Chapter 133

Not once in the past would Kaia have even considered offering Verena an apology just because Alec asked her to.

Times had changed, though; now she would have gone to Verena on her own, with or without her father's request.

Relying on Alec for support, Kaia rose to her feet, wiped away her tears, and managed a shaky nod. "Dad, I know how much damage l've done. The guilt is all mine. Whether Verena forgives me or not, I'll go to her and apologize from the heart. I promise."

A new maturity caught Alec's eye as he studied Kaia-her time away had changed her, and relief flooded him.

His hand landed gently on her shoulder. "You shouldn't be standing out here. Go on in and change. Luka will be home soon, and we'll finally share a meal as a family."

Inside the house, Kaia climbed the stairs to change. Luka's arrival in the living room happened just as she came back down.

The school event had just ended for Luka when a call from Kylee let him know Kaia had come home, so he'd rushed out, grabbed a taxi, and hurried back.

Pure happiness lit up his face when he spotted his sister. "You're home, Kaia! I've missed you."

A quick hug passed between them. Luka pulled back, frowning in confusion. "Kaia, I tried calling your friends, but nobody had any idea where you were. What happened?"

Hesitation crept in before Kaia answered, repeating the same story she had told their parents earlier.

Luka listened, concern written across his face, while Laura's eyes glistened with fresh tears.

Picking up on the heaviness in the room, Alec lowered his newspaper and tried to bring comfort. "What matters is that Kaia's safe. Let's have dinner."

Later, Kaia retreated to her bedroom for a shower.

The moment she was alone, she retrieved her hidden phone and typed out a quick message to Katelyn."Everything went as planned. I'll talk to Verena tomorrow."

Katelyn's reply arrived almost instantly. "Nice job."

A smile played on Kaia's lips at the praise.

The following day, while Verena was in the middle of her workout in the home gym, Rhonda came by to let her know that Kaia had come to visit her.

Verena arched her brow in surprise. "Kaia? I thought Luka mentioned she'd gone missing?"

A quick tap switched off the treadmill, and Verena accepted the towel Rhonda handed her, dabbing at the sweat on her neck.

Instructions came without hesitation. "Let her know l'm occupied. She'll have to wait."

Rhonda offered a respectful nod and made her way out of the gym.

Downstairs, she approached Kaia, who lounged on the sofa. "Mrs. Bennett is busy at the moment, Miss Willis. She'll see you shortly."

Waiting didn't rattle Kaia in the least; she had expected to be put off. Instead, she smiled with easy politeness. "That's perfectly fine. I'll just wait here."

Eventually, Verena wrapped up her workout, enjoyed a long, unhurried shower, and at last strolled into the living room, arms folded, voice breezy. "Hope you weren't too bored waiting."

As Verena drew near, Kaia bounced up and slipped her arm through Verena's, her voice sugar-sweet and eyes bright. "Come on, Verena, I'm your little sister! Waiting for you is never a bother. Don't be so formal with me."

That syrupy tone made Verena inwardly cringe. She studied Kaia for a beat before quietly pulling away. "Let's not drag this out. Why did you come?"

Kaia either didn't notice the chill or pretended not to. With a cheerful flourish, she started opening up the neatly stacked gift boxes on the table. "Take a look at these, Verena. See anything you like?"

First, she displayed a khaki coat, holding it up for inspection. "I always see you in lighter colors. This one should suit you, don't you think?"

Switching gears, she set down the coat and picked up a sleek black knit sweater. "This would be perfect for spring-stylish and cozy. With your gorgeous features and that figure, you'll pull it off so elegantly."

A playful energy lit up Kaia's face as she introduced each item, her smile the picture of innocent enthusiasm -a bubbly, girl-next-door vibe that would've fooled almost anyone.

Anyone unfamiliar with Kaia's true self might have believed the act.

Hidden motives, Verena reminded herself, often wore the mask of kindness.

Never for a second did she think Kaia had come just to deliver presents.

Anyone who knew the old Kaia would have expected a dramatic outburst by now after the long wait.

Watching her act sweet and gentle felt completely out of character.

A sharp,unimpressed glance from Verena cut through the air. "Kaia, let's not pretend. I don't have time for your little charades. We're hardly close."

A flicker of hurt froze Kaia's smile before she forced a strained grin. "You've made it clear you don't like me,Verena, but I still need to say this."

Tears threatened as she bit her lip, meeting Verena's gaze. "I owe you an apology for everything. I'm sorry."

Mockery crept into Verena's voice, a soft chuckle escaping her. "Did you really just apologize? You, of all people?"

A small, nervous nod followed as Kaia twisted her hands together. "I mean every word. I've had time to think about all the ways I wronged you. We're sisters. Blood should matter most, but I kept hurting you. Sometimes I just want to slap myself for it..."

With an indifferent shrug, Verena raised her eyebrows. "Well, nothing's stopping you. If that's what you want,go ahead."

Confusion flickered across Kaia's face. "What are you saying?"

An almost teasing glint lit Verena's eyes. "You said you want to slap yourself. So do it. I'm not holding you back."

Those words cut deep, and Kaia's confidence wavered as Verena's gaze bored into her.

No matter how humble she tried to seem, Verena offered nothing but cold indifference-even now, after Kaia dragged herself here to apologize.

Swallowing her pride felt unbearable, and if not for Evelyn's plan, she would have never tolerated such humiliation.

Beneath her calm, resentment simmered, but Kaia kept her composure.

She understood she couldn't afford to disappoint Evelyn, especially when this was their one opportunity to bring Verena down.

When it came to their bigger plar, letting go of her pride felt like a price she was willing to pay.

Wiping away tears, Kaia managed a trembling nod. "If that's what it takes for you to forgive me, Verena, I'll keep going until you believe me."

A sharp slap echoed as she brought her hand down across her cheek.

She didn't stop there.

Another resounding smack left her skin bright red, the sound harsh in the silent room, each blow sending new tears down her face.

No reaction came from Verena, who simply stood by, arms folded and gaze steady, refusing to give in to Kaia's display. Crying rarely moved Verena, especially not when she suspected the motives behind the person who tried to harm her.

Still, she couldn't help but wonder what Kaia's endgame was.

Change didn't happen overnight, and Verena was far from convinced that Kaia's remorse was genuine.

Her time away-who had she spoken to, and what advice had she been given?

Verena never trusted the idea of chance.With Katelyn showing up to stir trouble and Kaia suddenly shifting her behavior, she was certain the timing wasn't accidental.

If the two of them were working together, Verena wanted to uncover exactly what they were plotting.

Rather than sit back and wait for Kaia to make the first move, she chose to keep watch and see what kind of tricks Kaia might pull.

It also gave her a way to test if Kaia had truly matured.

Verena said, "That's enough. Stop right there."

Kaia froze at her words, her eyes darting toward Verena with unease.

Verena gave her a gentle smile. "You're right. We're sistes, and family ties will always matter most. You've apologized, and as your sister, I'd be wrong not to forgive you."