Chapter 2

The morning sun sliced through the gap in the heavy curtains, hitting Brooklyn right in the eyes.

She was already awake. She had been awake for hours, listening to the faint, muffled voices drifting up from the floor below.

She pushed herself off the mattress. She didn't bother opening her suitcase. She pulled the exact same washed-out denim jacket from the chair, slipped it on, and walked out the door. Her footsteps made absolutely no sound on the thick carpet.

As she neared the dining room archway, Harmony's shrill voice pierced the air.

"Grandma, how can she live here? My friends are going to laugh me out of the city!"

Estelle's raspy voice followed. "That was your mother's brilliant idea. This house is losing all its standards."

Brooklyn stepped into the archway.

The dining room went instantly quiet. Every head snapped toward her. The air grew thick with a toxic mix of disgust, scrutiny, and Diana's suffocating guilt.

Diana jumped up from her chair, her napkin falling to the floor. "Brooklyn! Come, eat breakfast." She hurriedly pulled out a chair near the center of the long mahogany table.

Brooklyn didn't look at her. She walked straight past Diana and pulled out the chair at the absolute far end of the table, putting maximum physical distance between herself, Estelle at the head, and Harmony.

A maid in a black-and-white uniform immediately stepped forward, placing a porcelain plate of delicate French pastries and eggs in front of her.

Brooklyn stared at the perfectly plated food. She picked up a piece of dry toast and took a slow, deliberate bite. The crunch was loud in the silent room.

Harmony leaned over, speaking loudly enough for the entire room to hear. "Some people chew like animals. I guess you can't wash the country stench off."

Kristen kept her head down, taking a tiny sip of her juice, but her lips twitched upward into a hidden smile.

Bryan dropped his silver fork onto his plate with a sharp clatter. He scowled.

Brooklyn swallowed the dry bread. She didn't look up from her plate. Her voice was steady and completely devoid of emotion.

"If it hurts your eyes, stop looking."

Harmony choked on her breath, her face turning red. She opened her mouth to scream, but Estelle tapped her crystal water glass with a spoon.

"Eat!" Estelle commanded, glaring at Brooklyn.

Bryan grabbed his linen napkin and wiped his mouth aggressively. He locked eyes with Brooklyn, his tone strictly business.

"Since you're back, you follow the rules of this house," Bryan snapped. "From now on, you don't wander around without my permission. You don't bring outsiders here. And you absolutely do not embarrass this family."

Brooklyn slowly lifted her eyes. Her gaze hit him like a physical blow-cold, heavy, and completely unbothered.

"Embarrass?" Brooklyn repeated quietly. "You mean like sitting around a table gossiping about your own family behind their backs?"

Bryan's face darkened instantly. The veins in his neck bulged. "You-"

Estelle slammed her hand on the table. "Insolent!"

Diana waved her hands frantically, her voice shaking. "Bryan, please! She just got here, she's not used to-"

"Used to?" Bryan roared, cutting Diana off. "She doesn't want to fit in! Look at her, Diana! This is your perfect daughter!"

Brooklyn pushed her chair back. The wooden legs scraped harshly against the floor. She dropped her linen napkin onto the table.

"I'm done," she said.

She turned and walked out of the dining room. Behind her, Harmony muttered the word "bumpkin," and Estelle let out a loud, exaggerated sigh. Brooklyn didn't miss a step.

She made it halfway down the corridor when she heard the frantic clicking of heels.

Diana grabbed her forearm. Her grip was tight, her palms sweaty. "Brooklyn, please. They just... they need time."

Brooklyn stopped. She turned her head and looked down at Diana's hand clutching her jacket. A flicker of something dark and complex crossed Brooklyn's eyes, but it was gone in a millisecond, replaced by a wall of ice.

"Time doesn't cure prejudice, ma'am," Brooklyn said.

She didn't say Mom. She said ma'am.

Diana's breath hitched. Her hand went limp, dropping away from Brooklyn's arm as if she had been burned.

Brooklyn turned and walked away, leaving Diana frozen in the hallway.

The moment Brooklyn closed her bedroom door, her phone vibrated against her thigh. She pulled it out.

Garret: The invitation for the MK Auction House just arrived. Tomorrow at 3 PM.

Brooklyn stared at the screen. The tightness in her chest loosened slightly. Received, she typed back. A spark of genuine interest finally lit up her eyes.

Downstairs, the dining room was still tense.

Estelle leaned close to Bryan. "That girl's eyes are wrong. They're too cold. It's not normal. She makes my skin crawl."

Bryan waved a dismissive hand. "What's there to worry about? She's an uneducated brat. The problem is keeping her away from Harmony and Kristen so she doesn't drag them down."

Kristen set her fork down gently and looked up, her expression the picture of innocence.

"Dad," Kristen said softly. "If she just stays hidden in the house, people will talk. They'll say we're ashamed of her. Why don't we... send her to school? That way she's out of the house, and it shows the family hasn't given up on her."

Estelle's eyes lit up. "That's a brilliant idea. St. Jude's Prep. It's far away, and they have strict discipline."

Bryan nodded slowly, the tension leaving his shoulders. "Done. I'll call Dean Holloway today."

At the top of the stairs, Diana stood gripping the wooden banister. Her knuckles were white. She heard every word of their plan to exile her daughter, but her throat was completely closed. She couldn't force a single sound out.