The Quiet Contract

Cuddle - ChaeSoo

Jennie POV

I clenched my fists, my patience unraveling fast. "Where's Lisa's room?" I asked Rosé directly, my voice steady but laced with irritation.

Rosé crossed her arms, stepping in front of me like a guard. "Jennie, she needs rest. She's not feeling well, and the last thing she needs is stress right now."

I arched a brow. "Stress? What do you mean by that? Do you think I'm going to stress her out?"

Rosé sighed, her tone firm but calm. "Look, you being here is already unexpected. Lisa needs peace, not a confrontation or—"

"I'm not here to argue with her," I snapped, my irritation bubbling to the surface. "I just want to check if she's okay."

"Then trust me when I say she's fine," Rosé said stubbornly, her stance unyielding.

Jisoo, who had been quietly observing, suddenly chimed in. "Oh, come on, Chaeng. Let Jennie see her fiancée," she said with a teasing lilt, emphasizing the word "fiancée" like it was a joke.

Rosé shot Jisoo a warning glare. "Don't start, Jisoo."

But Jisoo was on a roll now. "I mean, it's only fair, right? If Diana here can check on Lisa, why can't Jennie?"

Diana, who had been silently watching the exchange with an amused smile, raised her hands as if to say she wasn't part of this.

"Jisoo," Rosé warned, her voice sharper now.

Jisoo grinned, clearly enjoying the chaos. "Come on, Rosé. Don't be so overprotective. Jennie's not going to bite Lisa's head off. She's worried, and honestly, it's kind of cute seeing her like this."

I shot Jisoo a glare, my face heating up. "Jisoo, stop."

Rosé sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Fine. Her room's down the hall, second door on the left."

I didn't wait for another word. Without sparing anyone else a glance, I marched down the hall, my heels clicking sharply against the floor. My emotions were a mess—annoyance at Rosé's resistance, confusion over Diana's presence, and a nagging worry for Lisa that I couldn't shake.

Behind me, I heard Jisoo chuckling softly. "You're really something, Jennie."

But I didn't respond. My focus was solely on Lisa now.

I didn't even bother knocking. My hand twisted the doorknob, and I pushed the door open, stepping inside before I could second-guess myself.

Lisa was sitting up in bed, her back against the headrest, her face pale and tired, eyes fixed on the ceiling. She turned her head slowly at the sound of the door, her surprise evident.

"Jennie?" she said, her voice raspy.

But I didn't give her time to say more. The words were already spilling out of me, each one faster and sharper than the last.

"Why is Diana here?" I demanded, crossing the room, my arms crossed over my chest. "Are you two... is there something between you? Is that why you've been acting so like that?"

Lisa blinked, her expression shifting from surprise to something unreadable. She didn't say a word, just watched me with those tired eyes, which somehow made me angrier.

"And don't even try to deny it," I continued, the frustration and confusion bubbling over. "You're the one who said we could cancel the arrangement, that you wanted me to be free. But was that really about me? Or was it about you? Were you just looking for an excuse to get out of this because you—" My voice cracked slightly, but I pushed through it. "Because you're the one who wants to be free?"