Outside in the hallway, Blair leaned back against the smooth wall, letting out a slow, quiet breath. Her heart was beating fast, but she felt relief. She hadn’t angered him to the point of an explosion, and she hadn’t made him feel pitied.
Or maybe he was the type with slow anger? Would he only show it later? She grew paranoid. What if the food just made him feel underestimated? She began to think the worst when that familiar chime echoed in her head.
Ding.
A soft blue interface flickered to life before her.
[Secondary Mission Update: Target Philippe Deruno]
[Action: Non-intrusive care provided without triggering defensive hostility.]
[Status: Pending Consumption...]
Blair looked at the screen and smiled faintly without even realizing it. So, she had not pushed him to anger, it seemed. He had accepted the meal.
She suddenly realized he might’ve been too proud to eat it while she was looking, but the warming coaster would keep it piping hot until he decided to give in, so he was taking his time.
"Thank God," she whispered into the dark, letting out a quiet breath. It doesn’t seem like I’m being a burden.
Gathering this momentum, she looked at the final covered tray on her cart.
The top floor belonged to Sebastian—the third brother, her third husband. The man with the picture-perfect, hollow smile who treated everything like a polite, emotionless business transaction.
He was a lion, somewhat fierce in his thinking but tamed on the outside. This was why it was hard to understand what he was thinking.
She gripped the handles of the service cart and headed toward the elevator, ready to deliver her final meal.
The elevator rode smoothly up to the penthouse floor, dropping Blair off in a hallway lined with pristine white marble and plain, geometric art.
Sebastian’s suite sat at the very end. The door was unlocked, and through the glass panels, Blair could see him sitting at a sleek glass desk.
His suit jacket was off, hung perfectly on a valet stand, but his tie remained neatly pressed, his posture immaculate as his fingers glided across a silent touchscreen interface on his glass desk.
Blair knocked softly twice.
Sebastian looked up immediately. The moment his gaze landed on her, his face instantly smoothed into that same picture-perfect, welcoming smile he had worn in the conference room. It was warm, polite, and entirely empty.
"Miss Blair," Sebastian said smoothly, standing up to greet her. "Is there something you need?"
"I brought you dinner," Blair murmured, wheeling the cart into the quiet room. "Chef Henderson told me you often work late and skip meals. I prepped light steamed grain cakes and lavender herbal tea... so it wouldn’t feel heavy on your stomach."
Sebastian looked down at the silver tray, his smile never wavering for a fraction of a second. He stepped closer, his movements fluid and graceful, and gently took the tray from her hands.
"That is very thoughtful of you," he said, his tone dripping with gentle, polite warmth. "Thank you for taking the time to do this."
With those words, anyone would have felt touched, having received the first thank you all night, but Blair’s heart shrank.
Having spent a lifetime reading the subtle shifts in people’s eyes to survive, Blair could spot underlying rejection better than anyone. Beneath that pleasant smile, his eyes were as cold and flat as marble.
"However," Sebastian added softly, his voice dropping into a quiet, underlying warning tone that made her skin prickle. "You do not need to worry yourself with things like this, Mrs. Deruno. Your comfort is our priority, so please, feel free to stay to yourself and rest. There is no need to push yourself to perform duties meant for the staff."
Be invisible, his eyes said. Do not become an eyesore.
"I understand," Blair whispered, bowing her head slightly. "I’m sorry to have bothered you."
"Not at all. Have a good night," he replied smoothly.
Blair turned and walked out, pulling the door shut behind her.
She stood in the hallway, her hands resting against the cold handle of the empty cart. She didn’t leave immediately. She waited for three quiet seconds, looking down at the small gap beneath his door.
Clank.
The soft, dull sound of a covered silver tray hitting the bottom of a metal waste bin echoed through the quiet gap.
Blair squeezed her eyes shut for a brief second, a familiar, quiet ache settling in her throat. She had worked so hard on those grain cakes, carefully steaming them so they wouldn’t lose flavor. But she wasn’t surprised. When you spent your whole life being tossed aside, positivity often felt like a hidden warning, and kindness was just a polite way to tell you to leave.
Ding.
[Target: Sebastian Deruno discarded the offered meal.]
[Investment Failed: 0 Life Dividends Earned.]
Blair took a slow, quiet breath, opening her eyes. "Well... I won’t give up from just one failed attempt," she murmured to herself.
Before the sting of rejection could linger, another chime rang softly in her mind—clearer, warmer, and accompanied by a sudden surge of heat blooming deep in her chest:
[Target: Philippe Deruno has consumed the warm beef broth.]
[Mission Accomplished!]
[Reward Issued: +3 Days Added to Life Expectancy]
[Phase 2 Vitality Recovery: Improved Blood Circulation Engaged]
[Current Life Remaining: 45 Days]
A wave of soothing warmth flowed from her torso down to her toes, washing away the biting cold that usually trapped her thin ankles and wrists.
Blair blinked, a light breath escaping her pale lips.
Philippe had actually eaten it. The cold, prideful panther who looked like he would rather starve than accept help had sat in his dark, icy study and drank her soup.
At least, that made up for what she had witnessed with Sebastian. He might just be someone with trust issues. He might just be on guard since he hadn’t even known her for over a day, which was normal, so she would keep trying.
She would not stay down and be invisible as he had warned with his eyes. Because being invisible would leave her to die. She would appear in front of them. She would try to engrave her touch, her care, her voice in all their memory until they began to see her as less of a burden and maybe...maybe...something they cannot live without.