Chapter 21

JENNIE POV:

The peace in the kitchen lasted exactly eleven minutes.

Jennie was eating her second strawberry, finally starting to relax and enjoy the quiet morning, when both of their phones on the counter started ringing at the exact same time. The sound was loud and aggressive. It was the specific ringtone they used only for family business. Or, worse, Mrs. Kim.

Jennie and Lisa looked at each other, the easy mood between them vanishing in a second. Jennie let out a soft sigh, reached out, and tapped the answer button on her phone.

“Jennie, darling, Lalisa, I hope you are both awake and looking pretty,” Mrs. Kim’s voice came through the speaker. It sounded very calm, very elegant, but completely strict. There was no room for negotiation.

“Good morning, Mother,” Jennie said, instantly switching back to her serious, cold business voice. She straightened her posture against the counter. “We are currently busy looking at work reports from last night’s party and—”

“The work reports are great, which is why we need to move fast,” Mrs. Kim cut her off smoothly, not caring about Jennie’s explanation. “The photos in the news from last night were good, but now the public wants to see something different. They want to see you two looking like a real, happy couple at home. The board of directors thinks a formal office photo looks too fake and stiff. We need a photoshoot that looks sweet, warm, and real.”

Lisa leaned closer to the phone, still holding a piece of French bread in her hand. “Good morning, Mrs. Kim. What exactly do we need to do today?”

“Lalisa, sweetie,” Mrs. Kim said in a very nice but scary tone. “It means you have exactly two hours to get ready. I have already booked a beautiful private greenhouse studio in Seongbuk-dong. The photography team from Harper’s Bazaar is already there setting up the lights. This is your official post-engagement photoshoot.”

Jennie gripped her fork tightly, her knuckles turning white. “Mother, this was not on the schedule for today. We have important meetings with the directors from Europe to discuss the new shipping lines.”

“The meetings have been moved to Tuesday, Jennie. Your father and I agree that we need to take these photos right now, while everyone in the city is still talking about the engagement party. The style today is ‘The Real Life of the Couple.’ Soft lights, natural flowers, real feelings.” Mrs. Kim made a little hum over the phone. “Oh, and Lalisa? Please make sure you wear a shirt with a proper collar this time. No more bare chest. Last night was fun for the press, but today we need to look safe, serious, and stable. See you both at noon.”

The phone went dead with a loud, sharp beep.

The kitchen became completely quiet again. Jennie stared at her dark phone screen, her jaw tight. The happy, warm feeling from five minutes ago was totally gone, replaced by the heavy weight of her family’s endless demands.

“Well,” Lisa said, breaking the silence as she tossed her phone onto the counter. She cleaned the bread crumbs off her fingers with a napkin. “Looks like our quiet Sunday is over. We have to go pretend to be a sweet, real couple for the world again.”

“This is too much,” Jennie muttered, standing up from the barstool. The big charcoal hoodie, which had felt so safe and comfortable a minute ago, now felt like a problem. It reminded her too much of the girl standing next to her. “They are moving the timeline too fast. Looking like a sweet couple at home requires us to act… closer than we are. It requires a different kind of acting.”

Lisa stood up too. She walked around the kitchen island and stood right in front of Jennie, blocking her path. She didn’t let Jennie hide in her own stressful thoughts. “Hey. Look at me, boss.”

Jennie stopped and lifted her dark, cat-like eyes to look at Lisa’s calm face.

“It’s just a camera,” Lisa said softly, giving her a real, sweet smile that didn’t have any of her usual sarcastic shields. She reached out and gently pulled the long, oversized sleeve of the hoodie Jennie was wearing, bringing Jennie’s attention back to her. “We spent the last month hiding from two hundred flashing cameras at the hotel. We can handle a quiet greenhouse with some flowers.”

“It’s not the cameras I am worried about, Lalisa,” Jennie whispered. Her voice sounded very small, honest, and completely tired of pretending.

“I know,” Lisa said softly, her voice dropping to a lower, deeper register. Her eyes dropped to Jennie’s lips for a quick, agonizing second before snapping back up. The memory of their hot rooftop kiss from last night felt very heavy, very real, and very dangerous between them in the bright kitchen light. “But like you said… we have a story to sell to the shareholders. Go change your clothes, wifey. Let’s go give them what they want.”

Jennie swallowed hard. Being this close to Lisa always made her feel weak, confused, and completely out of control. She nodded once, turned around, and walked back to her bedroom in Wing A. Her heart was already beating fast, nervous for the day ahead because she knew keeping her walls up today was going to be almost impossible.

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