Her Purpose || Kai Parker

Chapter 24

The following week, Caroline and Estrella busied themselves organizing Miss Mystic Falls, with Estrella deciding to take part in the event.

As the preparations unfolded, Estrella found herself teasing Klaus about his growing interest in Caroline, amused by the subtle tension.

She was also surprised by how differently Elena seemed to act around Damon lately—there was an unspoken connection between them that hadn’t been there before.

Curious, she mentioned it to Caroline and Stefan, both of whom were just as confused as she was by Elena's behavior.

Meanwhile, Damon, Bonnie, and Elena set off to meet Professor Shane, hoping to gain more insight into the mysterious Five Hunters.

In the meantime, Stefan and Estrella visited Klaus. Upon their arrival, Klaus greeted Estrella with an unexpected embrace, pulling her close as he smiled down at her with a fondness that made Stefan arch an eyebrow in mild surprise.

Inside, they found Connor chained up, his face defiant despite his restraints.

"Tell us about the Five Hunters," Stefan demanded, his voice steady but curious.

Klaus, ever the strategist, smirked. "Oh, Rebekah can explain it better than I ever could. But you might want to convince her to meet with me first."

His eyes glinted with amusement as he continued. "Persuade her, Stefan, and I’ll share the entire story."

With the tension simmering, Klaus took the opportunity to rekindle his bond with Estrella over their shared love for painting.

As they sat side by side, brushes in hand, he spoke passionately about the world’s most prestigious art galleries and their rare collections.

Estrella, genuinely intrigued, let out a soft laugh of disbelief when Klaus casually mentioned that some of his own works were displayed in those very galleries.

“Really?” she teased, her tone light with a hint of skepticism. “And you were the same person who couldn’t even plump the plants properly to mix color.”

Klaus's smirk widened, his eyes glinting with mischief. “As I recall, love, I was the one scouring the forests for those pigments while someone else was too afraid to go wandering alone.”

He winked, adding, “Finding the right minerals was a pure talent, you know.”

Before she could protest, Klaus cheekily dabbed a bit of blue paint on her face, his laughter echoing through the room as Estrella gasped in mock indignation.

“Hey!” she protested, swiping at his hand but failing to retaliate as Klaus held her wrist playfully, preventing her from smearing paint on him.

Their moment of teasing was interrupted when Stefan and Rebekah entered the room.

Estrella and Rebekah shared a warm hug, but Rebekah couldn’t resist a jab. “Has Nik dragged you into another one of his schemes? You poor girl.”

Together, they made their way to Connor, who remained chained up.

Rebekah, ever skeptical, eyed him with suspicion. "Is this a trick? How do you even know he's one of the Five? Where’s the bloody tattoo?"

Klaus, unbothered, shrugged. “Oh, the tattoos aren't visible on this lot like they were on the last. But Estella can see them, which makes her quite useful.”

He then motioned for them to follow him, adding casually, “Let's eat.”

The group soon found themselves seated around a table, a pretty girl serving them their food.