Chapter 2

Jennifer arrived like she was royalty, dressed in a designer outfit that was a size too tight and looked completely out of place against the old-world elegance of the Blakely estate. She walked in with a practiced air of superiority, her eyes scanning everything with a hungry, possessive gleam.

"Jocelyn, darling," she cooed, pulling me into a stiff, awkward hug that smelled of cheap perfume. "You look… well. This place certainly agrees with you."

Her eyes darted past me, already searching for Caleb. My father had sent her on a mission, and she was eager to complete it.

I smiled, a sweet, innocent smile I had perfected over the years.

"It's so good to see you too, Jennifer. I' ve arranged for you to have the Rose Suite. It has the most beautiful view of the gardens."

It also happened to be in the most remote wing of the mansion, far from the family' s private quarters and the areas where Caleb spent his time.

For the next few days, I played the part of the gracious hostess. With Ms. Chadwick's expert assistance, we orchestrated Jennifer' s visit with military precision.

When Jennifer asked to see the tech labs, I innocently informed her they were closed for a top-secret project. When she suggested a horseback ride, I remembered that Caleb had an all-day board meeting.

"Oh, what a shame," I'd say, my face a mask of disappointment. "Maybe tomorrow."

But tomorrow never came. Instead, I kept her busy with tours of the art gallery, long walks through the endless gardens, and afternoon tea with some of the family' s oldest, most boring relatives. I made sure she was always occupied, always entertained, and always far, far away from Caleb.

She grew more and more frustrated. Her fake smiles became strained, and her sweet words were edged with impatience.

"Where is Caleb?" she finally snapped one afternoon as we sat in the conservatory. "I've been here for three days, and I haven't even seen him."

"He's very busy," I said, taking a delicate sip of my tea. "Being the heir is a lot of work."

She glared at me, her mask finally slipping. "You're doing this on purpose, aren't you? You little snake."

I just looked at her, my expression unchanging. "I don't know what you mean."

The final act of my little play took place at a small, informal family dinner. I knew Caleb would be there, and I knew Jennifer would see it as her last chance. She wore a red dress that was practically screaming for attention and spent the entire evening trying to position herself next to him.

I sat back and watched, occasionally steering the conversation in a direction that left her with nothing to contribute.

Finally, she managed to corner Caleb near the fireplace. I watched from across the room as she laid a hand on his arm and laughed a little too loudly at something he said. Caleb, who was kind to a fault, smiled politely, but his eyes held a look of deep discomfort.

I saw Wesley watching them from the shadows, a flicker of amusement in his gaze. He caught my eye and gave me a subtle, almost imperceptible nod.

I waited for the right moment, then walked over with Waylen in tow.

"Caleb," I said, my voice bright and cheerful. "Waylen was just telling me about the new drone you got him. He crashed it into the greenhouse again."

Caleb' s face lit up with genuine relief. He turned away from Jennifer, eager to talk about something else. "He did? That' s the third time this month."

Jennifer was left standing there, her smile frozen on her face. She looked from Caleb to me, her eyes burning with hatred.

Later that evening, as Jennifer was being escorted out by a stone-faced Ms. Chadwick, Caleb found me in the library.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

"For what?" I asked, pretending to be absorbed in my book.

"For that. At dinner." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "She' s… a lot. I don' t know how you grew up with her."

"I survived," I said simply.

He looked at me, really looked at me, for the first time in a long time. "Your father… he really wants this, doesn't he? For her to marry into the family."

"He's an ambitious man," I replied.

Caleb shook his head, a look of disgust on his face. "It's so transparent. It' s ugly."

I just nodded, not needing to say anything more. He had seen Jennifer for exactly who she was. My little plan had worked perfectly. Jennifer left the estate humiliated and empty-handed, and I had reinforced the walls of my gilded cage, keeping my toxic past firmly on the outside.

I thought that was the end of it. I was wrong.