Jade stepped inside the house as quietly as she could, hoping no one would notice how exhausted she looked. The front door had barely clicked shut when Charlotte hurried toward her from the living room. Her dark curls bounced around her shoulders and the worry written across her face was impossible to miss.
Charlotte asked, relief and frustration mixing in her voice. "Where have you been, Jade? Do you know how worried we were? You weren't answering your phone!"
Jade froze for a heartbeat.
Only then did she notice Damien standing a few steps away.
He leaned against the wall with one hand tucked into his pocket. His expression was as cold and unreadable as ever but beneath that calmness, there was something else. His dark eyes focused on her for a second longer than necessary, carrying the faintest trace of concern that disappeared almost as quickly as it appeared.
Jade lowered her gaze, gently biting her lower lip.
Jade said softly. "I'm sorry... Well... I met a friend... and I was quite drunk, so he took me to his house."
The lie rolled off her tongue more easily than she expected.
She couldn't tell Charlotte the truth.
She couldn't possibly explain that she had spent the night inside a stranger's mansion... a stranger who owned a terrifying black panther that wandered around the house as if it were an ordinary pet.
Just remembering those golden eyes staring at her made a shiver run down her spine.
How was someone even allowed to keep a panther?
Charlotte blinked in surprise before a mischievous smile slowly spread across her face.
Charlotte repeated, wiggling her eyebrows. "...He? Who is he?"
Jade's cheeks warmed ever so slightly.
Charlotte knew she had never dated anyone. In fact, she had spent years burying herself in work after leaving Alford City. The idea of Jade spending the night at a man's house was enough to awaken every ounce of curiosity inside her.
Jade forced an awkward smile. "Well... I met him during a business trip a while ago. He's... a good guy."
Another lie.
She barely knew the mysterious man. She didn't even know why he had helped her.
She certainly didn't know enough to call him a good person.
The room fell strangely quiet.
Jade failed to notice the subtle change in Damien.
His jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.
The hand resting inside his pocket slowly curled into a fist.
His expression remained cold, but something dark flashed through his eyes before disappearing beneath his usual composure.
Charlotte, completely oblivious, clasped her hands together excitedly.
"Oh my God, Jade!" she gasped. "Don't tell me you've been secretly seeing someone all this time!"
Jade laughed nervously and shook her head. "No, it's not like that."
Charlotte wasn't convinced. "Then what's his name?" she asked eagerly.
Jade's smile froze.
Her mind went completely blank.
His... name?
She had never asked.
She knew he had a massive mansion, an impossibly calm voice, and a terrifying black panther that acted like an oversized cat.
But his name...
She had absolutely no idea.
Just as panic began creeping into her chest, Damien suddenly broke the silence.
Damien stated flatly, his deep voice sounding somewhat forced. "I'm heading home. My mother called. She's waiting for me."
Charlotte's attention shifted immediately. "Oh, right!" she said, walking over to him. "Drive safely, okay? Tell Aunt Sophia I'll visit her tomorrow."
Damien gave a slight nod.
His gaze drifted toward Jade for the briefest moment.
There was no smile.
Only an unreadable look that lingered for a heartbeat before he turned away and walked toward the front door.
The moment the door closed behind him, Jade quietly released the breath she had been holding.
She had escaped Charlotte's question.
For now.
Jade said softly, offering Charlotte a small, weary smile. "I'm tired... I'm going back to my room, if that's okay."
Charlotte, still distracted after Damien's sudden departure, nodded absentmindedly. "Of course. Get some rest. You still look exhausted."
Jade smiled gratefully before quietly making her way upstairs.
The moment she closed the bedroom door behind her, the smile disappeared from her face.
She leaned against the door for a few seconds, letting out a slow, shaky breath. Everything that had happened since returning to Alford City felt overwhelming. Meeting Damien again, pretending nothing had happened between them, lying to Charlotte, and then spending an entire night in the mansion of a mysterious man with a black panther... it all felt strangely unreal.
Without even bothering to change into comfortable clothes, she collapsed onto the soft bed. Her body was drained and her mind was too exhausted to keep fighting the endless storm of thoughts.
Within minutes, sleep claimed her.
She slept through the entire day.
The golden afternoon faded into evening, evening melted into night, and even the morning sunlight had already begun spilling through the curtains before Jade slowly opened her eyes again.
She blinked lazily, surprised to see bright daylight filling the room.
Jade murmured to herself in disbelief. "...I slept that long?"
After freshening up and changing into a comfortable cream-colored blouse with light blue jeans, she walked downstairs, where the delicious smell of breakfast filled the house.
Charlotte was already waiting at the dining table with a cup of coffee in one hand and her phone in the other.
Charlotte teased the moment she saw her. "There you are, Sleeping Beauty. I was starting to think you were hibernating."
Jade laughed softly, a little embarrassed. "I guess I was more tired than I realized."
Mrs. Evans placed a warm plate of pancakes in front of Jade with her usual affectionate smile. "Eat first, sweetheart. You look much better today."
"Thank you," Jade replied warmly.
The peaceful breakfast passed with light conversation until Charlotte suddenly clapped her hands together, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Oh! I almost forgot," Charlotte said.
Jade looked up curiously. "Where?"
Charlotte practically bounced in her seat. "To the boutique! My wedding dress is finally ready! I gave all my measurements a month ago, and today is my final fitting."
She clasped her hands dramatically beneath her chin. "You have to come with me, Jade. I need your opinion."
Jade hesitated for a brief moment before smiling gently. "Of course."
Charlotte beamed. "I knew you'd say yes! Now hurry up and finish eating. We have a very busy day ahead of us."
Jade smiled and nodded, though somewhere deep inside, an uncomfortable feeling settled in her chest.
Watching Charlotte try on the dress she would wear to marry Damien...
She wasn't sure her heart was ready for that.