The morning sun streamed softly through the penthouse windows, casting warm golden patches across the living room. But the warmth didn't reach Maria.
She sat on the kitchen island, chin resting on her knees, staring blankly at her untouched cup of hot chocolate. Her heart felt heavy—too heavy for someone who had done nothing wrong.
She couldn't stop thinking about Jenny.
The way her smile glowed when she talked about art.
The way she carefully refilled Maria's glass at dinner so she wouldn't feel left out.
The way she laughed with a softness Maria rarely saw in people.
Jenny deserved better than being the center of someone's revenge.
Maria sighed shakily, hugging herself. I should have said more. I should have stopped him…
Footsteps approached. Lance entered the kitchen, buttoning the cuffs of his dress shirt, already prepared for a full day of meetings. He looked sharp, controlled, as if last night's storm had left no trace.
But Maria saw the crack—the faint shadow in his eyes.
"Didn't you sleep?" he asked quietly.
Maria shook her head. "Not really."
He walked to the coffee machine. "Thinking about last night?"
She stared at him. "Thinking about Jenny."
Lance paused mid-movement, shoulders stiffening.
Maria pressed on. "She isn't a bad person, Lance. She doesn't deserve to get caught in the middle."
Lance poured his coffee without meeting her gaze. "She'll be fine."
Maria swung her feet off the island and stood. "Will she? You're planning to destroy her family. Her world. That will destroy her too."
Lance set his cup down with a soft clink and finally looked at her. "Maria, I told you—I won't hurt you. But this path is already set."
Her voice trembled. "And Jenny?"
There was a pause.
Then, in a low voice, Lance said, "I'm proposing to her on Valentine's Day."
Maria felt the air leave her lungs. Her fingers tightened around the edge of the counter. "Lance… no. Not like this."
He exhaled deeply. "I need full access to Leah and Richard's finances and business networks. A marriage gives me all of it. This is the fastest and cleanest way."
Maria shook her head slowly, disbelief and heartbreak mixing in her eyes. "But she likes you."
Lance's jaw tightened. "That's the point."
"Lance!" Maria whispered harshly. "You can't play with her heart like that."
He didn't respond. He didn't need to.The decision had already been carved into him long ago—cold, sharp, irreversible.
Maria felt tears gather in her eyes, and she rushed past him.
"Maria—"
"No." She stopped at the door, voice wavering. "I know you're hurting. But using someone who's kind to you isn't strength, Lance. It's cruelty."
Lance watched her leave, the echo of her words settling like a bitter taste on his tongue.
Cruelty.
He clenched his fist.
He didn't want to be cruel.
But revenge rarely allowed anything else.
Meanwhile — The Blackwood Mansion
In her bedroom, sunlight filtering through pastel curtains, Jenny twirled a strand of hair around her finger, cheeks flushed with an excitement she hadn't felt in years.
Maria's laughter last night echoed sweetly in her mind.And Lance's gaze… steady, calm, unreadable—but something about it made her heart race.
Jenny stood before her mirror, touching her warm cheeks.Is this what it feels like?To have butterflies?To finally like someone who wasn't chosen by her mother?
A knock sounded on the door.
Leah entered without waiting for permission—she never did. Dressed in her perfectly tailored business suit, she eyed Jenny with sharp curiosity.
"You look distracted," Leah said, crossing her arms. "Is something going on?"
Jenny hesitated. "Um… no. I mean—not really."
Leah raised an eyebrow. "Jenny."
Jenny sighed. She wasn't good at lying, and her mother knew it. "Fine," she murmured. "There's… someone."
Leah's eyes narrowed with interest. "Someone?"
Jenny nodded shyly, fingers twisting nervously. "It's Lance."
Leah froze.But only for a second.
Then a slow, calculating smirk tugged at the corner of her lips.
"Lance?" she repeated, as if tasting the name. "You have feelings for him?"
Jenny nodded again, this time with a small smile. "I… think I do. He's different, Mom. He's gentle when he talks to Maria. He's calm. He listens. And when he looks at me… I feel—safe."
Leah's smile stretched a little too wide, too stiff.Inside, her mind raced.
So this is why he came back. Is he using Jenny? Is this a coincidence?
No.
Leah didn't believe in coincidences.
Still, she softened her voice, stepping toward her daughter. "Jenny, darling… feelings like these should be held carefully. Are you sure about him?"
Jenny's cheeks brightened. "I think so."
Leah's eyes glittered, though Jenny didn't notice the danger in them. "Well, then… if he makes you happy, I won't stop you."
Jenny smiled, relieved—and unaware.
Unaware that her mother had already begun piecing together what Lance might really be after.
Unaware that Lance was preparing to use her heart for revenge.
And unaware that Maria, somewhere across the city, was crying silently because she couldn't save both of them.