Reborn from the Ash
1.3 - The Villareals
Two months had passed since Kiara blew up at Jacqueline, and things were still tense between the two of them. While Jacqueline wasn’t nearly as antagonist to her, she’d become incredibly distant. She seemed content sitting in her wing of the house with Jinelle, doing nothing but browsing exclusive fashion catalogs she had delivered directly to the house. She always ended up buying something- wether it was for Jinelle or herself.
To Kiara’s surprise, she hadn’t faced any repercussions for storming out to town. Outside of Jacqueline’s standoffishness, nothing in the mansion seemed to have changed. Antonio never even brought the whole thing up, something Kiara could scarcely believe. Lyric didn’t have any answers for her either when she asked.
Regardless, as Kiara got dressed that day, she couldn’t help but smile. The Villareal family would be stopping by in the afternoon, then she, accompanied by Lyric, would be allowed to drive back and dine with them at the Villareal Estate. Apparently, Jacqueline had arranged the dinner for her with Hugo, bit Kiara wasn’t about to walk down to her wing of the house to have a conversation with her. She knew the minute she did, Jacqueline would once again begin the hard work of completely and utterly crushing her spirit.
So, for now, she was choosing to focus on just the excitement of a dinner at the Villareal Estate without either of her parents looming over her shoulder.
Putting a heavy diamond necklace on over a rather flattering black dress Kiara particularly enjoyed, she twirled for the mirror in her obnoxiously spacious bathroom.
“Perfect,” Kiara smiled.
She waltzed back into her bedroom to check her phone and see if Luna had texted her saying she was there yet.
Nothing.
Kiara sighed, tossed her phone onto her cozy looking bed, then spun out of her bedroom. Practically skipping down the stairs, she sat herself in a well furnished seating area on the first floor where her parents typically received guests.
Almost as if on cue, there came a knocking at the front door that echoed throughout the house.
Smiling expectantly, Kiara straightened her posture as she heard the sound of one of the servants opening the front door.
“Kiara!” Luna’s voice called out. “We’re here!”
“I’m in the reception room!” Kiara called back.
She rose to her feet as the Villareals entered the room, and gave the three of them a curtsy.
Max, the youngest of the three siblings, snorted at the sight of it.
“What is it, Max?” Kiara demanded.
Max rolled his eyes, but he spoke in a slow drawl. “You go on and on about hating this fucking life, but it seems to me like you fit right in.”
“Max, please don’t start…” Luna sighed.
“Some of us aren’t set on becoming a walking disgrace to our family, Max.”
“Wow. You say shit like that as if it’s going to sting. Whatever. I’m only here because Hugo doesn’t trust me at the house alone,” Max sighed.
Hugo gave Max a stern look. “Max, we are guests of the Sanchez family, you cannot-“
Max was already walking away. “I’m gonna go bug Jinelle now. See you guys.”
Her perfect mood ruined, Kiara sat back down on the couch with a very audible sigh. Luna quickly joined her.
“Couldn’t you have found a babysitter?” Kiara moaned.
Luna shook her head sadly. “Max chased them all out of town. Plus, he’s a full grown adult now- no one wants to babysit that.”
Hugo tugged anxiously at the collar of his tightly buttoned suited, already drenched in a nervous sweat. “My, uh, my apologies, Kiara.”
“At least I’m not stuck living with him, as you two are. My condolences.”
Luna snorted.
“I-If I may, Kiara,” Hugo stuttered.
Kiara gestured for him to continue speaking.
“I do think Max would take kinder to you if you could just show him a bit of kindness yourself.”
Kiara thought for a moment, then shook her head. “No. I don’t believe he would.”
Luna grinned, knowing what was coming.
“Let me remind you of a particular event,” Kiara said with a confidant smile. “It’d be a shame if you’d forgotten the night the both of you ruined Luna and I’s lives.”
Back when Kiara and Luna were still teenagers, not long after the current patriarch of the Villareal family, Jacques, had passed, Antonio and Jacqueline had loosened up in how often they let Kiara see Luna at the Villareal Estate.
It had been about a week since the funeral, and Hugo was scrambling to pick up the pieces his father had left after he’d passed. It was something that really concerned Luna, so she and Kiara were furiously discussing Luna’s options.
