Checkmate？Soulmate！

Chapter 2 Jeffrey Is Back

Eleanor's POV:

It was Jeffrey! He was back! The anger boiling inside me instantly dissolved, replaced by pure joy. I could feel my face light up as I looked at him.

Dressed in a perfectly tailored black shirt, his golden-brown hair shimmered under the lights, and his gray-blue eyes sparkled like gemstones.

"I've told you many times, Anja. Stop picking on Eleanor," he said sternly with a frown as he glanced at Larry, clearly annoyed that his father hadn't stepped in to stop her.

Anja pouted while throwing me a glare sharp enough to cut glass.

Larry cleared his throat awkwardly, clearly caught off guard by Jeffrey's sudden appearance. "Oh, my boy, done with the shoot already?"

"Yeah. The other party wasn't exactly cooperative, so it ran two hours over," Jeffrey replied. He rolled up his sleeves as he pulled out the chair next to me and sat down.

He smelled amazing, like verbena and oranges—a scent his stylist had picked for him, but I couldn't help being a little intoxicated by it.

"I seem to have arrived late," he said, his voice soft as his apologetic gaze met mine. "Don't let anything Anja said get to you."

I didn't need his apology! Just seeing him was enough for me. His presence alone had wiped out every nasty word Anja and Sofia had thrown at me.

He said with a warm smile, "Happy birthday, Nora."

He remembered it! "Thank you, Jeffrey," I said, grinning from ear to ear.

"Andrew told me—another championship, huh? Good job, my girl," he added with a playful wink.

I could feel heat rushing to my face. 'My girl. Oh, come on! That totally tugged at my heartstrings!' I screamed in my mind.

I knew he only said it because I was his stepsister, but hearing those words still made my heart race.

"Thanks," I mumbled and quickly turned my head away so he wouldn't see the redness creeping up my cheeks.

"You'll start school in a week, right? You know what, I've got some downtime in my schedule. How about I stick around and play a few matches with you?" he leaned in slightly and asked, his voice low and just for me.

He barely noticed the glare Anja was shooting me from across the table, but it was clear as day. To her, I was stealing her brother away.

"You should take time to rest," I muttered, though my heart swelled at his offer. "You've been so busy since your award, and continuous work must be exhausting."

Jeffrey chuckled, the sound warm and teasing. "Do you mean you don't even want to play a round with me?"

"Of course not!" I blurted out.

'Damn it! How does he manage to sound so heartbreakingly pitiful?' I shoved a piece of broccoli into my mouth to hide the smile tugging at my lips. There was no way I'd ever turn him down. If it were up to me, I'd spend every waking second glued to his side.

"Jeff!" Anja's sugary voice finally broke through, her patience clearly worn thin. She couldn't stand Jeffrey's attention on me this whole time. "I'll be at the same school as you soon! Can I get a back-to-school gift?"

She made a wink and put on her best sweet act.

'Gross! This girl can flirt shamelessly with anyone to get what she wants,' I scoffed in my mind.

"Of course, what do you want?" Jeffrey asked, his gaze softening as he looked at Anja, full of the same indulgence his father always showed her.

"I want Hermès' new arrival—the white bag," she said with a sugary smile.

"No prob, I'll get it for you," Jeffrey replied without hesitation.

Anja was Jeffrey's cousin, and buying her things was second nature to him. I'd learned that much since moving in here. But knowing that didn't stop the pang of jealousy that hit me every single time.

Anja's smug expression was insufferable, like she was flaunting her status as Jeffrey's real family. Meanwhile, I was just the outsider, the temporary guest.

*****

Dinner finally ended, and I slipped out to the balcony to get a moment to myself.

My mom's announcement that I'd have to cover Alana's salary was still rattling around in my head. I needed to figure out my finances—how long would my savings even last?

"There you are, bookworm." Anja came over with a glass of juice, her voice dragging me out of my thoughts. That insufferable tone of hers was enough to set my teeth on edge.

'Why can't she just stay inside and pick out her stupid bag in peace? Why bother to annoy me?' I complained internally.

I shot Anja a glare, wordlessly daring her to spit out whatever she wanted and leave.

She glanced back at the living room, placed the juice on the table, and closed the balcony door, like she was about to share some big secret that Jeffrey and Larry shouldn't hear. Once she was sure they couldn't notice us, her face twisted into something far less sweet.

"I'm warning you," she snapped, poking my forehead with a finger. "When you get to high school, don't you dare go around telling people you're Jeffrey Hart's sister, and stay away from him!"

"Ouch!" My head snapped back from the poke. Her nails were sharper than I expected.

'Seriously? That's what she comes out here for? Even without her little warning, I won't claim to be Jeffrey's sister. That will only lead to awkward questions about our real relationship, and I have no interest in explaining my mom's marriage to Larry—or the fact that I live in Larry's place,' I thought.

Besides, Jeffrey was barely at school. His career kept him too busy to show up on campus often.

"Got it," I replied curtly, brushing past Anja to head back to my room. I didn't have time for her nonsense.

But something in my tone must've hit a nerve, because the next thing I knew, she exploded, blocking my path. "What kind of attitude is that? Who do you think you are, talking to me like that?"

I didn't see anything wrong with how I'd spoken. I glanced at her and tried to sidestep her, but she grabbed my clothes and yanked me back.

She shoved me against the wall, picked up the glass of juice, and splashed it all over me!

"Are you out of your mind?" I couldn't believe what she was doing. The juice was sticky and cold, clinging to my skin in the most uncomfortable way.

"Listen here," she said, grabbing a fistful of my hair. "You're lower than the help in this house."

"Let go of me!" I shouted as a sharp pain shot through my scalp.

"You ungrateful wretch," Anja hissed, tightening her grip. "As a leech living off us, you need to learn some respect."

She yanked harder, as if she wanted to tear my scalp off. "Get down on your knees and clean up this mess with your clothes, and I'll let you go."

How dare she humiliate me like this? There was no way I'd give in. I gritted my teeth and glared at her.

I was trapped in the corner of the balcony, out of sight of everyone in the living room, and Anja had even closed the door. Damn it!

I pressed closer to her, clutching her arm tightly to stop her from hurting me further.

"Not giving up yet?" Anja sneered.

"Never," I growled.

Suddenly, the balcony door swung open. "Anja, Dad's looking for you..."

Anja quickly released my hair.