Shattered

As Kaidën's lips touched hers, Remy felt that familiar bliss of being in his arms again. The memories from their first night came alive, and she couldn't help but reciprocate his passion, wanting to feel a different emotion other than the ache in her hurting heart.

The kiss deepened, and Remy's senses were overwhelmed by the sensation of Kaidën's warm lips, his gentle touch, and the safety of his arms.

Without breaking the kiss, Kaidën guided Remy to lie down on the plush bed. She felt a flutter in her chest, wondering if he was really going to fulfill what he'd said earlier.

But instead, he propped himself up on his elbow, his eyes locked on hers, and gently closed her eyelids with his fingertips.

"Sleep, Remy," he whispered, his voice low and soothing. "That's enough for tonight." With a gentle touch, he covered her with the soft duvet, enveloping her in warmth and comfort.

"Mm-mm," She seemed like she wanted to protest but she could only manage a muffled sound.

Remy's eyes remained closed, her body relaxing into the mattress as she felt Kaidën's gentle shift beside her.

But then her mind screamed in confusion - this man was hot one minute and cold the next, his emotions switching like a light switch. She couldn't understand him.

Not wanting to face the embarrassment of her own vulnerability, Remy pretended to sleep, holding her breath until she felt Kaidën leave the room.

Without the warmth of his presence surrounding her, she was left to drown in the coldness of her own thoughts, the memories of tonight finally crashing down on her.

Just then, the door creaked open, and a maid walked in, gliding Remy's wheelchair smoothly across the floor and called out softly, "Miss Vaughn?" Remy didn't respond, still caught up in her emotions.

The maid called out again, "Miss Vaughn?" but Remy remained silent. On the third attempt, the maid said, "Miss Vaughn?" and Remy finally responded, her voice muffled and impatient, "Get out."

The maid began to back away, but just as she was about to leave, Remy called out without lifting her face, her voice barely above a whisper, "Wait... I'm sorry for yelling at you. I just want to be alone now. Thank you."

The maid bowed and rolled Remy's wheelchair closer to the bed before quietly exiting the room, leaving Remy to her tears and her turbulent thoughts.

*

*

Flashback:

Two weeks ago, a few days before Sophia and Julian's engagement party...

Remy had been excited to pick out the perfect engagement ring. She and Julian had discussed getting customized rings with their initials engraved on them.

The rings were to be made of white gold, with a delicate platinum design and a small diamond solitaire.

Remy had called Julian to confirm their plans to go ring shopping together, but he had begged off, citing an urgent meeting with a potential big investor of the Scott Group, his family's company.

Disappointed but understanding, Remy decided to go ahead and pick out the ring herself.

She left the house with her personal maid, Avery, and three trusted bodyguards, handpicked by Remy herself to ensure they weren't loyal to her stepmother, Helena.

Because she found out that most of the people around her were spies, sent by Helena.

Remy settled into the plush leather seat of her Audi SUV, Avery, her personal maid, sitting beside her.

As the car glided through the streets, along the way, Remy gazed out the window, her mind wandering to the engagement ring she was about to pick up.

She had been crippled in an accident a few years ago, and while she had learned to adapt, there were still times when she felt frustrated by her limitations.

This time was one of those times, where she wished she could just use her legs, go out, get the ring, and happily meet Julian to show it to him.

But that wasn't possible, so Remy relied on Avery and her bodyguards to help her explore the world. She was grateful for their support, but sometimes, like today, she felt a pang of sadness, wishing she could be more independent.

The car pulled up to the jewelry store, and Avery helped Remy out of the vehicle, expertly maneuvering her wheelchair onto the sidewalk. Remy's bodyguards flanked her, ever vigilant, as they made their way into the store.

After trying on several rings, Remy finally found the perfect one. The white gold sparkled in the light, and the engraved initials seemed to shimmer with promise. She couldn't wait to show Julian.

They made their way back to Julian's house, but as they pulled up in his compound, Remy noticed something that made her heart skip a beat. Julian's car was parked outside, but there was another car parked beside it - Sophia's car.

Of course, Sophia was her sister, but their relationship was far from normal. Knowing Sophia's manipulative nature and her stepmother's bias towards Sophia, Remy's instincts told her that something was off.

"Avery, let's go in through the back entrance," Remy said, her voice low and cautious.

Avery nodded and quietly made their way towards the back of the house, rolling the wheelchair along, while the body guards stayed back in the car.

They entered through a side door, and Remy's heart began to pound in her chest.

As they made their way upstairs - Avery carrying Remy to avoid the stairs - Remy's anxiety grew. The sound of faint, slow music drifted through the air, accompanied by soft murmurs of laughter and other, more intimate sounds.

Julian's bedroom door was slightly ajar, and Remy's heart sank as she peeked inside. The sight that came into her view would haunt her forever.

Sophia was wrapped in Julian's arms, their bodies entwined in a passionate embrace. Julian's eyes were closed, his face contorted in a mixture of pleasure and adoration. Sophia's eyes were closed too, her face tilted upwards, her lips parted in ecstasy.

Remy felt like she had been punched in the gut. She couldn't breathe, couldn't think. All she could do was stare at the scene before her, her mind reeling with shock and betrayal.

It didn't take Remy long to realize that this wasn't a one-time mistake. The way Julian and Sophia were together, the ease with which they moved in tandem, it was clear that this had been going on for a long time.

Remy's heart shattered into a million pieces as she watched, frozen in horror, as the man she loved betrayed her with her step sister.

They were too engrossed in their pleasure, lost in their own world of passion, that they hadn't noticed her sitting just outside the door.

Sophia moaned louder, her voice rising to a crescendo as Julian's movements became more intense. But Remi couldn't hear it.

The pounding of her own heart in her chest was now louder, drowning out the sounds around her. The rapid beating of her heart was like thunder in her ears, blocking out the lustful whispers and groans coming from the room.

Remi's vision began to blur, her eyes stinging with unshed tears. She felt like she was going to collapse, like her world had been turned upside down. Avery's gentle grip on her shoulder was the only thing keeping her upright, the only thing keeping her grounded in reality.

But even Avery's steady presence couldn't block out the image seared into Remi's mind - the image of Julian and Sophia, entwined in each other's arms, their love for each other palpable and undeniable.

Remi desperately hoped that she was trapped in one of those nightmares that had haunted her since her mother's passing.

But the reality of the scene before her was too stark, too vivid, to ignore. A harsh, unyielding reality that threatened to shatter her very existence.