“I can’t stay in this house a moment longer, Kiara, I just can’t!” Luna exclaimed, pacing back and forth in her bedroom. “Hugo is going to be just as much of a dictator as my dad was, he quite literally sculpted him in his image.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?” Kiara asked from where she was sitting on the sofa, watching Luna pace with concern.
“No, no… this is my problem… I don’t want to inherit this family’s dark legacy! If Hugo can’t live up to expectations, it falls to me, and, and-“
“Luna,” Kiara said, a smile slowly crossing her face. “I may just have a radical idea.”
Luna immediately stopped pacing and rushed over to Kiara. “Please, tell me,” she begged.
“Neither one of us wants anything to do with our families, so I was thinking…”
Luna’s eyes lit up.
“Let’s run away,” the two of them said together.
On an evening later the next week, the two of them met up in the forest that surrounded the grounds of the Villareal Estate, both giddy with excitement. The slowly setting sun seemed to illuminate the way to a brighter future for the both of them.
“I’ve left my bags with a trusted servant, who he’ll get them to us once I contact him. I’ve also arranged for him to pick up yours,” Kiara said.
“Have you figured out where we’re going yet?” Luna asked.
“Of course not! That’s part of the fun! We roam the world until we find the place of our dream… then, and only then, do we contact the servant and risk discovery. Because by then, we’ll be so happy that no one will dare bring us back!”
“I’ve got it! It all makes sense to me now.”
“Okay,” Kiara smiled. She looked Luna in the eyes. “Are you sure about this?”
“Absolutely,” Luna said firmly.
“But are you sure about that?” a snide voice said from the bushes.
Kiara and Luna whirled around and were met with a boy with a very cruel expression painted on his pale face.
“Max!” Luna exclaimed, taken aback. “What we were talking about was just.. some fantasy, we weren’t actually planning on…”
“Don’t. Lie. To. Me!” Max shrieked, stomping his foot. “There’s no way that was made up!”
“Okay, okay, we’re going to run away Max, just please don’t tell anyone,” Luna whispered urgently.
“Why wouldn’t I tell anyone? I don’t want to deal with an even sadder Hugo. So… you two are going to have to make it worth it for me.”
Kiara and Luna exchanged horrified looks. There was no telling what this little gremlin would request of them. Especially given the rumors about why Max’s mother had perished, sending his father into such a downward spiral…
“I want money,” Max said smugly. “I know Kiara has lots of it. And if she doesn’t…”
Max held up his phone.
“Fine,” Kiara said. “I’m not risking my chance to finally get out of here. How much do you want?”
Max thought long and carefully.
“Max?” Luna asked.
“10 million,” Max smirked.
Kiara shook her head incredulously. “What could a little kid like you possibly do with that much money?”
“Stall for time,” a familiar voice said from behind them.
Antonio and Hugo approached the trio from the direction of the Villareal House, Antonio dressed as proper as ever, massively upstaging Hugo, who was wearing only a ratty orange coat and shorts he'd likely owned for a decade.
“Kiara, how could you?” Antonio went on. “Poor Jacqueline will be distraught when she hears about that you’ve done! Have you given a single thought to what this reckless decision could do to our family?”
“I want out, father!” Kiara proclaimed.
Antonio only sighed and grabbed Kiara’s arm, ready to march her back home.
“How did you find out?” Luna asked Hugo, tears in her eyes.
“Max recorded your conversation and sent it to me,” Hugo grinned, clearly very proud of himself. “Antonio was already here, as we were uh, discussing matters, so it was easy for the two of us to catch up to you both. Of course Max is going demand something and start a lengthy discussion, so I knew we’d have a bit of time.”
Max looked at Hugo, outraged.
“Let’s go, Kiara,” Antonio said, walking her away. “To avoid worrying your mother, we will not mention this ever again. I’ve disposed of the servant who tried to aid you with your escape. I do not ever want to see you try something like this again. Are we understood?”
“Wait!” Max shrieked after them. “What about my money?”
Antonio looked back, a look of disgust on his face. “What makes you think any member of my family would ever fund your disobedience? Foolish boy.”
