FAMILY DINNER WITH A WYATT
Janis was a 25-year-old Black woman.
Although unknown and hidden for years, Janis was the kind of woman who could walk into a room and make everyone forget what they were talking about.
Average height, poised, and strikingly beautiful, she carried herself like royalty in heels—with a smile sweeter than honey but eyes sharp enough to shatter glass.
Her deep brown skin glowed like it had been personally kissed by the sun, and her figure? Let's just say, if confidence were a body type—she invented it. Perfectly tailored clothes, bold colors, and that signature "don't mess with me" stare completed her power look. For years, she had been building her new personality, and now… she was ready to act on it.
Only Sylvester knew the real Janis.
She was bossy—but magnetic.
She commanded attention without begging for it, delivered orders like compliments, and wrapped people around her finger without even trying. She was charming, witty, and she laughed like she wasn't secretly plotting your downfall.
But beneath all the glam, a storm brewed.
She was here for revenge.
Instead of letting the pain consume her, she weaponized it.
She hid her heartbreak behind a perfectly arched brow and a killer red lip.
Every move was calculated.
Every smile, a performance.
She'd laugh with you today… and bring your empire down tomorrow.
Everything about her was a mystery.
From her parentage to her name.
She wasn't just a mystery—she was a lie.
A lie that had to get married.
---
Sylvester Wyatt watched as his niece danced with her strange new husband, guilt chewing at him.
He hadn't wanted her to marry him.
She was the one who begged.
She was the one who planned everything.
"Your daughter caused a lot of trouble," Mrs. Pedro—Adrian's mother—said calmly, though her tone had an icy undertone.
"She didn't mean to," he wanted to say. "She was just scared."
But he said nothing.
"Your family was chosen because—for some reason—my husband likes you," she added. "I asked him why… but he refused to say."
The reason.
Sylvester smiled inwardly. If not for him, her husband would have been long dead,
---
After the Wedding Dinner
Adrian's family organized a private dinner for the newlyweds, inviting only the Wyatt and Pedro families.
The Pedro family manor was a large country estate surrounded by vast land, fountains, and luxurious gardens. The interior was even grander, with Western-style décor and furniture that screamed old money. Janis barely had time to admire it all before being ushered into the dining room.
The room was massive—richer, colder, and more intimidating than anything Janis had grown up with. Her gaze fell on the table settings: Almas Caviar. The most expensive dish in the world, made from the eggs of an albino Iranian beluga sturgeon. Seriously? For someone from a small town in Amiret, this was excessive.
"Are you okay?" Adrian, seated beside her, asked. She nodded absentmindedly, then realized—he spoke to her. His voice was calm, almost caring. Unexpected.
"I want to make a toast!" Robert Pedro—the eldest and least successful son—stood up and tapped his glass. Everyone turned toward him.
Robert. The party prince turned failed businessman. While Adrian took over the family responsibilities, Robert chased women and headlines. It wasn't until he became an online embarrassment that he got married and begged their father for help starting a company: Union Lighthouse. And without Adrian, it would've crumbled.
Janis did her research. Robert was one of the reasons for her family's misfortunes. She stared at him with rage, gripping her table knife tightly.
Robert caught her glare. "Looks like Adrian's wife wants to kill me for wasting time," he joked.
Janis forced a fake smile. Sylvester sighed in relief.
"To my younger and more handsome brother, Adrian, who not only has a thriving company but also a beautiful wife," Robert toasted.
Janis nearly laughed. Jealous much?
"I also want to make a toast," Cecilia, Adrian's mother, said.
"To more children in the Pedro family and more joy," she declared, locking eyes with Janis. There was something familiar about the girl… but what?
Sylvester noticed her stare and quickly complimented her bracelet to distract her. Cecilia remembering Janis would be a disaster.
Suddenly, Holland Pedro—the head of the family—cleared his throat. Silence fell instantly. When Holland spoke, everyone listened.
"I've been observing Janis, and I think I made an excellent choice," he said.
Wilda, Robert's wife, nearly choked on her wine. Holland never praised her.
"Why do you say so, my husband?" Cecilia asked.
"Can't I say something without needing a reason?" Holland snapped, and she lowered her head.
Desiree, seated beside Sylvester, dropped her fork in irritation. How could anyone like Janis? That girl was bad news.
"Adrian, what do you think?" Holland turned to his quiet son.
"Do I have to comment?" Adrian asked bluntly.
Janis rolled her eyes. He wouldn't have died from saying one nice thing.
"Enough questions. Let's enjoy our food," Holland's sister, Susanne, said, cutting the tension.
"Yes," Holland agreed, sipping his wine while still glaring at Adrian.
A broken father-son relationship. How ironic. She expected the scheming Pedro family to be united. Turns out—they were just as fractured as everyone else.