Chapter 21 The Unwanted Guest
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The jet wheels touched the runway with a smooth hum, and Deborah Valmere exhaled the exhaustion of the past week. Singapore’s skyline, Luther Cain’s unreadable stare, and that infuriating tension still clung to her like perfume she couldn’t wash off.
But she was home now. Or at least, she thought she was. The black sedan pulled into the Valmere estate, sleek and gleaming under the late-afternoon sun. Everything looked exactly as she left it, the trimmed hedges, the silver gates, the quiet promise of peace.
Until she stepped inside.
The faint sound of heels clicking against marble echoed from the living room. Deborah froze, her suitcase handle still in her grip. There, sitting casually on the velvet sofa like she owned the place, was Selene.
Her legs crossed elegantly, manicured nails glinting under the chandelier, a smug little smile curving her lips. She was dressed in a white silk dress far too pristine for someone who didn’t belong.
Deborah’s voice cut through the air. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Selene looked up lazily, twirling her hair. “Oh, you’re back early. I thought I’d have more time to redecorate.”
Deborah’s eyes narrowed. “Answer me.”
Selene’s smirk deepened. “Relax. I’m just getting comfortable. Your brother said I could stay here for a while.”
Deborah’s laugh was humorless. “Stay here? This isn’t a hotel, and you’re not welcome.”
Selene stood, her tone dripping with false sweetness. “You might want to get used to it, sweetheart. I’ll be living here now.”
The words hit like a slap. Deborah stepped closer, her voice low but sharp. “You think walking in here, flashing a fake smile, and crossing your legs makes you a family? Girl, wake up! You’re delusional.”
Selene tilted her head. “Says the girl who’s barely home enough to remember where her room is.”
“Some of us are busy running empires,” Deborah snapped. “Not running around begging for relevance.”
Selene laughed, light and poisonous. “You always act so superior. But underneath that ice queen act, you’re just scared someone’s finally replacing you especially your brothers.”
Deborah’s eyes blazed. “No one could replace me. Especially not a cheap imitation who mistakes desperation for charm.”
For a second, Selene’s perfect smile cracked. “Careful,” she said quietly. “You might make me forget to play nice.”
“Please,” Deborah sneered. “You’ve never played nice a day in your life. You just play dirty and hope someone’s too polite to call you out.”
Selene’s eyes darkened. “I’d watch that mouth if I were you.”
“I’d wash yours if I were you,” Deborah fired back smoothly. “It reeks of jealousy.”
The silence that followed was electric, two queens circling, waiting for the other to bleed first.
And then, the front door opened.
Footsteps echoed down the hall, heavy, steady, confident.
Caelum walked in, his gym bag slung over his shoulder, a towel hanging loosely around his neck. His shirt clung to him, damp from a recent workout, revealing the sculpted lines of muscle beneath. Broad shoulders, carved abs, and the kind of effortless strength that didn’t need words. His dark hair was tousled, his jawline dusted with the faintest shadow of stubble.
He froze when he saw them. “What’s going on?”
Selene’s eyes flicked toward him, and the shift in her expression was instant, from venom to interest, from predator to prey pretending to be coy.
Her gaze traveled down his chest, lingering far too long. “Oh,” she purred, smiling now. “Didn’t know we had company this handsome. Hello, Caelum.”
Deborah’s arms folded. “Eyes up, Selene. Can you imagine yourself getting married but still looking at someone else's body?”
Selene didn’t. “I’m just appreciating the view,” she said lightly, biting her lip. “You don’t see a body like that every day.”
Caelum blinked, uncomfortable. “I just came from the gym and please stop staring, you—”
Deborah cut in, her tone sharp. “And you should probably leave before she starts marking her another territory.”
Selene laughed, tilting her head. “Don’t be jealous, Debs. I can admire what you clearly don’t know how to handle.”
That did it.
Deborah’s heels clicked once against the floor as she stepped closer, her voice calm but lethal. “Selene, if you so much as breathe his name again, I’ll make sure your next address is somewhere with padded walls and no mirrors to admire yourself in.”
Selene’s smile faltered, her fake composure cracking for a split second. “Touchy,” she said, trying to sound unaffected. “Maybe I hit a nerve.”
Deborah’s gaze was cold fire. “You didn’t hit a nerve. You hit my patience, and trust me, that’s far deadlier.”
Caelum cleared his throat, clearly aware he’d walked into a battlefield. “Girls, stop it... you're making a war again. If you'll excuse me I’ll just… go take a shower.”
He moved past them, muscles flexing as he did. Deborah stayed perfectly still, but her eyes flicked toward Selene, who was now watching him leave with unmistakable hunger in her gaze.
It was shameless.
When Caelum disappeared down the hall, Deborah leaned closer, her voice barely above a whisper.
“You can try to play the sweet intruder, Selene,” she said, eyes gleaming. “But remember, this is our house, our people, and our territory. You may sit pretty on that couch, but you’ll never belong here. Never.”
Selene smiled faintly, but her jaw was tight. “We’ll see.”
Deborah smirked, turning away. “We will. But when you lose, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
As she walked upstairs, her heels echoed through the halls, steady, confident, victorious. Selene sat back down on the sofa, nails tapping against the glass table. Her reflection stared back, still flawless, still composed, but her eyes burned with quiet rage.
“This isn’t over, deborah,” she whispered.
And somewhere upstairs, Deborah smiled without even hearing it. Because she knew, selene has plans.