Chapter 106: They were never mine
Yuki stared down at Eloise, completely caught off guard. For a moment, the scene refused to make sense in her mind. The girl who had been so fiercely determined to prove that the three brothers belonged only to her was now kneeling at Yuki’s feet. Eloise clutched Yuki’s hands tightly as though she feared Yuki might pull away at any second.
Yuki’s stomach churned with unease. She could not shake the suspicion that Eloise was secretly hatching another plan. "Eloise..." Yuki glanced helplessly around the dining room before looking down at her again. "What are you doing?"
"I am sorry," Eloise sobbed. Yuki blinked. That was not the response she had expected at all.
Eloise’s shoulders shook as tears rolled down her cheeks with almost perfect timing. Each tear seemed carefully placed to make her appear as fragile and remorseful as possible. Yuki could not help wondering whether the girl had rehearsed this entire scene in front of a mirror before coming here.
"I am sorry about yesterday," Eloise continued. Her grip on Yuki’s hands tightened even more. "I never meant to hurt you. I was not thinking clearly and I..."
Yuki did her best to keep her sarcastic thoughts locked behind her teeth. Eloise had ordered her to come, pressured the brothers right in front of her, and then jumped after taking poison. Yet here she was on her knees, playing the victim.
Eloise’s voice broke. Yuki’s brows drew together as she stared at the other girl’s weak frame. The wolfsbane had truly affected her. It was astonishing how far Eloise had been willing to go. "Eloise, you do not need to kneel. You are still recovering. Come on, get up." Yuki tried to help her stand, painfully aware of the three pairs of eyes fixed on her.
She did not want Eloise to paint her as the vicious one. "No," Eloise stated, shaking her head.
The refusal was so immediate that Yuki paused. "What?" she blurted, blinking in surprise.
What was Eloise up to now?
"I cannot." Eloise shook her head again. Fresh tears continued to stream down her cheeks. "Please, just let me say what I came here to say," she insisted. The tears made her look even more pitiful.
"Eloise," Kieran called from behind them. His voice was filled with concern. "You are too weak to be kneeling on the floor like this." His brows were furrowed deeply. He had already pushed his chair back and was walking toward them.
"I am fine," Eloise insisted weakly.
Kieran’s expression tightened immediately. "You nearly died yesterday," he said, genuine worry clear in his tone.
"I am not going to die because I am kneeling for a few seconds." Eloise refused to move.
"That is not the point." Kieran sighed as he stood behind her. His gaze flickered briefly to Yuki, and something unreadable crossed his face for a moment. He caught the faint trace of Killian’s scent on her. His fingers twitched before he caught himself. He was the only one still in the dark about what had happened to Yuki yesterday. He pushed back the unease rising inside him and tried to focus on Eloise.
He crouched beside her and reached for her arm. "Come on. Let me help you up," he said softly.
Eloise pulled away from his touch. Yuki stared at her in disbelief. The stubbornness burning in Eloise’s eyes was unmistakable. She looked pale enough to collapse at any moment, yet she refused Kieran’s help with surprising determination.
Yuki finally understood. Eloise was not getting up because she had not yet achieved her goal. "Eloise," Yuki said quietly, "whatever you came here to say, you can say it while standing."
"I need you to hear me," Eloise insisted. A long sigh escaped Yuki’s lips. "You have my attention," Yuki replied.
Eloise’s fingers tightened around Yuki’s hands. "I really want to thank you..." Her voice choked up with tears as she looked up at Yuki. Tears trembled on her lashes. "For letting them go."
She said it again as if the first time had not been enough. The entire dining room went still. Yuki’s smile faltered. This time, the words registered more deeply.
Across the table, Killian’s fingers stopped moving against his tablet. His jaw tightened almost imperceptibly, and his eyes immediately flicked toward Eloise. He had clearly not expected her to reveal the rejection in front of Kieran.
Kaden’s hand froze around his cutlery. He already knew what Eloise meant, and the knowledge left a bitter taste in his mouth. His fingers tightened around the utensil until his knuckles turned white.
Kieran, however, was completely oblivious. "For letting who go?" he asked. His brows furrowed as he looked between the two women. When Eloise had spoken earlier, he had been too focused on her fragile state to fully register the words.
Killian’s gaze snapped toward Eloise. "Eloise." His tone was quiet, but the warning beneath it was unmistakable.
She glanced at him before turning back to Yuki. "Killian told me," she said softly. "He told me that you agreed to reject them."
Kieran’s face changed completely. "What?" he blurted. His mind raced back to the basketball court conversation where Killian had first brought up the idea of rejection.
Yuki’s heart sank. She couldn’t understand the look in his eyes. It wasn’t anger. Not exactly. There was something else beneath it, something that made her chest tighten uncomfortably. Hurt, perhaps. But that made no sense. Hadn’t he been waiting for this rejection as eagerly as his brothers?
Regardless, she forced a small smile onto her face. "Yes," she said. Kieran stared at her. "You agreed?" he whispered.
"I did not agree. I was the one who suggested it." Yuki’s voice remained steady, and her expression did not flicker. "We all know this bond is ridiculous. It would be torture to remain tied to each other when the three of you hate my guts."
The certainty with which she stated the facts twisted something deep inside Kieran.
His gaze moved towards his brothers. Killian remained silent, his expression carefully controlled, while Kaden kept his eyes lowered towards his plate. Kieran realised he was the last to find out.
Kieran looked back at Yuki, clearly stunned, though he quickly tried to hide it. "You... You were the one who suggested it?" he stuttered.
Yuki nodded.
For a fleeting moment, Kieran looked away. The movement was subtle, but Yuki caught it. There was a brief sting of hurt in his expression that disappeared almost immediately beneath the composed face he wore.
"Then you should stand up," Kieran said quietly, turning his attention back towards Eloise. His voice sounded almost normal, but there was a strange restraint beneath it. "Eloise, you are weak. Come on."
Eloise ignored him. Instead, she looked directly at Yuki. She was not done yet. She still wanted to crush whatever faint feelings any of them might still hold for Yuki. "You really want to give them up?"
Yuki’s smile faltered. The question should not have hurt, yet it did.
She glanced briefly towards the three brothers before looking back at Eloise. "They were never mine to begin with."
The words came out softer than she had intended. Kaden’s eyes snapped towards her immediately. Killian went completely still. Kieran’s expression tightened visibly.