Jay's POV
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🌙 Chapter: 29 February — Aftermath
The applause faded.
But the silence that followed—
was louder.
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It didn't feel like celebration anymore.
It felt like something had shifted… permanently.
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The music resumed.
Soft.
Elegant.
Controlled.
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But the room?
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Not the same.
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Whispers spread like wildfire.
Low voices.
Curious eyes.
Sharp glances.
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"Who is she?"
"Why hide her identity?"
"Since when does Watson follow conditions?"
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I stood exactly where I had been.
Still.
Calm.
Untouched.
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On the outside.
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Inside?
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A storm I refused to let anyone see.
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My fingers curled slightly at my sides before relaxing again.
Controlled.
Always controlled.
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Across the room—
he hadn't moved much either.
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Keifer.
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Still near the stage.
Still surrounded by people.
Still wearing that same composed expression.
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But I could see it.
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The tension in his shoulders.
The sharpness in his gaze.
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He wasn't calm.
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He was caged.
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Good.
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A slow exhale left me.
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"Enjoying the chaos?"
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I didn't turn.
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"I've seen better," I replied.
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Sebastian stepped beside me, a faint smirk on his face.
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"You just got engaged and that's your reaction?"
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"I've been through worse."
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"That's… concerning."
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I almost smiled.
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Almost.
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Before I could say anything else—
a hand extended in front of me.
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"May I have this dance?"
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I looked up.
Another heir.
Confident.
Careful.
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"No."
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Simple.
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He hesitated.
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"I insist."
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My eyes lifted slightly.
Cold.
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"I don't."
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He stepped back.
Smart.
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Another approached Chloe.
Rejected.
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Mia didn't even let one speak.
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"Don't."
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He left immediately.
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Aurora didn't even respond to hers.
Just looked at him—
and he walked away on his own.
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I exhaled softly.
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Pathetic.
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And yet—
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something shifted again.
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A presence.
Closer this time.
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Different.
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My breath slowed.
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Because I knew.
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Before he even spoke.
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"Dance with me."
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Not a question.
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I turned slowly.
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Keifer.
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Standing right in front of me.
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For a second—
just a second—
everything stilled.
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Mask to mask.
Eyes to eyes.
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He didn't recognize me.
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But he felt something.
I could see it.
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Good.
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My lips curved faintly.
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"Bold," I said.
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His gaze sharpened slightly.
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"Unnecessary words."
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Of course.
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I placed my hand in his.
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"Then don't waste them."
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The music shifted.
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Slower.
Deeper.
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And just like that—
we moved.
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His hand settled at my waist.
Firm.
Controlled.
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Mine rested lightly against his shoulder.
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Perfect distance.
Perfect rhythm.
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Perfect lie.
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"You don't follow rules," he said quietly.
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I tilted my head slightly.
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"Neither do you."
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A pause.
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His grip tightened—just slightly.
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"You don't belong here."
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I let out a soft breath.
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"And yet… here I am."
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He watched me carefully.
Studying.
Measuring.
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Something flickered in his eyes.
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Recognition?
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No.
Not yet.
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"You're hiding something," he said.
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I smiled faintly.
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"Aren't we all?"
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Silence.
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The kind that says more than words ever could.
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Around us—
the room blurred.
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But not entirely.
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Because I could still feel it.
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Eyes.
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Watching.
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Especially—
the ones who noticed him.
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The ones who noticed us.
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And I saw it.
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A shift.
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Irritation.
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Possessiveness.
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Confusion.
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He didn't like it.
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Didn't like the attention on me.
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Didn't like others looking.
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Interesting.
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"You're distracted," I said softly.
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"I'm observant."
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"Same thing."
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His jaw tightened slightly.
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"You talk too much."
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"And you don't talk enough."
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A beat.
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Then—
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"Have we met?"
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There it was.
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I felt it—
deep in my chest.
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That pull.
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That dangerous edge between truth and lie.
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I leaned slightly closer.
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"If we had…"
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Pause.
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"…you wouldn't have forgotten."
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And then—
I stepped back.
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Breaking the moment.
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Breaking him out of it.
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Before he could go further.
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Before I let myself go further.
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"Enjoy your engagement," I added lightly.
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And I walked away.
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Without looking back.
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Without waiting.
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Without giving him anything more.
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But I could feel it.
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His gaze—
following me.
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Good.
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Let him wonder.
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Let him feel it.
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Let him burn in confusion.
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Because I already had.
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I moved through the crowd, breath steady, expression calm.
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Until—
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"Jay."
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I stopped.
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Turned.
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Justice Veil.
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All of them.
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Waiting.
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Silent.
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That silence said everything.
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"You knew," I said.
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No one denied it.
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Mia crossed her arms.
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"We didn't have a choice."
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"You had a voice."
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Noah spoke quietly.
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"We thought it was better if you heard it there… officially."
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I laughed.
Soft.
Hollow.
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"Officially?" I repeated.
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Aurora stepped forward slightly.
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"We were trying to protect you."
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"By hiding it?"
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Silence.
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Exactly.
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Sebastian sighed.
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"Okay, yeah, that part sounds bad."
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I looked at all of them.
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One by one.
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Betrayal didn't always come from enemies.
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Sometimes—
it came from people who thought they were helping.
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I exhaled slowly.
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"Next time," I said quietly, "don't."
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They didn't reply.
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Because they knew.
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I turned—
and walked away.
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Again.
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But this time—
toward them.
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My parents.
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They were exactly where I left them.
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Calm.
Composed.
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Prepared.
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Of course.
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"You knew," I said.
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Not a question.
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Jasper didn't hesitate.
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"Yes."
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Reece stepped forward slightly.
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"It's good for you."
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That sentence again.
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I smiled.
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Not warm.
Not real.
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Just… controlled.
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"Of course it is."
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Power.
Alliance.
Future.
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Always the same reasons.
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Always the same justification.
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I nodded once.
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"Then let's not pretend this was my choice."
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A brief silence.
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Neither of them denied it.
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Good.
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I turned away—
but stopped halfway.
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Because chaos found me again.
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"WHY ARE YOU HERE?!"
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Percy.
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Loud.
Dramatic.
Panicking.
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His parents stood in front of him, looking mildly amused.
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"No one told me you were coming!" he continued. "Do you know how embarrassing this is?!"
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Sebastian was already laughing.
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"You're embarrassing yourself."
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"I am NOT—"
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"You are."
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Mia joined in.
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"This is better than the engagement."
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I huffed a small laugh.
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Even now—
chaos didn't stop.
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Good.
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It kept things… normal.
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But underneath it all—
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everything had changed.
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I looked back toward the stage.
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Toward him.
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Keifer.
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Still there.
Still controlled.
Still trapped.
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My lips curved slightly.
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If they turned my life into a deal—
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then I'd be the one who controls the contract.
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And this time—
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I wouldn't be the one losing.
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End of Chapter.
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