The table went quiet for a moment, the weight of Selena's words sinking in like a stone dropped in still water.
Then my dad broke the silence.
"Is it… true? You're pregnant?" he stammered, clearly not yet processing it.
I sighed, disappointment weighing on me — not for my pregnancy, but for my sister.
"Yes, I am," I said quietly. "I wanted to tell you myself… later, at home. But Selena decided to help me do the honors, which I don't appreciate."
My eyes stayed down, shame rising even though I hadn't done anything wrong. I felt like a child being scolded.
"Did you know about this?" he asked my mom, turning sharply.
She shook her head. "No. I didn't."
Thank God. At least she wouldn't be dragged into this.
"Who is the father?" he asked, turning back to me.
"Dad…" I began, my voice low. I subtly gestured toward Killian, who was now calmly eating again like nothing had happened.
"Okay. Later," my dad said quickly. "We'll talk later. I'll trust you to tell me."
I nodded, letting out a soft breath of relief.
Then I stood up and walked toward my sister. She sat stiffly, her eyes following me in unease. I placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze.
"A word," I said, then turned and walked toward the hallway. I didn't need to check if she was coming — the sound of her chair scraping back against the floor a moment later told me enough.
She followed me silently all the way to my room. I kept my composure until the door clicked shut behind us.
"Ser—"
Smack.
The sound of my palm meeting her cheek cracked through the room.
"How dareyou?" I hissed through clenched teeth. "How could you?"
Pain clung to my voice like a second skin — pain at her betrayal.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, her hand on her cheek, head lowered.
"You're sorry?" I laughed bitterly — short, sharp, unhinged. "You think this is a joke?"
"Yes. I thought I was doing you a favor," she mumbled, and in that moment, I finally saw what Killian had been talking about. Maybe she was crazy.
"A favor?" I repeated, my voice rising. "You'reso fucking selfish!"
My hand rose again, blinded by the fury boiling in me, but she caught it this time and shoved me back. I stumbled but caught myself.
"Na na na. Hold it there, Serena," she snapped, walking toward me. "I let you hit me once — don't think it's going to happen again."
Her tone made me pause. Then her words hit.
"You think I didn't see the way you were looking at Killian?" she accused.
What?
"What are you talking about?" I snapped, my chest tightening.
"He's starting to get suspicious — and it's all your fault!" she whisper-yelled. "I only said what I said at the table because I wanted him off our backs! If he thinks you're pregnant with someone else's baby, he'll stop watching us!"
I froze, my heartbeat quickening. That… actually made sense.
She didn't know he'd already asked me about the baby. Thank God I'd made up that story about a one-night stand — a man that didn't exist.
I sighed and stepped closer, my voice quieter now. "You should've told me before making that kind of decision on your own."
I stopped in front of her, our breathing uneven.
"He already asked me about the baby. And who the father is. I told him… it was some guy I met at a bar. A drunken night. One thing led to another…"
She blinked, relief flooding her face.
"Oh God. I'm so sorry, Ser," she said — like a completely different person from the one yelling at me a few minutes ago. "I just… I panicked. I didn't think. I opened my mouth before I could stop it. I'm so, so sorry." She apologized again.
We stood there in silence, the sting of the fight slowly fading, replaced with something softer. Understanding. Or maybe just exhaustion.
"I'm not saying it's okay," I muttered, rubbing my face. "But… let's just get through today."
"I get it," Selena said. "Really. I didn't mean to blow things up. I just panicked."
I nodded. "Let's go back."
We turned and headed for the door. I didn't look at her — just kept my eyes ahead, still trying to calm my breathing. My hand trembled a little as it reached for the handle, but I steadied it.
We stepped into the hallway side by side.
We walked silently, our pace even, like two people stitched together by a long thread of shared history and secret tension. I exhaled quietly, trying to push the guilt away. Maybe she really was just trying to protect me in her own messy way.
I didn't say anything else. I just kept walking.
Omniscient POV
But what Serena didn't see, what she couldn't see, was the shift behind her.
Selena's eyes followed her sister's back, her features unreadable at first.
And then it happened.
A flicker. A change.
Her expression slid into something entirely different — something cold beneath the surface, something polished. The soft guilt she'd worn moments ago dissolved like smoke, replaced by something sharp.
A smile tugged at her lips — slow and deliberate. The kind of smile that didn't belong to a sister making amends, but to a woman playing a much bigger game.
A manipulator's smile.
A winner's smile.
She had pushed just enough. Gave just enough. And now, she had Serena back where she needed her — softened, off-guard, walking ahead with her heart slightly open again.
It wasn't about the slap. Or the apology. Or even the secret.
It was about control. And she had it now.
The hallway light caught her cheekbone as she tucked her hair behind her ear, smoothed out her blouse, and slipped her face back into its well-rehearsed neutrality.
By the time Serena glanced back, the smile had vanished.
Selena met her sister's eyes with calm, reassuring grace.
Just two sisters, returning to dinner.
But only one of them knew the game wasn't over.