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35  Hello, Dearest Step Brother

"Jenny!" Quinn squealed in that way women did whenever they saw each other and leaped out of her seat to give Jenna a hug.

Charlotte also stood, greeting her friend enthusiastically. Jenny hugged them but her eyes were fixed on me. She had a predatory smile on her face like she had just found a new toy to play with.

By the time they were done exchanging their greetings, I had already played my next move, sending a message to Matt. There's no way I'd be having any extended conversations with Quinn anymore.

In fact, if I had known Jenny was coming, I wouldn't have started this plan. But what was done was done. I just had to roll with the punches.

Jenna turned to look at him. "Nico." She said, keeping up the smile on her face. One would think she was greeting someone she was friendly with. "Didn't expect to see you here. What a coincidence, right?"

"Yeah. What a coincidence." I said, keeping a polite smile on my face. While I'd inherited memories, thoughts and feelings from the original Nico Voss, I wasn't him.

I didn't have any strong feelings against Jenny and that meant I could see things clearly without a view tinted by existing feelings.

All I needed to do was not back down. Jenny was used to speaking with a timid Nico. Not this time.

"Oh. You guys must know each other. Distant relatives, right?" Quinn said, looking between the both of us with a big smile.

"Yeah." Jenny smiled at her friend. "We sure are related."

On one hand, my credibility as a Voss has been solidly established by Jenny's confirmation. And on the other hand, Jenny was here to destroy that same credibility.

"Imagine my surprise when I heard of Nico's... impression exploits around Crownsborough lately. A real estate firm, joining Pine Press… keeping busy, aren't we?" She turned to look at me, raising an eyebrow.

I kept up my smile, having expected this. She was bound to find out sooner or later.

"Well, one can't stay stuck in the same place." I said with a bright smile. "You know I believe in seizing opportunities when they come."

Quinn, who had been observing the both of us with an expectant grin, spoke up. "Nico has just been working on something really interesting with this boutique hotel. We were just talking about it."

Jenny raised an eyebrow. "A boutique hotel? Now I've got to hear about this." She turned to her friends. "Can you guys give us a little privacy? I want to discuss some... family stuff with Nico."

"Of course." Quinn and Charlotte smiled at them before excusing themselves, moving to a nearby table.

Jenny sat down and placed her handbag on the table, leaning back on her chair.

I sat opposite her and mirrored her posture, crossing my legs.

"Hello, dearest stepbrother."

"Hello, dearest step sister." I said. "How have you been?"

She laughed at my words as if I'd just made a funny joke. "Oh, Nico." She said, wiping away imaginary tears of laughter from one eye. "You do know how to make me laugh."

My mind went back to a year ago, when I'd been invited to Emerald Isle for the Voss children meeting. I'd spent the entire time being made fun of.

It hadn't just been the blatant abandoned son jokes but also the way I'd been treated like I was just another staff member.

Come to think of it, the sister who had invited me hadn't joined in but hadn't stopped them either. She had just observed the whole thing.

The original Nico had seen that as her being unable to stop her sisters but I think not. She had probably brought me for comic relief.

Jenny leaned back in her chair, eyeing me like I'd grown three heads.

She wasn't used to a Nico that was confident and talked back. I could see it in her eyes.

"Nico, Nico, Nico." She said, tapping the table with every call of my name. "Where did you get the money to buy the real estate firm?"

"We both know you couldn't have used father's money for that. Your car, yes. But a seventy million dollar company, hell no."

I kept up my polite smile as I spoke. "I really do not see how this is any of your business."

She blinked, taken aback. Then, she sat up straight, her lips curving into a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Look at you, all confident. It's cute, I'll give you that. But really, what are you trying to prove here?"

I shrugged. "Who says I have to prove anything?"

"Oh, I know what you're doing Nico." She hissed at me, her smile widening. "You're making moves like the rat that you are, trying to get into father's good graces. You think you can somehow claw your way into the running for his inheritance." n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

I sat there, saying nothing. Was there even anything I could do to get into Logan Voss' good graces? I doubt it.

But Jenny didn't think the same thing. Instead, she leaned in with the satisfaction of someone who thinks they're already won.

"But whatever you try, it'll never work. Or have you forgotten how much father hates you?"

She sat there, staring with the expectant expression of someone who expected their words to hurt.

But I didn't flinch, keeping up my polite smile. She wasn't telling me things I didn't already know.

She took my silence as a confirmation of the validity of her words. "You know, if you had just been playing around and wasting time, I would've left you alone to your... fantasies."

"But you crossed the line, Nico." She said. This time, there was no trace of a smile on her face.

"You crossed it the moment you came to Emerald Isle and even brought a stranger with you."

"I'll show you, Nico. " She hissed. "I'll show you the consequences of messing with me. Nothing you'll ever do in this city will succeed."

I leaned forward. It had been wrong of me to use her property but needs must. It would change nothing but I decided to apologize anyway.

"Look." I said, making sure she could see my sincerity. "I apologize for using Emerald Isle. It was wrong of me and should never have happened."

But just because I apologized doesn't mean I regret it. I don't. Not one bit. If I was given the option. I'll do it again.

Jenny laughed in my face at my apology but I didn't care. All I know is that I've apologized. Whatever comes after is fair game. "Just because you apologized doesn't mean this is over, Nico. You'll still pay for what you've done."

She stood and left, going to meet Quinn and Charlotte at their table.

I watched as she greeted them again with a big smile.

She felt threatened by my moves. I could feel it. Each of my step sisters knew exactly what I meant.

The true heir to the throne.

And they'd do all they can to stop me.

The door to the cafe swung open and Matt entered. It was time to leave.

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