Chapter 3

JENNIE POV:

Jennie woke up already irritated.

Not “ugh I don’t wanna get up” irritated.

More like I am being forced into a fake marriage with the most annoying woman alive and now I have to be seen in public before I’ve even had coffee irritated.

Which, honestly, felt valid.

She stayed in bed for a full minute just staring at the ceiling, trying to decide if she could fake her own disappearance.

Not death. That would be too dramatic.

Just… vanish for like three business days.

Enough time for her family to panic, Lisa to get dragged into chaos, and maybe the whole arrangement to collapse under its own stupidity.

Unfortunately, life was hateful and practical, so that was not an option.

Her phone buzzed on the nightstand.

Jennie reached for it with zero enthusiasm.

Lisa: 

awake?

Jennie stared at the screen.

Then at the ceiling.

Then back at the screen.

The audacity of her to be texting this early like they were normal people in a normal situation.

Jennie:

no.

Three dots appeared instantly.

Lisa: 

wow. texting me from the afterlife.  how romantic.

Jennie rolled her eyes and sat up.

Jennie: 

if u use the word romantic again i’m blocking u.

Lisa: 

you still won’t block me though.

Jennie narrowed her eyes at the screen.

She hated that Lisa was already talking like she knew things.

Because she kind of did.

That was part of the problem.

They weren’t strangers. They weren’t even acquaintances in the distant rich-people-networking way.

They had history.

Annoying, unresolved, deeply inconvenient history.

The kind built out of too many events, too many arguments, too many looks held for one second too long.

Jennie threw the blanket off and dragged herself toward the bathroom.

She was brushing her teeth when her phone buzzed again.

Lisa:

i’m picking u up in 40

wear something expensive so people respect our suffering

Jennie almost laughed.

Almost.

Jennie:

i hope ur coffee tastes bad today.

Lisa:

mean.

still picking u up tho wifey.

Jennie froze with her toothbrush in hand.

Then immediately scowled at herself in the mirror.

“Absolutely not,” she muttered through toothpaste foam.

She rinsed, wiped her mouth, and stared at her closet like it had personally offended her.

What was she even supposed to wear for this?

Something polished, obviously.

Something that said I’m not happy to be here but I’m still better dressed than everyone in the room.

Something that wouldn’t let Lisa think she had put in effort specifically for her.

Which was ridiculous.

Because she was not dressing for Lisa.

She was dressing for optics. For survival. For self-respect.

Not for the way Lisa always looked at her like she was trying to solve a problem she secretly enjoyed having.

Jennie stood there for another thirty seconds.

Then pulled out a fitted black dress, a cropped cream blazer, and heels sharp enough to count as emotional self-defense.

Perfect.

If she had to suffer, she would at least suffer beautifully.

By the time she finished getting ready, she looked exactly how she wanted to look: composed, expensive, and just intimidating enough to make small talk physically difficult for others.

Her phone buzzed again.

Lisa: 

downstairs.

 and if u make me wait i’ll tell everyone u had a crush on me first.

Jennie grabbed her bag so fast it almost counted as violence.

The second she stepped outside, she regretted everything.

Because Lisa was standing beside the car looking—

Annoying.

She looked annoying.

That was the official word.

Not hot.

Not unfair.

Not stupidly good in dark trouser and an open-collar shirt under a structured black coat like she had been handcrafted in a lab to ruin Jennie’s peace.

Just annoying.

Very annoying.

Lisa looked up the moment she saw her and smiled like she had just won something.

And for some reason, that irritated Jennie even more.

“Wow,” Lisa said, looking her over with zero shame. “You dressed like you’re either going to a press event or a murder trial.”

Jennie walked past her and opened the passenger door. “Maybe both.”

Lisa laughed softly and got into the driver’s seat.

The inside of the car smelled like expensive leather, coffee, and Lisa’s perfume.

Jennie hated that she recognized it instantly.

She clicked her seatbelt on and stared straight ahead.

Lisa started the car.

For a whole minute, neither of them said anything.

Which somehow made everything worse.

Jennie could feel Lisa’s presence too much in the silence.

Too aware of the way her rings clicked softly against the steering wheel.

