CHAPTER THREE
710 Words
It had been two weeks since Kevin started coming daily to Room 23.
Porridge in the mornings. Walks in the garden under watch. Storytime when she felt quiet. Laughter when she didn’t.
Jade didn’t remember who he was.
But she liked the way he always showed up.
Today was different, though.
She was sketching lazily in her journal — mostly nonsense shapes and sleepy flowers — when the door opened, and Kevin walked in with someone behind him.
A woman.
Tall. Pretty. Dressed like she walked out of a magazine cover and knew it. Her heels clacked on the floor, and her voice was a gentle hum as she laughed at something Kevin said.
Jade looked up. Blinked. And blinked again.
Kevin smiled at her like always. “Morning, Jade.”
She narrowed her eyes. “You’re late.”
He blinked. “Only by fifteen minutes.”
She crossed her arms. “I noticed.”
The woman behind him waved cheerfully. “Hi! I’m Naya. A friend.”
Jade stared at her, then at Kevin, then at the hand Naya casually rested on Kevin’s arm.
Her stomach twisted.
“I don’t like her,” she said flatly.
Kevin looked stunned. “Jade-”
“She talks too much,” Jade cut in. “And her hair is too... bouncy.”
Naya laughed awkwardly. “Well, I guess that’s honest.”
“I’m always honest,” Jade muttered, gripping her pencil a little too hard.
Kevin walked closer. “Jade, she just came to drop off a few books. She’s leaving soon.”
“Good.”
Kevin arched a brow. “Are you... jealous?”
Jade scoffed. “Jealous? Of her? Please. I just don’t want my—” she stopped mid-sentence, blinking like her brain froze. “My... my friend distracted.”
Kevin’s smile returned, soft this time. “Don’t worry. I’m still your Mr. Pretty Eyes.”
Jade rolled her eyes and turned back to her drawing. “You better be.”
But as he walked Naya back to the door, she caught herself sneaking a glance at them.
And she didn’t like it.
Not one bit.
Later that day, Ethan walked in during her afternoon meal.
“She barely let me in,” he said, raising a brow.
Kevin leaned back in the chair beside her, a half-smile tugging at his lips. “She’s... moody today.”
“She told Nurse Angela that you were ‘hers.’”
Kevin froze. “She what?”
Ethan chuckled. “Don’t worry. She’s not wrong.”
Kevin watched her eat her meal with delight, her long hair braided in two. She had that kind of childish and angelic aura to her that made her look like a fairy. as he kept watching her eat he remembered the feedback he had received from his assistant Nela who followed him in the morning.
Kevin's face suddenly turned serious as he looked at Ethan, "we need to talk." "What are the Green family accusing her for, what was she arrested for?"
Ethan's face drained of blood and looked solemn as he said with equal seriousness"Let's go my office"
In Ethan's Office
Ethan kept an unusual solemn expression on his face as he recalled everything that had happened within the Green household in the past 4 years.
FLASHBACK TO 4 YEARS AGO
It was a bright September morning in the Green mansion and also the youngest Green sixteenth birthday. Jade hopped around the room hapily and running into the kitchen to give her mum a hug from the back
"Good morning mum" she said in a bubbly voice
"Morning and happy birthday my love"
"Thanks mum" "Mum, lily and I wanna step out quick in the evening."
"Ok, just try and make it back before dinner"
"Ok momma"
Back in Lily's room, Jade walked in and sat humphly on the bed. Mum has agreed to let us go out. "Can't we meet him another day, I really don't wanna go".
Lily chuckled soflty and rufffled Jade's hair "That's the fourth time you are twlling me this, I really have to sort out this thing today, I can't keep giving him false hopes, you know things are Jade."
"Fine" Jade said surrendering to her big sister.
- Writer