Kiara was marched away, Luna’s soft crying and Max’s screams of rage slowly fading away behind her as they returned to the Villareal House. The sound was cut off altogether as she climbed into the family’s black limousine and Antonio slammed the door behind her, silencing her hopes of escape for many years to come.
In the present day, Kiara finished her story with a flourish. “Why would I give Max, or you, for that matter, the time for kindness when it’s very clear that you both have no interest in what’s best for me or Luna?”
“Well, I, I- Antonio- and- what was I… what I was-“
“Hugo, please,” Kiara said gently. “While I can’t forgive you for what you did that day, I do not wish to needlessly stress you. Unlike Max, you have made some effort to be good to me.”
“I should go up and see Antonio now,” Hugo muttered.
Kiara nodded. “Best not to keep him waiting.”
Hugo sloppily smoothed down the wrinkles in his suit, then left the room out of the room, immediately destroying any effort he’d made to look more composed.
“Kiara, as satisfying as it was… you didn’t need to do all that,” Luna said quietly.
“Why not?” Kiara asked. “Don’t you still want to get of that house?”
Luna smiled, more to herself than anyone else, and shook her head. “I don’t. Hugo was never as bad as I feared. He can’t even hope to emulate my dad… that terrible man hung over the house like an oppressive shadow and barked militaristic orders at us at every time of day. Hugo… he lets Max and I do our own thing. He has so much on his plate trying to do what my dad did that he just doesn’t have the energy to worry about us.”
“So… that day then…”
“An overreaction on my part. But don’t worry! When you finally find your way out of his mansion, I will be with you every step of the way. If your mother demands you find a man right this instant, I’ll stand up to her alongside you! It’s ridiculous, honestly. Unlike you, I waste way too much time putting myself out there and I haven’t found a girl I actually wanted to date in over a… Kiara?”
Kiara looked at Luna, an odd look on her face. “Luna, I am so sorry. I’ve… I’ve just realized. I spend so much time talking about myself, focusing on my problems, that we barely ever talk about you. How did I not know you were content living at home?”
“Kiara, please. It’s not a big deal at all! I love listening, and you have way more to complain about than I do. It only makes sense.”
Kiara shook her head. “No. Today, Luna, we’re going to talk about you. It’s long overdue.”
“Um… Okay! Uhhhh… let me think… Oh! I’ve started designing my own clothes. I’m thinking of launching a business, if there’s enough interest, and I can do all the work from my bedroom…”
Upstairs and a few hours later, Jacqueline was laid out on a sofa in her lavishly decorated bedroom as Jinelle massaged her back. Everything in her room was perfect- the most stylish blend of white, gold, and baby blue, everything was intricately organized by the most expensive interior designer money could buy, but when it came to her own personal life… things weren’t as perfect as her sense of style implied.
“That’s enough, Jinelle,” Jacqueline sighed, shooing her hand away and sitting up.
Jinelle nodded, and stepped away.
Walking over to her window, Jacqueline looked outside and sighed again. Kiara was leaving for dinner with the three Villareal children.
“What is it, Mrs. Jacqueline?” Jinelle asked.
“I think I’m losing her,” Jacqueline said in quiet voice.
“Losing who? Mrs. Jacqueline, I know you well, and you do not lose.”
Jacqueline turned away from the window. “You’re right. I do not. But Kiara… she pulls further away from me with each passing day. She believes that I have no understanding to what her desires are, but I arranged this dinner for her. A brief reprieve from life at home… We used to be close, you know.”
“Ummmmmm… did you?”
“I used to be her one friend,” Jacqueline said, smiling as she reminisced.
“While Antonio was tied up in business, the two of us would buy designer clothes together… we’d strut through the grounds…”
…When I had the time, I’d read to her in the library…”
“If I may, Mrs. Jacqueline. What went wrong?”
“She grew up,” Jacqueline whispered with a tragic smile.
Every time Kiara visited the Villareal Estate, she was always taken aback by how small it was. The grounds were magnificent, with a well tended hedge maze that surrounded the property, a lavish pool, and a grand walkway that led up the front entrance, but once you got inside, it was a different story. The house seemed somewhat uncared for, a bit dingy and cramped. The furniture had likely been there since even before Hugo’s predecessor, Jacques Villareal, had taken on the mantle as head of the family. It was a far cry from the glamorous environment Jacqueline created in her house.