Too aware of the way she drove with one hand like she had no stress in her life whatsoever.

Too aware of the fact that this was the first time they’d ever really been alone without a crowd around them or some event to interrupt.

It felt too intimate for something so stupid.

Jennie hated that thought immediately.

“So,” Lisa said finally, glancing at her. “You look deeply thrilled.”

Jennie turned slowly. “I am in hell.”

Lisa nodded thoughtfully. “Yeah, me too. But at least hell has good lighting.”

Jennie looked away before she smiled.

Which was a mistake, because now she was looking out the window pretending she hadn’t almost smiled at Lisa’s dumb joke like a complete traitor.

“This is not funny,” she said.

“It kind of is.”

“No, it’s not.”

Lisa shrugged. “Okay, fine. It’s only a little funny.”

Jennie crossed her arms. “You’re enjoying this too much.”

“I’m enjoying you being dramatic about it.”

Jennie let out a dry laugh. “Please. I’m being very normal.”

Lisa glanced at her, then back at the road. “You threatened me with emotional violence before 9 a.m.”

“That is normal.”

“For you, maybe.”

Jennie stared at her profile for a second.

She hated how easy Lisa looked.

Not careless exactly. More like… comfortable inside chaos.

Like she could stand in the middle of a disaster and still make it look entertaining.

Jennie had always hated that.

Also maybe admired it a little.

Which was disgusting.

She looked away quickly.

Lisa noticed. Of course she did.

“You were staring.”

Jennie’s head snapped back toward her. “I was not.”

“You literally were.”

“I was judging your driving.”

Lisa smiled without looking at her. “And?”

“And it’s annoying.”

“That doesn’t even mean anything.”

“It means I don’t like it.”

“You don’t like anything.”

Jennie opened her mouth.

Closed it.

Opened it again.

Then scowled because Lisa had a point and that was unacceptable.

Lisa laughed under her breath.

Jennie hated that laugh too.

Not because it was bad.

Because it did stupid things to her stomach.

She took a breath and reached for the coffee in the cup holder beside her.

Then paused.

It was her order.

Exactly her order.

She looked down at it.

Then slowly at Lisa.

“…Did you get this for me?”

Lisa kept her eyes on the road. “No, actually. A coffee fairy flew through my sunroof and left it there.”

Jennie blinked once.

Then twice.

“Why do you know my order?”

Lisa shrugged one shoulder like it was no big deal.

“You get the same thing every time.”

Jennie frowned. “No, I don’t.”

Lisa gave her a look. “Jennie.”

Jennie paused.

Because maybe she did.

But that wasn’t the point.

“The point,” she said carefully, “is that you shouldn’t know that.”

Lisa hummed. “And yet.”

Jennie stared at her.

Lisa smiled, very slightly.

And suddenly the coffee felt dangerous.

Not because of the caffeine.

Because it meant Lisa paid attention.

Too much attention.

Enough to remember things Jennie had never directly told her.

Enough to make Jennie’s chest feel weird in a way she absolutely refused to examine.

She picked up the cup and took a sip just to avoid saying something stupid.

It was perfect.

Which somehow made it worse.

Lisa glanced at her again. “You’re welcome.”

Jennie swallowed.

“I didn’t say thank you.”

“You thought it.”

“No, I didn’t.”

Lisa’s mouth twitched. “Sure.”

Jennie looked out the window again and decided, for the sake of her own dignity, that she was done speaking for at least five minutes.

That lasted about forty seconds.

“What exactly is this event?” she asked.

“Breakfast reception. Family board friends. A few investors. Some press.”

Jennie turned to her slowly. “Press?”

Lisa nodded.

Jennie stared.

“Press.”

“Yeah.”

“As in cameras.”

“Usually that’s what press means.”

Jennie pressed a hand to her forehead. “I hate everybody.”

Lisa laughed.

“No, seriously,” Jennie said. “Why is there press?”

“Because apparently the families want to introduce us as a united front before the engagement announcement goes fully public.”

Jennie turned in her seat. “The what?”

Lisa winced slightly. “Oh.”

Jennie narrowed her eyes. “Oh?”

