Instead of being invited inside, the door opened abruptly, and Jade found herself face to face with Alpha Norman and Emperor Gregory.
Her body reacted before her mind could catch up.
She bowed quickly, almost too suddenly. "Oh, sorry, Uncle. I didn't know you had a guest," she said, then immediately turned and bowed toward the Emporer, deeper this time. "Greetings, my Lord," she murmured, keeping her head lowered in respect.
Even without looking up, she could feel her uncle's fury.
"You didn't know?" His voice was calm, too calm than it had ever been. "Isn't this the visitor room? What exactly did you think I was doing in the visitor room if I didn't have a guest?"
The words weren't sharp, but the restraint in them was worse than shouting.
Before she could respond, Emperor Gregory spoke, his voice curious. "Nephew?" he asked, glancing between them. "You have a nephew?" he added.
Alpha Norman didn't hesitate.
"You know about my sister who passed away," he said smoothly. "She left me with her son, and I've raised him since the day he was born." His gaze flicked briefly to Jade. "Unfortunately, I don't know where he inherited certain… undesirable behaviors from."
Jade's head snapped up slightly in shock before she remembered herself and lowered it again.
Alpha Norman continued, his words spilling out as though he had been waiting for permission to unload them. "Just last week, he was expelled from yet another school, for the same reasons as before. Bullying other students simply because they fear him due to his background of coming from an alpha family... From the packhouse. Defiance. Flagrant disrespect. Swearing at staff. Refusal to follow instructions. Skipping classes while still being on school grounds."
Each accusation struck Jade like a slap. Alpha Norman was clearly focusing on school-related faults, already anticipating that the Emperor would question why Jade wasn't in school at her age. He was shaping his explanation in advance, answering a question before it could even be asked.
"I truly don't know how to help him anymore," Alpha Norman went on, his voice heavy with what sounded like concern and disappointment.
"That is why I decided he will no longer attend school. He is my late sister's son, and I don't wish to be cruel, but everything I do is meant to help him. I was looking for another solution with this problem."
Jade's mouth fell open.
She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Why would her uncle say such things about her? Disrespecting staff? Skipping classes? Bullying? She hated bullying, how could he accuse her of something she would never do?
Why paint her as some violent, uncontrollable delinquent when the real issue had nothing to do with any of that?
Her chest burned with frustration.
Why not tell the truth?
Why not tell the Emperor that she was hiding because of danger, because of murderers,.. Surely the Emperor, now practically family, would help.
Surely he would find the people responsible and end this nightmare once and for all.
Her fists clenched at her sides.
She was just about to speak, when Emperor Gregory cut in before a single word could leave her mouth.
"The only place capable of correcting such behavior," the Emperor said, "is Crest National School. Why didn't you enroll him there long ago?"
Jade's breath caught.
"Let him enroll there starting tomorrow morning," Emperor Gregory continued, his tone leaving no room for argument. "I will personally follow up on his progress."
With that, he walked past her. Alpha Norman followed immediately behind him.
But not before casting Jade a burning look, one filled with anger.
The moment they disappeared, Jade's legs felt weak.
Crest National School.
Her stomach twisted violently.
Not only was that school infamous for housing the most desirable boys in the entire Empire, boys any girl would lose her mind over, but it was also the very school Aria and Sean attended.
The thought alone made her feel sick.
Aria would hate seeing her there.
Aria had always hated her, just like her mother had.
They never missed a chance to make Jade feel unwelcome, unwanted, like an inconvenience that should never have existed.
Aria had mastered the art of provoking her, framing her, and turning Alpha Norman against her with carefully chosen words.
Jade had no doubt it would be worse at school.
There would be no escaping her cousin's influence there. No avoiding trouble when Aria actively searched for reasons to cause it.
And now, now the Emperor himself would be watching her behavior.
What if Aria landed her in trouble for something she hadn't done?
Another thing that made her stomach twist violently was that... Crest National School's discipline was ruthless.
One mistake could ruin everything. Jade knew she wouldn't be able to move freely there. Sneaking around would be impossible. Every action would be questioned. Every step monitored.
Everything she had planned, every fragile hope crumbled in an instant.
She wished she had never gone near that visitor room.
But it was too late now.
The Emperor had spoken.
And he would personally make sure she attended Crest National School.
That night, Jade barely slept.
Her uncle had visited her room that night, and after that, his words refused to leave her mind.
They replayed over and over, echoing in the quiet darkness. The tone of his voice had been unfamiliar,.. colder, laced with something that unsettled her deeply.
It wasn't anger the way she knew it.
No matter how she shifted beneath the covers, sleep would not come.
Even in the early hours of the morning, as pale light filtered through the curtains, his warnings still rang in her head as clearly as if he were standing beside her bed.
She forced herself to move.
With slow, mechanical motions, Jade dressed in her old school uniform. The fabric felt foreign after a week of freedom.
She wrapped her chest carefully, then pulled on the crisp white shirt and buttoned it quickly. Dark green trousers followed and a belt, then the matching half-sweater and blazer.
She tugged on her socks and slipped into polished black shoes.
She had barely finished adjusting her collar when a knock sounded at the door.
Her chest tightened. She already knew who had sent for her.
Before she could respond, the door opened. A bodyguard stepped inside, bowing slightly as he did.
"I've been sent to carry your things, if there are any." he said respectfully.
Jade pointed to her bag without a word.
Together, they left the room and walked through the halls. When they reached the entrance, Alpha Norman was already seated in the back of the car, his expression unreadable.
The chauffeur sat in the driver's seat, hands resting on the wheel.
Jade climbed into the passenger seat, she didn't even look at her uncle or say anything to him.
For once, she had nothing to say.
Her thoughts scattered in too many directions, colliding and tangling until her head ached.
Whenever Aria crossed her mind, a chill ran through her body. Goosebumps rose along her arms.
With certainty, she knew that Aria wouldn't miss the chance to make her life miserable.
And she didn't want to get into any trouble.. especially with the Emperor watching. Jade knew how easily her cousin could twist situations.
Then, unexpectedly, her thoughts drifted to Sean.
She was going to see him for the first time.
She stiffened slightly at the realization. She told herself it didn't matter. It didn't matter how attractive boys were her weakness, how easily her attention betrayed her when she was around them.
It didn't matter how other girls spoke of him with breathless admiration, how they wished just to be noticed by him.
She wouldn't allow herself to see him that way.
Not even for a moment.
Some people said he was arrogant, cruel in his pride. Those were not qualities she admired. Even without having met him, she disliked him already.
She would not fall into the same foolish awe others did.
She would stay out of trouble.
She would stay away from Aria.
That was the only way she would survive this.
The drive stretched on endlessly. Time blurred as the car moved through long roads and distant landscapes.
Two hours passed in heavy silence before the vehicle finally slowed.
Jade lifted her head.
Only to see a massive iron gate, tall and imposing, stretching far in either direction. Bold, striking letters were engraved across it.
Crest National School.
Her stomach sank and her heart raced. This was it, she thought to herself.
There was no turning back now.
Her eyes closed involuntarily, as if she were trying to shut out a reality that had already settled in.
She heard the gates open, and the car glided silently through them.