KISS'S POV
I knew the moment I opened the door that something was wrong.
My father stood there, his face dark, jaw clenched, eyes burning with an anger I had grown far too familiar with. For a second, my mind went blank. I simply stared at him, frozen, my fingers still gripping the edge of my dress.
"Where were you all night?" he demanded, his voice sharp and accusing. "And why did you ignore my calls?"
The irony almost made me laugh.
As if he had ever cared where I was.
As if he had ever cared about me.
Memories of last night—Ella's smug smile, Eric's betrayal, the slap—flashed through my mind like broken glass.
I straightened my spine and lifted my chin.
"And why do I owe you this unexpected visit?" I asked coldly, stepping aside. "Actually… don't answer that."
I walked past him, straight to the door, and pulled it open wider.
"Can you please get out of my house?"
He didn't move.
Instead, he turned slowly, his sharp gaze sweeping over the living room as if he still owned the place—and me.
"Are you really giving up your position as the heiress of the Hilson Empire?" he asked, his voice low and disbelieving.
I stared at him.
No—I studied him.
This man who used to tuck me into bed.
This man who used to tell me my mother would be proud of me.
This man who used to love and care for me.
This man who now looked at me like I was nothing but a problem.
"Yes," I said calmly. Too calmly. "I'm giving it up. I'm removing my shares—mine and my mother's. In exchange, you'll transfer all the properties she left behind to me. They're already in my name anyway."
His face drained of color.
"You can't do that, Kiss," he snapped. "Do you want the Empire to fall? I didn't raise you to be this—"
I raised my hand.
The motion was instinctive, sharp, final.
He stopped mid-sentence, clearly shocked.
So was I.
"I don't want to hear a lecture about what I should or shouldn't do," I said, my voice trembling despite my effort to stay strong. "You lost the right to call yourself my father a long time ago. I've cut ties with all of you."
His eyes hardened.
"Then I'm sorry to tell you," he said coldly, "that I won't let you do such a foolish thing. Your mother's hard work will not go to waste because of some stupid clash between you and your sister."
That word—sister—felt like poison.
I pointed toward the door again.
"Leave."
He didn't move.
My hands curled into fists.
"Get out of my house," I said again, my voice rising. "NOW!"
For a long moment, we just stared at each other—two strangers bound by blood and resentment.
"This isn't over," he said finally, turning away.
And just like that, he walked out.
I slammed the door behind him so hard the walls shook.
My back slid down against it as my legs gave out. I pressed my forehead to the cool wood, my chest heaving as I fought back the tears burning my eyes.
I refused to cry.
I had cried enough for this family.
After a while, I dragged myself to my bedroom and collapsed onto the bed, staring at the ceiling.
I decided to rest.
But sleep refused to come.
No matter how tightly I shut my eyes, my father's words echoed in my head like a curse.
This isn't over.
I turned onto my side, pulling the blanket over my head as if it could protect me from the heaviness crushing my chest. My heart felt too full, too bruised, too tired for such a small room.
Eventually, exhaustion claimed me—but it was shallow, restless, and cruel.
📱 Buzz… Buzz…
My eyes flew open.
Groaning, I reached for my phone on the bedside table. An unknown number glowed on the screen.
Something about it made my stomach twist.
I hesitated… then answered.
"Hello?"
Silence.
Too long.
Too deliberate.
Then a familiar voice slid into my ear like venom.
"So… you finally decided to play brave."
My body went rigid.
"…Ella," I whispered.
She chuckled softly. "I heard you kicked Dad out of your house. Very dramatic. Very you."
"What do you want?" I asked coldly, sitting up.
"Oh, nothing much," she replied lazily. "Just a friendly warning. If you think you can walk away from the Hilson Empire with Mom's shares and properties, then you're dumber than I thought."
My fingers tightened around the phone.
"You have no right to call me," I snapped. "And she is not your mother."
She laughed—sharp, mocking, cruel.
"You really think Dad will fight you alone?" she continued. "Neither will I."
My heart skipped painfully.
"What do you mean?"
"You're forgetting something," Ella said smoothly. "The board. The investors. The contracts your precious mother signed before she died."
My breath caught.
"And," she added softly, "the little secret she trusted Dad with."
My voice shook. "What secret?"
She paused, savoring my fear.
"You'll find out soon," she said. "Very soon."
The call ended.
I stared at my phone, my hands trembling.
A knock sounded on my door.
I flinched. "Who is it?"
"It's me," Maya's voice called gently. "You need to see this."
I opened the door.
She handed me her tablet.
The moment my eyes scanned the screen, the world tilted.
HEADLINE:
HILSON EMPIRE HEIRESS KISSABEL HILSON INVOLVED IN SCANDAL?
Below it was a blurry photo of me leaving the mansion last night.
My knees nearly buckled.
"They're trying to ruin you," Maya whispered.
Fear surged through me—then something darker replaced it.
Rage.
"No," I said slowly, lifting my head. "They're trying to scare me."
My hands clenched into fists.
"And they just declared war."