Away from Zade, Halle sat cross-legged on Jessy's bed, her fingers absently picking at a loose thread in the blanket. Jessy, however, wasn't moving. She sat opposite her, arms folded, eyes fixed on Halle with that look—half stern, half curious—that always made Halle feel like she was back in high school being interrogated about a crush.
To cut through the tension, Halle tried her usual tricks.
"Well," she began, raising a brow and feigning nonchalance, "if you're planning to throw me out, at least feed me first. Or better yet, let me have that oversized hoodie of yours. I swear it's practically begging to be stolen."
Jessy didn't even crack a smile, though the corner of her mouth twitched like she was fighting one.
"I'm still trying to figure out when and how this even happened," Jessy said, shaking her head in disbelief. "And honestly? I'm a little mad you didn't tell me sooner. You're lucky he's ridiculously hot, or I'd be ignoring you right now."
Halle exhaled slowly, her chest tightening. Jessy's voice carried that familiar mix of exasperation and warmth. If there was one thing Halle knew about her best friend, it was that behind all the sass and big-girl attitude lay the softest heart. Jessy was the type who could forgive a snake after it had bitten her, and in Halle's world, friendships like that were diamonds—rare, stubbornly loyal, and worth guarding.
"I honestly don't even know how I got caught up in my dad's schemes," Halle said, her voice dipping, the weight of the past months pressing down on her. "One minute I was refusing to even attend those meetings, and the next… I was agreeing to a marriage I never wanted. Zade offered my father more money for his company, and the old man jumped at it. I didn't stand a chance."
Her throat tightened, but she kept going. "I haven't told Grandma anything about this. Her heart's too fragile for this kind of stress, but I'm terrified she's already seen the news online. If she has…" Halle gave a small, humorless laugh, "she would have called me by now. Probably twice. And left one of her infamous voice notes telling me exactly what she thinks of it."
Jessy's expression was firm, her warm brown eyes locking onto Halle's striking green ones with an intensity that made the air between them feel heavier. Her hand rested over Halle's, steady and reassuring, her touch grounding her friend in the whirlwind of emotions. she said quietly, though her tone left no room for evasion. "Do you actually want this? To give him — give this — a real chance? Or should we just pack up, disappear, cross borders if we have to, and start somewhere new? Somewhere he could never find you."
A faint smile tugged at Halle's lips, touched with gratitude more than amusement. Jessy's words seeped through the cracks in her guarded heart, bringing with them an almost physical sense of relief. She regretted not confiding in her sooner — not because she feared judgment, but because Jessy had never been the type to condemn her for her choices. She was the one person Halle could trust to see her clearly and still stand by her.
"Zade's not just here for me," Halle said finally, her voice low but steady. "He's the key to getting my mother's shares back. Forty percent of the company is hers — was hers — and I'll be damned if I let Angela and her spoiled little princess keep on enjoying it. They've been feeding off my mother's work for years." Her fingers curled around Jessy's hand, her green eyes hardening. "So yes, I'm staying. But don't mistake this for weakness. I'm here for one reason, and one reason only — to take back what's rightfully mine and make them regret every single thing they've done."
Jessy's lips curved into a teasing grin as she tilted her head, her warm brown eyes glinting with mischief. "Oh, I cannot wait to see that side of you—the sharp, untouchable businesswoman in her natural habitat." She gave Halle's hand a squeeze. "And don't you dare let anyone, not even that ridiculously handsome husband of yours, make you feel smaller than you are." The smile lingered, softening what could have been a lecture into a gentle reminder, breaking the emotional heaviness that had settled between them moments earlier.
Halle's answering smirk was slow and deliberate, curling with the kind of confidence she had almost forgotten she possessed. "He's the one who should be worried," she murmured, her voice edged with steel. "I'm planning to give him the time of his life—and not in the way he's expecting. If he thinks I'm going to play the obedient little pet, he's in for a rude awakening." Her eyes flashed with something sharp and dangerous, a flicker of the woman she had been before fear and circumstance had clipped her wings.
Jessy chuckled, shaking her head, but the sound held a note of pride. "God, I've missed this version of you." She leaned back in the headboard, studying her friend for a moment before Halle's voice pulled her back.
"Jes, would you take me to Grandma's place?" Halle asked, the edge in her tone softening into something almost wistful. "Sundays always drag on, and I want to be the one to tell her everything. Not just the bits I've been feeding her to keep her from worrying."
Jessy's brows lifted slightly, surprise flickering across her face, but she didn't hesitate. "Of course. I'll drive you over after lunch," she said, her tone gentle now. "I also want to see her reprimand you on my behalf. She'll definitely give you an earful. "
"I know," Halle admitted with a small, almost guilty smile. "That's why I want to see her before anyone else gets in her ear. She deserves to hear it from me first."