Chapter 41 Stop Pretending
Rebecca stiffened instantly, the touch felt wrong, Too familiar, Too fake.
She forced herself to return the hug lightly, her body tense as Vanessa pulled back, holding her shoulders and looking into her face with exaggerated concern.
"You look tired," Vanessa said softly. "Are you eating well? I’ve been so worried about you." She added in her fake worried tone.
Rebecca swallowed her irritation. The audacity. She thought in suppressed anger. Just this morning, Vanessa had been spying on her, cloning her phone, digging into her life, and now she was standing here pretending to be the caring sister.
"I’m okay," Rebecca replied evenly. "I’ve been resting."
Vanessa smiled sweetly before she turned to Derek. "You must be taking good care of my sister," she said, her tone warm, her eyes lingering a little too long on him, as she took him in.
Derek nodded politely. "Of course."
Rebecca noticed it immediately, the way Vanessa’s gaze lingered, the slight tilt of her head, the softness in her voice. Vanessa hadn’t come here for Rebecca. That much was clear.
She had come for another thing. And then it hit her. She’s here for Derek.
The realization made Rebecca’s fingers curl slightly at her sides. Was she that desperate that she wants to have everyone I'm connected with? Rebecca thought with disgust as she watched Vanessa warm her way up to Derek.
But before she could process it fully, she noticed something else, something even more disturbing.
Vanessa wasn't truly interested in Derek, she was interested in someone bigger, someone with more power and influence than Derek.
Her Father-in-law, she had taken her earlier position beside him.
She laughed at his jokes, touched his arm lightly when she spoke, leaned closer as if hanging onto every word he said. Her admiration was obvious, almost calculated.
Rebecca’s chest tightened. No… she thought. She wouldn’t.
But Vanessa would. Rebecca knew her too well. Vanessa wasn’t just ambitious, she was ruthless,
If she couldn’t get to Derek directly, she would take another route. A bigger one. She wants access. Rebecca realized coldly as she took in the scene. And Vanessa wasn't someone to care about how she gets it.
"I’ve always admired how close this family is," Vanessa said at one point. "It’s so rare these days."
Edwards nodded approvingly. "Family is everything."
"And Rebecca has always been such a strong woman," Vanessa continued as she turned to look at her with a sick smile. "She’s been through so much, yet she’s still standing."
Rebecca clenched her jaw, forcing a smile. Derek glanced at her. Something in her expression, too tight, too controlled made him pause. He began to notice the small things: the way Rebecca avoided Vanessa’s eyes, how her responses were short, how she sat stiffly instead of relaxed, this was her sister so why wasn't she happy, he thought.
Edwards clapped his hands lightly.
“Since you're here already, how about we all sit down for lunch? It's almost lunch time,” the old man suggested cheerfully. "It’s been too long since we had a proper family lunch and Vanessa is here."
Rebecca hesitated. The last thing she wanted was to spend more time around Vanessa. But refusing would raise questions, and she couldn’t afford that.
"That sounds nice," Vanessa said quickly, smiling before turning to look at Rebecca."I’d love that and I'm sure my sister will also,"
Rebecca nodded after a moment. "Sure."
Derek quickly went to inform the chef and in no time, Lunch was served.
Throughout lunch, Vanessa kept talking, about business, about family, about how much she cared for Rebecca. She asked questions, offered opinions, laughed softly at Edwards’ jokes.
Rebecca’s irritation simmered beneath the surface.
Vanessa leaned toward her at one point. "You’ve lost weight," she said with feigned concern. "You should really take better care of yourself."
Rebecca’s grip tightened around her fork and she just wished she could do something to get the lying snake out of her house.
Derek watched quietly and decided that he was going to try to get to the roof of whatever it was making both sisters hostile.
Although he knew he could ask Rebecca directly, he honestly didn't want to. He didn't want her to get uncomfortable or have to lie. So rather, he'd do his own investigation and get to the root of it.
In the middle of lunch, Rebecca started to feel suffocated and wanted leave. Knowing that she couldn't leave there since they weren't done with their lunch and seeing Vanessa's face made her irritated, she decided to go to the rest room.
“Are you okay? You look pale,” Derek said before Rebecca could utter a word.
“Yeah, I'm fine. I just need to use the rest room,” Rebecca said, looking really pale now.
“Alright, you should go now,” Derek said, offering her a smile she did not even notice.
As he watched Rebecca go, a tight knot formed in his mind and he stood up. “I think I should check on her,” he said, concern evident in his eyes.
“In a ladies' room? I think I'll do that,” Vanessa said already standing up, sending a smile Derek considered awkward.
Vanessa caught up to Rebecca just as she reached the restroom corridor. The door swung shut behind them, muting the noise of the dining room, leaving only the low hum of the lights and the quiet echo of their footsteps.
Vanessa’s expression shifted instantly into concern. “Rebecca,” she said softly, rushing closer. “You scared me back there. You shouldn’t be stressing yourself in your condition.”
Rebecca stopped in front of the sink. She placed both palms on the marble counter and stared at her reflection. Her face really was pale now, her eyes tired. She was tired of pretending, tired of swallowing everything.
Vanessa stepped closer, reaching out. “Let me help you—”
“Stop.”
The word came out sharp, slicing through the air. Vanessa froze, her hand hovering mid-air.
“What?” she asked lightly, though her eyes flickered.
Rebecca straightened slowly and turned to face her. The mask she’d been wearing all afternoon finally cracked.
“Stop pretending,” Rebecca said, her voice low but trembling with restrained anger. “I’m exhausted. And I don’t have the energy for your fake concern.”
Vanessa blinked, then laughed softly. “I don’t know what you mean. I’m just worried about my sister.”
Rebecca’s lips curved into a humorless smile. “You really have no shame, do you?”
Vanessa’s heart skipped, just for a second. She hid it well, crossing her arms casually. “Rebecca, you’re not making sense. If I’ve done something to upset you, you can tell me.”
“Oh, I’m telling you now,” Rebecca snapped. “I know what you did.”
The room seemed to tighten around them. Vanessa tilted her head, playing innocent. “Did what?”
Rebecca took a step closer, her eyes burning. “You think I’m stupid? You think I didn’t find out?” Her voice shook now, years of betrayal spilling through. “You and Liam.”
Vanessa’s breath hitched despite herself. “Liam and I? What about him? What about us?” she asked quickly, but the softness was gone from her eyes.
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