A SEVERAL HOURS LATER
ISABELLA
I was still shaking when evening crept in. The cafe lights warmed, the outside darkened, and the system, traitor that it was flickered back to life the moment I dared think I might be done for the day.
"SYSTEM EVENT UPDATE. MANDATORY SOCIAL ENCOUNTER: CONFIRMED. LOCATION OVERRIDE: CURRENT. TIME: IMMEDIATE."The system announced.
Of course, I didn't even need to ask who had arrived. The door opened, and my parents walked in like they owned the air. Rosalie Hearthstone entered first, perfectly composed, eyes already scanning the room not for me, but for witnesses. My father followed, familiar in that distant, disapproving way that always made my shoulders tense before he even spoke. They spotted me instantly.
"Bella." My mother said, smiling too tightly as she approached my table. "There you are."
There you are. Not are you okay; not were we worried. Just confirmation that I still existed where they expected me to. I didn't stand, and I didn't smile.
