A Dance Of Crowns & Thrones | Book I

Chapter 156 | The One Who Is Compartmentalizing

Timeline - 36 hours ago

The grand doors to the penthouse suite swung open with a soft whoosh, revealing an opulent, sprawling space bathed in warm golden light. High ceilings stretched above them, chandeliers casting a soft glow over the polished marble floors. The plush furniture was arranged around a sunken living room with floor-to-ceiling windows, offering a panoramic view of the coastline as the waves glittered in the high midday sun.

Jasmine let out an appreciative whistle, spinning on her heels. "Okay, now this is what I'm talking about," she said, her eyes widening at the sight of the grandiose setup.

Eko strolled in with a triumphant grin, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she made a beeline for the massive open bar on one side of the suite. "Now this is a bachloertte weeken," she chimed, eyeing the lavish details that screamed pure luxury.

Mya and Jasmine were already inspecting the modern artwork adorning the walls when Jesse slipped in behind them, her arms crossed, her face a mask of irritation.

"Alright, Jesse," Mya said, turning to her with a knowing look, "you've been a thundercloud since we got here. What's been bugging you?"

Jesse's eyes flashed with a hint of annoyance as she brushed past them. She spotted the wine—a welcome gift, elegantly presented on the marble countertop, begging to be opened. Without a word, she snatched the bottle of rich red, deftly twisting the corkscrew and popping it open in one fluid motion.

"You want to know what's been bugging me?" Jesse's voice was sharp, but beneath it was a layer of exhaustion. She poured herself a generous glass, ignoring the fancy crystal goblets in favor of something simple. "That dickhead of an ex-boyfriend!"

With the glass in hand, she strode toward the grand longue that overlooked the sea, the fading sunlight casting a warm glow over the suite. Sinking into the plush cushions, she sighed, her gaze fixed on the horizon.

The girls exchanged glances, a mix of shock and curiosity in their expressions. Eko, Jasmine, and Mya shared a silent conversation of raised eyebrows and nods. Whatever had gone down, it was big.

"Urm?" Jasmine ventured cautiously, as she watched Mya and Eko bring over a few more bottles of wine. The three of them settled onto the longue, waiting for Jesse to spill.

"Spill the tea!" Eko was already leaning forward, eager to hear the story, despite being met with a death stare from Jesse.

"You're gloating," Jesse said flatly, her eyes narrowing at Eko's playful smirk.

"I'm reserving judgment," Eko replied innocently, raising the wine bottle in a mock toast. "Now, spill."

Jesse groaned, taking another long sip of her wine. "It all happened yesterday."

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Jesse curled her hand into Aiden's arm as they strolled along the streets of Isadora, absentmindedly talking about Allegiant and the new training programs that had been put into motion for the young cadets onboarding that year.

"We haven't had beautiful weather like this for the past week," Jesse smiled.

"We haven't," Aiden replied, smiling.

It was silence after that, as the two continued to walk together before whatever was on Aiden's mind had finally taken its toll, "I've been thinking a lot lately. About you. About me. Us."

Jesse looked at Aiden, her heart speeding up, hope reaching her eyes. Aiden led them to a bench as he held her quivering hand.

"Yeah?" gesturing for him to continue.