Chapter 5

Adelle POV

The gifts, carefully chosen and wrapped, felt heavy in my hands as I walked into the sprawling Moon family estate. Daisy, still a little pale from her fever, clung to my side, a tiny porcelain doll in a pristine white dress. I tried to introduce her to my parents, my brothers, but their eyes barely lingered on her. My mother offered a perfunctory peck on the cheek, her gaze already drifting.

"Adelle. You' re here." Her tone was cool, distant, as if I were an unexpected guest rather than her daughter.

I felt a familiar ache of awkwardness, a sensation I' d grown up with in this house. Always striving, always falling short.

Just then, the grand double doors swung open again. Carter strode in, his arm draped around Fernanda, who, in turn, held the hand of her daughter. Fernanda' s voice, a sweet, cultivated chime, filled the hall. "Darling, what a lovely surprise!"

A genuine smile, that rare, dazzling smile I had longed for, bloomed on Carter' s face as he looked at Fernanda. It was a stark contrast to the cold mask he wore for me. He nodded to my father, a respectful inclination of his head. "Mr. Moon."

My family, previously so restrained with me, erupted in enthusiastic greetings. My mother rushed forward, embracing Fernanda warmly. "Fernanda, dear! So glad you could make it." My brothers clapped Carter on the back, their laughter boisterous.

Then, they turned their attention to Fernanda' s child. "And look at this little angel! So charming, so well-behaved!" My mother cooed, producing a beautifully wrapped doll from behind her back. My brothers ruffled the child' s hair, showering her with compliments and gifts.

Fernanda' s child, basking in the sudden adoration, beamed, her face alight with triumph. She was the center of attention, the adored princess.

Daisy, beside me, squeezed my hand tighter, her small face etched with confusion, then hurt. Her eyes, usually so bright, dulled. She was scared. I could feel her trembling. She instinctively hid behind my legs, peeking out nervously at the commotion.

My heart shattered all over again. They were doing it again. My own family, choosing an outsider, a usurper, over their own blood. The pain was a raw wound, but beneath it, a cold fire began to ignite.

"It' s okay, sweetie," I whispered, stroking Daisy' s hair. "Let' s go." I turned to leave, the gifts still heavy, now burdensome, in my hands.

"Adelle!" My mother' s voice stopped me. She finally noticed me, really noticed me, a flicker of something in her eyes, quickly gone. "You' re here. Good." Her tone was still distant, a faint disapproval.

My brother, Marcus, stepped forward, a sneer on his face. "Honestly, Adelle, can' t you teach Daisy some manners? Look at Fernanda' s child, so poised. Not like some wild animal." He then turned to Fernanda' s child, his voice sickeningly sweet. "You' re such a good girl, aren' t you, sweetie? Unlike some others."

Fernanda' s child preened, her chin lifting slightly. Fernanda smiled, a saccharine sweetness that made my teeth ache. Carter, beside her, looked utterly relaxed, a king in his own court, completely at ease in the bosom of my family. The room was a cacophony of cheerful chatter and laughter, all centered around them, while Daisy and I stood isolated, a forgotten tableau.

"Mommy, can we go home?" Daisy' s small voice pierced the festive din. Her lower lip trembled. "They don' t like me."

My breath hitched. My little girl. She understood. The crushing weight of her innocent pain was unbearable. My heart, already bruised and battered, splintered into a thousand more pieces. I couldn't stay a second longer.

"We' re leaving," I announced, my voice flat, devoid of emotion.

"Adelle, wait." My father' s voice, a deep boom that commanded attention, cut through the air. He cleared his throat, his gaze sweeping over the room, landing on me. "We need to have a family meeting. There are... matters of the future to discuss. Family interests."

A cold dread seeped into my bones. Family interests. That was always their code for whatever move would benefit the Moon dynasty, regardless of who it hurt. I glanced at Carter. He wouldn' t meet my eyes. In that averted glance, I knew. This "family meeting" wasn' t about reconnection; it was about me, and they had already decided my fate.