Chapter 100 Chapter 100
Kai
I heard the door open, and they walked in one after the other.
“Morning, Tessa, we’re here.” Michelle said.
“Morning, lovebirds. We’re going house hunting,” Andrew said.
“Yes, Daliah already made the calls, so put your thoughts aside and let's go.” Shea said, and she looked at me.
“Sure, Dahlia already spoke with me; I sent her the house info. Dad is going to get your father and take him back to the family home. My uncles and aunts are still there. We’ll have dinner over there tonight.”
“Okay. Give me a few minutes. I’ll get dressed and join you guys,” she said. After she left, I looked at them.
“We saw Uncle Anthony was pissed off, and so was your mom.” Andrew said.
“I’ll handle it, I'm heading to Rhyland global.”
“Who would do it? Do you think it could be either of those four idiotic troublemakers?" Shea asked.
“I have Joe looking into it; I’ll find out by the end of the day.”
When she came back, she looked different. Her eyes were a bit red, and I knew she had cried, which was a first.
“We’ll meet you in the garage, Tessa.” Michelle said, dragging them out. After they left, i pulled her into me.
“Your eyes are red; I’ll handle it. Don't let me see your eyes red again. You have your cards; go have fun. Jax and Carlo are with you.”
“Okay.”
Tessa
Jax got in the driver's seat. Andrew got in beside him. I got in the back; Michelle and Shea got in beside me. Dahlia would meet us there.
“We saw it this morning; your father-in-law is pissed. Don’t worry, Zaiel will handle it. We don’t see you or your dad any different.” "Michelle said," patting my hands.
“Yeah, you’re our cousin-in-law; nothing will change that,” Andrew said from the front.
The SUV smelled like Shae’s aggressive vanilla perfume. I was currently sandwiched in the middle seat between Michelle and Shea, feeling like a tiny, underdressed bird in a nest of tropical parrots.
My phone vibrated, and I checked it; it was a message from him.
Zaiel: Good luck, beauty. You’re going to need it.
"Okay, so," Shea said, glancing at me. We need the tea. How did you actually tame my cousin? Because Zaiel used to be... well, let’s just say his heart was a block of dry ice and a menace."
"I didn't tame him!" I laughed, feeling my cheeks heat up. "I think I just caught him at a weak moment. Or maybe I just annoyed him until he gave up," I said, lying through my teeth. Me, he was the one that came after me. I doubt he would want his family knowing he was a deranged, murdering stalker.
"I love that for you," Michelle said, nudging my shoulder. "Persistence is key. But for real, we’re so glad he found someone who isn't a total social climber. Clarissa was a total jump scare. She tried to tell me my Prada bag was 'last season' at a funeral. A funeral, Tessa!" she said.
"That’s actually criminal," I said, and the whole car erupted in "Thank you!" and "Exactly!"
We pulled up to the first house on the list, a massive, ultra-modern glass box perched on the side of a cliff. It looked like the kind of place where you’d get a papercut just by looking at the walls.
"Ugh, no," Michelle said before the engine was even off. "It’s giving 'evil tech CEO.' Next."
"Wait, we have to at least go in!" I said, looking at the sheer scale of the place. "I’ve never even seen a house with a bridge for a driveway."
"Fine, for the plot," Shae sighed, and we all piled out.
As we walked through the massive pivot door, the silence was immediate. It was all cold stone and white walls. The realtor, a woman named Beverly who looked like she’d had her face tightened once too often, started her spiel about "minimalist flow" and "bespoke finishes."
The cousins weren't having it.
"Where does the cozy go?" Daliah asked, her voice echoing off the twenty-foot ceilings. "Like, if I want to rot in bed and eat chips, where do I do that without feeling like I’m in a gallery?"
"The master suite has a dedicated lounging terrace," Beverly said, sounding slightly offended.
"A terrace? In this wind? My hair would be a bird's nest in five seconds," Shae muttered to me, leaning in close. "Tess, babe, you cannot live here. You’re too soft for this. This house wants to eat you alive."
"I do feel like I’m in a sci-fi movie," I whispered back.
"See? She gets it," Michelle said, grabbing my arm. "Look at her eyes. She’s terrified. Let’s go. This house is a flop."
We spent the next three hours basically acting like a traveling circus. By house number three a Mediterranean villa that actually had a "meditation grotto" the ice was officially broken. We weren't just "Zaiel’s fiancé and his family" anymore; we were a squad.
We were currently standing in a kitchen that was bigger than my entire first apartment, and Shea was teaching me how to do a "proper" outfit check for TikTok using the giant pantry mirrors.
"No, Tess, you have to pop the hip more. You’re too stiff! Think about the ring, babe. Flash the rock. Let the people know Zaiel did his homework," Shea coached, holding her phone up.
"I feel so stupid," I giggled, trying to mimic her pose.
"You look iconic," Daliah corrected, leaning against the marble island. "Honestly, I was worried you’d be one of those girls who tries too hard to fit in with us. But you’re just... you. It’s refreshing. Zaiel is obsessed with you, by the way. He hasn't stopped talking about how 'grounded' you are. Which is code for 'she doesn't scream when she sees a spider.'" Andrew said.
"Oh, I still scream," I admitted. "I just make him kill it."
"Valid," Andrew said, popping an expensive-looking grape from a bowl on the counter. "So, real talk. Between us girls. If you could have anything in a house, forget the budget, forget what Zaiel wants, what’s the one 'non-negotiable'?"
I thought about it for a second. I looked around this multi-million dollar kitchen, at the gold faucets and the view of the entire city. "A library," I said softly. "Like, a real one. With those rolling ladders and floor-to-ceiling shelves. And a window seat that actually feels like a hug. I just want a place where I can disappear into a book and forget I’m living in a mansion."
The car got quiet for a second. The four cousins looked at each other, and then Shae stepped forward and hugged me.
"That’s so wholesome I actually want to cry," Shea said, dabbing at her perfectly winged eyeliner. "Okay, mission accepted. We are finding Tessa her 'Beauty and the Beast' moment. Beverly! Cancel the next two listings. They’re too modern. We need something with character. Something with... what’s that word you use that Andrew uses?” she asked.
“Gravitas?" Andrew asked
"Soul," Daliah replied, scrolling on her phone.