Chapter 425

Caspian continued, a hint of complacency in his voice, “Get it now?” He was sure he could handle Lemira. But Lemira just laughed, her eyes shimmering with a frosty amusement. Seeing the smile on her face, Caspian felt a wave of unease. “What’s so funny?”

“Are you really that concerned about your little sister?” Lemira teased, sitting back with a smug look. “Why else would you be so desperate to drag me back to the Langston family? Isn’t Evelina enough for you?”

Caspian’s gaze turned icy. “Lemira, I don’t appreciate that look.”

“Feeling’s mutual,” she retorted, spinning her chair around. “I remember when you were little; anytime you felt slighted or insulted outside, you’d come home and take it out on me. Who’s looking down on you now?”

“Lemira, think before you speak. Angering me won’t do you any favors. Think of your friends, your team.”

“To hell with it!” Lemira stood up abruptly, grabbing Caspian by the collar. “Only a coward takes out his frustrations on his family. After all these years, you’re still a coward!”

Caspian knew how to push her buttons. But she also knew what mattered most to him. As expected, Caspian was furious, his hand raised to strike, but it hung in mid-air before he reluctantly lowered it. Lemira’s eyes sparkled with defiance. “Go on, hit me. Can’t do it, can you?”

Caspian’s eyes reddened with suppressed rage. He was indeed powerless against her now. With a bitter laugh, he warned, “Lemira, I won’t resort to violence now, but there are other ways to make your life miserable. Forget about your team training smoothly. You better prepare for a lifetime of looking over your shoulder.”

Having said his piece, Caspian stormed out of the office. Lemira, left standing alone, slammed her fist on the desk in frustration. Janice hurried in, concern written all over her face. “Did you hurt your hand? Did Caspian threaten you?”

Lemira glanced at her hand, a shadow crossing her face. “After our parents died, it was chaos at home. I learned to read my brothers’ moods, to please them based on their temperaments.”

Janice’s eyes welled up with tears. “But you’re their sister. How could they treat you this way?”

Lemira lowered her gaze. “They blamed me for our parents’ deaths, so I endured. They’re used to how things were, and now they want me to revert to that.”

She had died once in her previous life. She wouldn’t return to the Langston family, to live that life again. Looking at Janice, Lemira said, “I might have to leave the base team.”

Caspian was relentless, like a rabid dog. Everyone was training hard for the competition; she couldn’t let her presence jeopardize their chances. Janice’s tears fell. “No, we won’t let these issues interfere with our training.”

A senior team member joined them. “Exactly. We’ll adjust our training schedules. I refuse to believe he can keep this up indefinitely.”

Chapter 428

Lemira, her eyes brimming with tears, apologized, “I’m sorry.”

“There’s no need. We know what you’ve been through, how biased your family is. We’re a team; we stick together.”

Lemira wiped away her tears, determined to find a way to stop Caspian’s threats. She only wanted to live a life far from the Langston family. But if they refused to leave her in peace, then none would find it.

Descending back to the set, the filming that followed was filled with tension. Lemira took out her frustration by repeatedly defeating Evelina’s character in the game, which somewhat lifted her spirits. Evelina, on the other hand, seemed more stressed than usual.

Caspian, sensing the shift in mood, finally spoke up, “Let’s call it a day. Dinner’s on me tonight.”

After the crew had left, Caspian turned to Lemira, “Seems like you’re not too worried about your team’s training being delayed.”

“Filming takes time, after all. The one who should be worried isn’t me.”

Lemira faced him with a calm demeanor, ready to see who would last longer in this stalemate. Trying to mask his anger with a veneer of gentleness, Caspian offered, “Let’s go have dinner. I’ve picked out your favorite diner.”