June stared at Chris’s name on her phone, her thumb hovering over the call button.
She had ignored three of his calls.
Five of her mother’s.
And two from Ellie, the one person who would probably scold her before asking whether she was still alive.
A guilty sigh escaped her.
She had been so busy trying to settle into her new life that she had forgotten the people who had been worried about her.
Her gaze drifted towards the emerald bracelet resting on the bed.
Perhaps Chris hadn’t forgotten her after all.
Perhaps she was the one who had been too busy hurting to notice that her family was still reaching for her.
She pressed the call button.
He answered before the first ring finished.
"Well, look who finally remembered she has a brother." His voice was as jovial as ever.
For some reason, June instantly felt more relaxed. Twisting the bracelet in her hand, she responded, "I got your gifts, darling brother."
She hesitated before adding, "And Mother’s. Thank you."
"Did you like them?" he asked curiously, as if afraid June would throw away whatever he had sent.
"Of course, I love them. They’re beautiful and will match the dress you bought for me perfectly. Thank you."
She could imagine Chris waving his hand dismissively.
"You don’t need to thank me. You deserve it. In fact, you deserve so much more, and I’m sorry that’s all I could give you at the moment."
There was a hint of pain in his voice, and June thought it was the perfect time to ask the question she had been holding back.
"Why didn’t you bring the gifts yourself?"
"What?" Chris asked. He hadn’t expected the question.
"You know I’m living just a building away from you. Why didn’t you bring them yourself?"
Silence followed.
June could hear him breathing.
"I’m sorry, but Mother suggested we stay away for now."
June stopped twirling the bracelet. She stared at it.
If she didn’t remember how Serena had treated her at the hospital, she might have thought her mother didn’t care about her.
But then again, the bracelet she was holding was evidence of Serena’s love.
"I know you must be angry with us and think we’re ignoring you. But the mansion has been under serious surveillance these past few days. We don’t know much yet, but it seems someone is watching the house."
All the anger June had felt faded away. Every part of her attention was now focused on Chris’s words.
"What? Why?"
With guards always stationed at the entrance, how could someone be watching the mansion? ℯℯ𝑙.
Or...
She remembered how she often stared at the mansion from her window.
Could Chris mean her?
But Chris continued before she could dwell on the thought.
"Recently, Amie came home claiming that a strange man had been stalking her."
June blinked. She had started twirling the bracelet again.
She didn’t feel sorry for Amie for being stalked.
"Are you sure she wasn’t lying?"
"I have no idea. But Gerald didn’t go with her, and she seemed very flustered. It’s evidence that our enemies aren’t planning to lie low."
June wondered whether she would have been the one getting stalked if she hadn’t moved into Rauf’s house.
For a moment, she felt relieved that Amie was taking her place.
"And Mother?" she asked.
"She’s getting better. But none of the staff Amie usually interacts with knows that Mother can see now. Mother is still pretending to dote on Amie, and she insists that I do the same."
June heard a sound, as though Chris had snorted.
"But even though it’s all an act, it’s proving very difficult for me."
Chris had no idea how much that little revelation relaxed June.
Even though Amie was pretending to be her, she wasn’t genuinely loved by everyone in the mansion.
June instantly forgave Chris for his earlier absence.
Chris continued, "Mother wants you to have that heirloom. It’s been passed down from one generation of the Vassari family to another. She said that even though she’s presenting someone else as her daughter, knowing that the heirloom is in your hands would put her mind at ease."
Once again, June stopped twirling the bracelet. She stared at it as though it were the most precious thing in the world.
"But if I wear the heirloom to the party, won’t the Monterrios recognise me because of it?"
Chris chuckled on the other end of the call.
"I know what you mean, but rest assured, nothing will happen. The heirloom is known only to the family. You’re safe."
June could practically feel Chris’s excitement through the phone as he continued speaking.
She could tell he wouldn’t be happy if she told him she wasn’t going to attend the ceremony.
So, she kept quiet.
Her feelings were conflicted. She wanted to make the people who mattered to her happy, but she couldn’t bear the thought of seeing the triumph in Amie’s eyes.
When June didn’t respond, Chris continued, "Promise me you’re going to come."
June frowned, looking over her shoulder.
It was as if he could see her expression and read her mind.
But the window was locked.
In the few days Chris had spent with her, he seemed to have come to understand her better than she had expected.
He must have been paying more attention to her than she realised.
"And before I hang up, I forgot to tell you that I also invited Ellie." His voice softened as he mentioned her name.
Ellie.
June’s heart raced, refusing to calm down.
The last time she had seen Ellie was during their little outing.
She had no idea Chris had kept in touch with her, and instantly, her heart began racing for a different reason.
"Ellie? What’s going on between you two?"
She heard Chris clear his throat.
"There’s nothing going on between us."
But he said it so quickly that June doubted his claim.
Now, she was curious to see them both for an entirely different reason.
As if Chris hadn’t given her enough reasons to attend, he added, "I also told her to come with her grandmother. Everyone you care about will be there, June."