Chapter 6

Jadyn gripped the glass of water. His knuckles were bone white.

He tilted his chin up, staring at Aileen with eyes full of defensive hostility and deep-seated fear.

Aileen took a tiny, hesitant step forward.

Jadyn flinched. He scrambled backward, putting more distance between them like a frightened animal trying to escape a trap.

Seeing him shrink away from her sent a wave of physical pain through Aileen's stomach. It was a heavy, sickening ache.

She opened her mouth, intending to soften her voice just a fraction.

Warning! Critical OOC risk detected! Oracle's red alarm flashed across her vision, the sound shrill and painful in her head.

Aileen bit down hard on her tongue. She swallowed the gentle words, tasting the bitter reality of her situation.

She forced her brow to furrow. She twisted her lips into a sneer of pure disgust.

Aileen raised her hand and swiped it through the air toward Jadyn.

Her fingers clipped the side of the heavy glass in his hands.

The glass slipped from his small fingers. It hit the thick Persian rug with a dull, heavy thud.

It didn't shatter, but the water splashed out violently, soaking the toes of Jadyn's dinosaur slippers.

Jadyn's head snapped up. The fear in his eyes was instantly swallowed by a fierce, humiliating hatred.

Aileen crossed her arms tightly over her chest. "Can't you even hold a glass of water properly?" she snapped, her voice dripping with venom. "Watch where you're walking."

Jadyn bit his lower lip. He bit it so hard the skin turned white, then red. His eyes were shining with unshed tears, but he refused to let them fall.

Seeing him swallow his pride and hold back his tears almost broke Aileen's resolve. Her throat felt like it was closing up.

She forced herself to look away from his face. She stared at the wet spot on the rug.

"Clean it up," she ordered, her tone freezing cold. "Now."

Jadyn didn't say a word. He dropped to his knees on the carpet.

He didn't go look for a towel. He pulled the sleeve of his cotton pajama shirt down over his hand and started scrubbing at the wet spot on the rug.

Aileen stopped breathing. Watching him use his own clothes to clean up a mess, doing it with the practiced efficiency of a child who had been punished for taking too long before, made her physically sick.

Character maintenance successful. Warning lifted, Oracle chimed.

Aileen couldn't stand there for another second. She spun around on her heel.

She walked back into the study and slammed the door shut behind her.

The moment the lock clicked, her legs gave out. She slid down the solid wood paneling until she hit the floor.

She slapped both hands over her mouth, pressing hard against her lips to muffle the sob tearing up her throat.

She sat there, holding her breath, listening intently.

A minute later, she heard the soft, shuffling footsteps of Jadyn walking away down the hall.

Aileen dropped her hands. She wiped the tears off her face with the back of her hand, the movement rough and angry. She grabbed the doorframe and pulled herself up.

She walked over to the window, letting the cold draft hit her face. She was done playing by the system's rules. She was going to find a way out of this.

Aileen turned away from the window and walked toward the attached en-suite bathroom. She needed cold water. She needed to wash the disgust off her skin.