Chapter 4

LISA POV:

Lisa had expected Jennie to be difficult today.

What she had not expected was for her to look like that at 9 in the morning and still somehow act like she wasn’t actively ruining Lisa’s emotional stability.

Because seriously.

That dress?

That blazer?

That whole “I hate everyone here but I still look better than all of them” thing?

Actually disrespectful.

Lisa had almost forgotten how to speak when Jennie stepped outside.

Which was embarrassing.

Especially because she’d recovered just in time to make a joke instead of visibly short-circuiting like a loser.

Now they were inside, surrounded by cameras and rich people and fake smiles, and somehow Jennie still looked like the only thing worth paying attention to in the room.

This was becoming a problem.

Not a serious one.

Just… an inconveniently attractive one.

Lisa took a slow sip of coffee and watched Jennie politely threaten at least three people in the span of ten minutes using nothing but tone and eye contact.

It was genuinely impressive.

And maybe a little hot.

Okay. More than a little.

Jennie had this way of standing that always looked controlled, even when Lisa knew she was one sentence away from losing patience.

Like right now.

Her shoulders were relaxed.

Her expression was perfect.

But Lisa could tell she was already at least 63% done with the event.

And that made her weirdly fond.

Which was… no.

Nope.

Not unpacking that.

Lisa was saved from her own thoughts when one of the photographers asked them to move toward the floral wall for official pictures.

Jennie turned to her with the exact expression of someone being asked to enter a war zone.

Lisa smiled.

Jennie narrowed her eyes.

Lisa smiled wider.

“You’re enjoying this,” Jennie accused under her breath as they walked.

Lisa kept her expression innocent. “I’m enjoying your personality under pressure.”

“That’s not a real sentence.”

“It is if I say it confidently.”

Jennie gave her an impassive look that only made Lisa more amused.

When they reached the backdrop, the photographers immediately started directing them.

“Can you stand a little closer?”

Jennie visibly resisted the urge to commit crimes.

Lisa almost laughed.

They stepped closer.

Not touching.

But close enough that Lisa could feel warmth from Jennie’s arm.

Which was distracting in a way that felt medically unhelpful.

“Perfect,” one of the photographers said. “Now look at each other.”

Jennie turned her head slowly.

Like she was being held at gunpoint.

Lisa had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop smiling too hard.

Jennie’s cat like eyes met hers.

Sharp. Dark. Annoyed.

And way too pretty.

For one second, the noise of the room blurred out a little.

Not in a dramatic movie way.

More in a Lisa suddenly forgot she was supposed to act normal way.

Jennie blinked once.

Then her expression shifted slightly.

Just enough to say: If you make this weird, I’ll end you.

Lisa nearly smiled.

The camera clicked rapidly.

“Great! Hold that.”

Lisa leaned in just enough to make it look natural.

Jennie’s eyes widened a bit.

Very small.

But Lisa noticed.

Of course she did.

Because she noticed everything Jennie did.

Which was not a normal amount, probably.

“Can you soften a little?” the photographer asked.

Jennie smiled with the fake emotional warmth .

Lisa almost choked.

The photographer tried again. “Maybe something more natural?”

Jennie’s smile stayed exactly the same.

Lisa lost the battle and laughed.

A real laugh.

Short, quiet, but enough to break Jennie’s expression for half a second.

And then—

Jennie smiled.

Actually smiled.

Not the public one.

Not the controlled one.

A real one.

Small, but real.

And Lisa’s brain immediately blue-screened.

The camera went absolutely insane.

“Oh, perfect! Yes, that! Beautiful!”

Lisa barely heard it.

Because all she could think was:

Well. That’s not good.

Not because it was bad.

Because it was way too good.

Jennie noticed her staring.

Again.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” she whispered without moving her smile.

Lisa somehow found the ability to speak.

“Like what?”

“Like you forgot how to act.”

Lisa smiled slightly. “Maybe I did.”

Jennie’s eyes narrowed.

But there was something else there too now.

Something more uncertain.

More aware.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

The photographer kept talking.

“Okay, now maybe one with your hands together?”

Jennie turned her head so fast Lisa almost laughed again.

“No.”

The room went silent for one weird second.

Lisa stepped in smoothly.

“We’ll do shoulder-to-shoulder,” she said with an easy smile. “That works better for us.”

The photographer nodded quickly, as if he was scared for his life.

Jennie looked at Lisa.

Really looked.

And for the first time all morning, Lisa saw it clearly:

Surprise.

Because Jennie had expected Lisa to make it worse.

To tease her.

To drag it out.

But she hadn’t.

And Lisa didn’t know why that tiny flicker of trust felt so good.

But it did.

Which was annoying.

They finished the photos a few minutes later and stepped away from the backdrop.

Jennie exhaled hard the second they were out of frame.

Lisa walked beside her toward the side hallway where it was quieter.

No cameras.

No board members.

No fake smiling.

Just a little breathing room.

The second they were alone, Jennie turned to her.

“That was evil.”

Lisa blinked. “What was?”

“The looking at me thing.”

Lisa smiled slowly. “That is so vague.”

“You know what you were doing.”

“I was standing.”

Jennie scoffed. “Liar.”

Lisa leaned against the wall casually. “You survived.”

“Barely.”

“But you survived.”

Jennie crossed her arms. “You’re lucky I have self-control.”

Lisa looked at her for one second.

Then let her eyes drop very briefly to Jennie’s crossed arms, the sharp line of her blazer, the tension in her posture.

Then back up.

“Do you?”

Jennie stared.

Lisa immediately knew that had been a mistake.

Not because Jennie looked angry.

Because she looked affected.

And that was somehow worse.

Jennie stepped a little closer without seeming to realize it.

Lisa stopped breathing normally.

“You’re very annoying,” Jennie said quietly.

Lisa’s mouth went dry.

“Yeah?”

Jennie held her gaze.

“Yes.”

And for one dangerous second, neither of them moved.

No jokes.

No cameras.

No one else around.

Just too much eye contact and way too much unspoken nonsense sitting in the air between them.

Then a staff member rounded the corner.

“Miss Kim? Miss Manoban? They’re ready for the family toast.”

Jennie stepped back immediately like nothing had happened.

Lisa straightened.

“Of course,” she said.

The staff member smiled and walked away.

Jennie looked at the floor for one second.

Then at Lisa.

Then away again.

And Lisa knew, instantly, with terrifying certainty:

This was going to get so much worse.

And she absolutely was not going to stop it.

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This is the end of this chapter, enjoy reading 

and i may upload the next chapter later tonight or tomorrow as soon as its finished.

thanks for reading.