The week after the dinner invitation passed in a blur—yet every moment seemed to pull Jenny and Lance closer in a way neither of them expected.
Maria noticed it first.
The small changes.The softening in Lance's voice when Jenny called.The way Jenny's name lingered on his tongue longer than it should.The subtle hesitation before he ended their meetings.
It frightened her.
Because Lance was getting closer to Jenny…and Jenny had no idea she was walking toward a fire meant to burn her whole world down.
The Afternoon at the Garden Café
Jenny arrived at the café first, her sketchbook hugged to her chest. She chose a table near the large window where sunlight spilled like shimmering gold across her face.
Lance stepped in a few minutes later.
He paused.
Just for a second.
Watching her sitting there—soft, patient, almost glowing.
Something in his chest tightened.
He hated it.
He moved toward her, expression perfectly composed.
"You're early," he said, taking the seat across from her.
Jenny laughed lightly. "I didn't want to keep you waiting."
Lance looked at her—really looked.The gentleness in her voice.The warmth in her eyes.The innocence that had nothing to do with the Blackwoods' cruelty.
Maria was right.Jenny wasn't like her family.
And that made everything harder.
Jenny placed her sketchbook on the table. "I brought something to show you. Can I?"
Lance nodded.
She opened the book and flipped to a page. It was a portrait—of Maria.
Lance stared at it.Soft lines, delicate shading, warm eyes, gentle smile. Jenny had captured Maria's spirit perfectly.
"You drew this?" he asked quietly.
Jenny nodded. "She has the kind of face that makes you want to draw her. Peaceful. Like someone who deserves happiness."
Lance's jaw tightened—he wasn't expecting the shot to the heart.
"Maria… means everything to me," he said.
Jenny's smile softened. "I know."
She hesitated, then added, "And… so do you."
Lance stiffened.Jenny instantly regretted saying it. She looked down, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
"I-I mean," she stammered, "you mean a lot to her. And Maria is important to me, so… that makes you—important too."
Lance exhaled slowly.
Jenny wasn't lying.She wasn't manipulating.She wasn't playing a role.
She was simply telling the truth.
"Jenny," Lance said, voice lower, "you don't have to force yourself to say things you're unsure about."
Jenny shook her head quickly. "I'm not unsure."
Her cheeks flushed, and Lance looked away before he softened too much.
He couldn't afford softness.Not now.
Still… when Jenny reached across the table to brush dust off his sleeve, his breath hitched before he could stop himself.
A Walk Through the Park
After coffee, Jenny suggested they take a walk through the park behind the café. Lance agreed, though he didn't know why.
They walked side-by-side, the late afternoon breeze brushing past them, carrying the scent of flowers and earth.
Jenny stepped on fallen leaves, smiling every time they cracked under her shoes.
"You're like a child sometimes," Lance said, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
Jenny stuck her tongue out at him. "Says the man who refuses to smile properly."
Lance raised an eyebrow. "I smile."
"No," Jenny corrected, "you smirk. Very different."
He actually laughed—quiet but real.
Jenny's heart fluttered.Lance not only amused… but happy?It felt like she had unlocked a secret.
She wanted to hear that sound again.
They reached a small pond where ducks floated lazily across the water. Jenny sat on the bench, watching them.
"You know," she said, "I don't get to do things like this often."
"Why?" Lance asked, sitting beside her.
Her shoulders dropped. "My mom… she doesn't like me wasting time. Everything has to be productive or… useful."
Lance stared at her profile. The sadness hidden beneath her words tugged at something in him.
"You deserve peace, Jenny," Lance said softly.
Jenny blinked at him. "Do I?"
"Yes."
She stared into his eyes, her own widening slightly.
Lance looked away first.
He shouldn't feel this.He shouldn't say these things.He shouldn't want her to believe him.
But he said it anyway.
"You deserve… a lot more than what they give you."
Jenny's breath caught.
"Lance…"
He forced himself to stand. "Come on," he said, voice steadier now. "I'll walk you home."
But Jenny didn't move.
Instead, she reached up and gently took his hand.
Lance froze.
Her fingers were warm.
Soft.
Trusting.
"Thank you," Jenny said quietly. "For giving me a day like this."
Lance swallowed hard.
For a moment—just a small, dangerous moment—he squeezed her hand back.
Later That Night
Jenny wrote in her journal:
I think I'm falling for him.Not because he's handsome or successful, but because he sees me.Really sees me.I hope I'm not wrong about him…
Across the City — Lance's Penthouse
Maria sat on the couch, watching Lance enter the penthouse with a look she couldn't read.
Something had changed.
"You were with Jenny," she said.
Lance didn't answer immediately. He loosened his tie and ran a hand through his hair.
"Yes."
"And…?" Maria pressed gently.
Lance didn't look at her.
Instead, he whispered something Maria never expected to hear.
"She's getting closer."
Maria's heart dropped.
"And you?" she whispered.
Lance didn't answer.
Because he didn't know anymore.Because somewhere between revenge and reality…Jenny had become more than a piece on his chessboard.
She was becoming a person he couldn't ignore.A heart he wasn't sure he wanted to break.