According to what she’d heard from Luna, Jacques had wanted to preserve the house he grew up in and refused to make any changes. However, to placate his first spouse, a woman named Danna, he’d allowed her to curate a plan for the grounds of the estate. Her rather sudden passing happened before she was able to implement them, but with Jacques gone, Luna had finally been able to put those plans into action, and the estate could now boast of, for instance, an expansive hedge maze. It was to honor the memory of a mother she could now barely grasp in her memory.
As the Villareals and Kiara sat down at an antique looking dining table for dinner, Lyric, who had quickly put together a plate in the brief period of time they’d all been inside, made to sit in a chair across the room, a cushy looking thing that sat in-between a bookcase and a door to the outdoor pool.
“Lyric, please. Join us,” Luna smiled, gesturing towards an empty chair at the dining table.
“I, uh….” Lyric’s eyes darted over to Kiara, seeking permission.
Kiara gave a small nod.
Lyric walked carefully over towards the table, and sat down across the table from Kiara, and next to Max.
“Do you typically not dine with the Sanchezes?” Luna asked as she delicately moved salad onto her plate.
Lyric shook her head. “No. Although, it’s hardly anything to take note of. Each one of us dines at a separate time, and some of us don’t even eat in the dining room. Master Antonio, for instance, usually takes his meals in his office.”
“And I thought we were dysfunctional,” Max snorted, leaning back in his chair.
Hugo frowned, too caught up in his own thoughts to pay the slightest bit of attention to Max. “Taking meals in his office… Lyric, Kiara, would you say that helps him achieve success? It might be something to consider…”
Kiara sighed. “I sure couldn’t tell you. I personally think father also does it because he enjoys his privacy, but nobody but Ivailo would know the truth, and good luck prying it out of him. Why do you care so much anyway?”
“Well, I- I… I, uh-“ Hugo sputtered.
“And this…” Max said, waving a lazy hand at his brother. “…is why the eldest child inheriting everything is total BS. I could’ve done better than poor Hugo here at age 10.”
“Max…” Luna sighed, putting her head in her hands.
“Whatever,” Max said, pushing back his chair. “This dinner wasn’t for me anyway. Not with her here anyway.”
While glaring daggers at Kiara, Max greedily shoveled food onto his plate. Then, he left the dining room and disappeared into the house without so much of a word of goodbye.
Lyric frowned. “Is this what your dinners are usually like?”
Luna shook her head. “Max does keep us all on our toes, but something about Kiara just sets him off. The three of us always take meals together, but today… I’m truly apologetic to the both of you for having to witness that.”
“You know, he does raise a point. Why should the family business and house go to the eldest instead of the most qualified?” Lyric muttered.
Having recovered himself, Hugo spoke up. “Dad always was a rather old fashioned man- well, outside of briefly being married to another man- so, it didn’t really surprise any of us when it all passed to me. Max has always had the most backbone, but I don’t think that was ever something that mattered to him.”
Luna nodded. “A first born son will carry on your name. Your legacy. A first born daughter will bear you grandchildren. A second born son, on the other hand? He’s nothing but another mouth to feed. Well, that’s how he saw it, at the very least.”
A young Max watched from across the pool on a sunny day as a young Luna and Hugo sat at a picnic table with their father, Jacques Villareal. He seemed to be exchanging vital information with the two of them- something Max hadn’t been invited to listen to.
Feeling a scream welling up inside him, Max opened his mouth, ready to get attention one way or another, but he was stopped by a ringed hand on his shoulder.
“Max,” a pleasant voice said.
Max turned around, and his eyes were met with the face of his mother- a refined woman by the name of Danna.
“Why didn’t they invite me!” Max shouted, stomping his feet.
“Sshh,” Danna whispered. “If they don’t want to play, then we have to play an even better game. Then, they’ll be the ones who feel left out, and you, Max, will be in control.”
“A game?”
“Mhm. A game where we draw their attention, and own the situation. Command all the attention in the room. Force them to notice you, and in that moment, you have all the control. That’s how people like you and I end up on top.”
“Own… the situation…” Max whispered.