Chapter 36

Jayden gaze was sharp, almost searching for something that was not lost. There was something uncertain about the way he looked at her, like he was feeling back layers she didn't even know she had, searching for cracks or anything wrong, which she did not understand.

"Who were you talking to?" Jayden repeated his question, his tone edged with suspicion.

Emma squared her shoulders.

"The guard you sent to me. Tyler," she replied.

At that, his expression shifted. His lips curled slightly, but it was not quite a smirk, it was something colder.

"You think you're funny?" he asked, his voice low and controlled.

“What?” Emma frowned, taken aback by his question.

"I said," he stepped closer, lowering his voice to a near whisper, "Don't anger me."

A strange, suffocating tension settled on Emma, as she didn't understand what he meant by that. He had just come to her room, knocked on the door, and wanted her not to anger him. Why? What caused all this?

Jayden's piercing eyes held hers for a long moment as if daring her to push back.

Emma swallowed hard, the weight of his presence pressing against her nerves like an invisible hand.

But before she could respond, he took a step back, his entire demeanor shifting like a switch had flipped.

He brushed a hand over his pristine suit, straightening his cufflinks as if their exchange had just not happened.

"Prepare yourself," he said smoothly.

"We're having visitors over for brunch."

Emma blinked at the abrupt change in subject.

"I expect you to be presentable," he continued, ignoring her confusion. "And don't embarrass us."

She wanted to demand answers, she wanted to question the sudden shift of the conversation and why she had to look more presentable if they had a visitor, but she could already see it would be pointless asking Jayden, for all this was meaningless. He had already dismissed her.

The moment, Jayden stepped out of the room. Emma turned back to search for Tyler, but he was far from gone. 

 Emma was worried about why or when he left the room, cause she didn't see him passing through the door. So, what does that mean?

But she tried not to dwell on it. She believed things happened, and maybe she didn't notice when he left.

 But a small part of her hated how he easily vanished. It was like he had never been here when Jayden was talking to her like she had imagined the whole conversation they had.

She was not going dwell on it, but she could, she promised. 

••

In the afternoon, Emma decided that she would not give them any reason to pick on her today. She would play along according to how they wanted her to. She would act like she belonged here, at least for today and for the visitor, and decided to make all this come to reality.

She went to her closet, rifling through the dresses that had been chosen for her. Most were extravagant, dripping with wealth and status, designed to make a statement. But she had no interest in standing out.

She settled on something simple, an elegant navy blue dress that was not too revealing, not too modest. It fit her just right, highlighting her shape without making her uncomfortable. As she ran her fingers over the fabric, smoothing out invisible wrinkles, a strange sense of detachment settled over her.

This isn't me. None of this is me. 

She had spent so much of her life fighting, resisting, clawing her way through the expectations forced upon her. And yet, here she was, dressing up, playing along, pretending like she belonged. 

She started getting dressed and she was almost done when a sharp knock interrupted her. 

For a brief moment, she thought and hoped it was Tyler. She didn't know why, but she just hoped it was him. Maybe because, despite everything, despite the way he confused her, there was something about him that felt different.

But when she opened the door, her heart sank. Standing there, arms crossed and displeasure written over her face was her sister-in-law.

Emma tensed immediately, already bracing herself for whatever insult was coming.

The woman's gaze raked over her with open disdain.

"What are you wearing?" she sneered.

"Excuse me?" Emma frowned.

"I asked," she said slowly, stepping inside without invitation, "what stupid clothes you were about to put on."

Emma clenched her fists in anger.

"It is a dress. A dress I chose by myself,” she replied.

Her sister-in-law let out a mocking laugh.

"A dress," she repeated, eyeing Emma again, then scoffed. "As if that could make a difference."

Emma's stomach twisted in annoyance. She had never had a good relationship with this woman. She had always made it clear that she thought Emma didn't belong, that she was not good enough. And today was no different.

"You know," her sister-in-law continued, walking further into the room as if she owned it, "I have been thinking about it for a while, and I still can't understand why my brothers made such a horrible choice."

Emma stiffened. She hated how those words still had the power to sting in her heart. She knew what people thought of her. She knew she was not the perfect woman they expected. But something about hearing it so bluntly, so effortlessly, still hurt.

Taking a deep breath, she met the woman's gaze.

"I deserve respect," she said evenly.

Her sister-in-law blinked, then laughed. A cold, mean laugh, like Emma had just said the most ridiculous thing in the world.

"Respect?" she repeated, shaking her head. "Oh, sweet girl."She stepped closer, her smile widening. "Never say those words again."

Emma clenched her jaw. “I…” 

"You need to be very careful with your pride," she cut in smoothly, her voice dropping lower. "Because my brother is leaving you soon."

Emma froze on the spot. A chill ran down her spine.