Chapter 484 484

Chapter 484 484
Kiera went rigid, her whole body tense. Blake's words had knocked every thought out of her mind. He didn't let up, his voice firm but not unkind.
"Look, even if we take everything else out of it, Elena is your Grandmaster. There's nothing embarrassing about showing her respect and serving her tea. Why can't you just accept what's actually happening?"
Kiera didn't reply. She stared at the floor, her lips pressed tight. Blake let out a long, tired sigh.
"Mom and Dad are really worried about you. That's why they asked me to come check on you. But seeing you like this... How are any of us supposed to feel okay?"
Kiera hadn't always been like this. She used to be bright, easy going, open. But after Elena came home, it was like she'd turned into someone else. Or maybe, Blake thought, maybe none of them had ever really understood who Kiera was.
She gave a little smirk, her voice laced with sarcasm. "You're worried about me?"
Blake frowned, his tone sharp. “Of course we're worried. Why wouldn't we be? If I wasn't, do you think I'd even be here right now?”
"You're just afraid I'll blame Elena for everything."
“Kiera." Blake's voice was serious, almost pleading. "I've told you this so many times. You are who you are. You don't have to compare yourself to anyone. Elena has her strengths, sure, but so do you. Why are you so hung up on competing with her?"
Kiera felt her heart twist, sadness welling up inside her. "But you're the ones who started treating us differently. Now you tell me not to compare myself to her? How does that make sense?"
Blake didn't know how to answer. Kiera seemed weighed down by thoughts he couldn't see through.
They'd come this far, and she was done holding back. She was tired. So tired. Ever since Elena came back, she felt like she was suffocating, like there was no air left for her in this house.
"I was happy when Elena came home. I really was. But Mom, Dad, Garrett, and you... you all favor her. I'm just the adopted daughter you forgot about."
She swallowed hard, fresh tears slipping down her cheeks. "If you don't want me here anymore, just say so. I'll go. I really will...”
Kiera's voice cracked. She didn't want to leave the Holmes family. She couldn't even imagine it.
Blake was stunned. He hadn't realized just how much she'd been holding in. He spoke softly now, hoping to reach her.
"Why do you think that? Haven't we always treated you well?"
Kiera lifted her head, tears in her eyes. "You have. But you treat Elena better. Way better."
Blake was caught off guard. Did she really see it that way?
Kiera started listing everything that had been bothering her. She talked about how, when Elena first moved back, Rosie and Julian threw that big welcome party. & She talked about all the custom clothes they'd ordered for Elena, and how Elena got the room that Blake and Arthur had picked out for themselves. Garrett had given Elena fifty million, but only gave Kiera twenty million. Blake's gifts to Elena were three times more expensive than anything he'd gotten for Kiera, and he'd secretly given Elena a bank card loaded with one point eight billion. There were even all the LYLX stores across the country, which now belonged to Elena.
Her complaints just kept coming, one after another.
Blake was honestly relieved he'd come to see her. At least now he knew what she was really feeling. If she'd kept all this bottled up, it would've ended a disaster.
"Kiera, have you ever thought about everything you've had in the eighteen years you've been part of the Holmes family? You've had so much more than Elena ever did."
Kiera froze, surprised into silence.
Blake went on, his voice gentle but clear. "Ever since you were born, everyone in the family doted on you. You always had the best food, the nicest clothes, every comfort you want. Before you turned three, you had all our love and attention. You were like the little princess of the whole city. But Elena? What did she have?"
Blake's eyes softened, his expression full of sympathy. "I heard her adoptive parents didn't even want a daughter. As soon as she was born, they sent her away to the countryside to live with her grandmother Mrs. Walsh. She was sick all the time, so weak Mrs, Walsh was so afraid for her that she went to the church and prayed for her to survive, begged for a charm to keep her safe.”
Kiera's defenses crumbled a little. Guilt crept in. Compared to that, she really had been lucky.
Blake pressed on, “After you turned three, Grandpa and Mom and Dad found the best mentors for you. They pulled every string, did everything they could to give you the best chance in life."