Chapter 3 That Steak Wants Me Dead

"You finish up. I’ve got something to take care of." Dominic toned down the edge in his voice, doing his best not to sound harsh and cold. Jean pouted a little without saying a word. Really? He wants me to keep eating this stuff? Not even a dog would touch it... just because food’s there doesn’t mean you should eat it! Dominic turned his head and gave her a quick glance. Jean instantly put on her best wide-eyed, innocent look. "If there’s anything you actually like, just ask the housekeeper," he added, surprisingly gentle. They were technically siblings, but he barely knew her at all. Jean had always been more of a ghost than a person. Quiet, forgettable. If he weren’t her brother, he probably wouldn’t have given her a second look. But now— Dominic met her clear, open gaze and felt something shift inside him. Maybe he’d gotten it all wrong. Maybe she wasn’t distant. Maybe she just didn’t know how to let people in. Jean had no clue what was going on in Dominic’s head. She was off in her own little world. Anything I want? Don’t just say that—prove it. Send me seven bucks and let’s see how serious you are. It’s Thursday. I’m about to go full chaos mode! A few minutes later, her phone buzzed with a transfer. Fourteen thousand dollars. "Dominic, you... why would you... send me this much money?" Jean stared at her phone like it had just grown wings. Her voice came out in broken pieces. This was what people meant by money falling from the sky. This was what it felt like to trip and land in a pile of gold. This was the dream. Money, come to me. Rain down on me. Pour in from everywhere... Dominic caught the wide-eyed look on her face, those dark pupils shimmering like glass, and honestly, he found it kind of adorable. "If that’s not enough, just ask me for more." He dropped that line like it was nothing, then walked off with Bryson without another word. Jean stayed at the table by herself, grinning like she’d just hit the jackpot. Hehe... fourteen grand just like that. At this rate, her dream of retiring in a five-star psych ward was totally within reach. Sure, Dominic had said she could ask for more if she needed it... But Jean wasn’t some clueless freeloader. Stuff like this had to be finessed. If she got greedy and drained him too fast, the money train would stop way too soon. …… Dominic settled into the back seat of the sleek black car, tugging at his shirt collar like always. Jean’s inner voice still echoed in his head. Thomas... His eyes narrowed. Something sharp and unreadable flickered behind them. "Find out who in the company’s been cozying up to Thomas lately." His voice dropped low and cold as he spoke to Bryson in the driver’s seat. Bryson didn’t let it show on his face, but inside, he tensed. Did Mr. Dominic notice something off? He was actually starting to question Thomas... "Got it." Bryson kept his thoughts to himself. He knew better than to push. …… It was the end of summer break. Jean grabbed a few slices of homemade cake from the fridge, ate to her heart’s content, then wandered back up to her bedroom. The air conditioning was cranked all the way up. She collapsed onto her bed with pure contentment. She didn’t know exactly when Sarah—the heroine—would show up. So until that day came, she was just going to kick back and enjoy the ride. Her arm stretched out lazily, and her fingers brushed against something under the pillow. It was cold. Metallic. Jean froze. She sat up fast and yanked the pillow away— Her eyes popped open. Lying underneath was a metal badge she didn’t recognize. Totally unfamiliar. And definitely not hers. Jean picked up the badge and looked it over carefully. The design popped in three dimensions. It was a hexagram—not too big, not too small—with a sharp-lined iris blooming right through the center. It was eerie. Beautiful. And deeply wrong. Then it hit her. Her expression tightened. Her eyes widened in alarm. Clink. The badge slipped out of her hand and landed on the pillow. Jean froze, drawing in a shaky breath. A chill crawled over her skin like invisible ice. She instinctively hugged herself. If she wasn’t misremembering. Hexagram. Iris. That was the symbol of a secret group in the novel. The world of the story looked like it was run by glamorous, powerful families. But behind the scenes, there were darker forces. Ruthless organizations hiding in the shadows, fighting for control. Abyssal Choir was one of the deadliest. They stood for chaos and blood. They were the ultimate villains. The kind of villains who could actually rival the heroine. And their insignia? An iris in full bloom, cradled inside a six-pointed star. Abyssal Choir. Jean felt the hairs on her neck rise. It was like something cold and invisible had wrapped around her. There was no way that badge just ended up here by accident. Which meant— What kind of connection did the original Jean have with the Abyssal Choir? She was supposed to be a quiet, pampered heiress. How would someone like her get involved with a group like that... Was it possible the Abyssal Choir had already targeted her? Maybe the badge was a warning. Or maybe... maybe the heroine had already returned, fully awakened. Maybe she left the badge there on purpose. Jean’s head was spinning. Sure, she knew most of the novel’s plot. But the original Jean was just a minor villain. No one had bothered to write out her life in detail. And the memories she’d inherited were scattered at best. She knew the broad strokes. But everything else? A total blur. And now this badge had hit her like a slap in the face. Just when she thought she could finally relax, it yanked her back into a storm. After thinking it through over and over, she realized there was only one way to handle this. Play it by ear. One step at a time. She wasn’t ready to die. And she definitely didn’t want to mess with people like that. …… In the days that followed, Jean didn’t see anyone else in the family—just Dominic. Her so-called parents? Off abroad, handling who-knows-what. The other four brothers? Apparently too swamped with their own stuff to even come home. As for the badge... nothing had happened. It sat there like it had never existed for any reason at all. No explanation. No follow-up. Nothing. Jean spent the last stretch of summer break quietly, until reality came knocking and school started back up. It was the first day of class. Jean walked toward the car, yawning the whole way. The Ginger family had her riding in style in a glossy black luxury car. The driver was already in place, sitting silently behind the wheel. He was huge, stone-faced, and clearly uninterested. Even when he noticed her approach, he didn’t say a word or glance her way. Just stared dead ahead like she was completely invisible. Jean blinked slowly, clearly not thrilled. She knocked on the driver’s window. That finally got a response. He rolled it down and said in the flattest tone, "Ms. Ginger." "Hey, Sir... did we forget to pay you or something?" Jean tilted her head, looking way too sweet to be taken seriously. The driver clearly hadn’t seen that one coming. He coughed awkwardly and scrambled to reply. "Of course not... Ms. Ginger, why would you say that..." "You just seem kinda... not into the whole drive-to-school thing." "Absolutely not the case!" "If it’s really that painful, I can ask Dominic to switch things up. Maybe have you bag groceries at Costco instead?" Jean’s big, sparkly eyes flicked upward with faux concern. The driver choked on his own breath and fell completely silent.