Claimed And Marked By Her Stepbrother Mates novel Chapter 78

Chapter 78: 78-Something Fishy

Kaye:

"What? I was here for some work. Get out of my way," I watched Norman shout at Jessica, his back facing me, while Jessica stood directly in front of him, fully in my line of sight.

I never thought I’d witness my brother yelling at his fiancée. My brother rarely breaks his calm and collected demeanor, so something serious must have happened between them to spark this public argument.

But why here?

What was my brother even doing in this place?

I tilted my head up, glancing at the building, and worry began to creep in. Helanie was staying here, and I knew how much my brother despised her. Did he have a fight with her? She must be crying alone.

As Norman’s car pulled away, Jessica’s eyes drifted over to me, and she quickly began wiping her tears. I felt so odd facing their personal banter.

"Hello, Kaye! What are you doing here?" She greeted me in her usual gentle, polite voice. The fake smile on her lips couldn’t deceive me.

"I was here for some work. What about you—what happened?" I asked, sliding my hands into my pockets and keeping my tone soft.

"Oh! What work? What are you brothers doing here?" she let out a small, awkward laugh.

I gathered what had happened. She was likely upset that Norman was here, and instead of answering her questions, he had lashed out and left. Now, she wanted answers from me.

"We had a meeting here. I arrived late, as usual," I tried to joke, but she shook her head to dismiss my comment.

"Kaye! You’re a very responsible person. Don’t joke like that," she insisted, and I realized she must have picked up on my insecurities from conversations with my mother.

I always felt like I wasn’t good enough. My mother must have mentioned it when they met for dinner to celebrate Jessica and Norman’s engagement.

"Right, well, you should talk to my mom. She’ll tell you just how badly I mess up all the time," I tried to joke again, but it came out miserably, and I hated how pathetic it sounded.

"I don’t need to listen to anyone else. I know you, and I’ve heard about your accomplishments. Do you know what people in our pack ask for whenever they’re really sick?" She was so warm and kind, almost treating me like a younger brother, and it made me realize just how much we both cared about Norman.

"They ask, ’Is this the medicine made from Kaye’s herbs?’ They only trust your remedies, Kaye," her words genuinely lifted my spirits.

I felt a sudden wave of acknowledgement, and it was amazing. But now, I wanted to comfort her in a way my brother had failed to do.

There weren’t many people I felt comfortable opening up to, and Jessica wasn’t one of them. I always spoke to her with respect, mainly because of how kindly she treated me.