Chapter 168: Not Just His Sister

Chapter 168: Chapter 168: Not Just His Sister

The woman turned her head. Her eyes locked onto Zoya.

Jackson followed her gaze and his face broke into a bright, easy smile. He released his grip on the woman’s waist and took a step back.

"Zoya."

Zoya walked forward. Her heels clicked rhythmically against the hardwood floor.

"I see you have been busy," Zoya said.

Jackson reached out and pulled Zoya into his side, kissing her cheek. He gestured to the woman standing in front of them.

"This is Janice," Jackson said. "My adopted sister."

Zoya felt her eyebrows lift just a fraction. She kept her face neutral. She had dated this man for a significant amount of time. They were planning a wedding. He had never once mentioned having an adopted sister.

Janice did not offer a warm smile. She did not reach out for a hug. She looked Zoya up and down, her dark eyes evaluating every inch of the green dress.

"So you’re Zoya," Janice said.

Not it is so nice to meet you. Not Jackson has told me so much about you.

Just a flat, assessing statement.

Zoya caught the tone immediately. She was a trial lawyer. She lived on subtext. She offered a polite, razor-sharp smile.

"And you are Janice."

Janice tilted her head. "How long have you two been together?"

"Long enough to get engaged," Zoya answered smoothly.

Janice let out a small, breathless laugh. She looked at Jackson. "He never used to stay interested in anyone for this long. You must be very persistent."

The implication hung in the air.

Zoya did not flinch. "I am."

Jackson laughed, completely oblivious to the frost forming between the two women. He slung an arm around Janice’s shoulders and gave her a familiar squeeze.

"She is relentless," Jackson agreed, looking at Zoya with pure affection. He turned back to Janice. "You didn’t tell me you were flying in this early."

"I wanted to surprise you," Janice said. She leaned into his space, resting her hand on his chest.

Jackson treated her exactly like family. He asked about her flight. He joked about her luggage. He ruffled her dark hair. To him, this was innocent. His sister was home.

Zoya stood two feet away, watching them. She was not imagining things. Janice was not looking at Jackson like a brother. The prolonged touches, the tilted chin, the lingering eye contact. It was subtle, but Zoya saw the exact shape of it.

Janice stepped back from Jackson and looked at Zoya again.

"Jackson has always been terrible at taking care of himself," Janice noted. "I usually have to step in and fix his messes."

"Fortunately, he is an adult now," Zoya said.

Janice smiled. It did not reach her eyes. "You seem confident."

"I usually am."

Jackson checked his watch. "I need to go grab the table before my parents get here. Do you both want a drink?"

"White wine," Zoya said.

"I’ll have what you’re having," Janice told Jackson.

He nodded and walked toward the bar.

The moment he was out of earshot, the polite veneer cracked.

"He is marrying me," Zoya stated.

She did not say it with arrogance. She said it like a judge reading a verdict.

Janice crossed her arms. "A ring is just a piece of jewelry. Jackson acts on impulse. He always has."

"We are booking a venue, Janice. That takes a bit more than impulse."

"We will see."

Before Zoya could dismantle that argument, a cheerful voice echoed near the hostess stand.

"Jackson!"

Luca and Andrea had arrived.

The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly. Jackson walked over with the drinks and pulled his mother into a tight hug. He shook his father’s hand.

Andrea pulled away from her son and her eyes found Zoya. Her face lit up with genuine warmth. She bypassed Janice entirely and walked straight toward Zoya, wrapping her in a firm, affectionate hug.

"Finally," Andrea said, pulling back to look at her. "We get to meet you properly."

Zoya blinked. She had expected an interrogation. She had braced herself for a cold, calculating matriarch. Instead, Andrea was practically beaming.

Luca stepped up right behind his wife. He offered Zoya a warm, grounded handshake.

"Jackson has not stopped talking about you," Luca said. "We have been looking forward to this."

"Thank you," Zoya replied, feeling some of the tension leave her shoulders. "It is wonderful to meet you both."

Out of the corner of her eye, Zoya watched Janice.

Janice was standing near the booth. Her jaw was tight. She did not look pleased by the warm reception.

Jackson walked over and handed Janice her drink. "You okay? You look tired from the flight."

Zoya took a sip of her wine and watched Jackson remain completely oblivious to the tension sitting right in front of him.

They all moved to the private dining table.

The dinner conversation flowed easily. Luca asked Zoya thoughtful questions about her recent corporate cases. Andrea wanted to know all the wedding details. Zoya told them about the disastrous venue tours, and Andrea laughed until she spilled a drop of wine on the tablecloth.

Jackson sat between them, looking incredibly relieved that his parents adored his fiancée.

Janice refused to fade into the background. Every time Zoya spoke, Janice found a way to insert herself into Jackson’s past.

"Jackson used to do that when we were kids," Janice said, interrupting a story about his work habits.

"When we were younger, Jackson always relied on me for that," she added ten minutes later.

Zoya listened. She ate her salad. She did not interrupt.

Then Janice crossed the line.

Andrea was asking about their demanding work schedules.

"Jackson has always needed someone who truly understands him," Janice announced to the table. She looked right at Zoya. "Someone who knows his history. He doesn’t do well with strangers."

The table went quiet.

Zoya set her fork down. She met Janice’s gaze without blinking.

"I am sure he does," Zoya responded calmly. "Fortunately, we are getting married. We will have plenty of time to learn each other."

Andrea hid a knowing smile behind her wine glass. Luca cleared his throat and asked Jackson about a recent contract negotiation.

Janice’s smile turned brittle.

An hour later, Jackson and Luca stood up to speak with the sommelier near the wine cellar. Andrea excused herself to the restroom.

Zoya remained seated at the table.

Janice slid into the empty chair right next to her. The public act vanished.

"You really think you are going to marry him?" Janice asked. Her voice was low and cold.

Zoya looked at her. "Yes."

"He doesn’t belong in your rigid little corporate world," Janice said. "He belongs with people who actually know him. People who have been there since the beginning."

Zoya did not get angry. She did not raise her voice. She looked at the woman sitting next to her and felt a brief flash of pity.

"Knowing someone longer doesn’t mean knowing them better," Zoya said.

She stood up from the table and smoothed the front of her green dress. She looked down at Janice one last time before turning away.

She took two steps toward the wine cellar just as Jackson walked back into the room.

He looked between the two women. The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a steak knife.

"What were you two talking about?" Jackson asked.

Zoya looked over her shoulder. Janice was smiling innocently, swirling the last drop of wine in her glass.

Zoya smiled back.

"Nothing important," Zoya said.

Jackson accepted the answer and reached for her hand.

Zoya let him weave his fingers through hers. She squeezed his hand once, then looked back at Janice.

Janice was still smiling.

This was not a misunderstanding.

This was not a protective sister looking out for her brother.

Janice genuinely saw her as an obstacle.

And Zoya had never lost a case.