Lisa kept driving. “I may have assumed you knew.”

“Knew what?“

Lisa looked at her for one second too long before returning her attention to the road.

“That technically this is being treated as a pre-marriage engagement period before the legal ceremony.”

Jennie stared at her in silence.

Then laughed once.

Not because it was funny.

Because she was one inconvenience away from becoming a criminal.

“You’re telling me,” she said very calmly, “that not only am I being forced into a fake marriage, but now there’s also a fake engagement rollout?”

Lisa nodded slowly. “That seems to be the vibe.”

Jennie sank back into her seat and looked at the ceiling of the car like she was asking the universe for strength.

“This is so humiliating.”

Lisa bit back a smile.

Jennie saw it.

“Don’t.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“You’re smiling.”

“I’m not.”

“You are literally smiling.”

Lisa’s shoulders shook once.

Jennie pointed at her. “You think this is funny.”

Lisa finally gave in and laughed.

And Jennie—against all moral logic—almost laughed too.

Which was honestly the most humiliating part.

By the time they arrived at the venue, Jennie had fully accepted that the day was going to be terrible.

Not catastrophic.

Just aggressively annoying in a thousand small ways.

The event was being held at one of the Kim family’s private cultural foundation properties downtown.

Meaning it was sleek, expensive, full of polished marble and people pretending not to gossip while actively gossiping.

The moment the car stopped, Jennie saw at least six cameras outside.

She closed her eyes briefly.

“No.”

Lisa turned off the engine and looked at her.

“Jennie.”

“No.”

“It’ll be fine.”

Jennie turned to her. “Do I look like someone who wants to hear ‘it’ll be fine’ right now?”

Lisa studied her for a second.

Then, unexpectedly, her expression softened just a little.

“No,” she said. “You look like someone who wants to set the building on fire.”

Jennie stared.

And before she could stop herself, she laughed.

A real one.

Short, but real.

Lisa looked way too pleased with herself.

Jennie immediately hated that.

“Don’t get excited,” she said.

Lisa grinned. “Too late.”

A staff member was already moving toward the car.

Jennie exhaled sharply. “Okay. Rules.”

Lisa raised a brow. “Rules?”

“Yes. We need rules.”

Lisa leaned one elbow against the center console and turned toward her fully, suddenly looking way too interested.

“Go on.”

Jennie held up one finger.

“No weird comments in front of cameras.”

Lisa opened her mouth.

Jennie raised a second finger.

“No touching me for dramatic effect.”

Lisa’s face did something very unhelpful.

Jennie ignored it.

“And no calling me wifey in public.”

Lisa’s smile got worse.

“That’s your rule list?”

“That’s the survival list.”

Lisa tilted her head. “Okay.”

Jennie narrowed her eyes. “Okay?”

“Yeah.”

“That easy?”

Lisa smiled slowly. “I’ll follow your rules if you follow one of mine.”

Jennie already didn’t like this.

“What.”

Lisa leaned in just slightly.

Close enough that Jennie could smell her perfume again.

Close enough that Jennie’s brain briefly stopped functioning in a useful way.

“Don’t run.”

Jennie blinked.

“What?”

Lisa’s voice dropped a little.

“Today. In there. When it gets annoying or fake or too much. Don’t shut down and disappear on me.”

Jennie just stared at her.

Because the problem was… Lisa said it lightly.

But not lightly enough.

There was something under it.

Something too aware.

Too observant.

Too real.

And Jennie did not have the emotional bandwidth for that at 9:50 in the morning.

So obviously, she did the only thing she could do.

She rolled her eyes.

“I’m not a flight risk.”

Lisa gave her a look.

Jennie glared. “Shut up.”

Lisa smiled. “That’s not a no.”

Jennie grabbed her bag and opened the door. “I already regret being perceived with you.”

Lisa got out on the other side, laughing quietly.

And somehow, that made Jennie feel just a tiny bit less like she was walking to her execution.

Which was… deeply unfortunate.

The second they stepped onto the pavement, cameras started clicking.

Jennie’s spine straightened automatically.

Years of media training kicked in before her brain could complain.

Chin up. Shoulders back. Controlled expression. Small smile.

