smug satisfaction and cold fury. "You're the best, David."
In the study, Christopher, clearly exhausted, tossed his cane aside.
"I'm old enough. I can't stay with you for too long. You need to think about whether you've really done anything wrong," Christopher said in a gravelly voice.
Clark spoke up, "Dad, I get that you're biased towards Kate because she's your real granddaughter. I understand that. But Fiona's been through so much, and she doesn't have any family around. We're all she's got. What you're doing right now is just hurting her feelings!"
Christopher shot him a sharp look and retorted, "Oh, you've done so much for her, huh? Has she ever stood up for you?"
Clark frowned and replied, "She's still immature. What do you expect her to do?"
Samuel fell silent, but he couldn't help but begin to think about Christopher's words.
Meanwhile, in her bedroom, Kate was standing in front of the mirror to carefully study her face.
The old Kate used to hide behind heavy bangs to cover up her features. But now, she couldn't stand it anymore. Holding a pair of scissors, she skillfully thinned out the bangs, revealing her delicate eyebrows and eyes. Once she washed off the poorly applied makeup, her flawless face was exposed. Kate was surprised at how stunning she looked.
Staring at her reflection, Kate thought, 'It's such a pretty face. What a waste to have it hidden all this time.'
Just as she was admiring herself, her phone rang.
The caller ID read: Dream Boy.
The old Kate used to like David, the man her family hoped to secure an engagement deal with.
But David never gave Kate the time of day. He was all over Fiona instead.
Kate fought to keep the endorsement deal just because David was the other spokesperson.
Kate answered the phone, and David's annoyed voice came through, dripping with impatience. "Kate, what the hell are you thinking? Why aren't you giving the endorsement to Fiona? I'm giving you one minute to tell your grandfather you'll give it to Fiona!"
"What if I don't?" Kate asked, her tone calm but laced with sarcasm.
"You can try it!" David snapped. "I don't want to work with you. It's disgusting! If you don't listen to me, don't ever expect to see me again!"
"Sounds perfect to me," Kate said with genuine amusement before hanging up.
David, left with the dial tone, couldn't believe that Kate just hung up first.
He called her again, but Kate rejected it.
He gave a second attempt, but again, Kate rejected his call.
'Damn it, Kate, you're playing hard to get now, huh?' he muttered to himself, fuming.
Kate, meanwhile, was doing skin care when she received another message.
Dream Boy: I'm outside your door. Come out, or I'm coming in.
Kate rolled her eyes, her disgust clear.
She complained inwardly, 'Dream boy? More like a nightmare!'
She changed his contact name to "Crazy Guy" and then removed her face mask.
She thought to herself, 'It's time to cut the string with that disgusting creep!'
The air on the autumn night was still cool. After sending the message, David expected Kate to rush out, but half an hour passed, and she still hadn't shown. His patience wore thin.
Finally, he saw her figure in the distance, and his anger flared.
He protested inwardly, 'She's making me wait? How absurd! If it weren't for Fiona, I would've walked off right then and there.'
"You b***h! How dare you make me wait this long!" David stormed up to her and started to yell.
"Leave now," Kate said in a cold tone while taking out her phone and aiming it at him. "If you don't, I'll post this. Rich Young Master Pesters A Woman at Night. Sounds like great gossip, don't you think?"
David's stomach dropped. Just as he was about to yell, his eyes landed on Kate, who had removed her makeup. David was dumbfounded to find that Kate was so stunning. Her soft lips made his throat dry.
He swallowed hard, trying to maintain his composure. "You just want me, don't you? Fine, I'll give you a kiss, as long as you give Fiona the endorsement."
Before Kate could react, David grabbed her by the back of the head and pulled her in for a kiss!
- Writer
