Kaelen didn't know how long she sat in the corner of the hospital room, curled in on herself, the antiseptic scent of her own scrubbed skin a poor shield against the memory of the bathroom. The sterile silence was broken by a soft rustle from the bed.
Sera was awake. Her eyes were clear, though shadowed with exhaustion. She pushed herself up on her elbows, taking in the IV, the room, and finally, Kaelen huddled in the chair.
"I want to go home," Sera said, her voice raspy but firm. "I can't leave Iris alone." The maternal instinct was already overriding her own weakness.
Kaelen just nodded, wordlessly getting up to find the doctor. The Beta physician was reluctant but agreed to discharge her after a final check, impressed by Sera's determination and Kaelen's silent, watchful presence. "The suppressants," the doctor warned Sera gently. "You must be more careful. Your body can't take this strain."
Sera just nodded, her gaze distant, already mentally miles away.
The ride home in the Maybach was a cavern of silence. It wasn't the hostile silence of before, nor the charged quiet of the arcade. This was something new, thick and unreadable. Sera stared out the window, her arms wrapped around herself. Kaelen kept her eyes fixed on the partition in front of her, the ghost of a touch and the shame of her own body's betrayal burning in her mind.
At the penthouse, Sera didn't look at her. She just walked inside, her steps slow but purposeful, and went straight to Iris's room, closing the door softly behind her. The click of the latch sounded final.
Kaelen stood alone in the living room. She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. The emotions of the night the fear, the desperate need, the shocking intimacy, the crushing disgust—crashed over her all at once. She fled to her own room, burying herself under the covers, trying to shut it all out.
But she couldn't. Sera kept coming up in her mind. The feel of her skin, the sound of her breath catching, the look of vulnerable trust in her eyes when she'd finally found release. Kaelen blushed in the dark, a hot wave of confusion and something else she refused to name.
I should stop, she thought, squeezing her eyes shut. I need to divert my mind.
She threw the covers off and grabbed her data-slate. If she was going to survive this world, she needed to understand it on a level deeper than a webnovel's plot. She needed to understand the rules of her own body, of Sera's body, of the dynamics that governed everything.
She started researching. Not the corporate espionage or the family histories, but the biology. Omega Heat Cycles: Physiology and Management. Alpha Spur: Biological Purpose and Control. Dominant vs. Recessive Secondary Gender Expression. The Psychological Impact of Suppressant Overuse.
She read medical journals, dry scientific papers, and lurid forum posts. It was different, experiencing it first-hand. The webnovel had described heats as plot devices, moments of forced proximity and drama. The reality was a terrifying, all-consuming biological imperative that could shatter a person's will. Her own reaction, the Spur, wasn't just a random arousal; it was a deep-seated, primal response meant to facilitate bonding during an Omega's most fertile and vulnerable time, a response so powerful her suppressants could only dampen, not eliminate it.
She researched until her eyes burned and the words blurred on the screen, finally succumbing to an exhausted, dreamless sleep.
She woke to sunlight streaming into her room and an unfamiliar scent. Not Sera's jasmine, not the sterile hospital smell. This was food. Warm, buttery, savory.
Blinking, she walked out into the living area. On the dining table, where usually there was nothing, sat a simple breakfast plate. Scrambled eggs, toast, a few slices of fruit. Neatly arranged. Next to it, a small piece of paper.
Kaelen picked it up. The handwriting was elegant, precise.
Thanks for last night. Here is some food. I already took Iris to school so don't bother. And please do fetch her later. I might be late tonight. - Sera
Kaelen stared at the note, reading it over and over. Thanks for last night. The words were simple, neutral, but they held a universe of meaning. It wasn't forgiveness. It wasn't affection. But it was acknowledgment. A transaction settled. I owe you for the ride, for the hospital, for... everything. Here is food.
And then the command: fetch her later. It was a responsibility. A trust, however reluctantly given.
A slow, disbelieving smile spread across Kaelen's face. It was a tiny thing, a scrap of normalcy in their utterly abnormal relationship, but it felt monumental. She ate the breakfast, every bite tasting better than any gourmet meal she'd ever had in this life or the last.
After, she got ready for work, a new sense of purpose humming under her skin. She checked the metrics before she left.
Seraphina Vesper. Approximate Approval: -88%
Iris Vesper. Approximate Approval: 25%
The fortress was crumbling, one stone at a time.
As she stepped into the private elevator, the System, which had been silent since its scandalous suggestion in the hospital, finally pinged.
Primary Objective Reminder: Maintain the established character of Kaelen Blackwood.
The reminder was a splash of cold water. She was making progress with Sera and Iris by being the opposite of the original Kaelen. Every point she gained with them seemed to drive the spirit of the woman whose body she inhabited further into absolute contempt. She was winning the battle but losing the war against the System itself.
The elevator doors opened into the executive lobby. The smile faded from her face, replaced by the cool, indifferent mask of the heir. She had a company to run, a father to appease, and a heroic rival making moves against her family. The note and the breakfast were a respite, but the game was still on. She headed to her office, the two conflicting approvals 88% and 18% a constant, ticking clock in the back of her mind and a looming threat.