Iris's small voice cut through the tense silence, a tiny rebellion against her aunt's panic. "But Auntie said she's gonna drive me today," she stated, a slight pout forming on her lips. She squirmed in Sera's tight grip. "And I know you're tired, Mom. You didn't come home yesterday. So I'm a tiny bit mad at you. Hmph!" She crossed her arms, grumping.
Sera froze, her furious glare faltering for a second into pure, unadulterated shock. Her gaze snapped from Iris's defiant little face to Kaelen, who was still slightly pale from the headache and the horrific memory. The accusation in Sera's eyes intensified: What have you done to her?
Kaelen, seeing the opening, mustered every ounce of courage she possessed. The Dominion gel was long gone; this was all her. She forced an awkward, brittle laugh that sounded entirely unnatural.
"Yeaah," she drawled, trying to sound like the casually cruel heiress, "I did say that. I'm gonna drive her to school. Hahaha." The laugh died in her throat under Sera's withering stare.
Warning: Significant emotional distress detected for target "Seraphina Vesper."Warning: Deviation from established character behavior detected. System correction pending.
Sera's jaw tightened. She looked from Iris's expectant face back to Kaelen. The math was clear: a scene here, with an upset child, was riskier than maintaining a fragile, hateful truce. Her options had been reduced to the lesser of two evils.
"Fine," Sera bit out, the word sharp as glass. She tossed the car keys at Kaelen, who fumbled to catch them. "But you drive. And I'm coming with you."
The car ride was suffocatingly silent for the first few minutes. Kaelen focused on the road, hyper aware of Sera sitting rigidly in the passenger seat, her body angled away as if to create as much distance as possible. Iris, in the back, broke the tension with a small, plaintive voice.
"Mom, I'm hungry."
Sera closed her eyes, a flicker of guilt crossing her features. In her rush to get Iris away from Kaelen and the penthouse, she'd forgotten about the abandoned breakfast.
Kaelen, seeing a chance to at least feed the child, quickly navigated to a drive-thru. She ordered a simple breakfast sandwich and juice, handing it back to Iris without a word. The happy sounds of Iris eating in the backseat were a stark contrast to the glacial silence in the front.
Uuuh, what a waste, Kaelen thought, her stomach growling. My food at home. I should have eaten it. The thought was so mundane, so utterly normal, it was almost funny. In her original world, she wouldn't have dared waste a single bite. Here, she was frying eggs that got tossed aside in dramatic confrontations. The absurdity of it almost made her laugh, a hysterical bubble of grief and stress.
Warning: Mental stress detected.Recommendation: Maintain emotional composure to avoid destabilizing performance.
They arrived at the school, a prestigious-looking academy for the city's elite. Iris, now fed, gave a quick, shy wave to both of them before skipping off to join a group of friends, her earlier grumpiness forgotten. The two women watched her go, a shared point of focus that did nothing to bridge the chasm between them.
The moment Iris was out of sight, the temperature in the car dropped to absolute zero. Sera held out her hand, her voice a low, venomous whisper. "Keys."
Wordlessly, Kaelen handed them over. Sera slid into the driver's seat, her movements sharp and angry. She didn't start the car immediately. Instead, she turned to Kaelen, and the full force of her fear and fury finally broke free.
"What are you trying to do?" she hissed, her eyes blazing. "Are you trying to win her over me? Use her as your leverage? Get her to trust you so you can hurt her even more?!" Her voice cracked on the last word. "Leave her out of this, Blackwood. She is a child. Your games are with me. Only me."
Kaelen flinched at the venom, but she held Sera's gaze. This was it. She had to say something, anything, to chip away at the wall.
"I'm not," Kaelen said, her voice quieter than Sera's but just as intense. She forced herself to be calm, to not sound defensive. "I'm not trying to win her over you. I would never… I would never use her like that." She took a shaky breath. "I know you don't believe me. I know you have no reason to. But I looked at her this morning, scared of the thunder, and I just… I saw a kid who was scared. That's all. I'm not playing a game with her. I swear it."
It was the most honest thing she'd said since arriving in this world. It wasn't an apology for the past that would be too much, too unbelievable. It was a statement of intent for the present.
Sera stared at her, searching her face for the lie. The hatred didn't disappear, but for a fraction of a second, it was joined by something else: a flicker of bewildered confusion. The words didn't match the monster she knew.
Warning: Emotional conflict detected. Significant deviation from established behaviors.
Then the shutters came down again. The confusion was replaced by hardened resolve. "Your words are worthless," Sera spat. "Your family's words always are."
She started the car with a violent twist of the wrist and pulled out into traffic with a jerk, driving not toward the Blackwood Corporation, but toward the more modest business district where Vesper Pharmaceuticals had its offices.
She screeched to a halt at the curb in front of a sleek, but noticeably smaller, office tower. She reached across Kaelen and shoved the passenger door open.
"Get out."
Kaelen blinked, confused. "This isn't my "
"Get. Out." Sera's voice was flat, final.
Bewildered, Kaelen stepped out onto the sidewalk. She turned, perhaps to ask what was happening, but the words died in her throat.
Sera's eyes raked over her from head to toe, taking in the ridiculousness of her appearance: the expensive, silk pajama pants, the simple tank top, her bare feet shoved into the loafers she'd slipped on at the door. Her hair was a mess from sleep, and she had no makeup on.
A look of pure, undiluted contempt twisted Sera's beautiful features. Without another word, she slammed the door shut, peeled away from the curb, and left Kaelen standing there.
Warning: Emotional destabilization detected.Recommendation: Avoid confrontational environments. Proceed with caution.
Kaelen stood frozen on the sidewalk, the morning sun warming her skin. Professionals in sharp suits flowed around her, giving her odd, dismissive looks. The reality of her situation crashed down on her. She was Kaelen Blackwood, heir to a billion-dollar empire, standing outside a rival company's headquarters, wearing her pajamas.
She was dumbfounded. She literally could not believe that woman would be so mean.
And yet, as the initial shock wore off, a strange, hysterical laugh bubbled up in her chest. It was the perfect, petty revenge. It was also, she realized with a sinking heart, a stark reminder that no matter what small truce she built with Iris, Sera's -100% was a fortress, and she was still locked firmly outside.
Warning: Significant emotional distress detected.Analysis: Primary objective deviation. Proceed with caution.