The covers shifted with a soft rustle as Emily pushed them aside and sat up. Morning light brushed across her face, gentler than the night had been.
"I should go" Emily said
Across the bed, Jennie stretched, slow and unhurried, a quiet sigh slipping out as tension left her shoulders. Fingers brushed over sleepy eyes before settling.
"Yeah… you probably should. Before we're both late."
A small laugh escaped Emily as her feet touched the floor. "Don't forget, grey today. Miss Lily already tagged everything. She plans these things like her life depends on it."
"Of course she does," Jennie murmured, a faint smile tugging at her heartshaped lips.
Emily paused at the door, hand resting lightly against it. Silence lingered for a moment.
"We'll be okay?"
Jennie tilted her head, gaze steady. "It's just another day, right?"
A short breath. "Right."
Still, Emily didn't move immediately. Her eyes lingered, taking in the quiet composure.
"Go," came the soft nudge, paired with a lazy wave. "Before you actually get into trouble."
A small shake of the head, amused. Then the door opened, closed, and she was gone.Silence settled in gently, Jennie stood for a moment, exhaling softly before turning toward the bathroom,the tap clicked, water began to run into tub.she leaned against the counter, her eyes lifted to the mirror. A familiar face stared back,rounded cheeks that softened her features, a diamond-shaped face that held everything together neatly, a quiet balance of delicate and defined.
A faint huff. "You'll be fine."
Steam crept upward, blurring edges until the reflection dissolved into shape and shadow. Warmth wrapped around her the moment she stepped in the water.It drew a slow breath out of her, easing the stiffness in her body.
A deeper breath followed.
She didn't rush,her hands moved slowly absentmindedly as water slipped along her skin, over her shoulders, down a frame petite but with a natural curve that gave her presence more weight than her size suggested.
Time passed without measure,she just sat there, letting her loud thoughts overwhelm her quietly.By the time she stepped out, the mirror was fully fogged.
Her palm pressed against it, clearing just enough space and she leaned in slightly .
Dark brown eyes met her own.
Soft lips.
A face that felt Composed, almost convincingly.
"That's better."
Back in her room, movement returned with purpose.The wardrobe stood open, simple and uncluttered.Her hand hovered briefly, then stilled on matte navy gown.
A quiet hum. "Hmm." Pulling it feel from the wardrobe, she stepped into it, adjusting it along her hips ,the fabric slipped free.The gown fell into place effortlessly, hugging just enough, smoothing over her curves without trying too hard. Clean lines. Quiet confidence. The low neckline said enough without asking for attention.
She turned, checking her reflection
"Yeah… this works."
She slipped on her heels followed, taking a few steps across the room.she sat in front of her vanity mirror, her braids were still neat yet her fingers reached up, gathering braids with practiced ease.
Twisting .
Wrapping.
Securing her bun.
Clean and away from her face.
A slight tilt of her head. A final check.
"Simple," she said softly. "That's fine." A small smile followed as she looked at the mirror one last time .The smile from earlier was gone now, but something steadier had replaced it quietly.She turned off the light,the room dimmed behind her as she stepped toward the door.The hallway greeted her the same way it always did, polished floors catching morning light, carved walls stretching endlessly on either side.
Her heels met the floor in a soft, measured rhythm.Step by step, the space narrowed, guiding her toward the Young Master's study.
Then something shifted.
The doors were open.
Jennie slowed.
Voices drifted out, low and layered. Calm on the surface, tense underneath,Closer now and then stillness,Controlled conversation. The kind that meant people were trying to sound calm while staying alert.
Jennie stepped closer.
And then she saw them.
A small gathering of all the staff including Emily.Staff positioned neatly along the sides of the room, not scattered, not relaxed rather placed deliberately .But all of them were facing inward.
Waiting.
Jennie paused just at the threshold.
Her fingers tightened slightly , then relaxed again.
Inside, the room felt colder than the hallway.Not in temperature,In attention.
Every presence there seemed to settle differently as if the space itself had been divided between those who were simply present… and whatever they were all waiting for.
Jennie stepped in anyway quietly,smoothly,her heels barely marked the transition from corridor to room, but the shift in atmosphere was immediate.A few eyes flicked toward her.Then away,then back again, slower this time.
Acknowledging.
Measuring.
She didn't stop walking.
Just moved forward, threading through the space with calm precision until she reached the edge of the group where Emily was.
And only then did she notice like something important had already begun… and she had simply arrived at the middle of it Jennie's steps slowed, not from hesitation, but from instinct.
The air had changed,at the center of it all, Young Master Jacob ,Not merely seated, but placed as though the chair beneath him had been designed for this exact moment. One leg crossed over the other, posture relaxed in a way that felt deliberate, controlled. A file rested in his hand, the edges aligned too neatly, his fingers tapping against it in a rhythm that was almost absent-minded.
Behind him stood Mr. Reg and Miss Lily.
Mr. Reg's expression was as composed as ever, unreadable, his hands folded neatly behind his back. Miss Lily, however, was something else entirely her face smooth and emptied of anything human enough to interpret. Not anger. Not concern.Just… ..stillness.
Jennie's gaze shifted,and then she saw her ,Sophia On her knees.The sight didn't arrive all at once ,it settled slowly, like something her mind had to accept in pieces. The way Sophia's shoulders curled inward, as if trying to make herself smaller. The faint tremble in her arms where they rested against her thighs. The discoloration along her cheekbone, bruised skin blooming under the soft light. A split at the corner of her lip, not fresh, but not healed either.
Her head was lowered.
Not out of respect.
Out of fear.
A quiet breath slipped through Jennie's nose,Somewhere to her left, fabric shifted, Emily.