---- Chapter 3 Kingston Koch POV: "She hung up on me." The words felt foreign in my mouth. | stood in a gilded alcove just off the main ballroom, my phone still pressed to my ear, listening to the dead air. The thumping bass of the music seemed to mock the frantic hammering in my chest. Finn appeared at my elbow, a glass of whiskey in his hand. He took one look at my face and his expression hardened. "Don't tell me. She's not coming." "She said she was 'already home', | said, the phrase grating on my nerves. "She was with that mechanic. Jaxon." "Good for her," Finn said, taking a sip of his drink. He wasn't even trying to hide his satisfaction. "This is not 'good for her'!" | snapped, turning on him. "She's supposed to be here! Everly is about to cut the cake. The photographers are waiting. What am | supposed totell people?" "The truth?" Finn suggested mildly. "That you have a sister you've kept hidden for eight years, and tonight, on the night you were supposed to finally acknowledge her, you gave her party to someone else? I'm sure that will go over well with the ---- board." "This is not helping," | ground out, raking a hand through my hair. "You wanted my help an hour ago when you were telling me how Hope would roll over and accept this," he reminded me. "You were so damn sure of yourself. So certain she'd just take whatever crumbs you offered." A flicker of the conversation I'd had with my parents' lawyer, Mr. Henderson, flashed in my mind. He'd called me last week, his voice laced with disapproval. "Kingston, are you certain about this change of plans?" he'd asked. "Hope has been waiting a very long time for this recognition. To have it publicly given to Everly... it could be seen as a deep humiliation." "Hope is strong," I'd told him, the same lie | told Finn, the same lie | told myself. "She understands the family dynamic." "She is your father's daughter, Kingston," he'd said, his tone turning sharp. "She is the rightful heir to half of everything. Everly is... a lovely girl. But she is not a Koch by blood. Do not forget that." But | had forgotten. Or rather, | had chosen to ignore it. She's not going to throw it all away over a party." Just then, Everly appeared, a vision in shimmering rose gold. "Kingston! There you are! Everyone's asking for you. Did you see the diamond necklace Daddy Henderson sent over? He said it was originally for... well, you know. But he said | deserved it more." She preened, touching the cascade of diamonds at her throat. My stomach twisted. It was the necklace | had commissioned for Hope. A custom piece with a single, perfect star sapphire- our mother's favorite stone-at its center. It was meant to be her 'Welcome Home ' gift. "Does it look okay?" Everly asked, oblivious to the storm brewing inside me. She pouted slightly. "I feel a little guilty. Do you think Hope will be upset?" "Hope will be fine," | said automatically, the words tasting like poison. "All that matters is that you're happy." ---- "Oh, | am!" she chirped, her mood brightening instantly. "Now, come on! It's time for my speech. | want you standing right next to me when | thank everyone for celebrating me." She grabbed my hand, her fingers cold against my clammy skin. She pulled me back towards the ballroom, back towards the flashing cameras and the sea of expectant faces. As | walked, | felt like a man being led to his own execution. | plastered a smile on my face, the same polished, empty smile | used for magazine covers and shareholder meetings. From the stage, | could see the empty seat at my table, the pristine place setting a glaring accusation. | had told myself that keeping Hope at arm's length was for her own good, a way to protect her from the pressure and the spotlight. Another lie. | had kept her hidden because | was a coward. | had kept her away to protect Everly's position, to protect the perfect, uncomplicated family narrative | had so carefully constructed. Hope, with her quiet resilience and her undeniable claim to our name, threatened to tear it all down. Everly stepped up to the microphone, her voice bubbling with excitement. "l just want to thank my amazing brother, Kingston!" she trilled, beaming at me. "He always knows how to make me feel like the most special girl in the world." The crowd applauded. | smiled, the muscles in my face aching from the effort. Finn caught my eye from across the room and slowly, deliberately, shook his head. ---- In that moment, under the warm glow of the spotlights, a cold dread began to seep into my bones, far colder than the January wind outside. This wasn't a tantrum. This was something different. This was an ending. And | had no one to blame but myself. 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