Jenn turned, startled. "Who's there?"
"It's me," Alden's voice came softly through the door.
She hesitated, then said quietly, "Come in."
Alden opened the door slowly. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes searched hers. "You weren't at dinner," he said.
"I wasn't hungry," Jenn replied flatly.
He nodded, walking a little closer. "You've been quiet lately."
Jenn gave a small, bitter laugh. "Maybe I just don't have anything to say."
Alden watched her carefully. "Is this about Jeff?"
Her breath caught. She looked up at him sharply, then away. "Why would you think that?"
"Because whenever his name comes up, you act like you're trying not to break," Alden said softly.
Jenn didn't reply. She just stared at her hands. Alden sighed and sat on the chair beside her bed. "You don't have to pretend with me, Jenn. You can tell me if he hurt you."
Jenn's voice trembled. "It's not that simple."
Alden leaned forward slightly. "Then make me understand."
But she couldn't. The words stayed trapped in her throat. She didn't want him to know that she'd heard Jeff's confession — that she knew she was just a piece in a bigger plan once.
So instead, she said, "Please, Alden. Not tonight."
He looked at her one last time, then nodded slowly. "Alright." He stood up, walked to the door, then paused. "For what it's worth… I meant what I said — about loving you."
Jenn froze, heart pounding, but before she could respond, he was gone.
She sat there, speechless, staring at the door.
That night, sleep didn't come easily.
⸻
The next morning, Jenn walked into school, exhausted but trying to look fine. Jeff was already there, sitting on the bench near the garden. The moment he saw her, he stood up.
"Jenn, can we talk?" he asked.
Jenn hesitated. "I'm kind of busy right now."
"Please," Jeff said, stepping closer. "Did I do something wrong? You've been avoiding me."
Jenn's chest tightened. "No, you didn't."
"Then what is it?" he pressed gently. "Did someone say something? Is it Alden?"
She looked up, meeting his eyes for the first time in days. There was worry in them — real, raw worry.
And that almost broke her.
"I just… need some space," she said softly.
Jeff frowned. "Space? Jenn, if I did something—"
"Don't," she interrupted. Her voice cracked. "Please, just… don't."
He stared at her, speechless. For the first time, he didn't try to stop her as she walked away.
From a distance, Alden watched them quietly, his hands buried in his pockets, jaw clenched.
And from that moment on, all three of them — Jenn, Jeff, and Alden — were caught in a silence that said more than words ever could.
Jenn sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the window where the faint morning light crept through the curtains. Her thoughts were a mess — Alden's angry words, Jeff's guilty eyes, and her own heart that just wouldn't stay still.
She barely noticed when the door opened until a soft voice spoke.
"Nanny Jenn?"
Jenn turned. Lucy stood there in her pajamas, holding her teddy bear. Her small eyes looked serious, almost too wise for her age.
Jenn forced a smile. "Hey, Lucy."
Lucy walked closer and climbed onto the bed. "You look sad again."
Jenn sighed. "I'm fine, sweetheart. Just tired."
Lucy shook her head. "You're not fine"
Jenn blinked. "Wha…at?"
Lucy hugged her teddy bear tightly. "I heard you and my brother talking ."
Jenn's breath caught. "You shouldn't have—"
"I didn't mean to listen," Lucy said quickly. "But I heard enough. Jeff really likes you, Nanny. I can tell. And Alden… he likes you too."
Jenn looked away. "That's what makes it so hard, Lucy. I don't know what to do anymore."
Lucy reached for her hand, her voice soft but certain. "Then start by listening. Jeff is your Boyfriend . Maybe you should talk to him first — and if he explains, maybe forgive him. People make mistakes, right?"
Jenn smiled faintly. "You sound like you're older than me sometimes."
Lucy giggled. "Maybe I am, just shorter."
They both laughed, and for a moment, Jenn felt lighter. She brushed Lucy's hair back gently. "Thank you, Lucy. Maybe you're right. Maybe I should just… listen before deciding."
Deep down in Jenn, she wasn't ready. Lucy's words healed her a bit, but still, she couldn't shake the thought that Jeff had betrayed her.
When Lucy left the room, Jenn sat quietly for a long time, her fingers tracing invisible lines on the bedsheet. Memories of Jeff — his laughter, his warmth, the way he used to look at her — filled her mind. Then, Alden's voice echoed faintly too, his soft confession of love replaying over and over again.
She pressed her palms to her face. "Why does it have to be this hard?"
At that same time, in another corner of the mansion, Alden stood by his window, looking out at the garden below. He had barely slept. Every time he closed his eyes, all he saw was Jenn — the way she smiled, the way she walked away from him last night.
He held his forehead, breathing heavily. "What will I do?"
The thought burned. He wanted to go to her room again, just to see her, to hold her if she'd let him — but he knew that would only make things worse. She was still hurting, and maybe right now, she didn't need love. She needed peace.
But peace was something Alden didn't know how to give her not when his own heart was at war.
He sighed, sitting on the edge of his bed. "You'll never see me the same, will you, Jenn?" he muttered quietly.
Outside, the rain began to fall, light at first, then steady. Jenn sat by her window, watching it. She loved the rain, but tonight, it only made her heart heavier.
Somewhere out there, Jeff was probably thinking of her too , wondering what he did wrong, trying to make sense of the distance between them.
But what none of them realized was that this silence — this space — was changing everything.
Slowly, painfully, hearts were shifting.
Love was being tested.
And the line between comfort and desire was starting to blur.