Beside her, Lisa adjusted seamlessly too.

It annoyed Jennie how good she was at this.

Not because Lisa was fake.

Because she wasn’t.

She just knew how to weaponize charm better than most people weaponized actual power.

Which was terrifying.

And, again, unfairly attractive.

They had barely taken three steps before someone from the press called out:

“Jennie! Lisa! How does it feel to be working together officially?”

Jennie smiled with all the warmth of an expensive knife.

“It’s a meaningful partnership between our families.”

Lisa, without missing a beat, added, “And apparently we’re surviving it.”

A few people laughed.

Jennie turned her head just enough to glare at her while still smiling.

Lisa kept looking ahead like she had done nothing wrong.

Jennie wanted to elbow her.

Instead, they kept walking.

At the entrance, Lisa’s hand hovered briefly near the small of Jennie’s back to guide her through the crowd.

Not touching.

Just there.

Close enough to make Jennie suddenly very aware of her own breathing.

She hated that too.

Inside, the room was already full.

Board members. Family friends. Investors. Socialites. People with too much money and not enough hobbies.

Jennie immediately spotted her mother near the center of the room.

Perfect posture. Elegant dress. Controlled smile.

The look she gave Jennie was subtle but clear:

Behave.

Jennie wanted to do the opposite on purpose.

Lisa leaned toward her slightly and murmured, “Your eye just twitched.”

Jennie smiled through clenched teeth. “Keep talking and I’ll make it your problem.”

Lisa bit back a laugh.

Unfortunately, Jennie noticed.

Unfortunately, she liked making Lisa laugh.

Which was a deeply cursed realization to have before breakfast.

A woman from one of the foundation boards approached them with an overly bright smile.

“Oh, you two look wonderful together.”

Jennie’s soul left her body.

Lisa smiled graciously. “Thank you.”

The woman clasped her hands. “Honestly, when I heard the news, I thought—well. Of course. It makes perfect sense.”

Jennie blinked politely.

Because what did that even mean?

What exactly was giving “of course” here?

The unresolved tension?

The public bickering?

The years of mutual irritation that had apparently looked romantic from the outside?

Horrifying.

The woman kept going. “You’ve always had such an interesting dynamic.”

Jennie nearly choked on air.

Lisa, traitor that she was, looked like she was trying not to laugh.

Jennie turned to her with a smile that absolutely counted as a threat.

“Interesting,” she repeated flatly.

The woman nodded enthusiastically. “Yes! So much chemistry.”

Jennie stared.

Lisa looked down for half a second, shoulders moving once.

That was it.

Jennie was going to kill her.

Not here.

Later.

But still.

“Thank you,” Jennie said smoothly. “That’s… very generous.”

The woman wandered off eventually, leaving behind emotional damage and the scent of expensive perfume.

Jennie turned to Lisa immediately.

“Don’t.”

Lisa looked innocent. “I didn’t say anything.”

“You were about to.”

“I wasn’t.”

“You literally looked like you were going to pass out from holding it in.”

Lisa finally lost it and laughed quietly into her coffee.

Jennie glared at her.

“This is not funny.”

Lisa shook her head, still smiling. “No, it really is.”

Jennie wanted to be offended.

But then she looked at Lisa properly.

Really looked.

At the way her eyes crinkled slightly when she laughed.

At the way she kept angling herself toward Jennie without seeming to notice.

At the fact that she looked… happy.

Not at the event.

Not at the cameras.

At this.

At them.

And for one weird, disorienting second, Jennie forgot how to be annoyed.

Which was a huge problem.

Because Lisa looked up and caught her staring.

Again.

And this time, she definitely noticed.

Her smile shifted into something slower.

More knowing.

More dangerous.

Jennie immediately looked away.

“Stop making that face,” she muttered.

“What face?”

“That one.”

Lisa leaned in slightly. “You’ll have to be more specific. I have many faces.”

Jennie took a sip of coffee to avoid answering.

Lisa watched her over the rim of her own cup.

And suddenly the room felt warmer than it should have.

God.

This was going to be a very long day.

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this is the end of chapter 3, i hope you enjoy jennie and lisa bickering moments

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thanks for reading