Jane revered Aro more than anyone. She believed in every decision he made without question, trusting his judgment as though it were absolute truth. Because of that unwavering faith, she could only accept the outcome and place the blame upon herself and Sophie. She had failed, as Sophie's guardian, to awaken the girl's true potential, and perhaps Sophie simply lacked the fate required to remain among them.
The young newborn stood at yet another turning point in her destiny, completely unaware that her future had already been decided. Instead, she continued arguing over what Jane considered an insignificant object, desperately trying to convince her to change her mind. To Jane, it was childish persistence. To Sophie, it was one of the last threads tying her to the person she used to be.
"This notebook..." Sophie began, only to find the words caught in her throat.
Felix had already read what was inside it, while Alec knew she had been secretly preparing a small martial arts handbook as a return gift for Jane. Yet now those same two people stood on either side of her, restraining her with steady hands.
Something that had once felt warm, hopeful, and deeply personal suddenly became unbearably humiliating in the current situation. No matter how hard she tried, she simply could not bring herself to say it aloud.
This had gone far beyond merely wanting to keep a secret. Her heart twisted painfully as her pride wrestled against the desperate longing for Jane's understanding. If she admitted everything here, Felix and Alec would both witness the depth of her humiliation.
Anything those two knew would never remain hidden from Aro, who lived beside them day after day. Her tiny, insignificant embarrassment could easily spread through every dark corridor of the Palazzo dei Priori.
Rather than let that happen, Sophie would rather swallow everything herself. She refused to let those feelings, the feelings that now belonged to her alone, be exposed for public scrutiny, only to be met with ridicule from the very person they had been meant for.
So this is how Jane treats her subordinates... once that bond is gone.
Only now did Sophie truly understand.
No matter how many times others had described it, no matter how cruel the stories had sounded, hearing about it could never compare to experiencing it herself.
Jane assumed the two men had been too rough while restraining Sophie and had hurt her in the process. With a small gesture, she signaled for Alec and Felix to let go.
The instant they released her, Sophie collapsed onto the grass.
"What is it?" Jane pressed, her voice flat and impatient. "Tell me one reason... one reason capable of changing my mind."
She forced herself into the cruelest smile she knew how to make. It carried open mockery, as though laughing at Sophie's foolish hope and demanding she accept reality instead. Behind Jane, the river that had carried away the tablet rushed noisily onward, its relentless current filling the suffocating silence stretching between them.
For a long while, countless emotions surged violently inside Sophie.
In the end...
Her pride won.
"It was..." She lowered her eyes before quietly answering, "It was a gift from a good friend. It has sentimental value."
She deliberately chose only the facts that had nothing to do with the real reason.
Jane immediately verified the claim.
As the commander of the Volturi Guard, she acted with remarkable efficiency. Holding the notebook in one hand, her thumb flipped open the first page in a single smooth motion. The neatly written words immediately entered her sight.
To Sophie, from Irene. Dated, December 25, 2002. Christmas. Three years ago.
Jane found herself remembering the previous Christmas she had spent with Alec. That year she had given him a classic Patek Philippe watch, while Alec had gifted her an entire warehouse filled with uncut gemstones mined in South Africa.
Compared with that, this inexpensive Christmas present suggested that Sophie and this Irene had probably not been especially close back then. Otherwise, how could such a modest gift possibly suffice? Yet Sophie had treasured it for three whole years. Which meant their relationship must have grown far closer afterward.
Jane had already reviewed Sophie's personal records. She knew exactly who Irene was. "Irene Ederson." Jane pronounced Irene's full name flawlessly. Sophie visibly froze in surprise, and Jane understood at once. She had guessed correctly.
"I always thought she was your enemy." Closing the notebook, Jane abruptly lost all interest in investigating further. "A habitual con artist who pretended to be the daughter of a wealthy family. Irene Ederson stole your savings and fled to Italy. You crossed half the world chasing after her, only to lose your life instead. If I were you, I'd hate her with everything I had." She looked down at the notebook before continuing coldly, "So why cling so stubbornly to a gift from someone who ruined your life?"
Sophie had always believed Jane knew nothing about Irene. Nowhere in her memories had the two women ever met. Then how does Jane know all this?
"Irene isn't exactly my enemy." Sophie shook her head. "She owes me." She had no intention of discussing Irene further. Instead, she quickly changed the subject. "And besides, I still have a use for this notebook."
"So that's it." Jane's voice remained calm. She asked nothing further. Instead, she shifted the notebook into both hands and opened it once more. Her gaze lingered strangely between the two names written on the first page.
Sophie. Irene. Only two names. Yet Jane studied them with astonishing care, as though trying to savor some hidden meaning concealed within the ink itself.
Slowly, Jane lowered herself slightly, reducing the distance between them. No one could tell what she was thinking. Watching her, hope quietly blossomed inside Sophie. Even before there had been any emotional bond between them, Jane had still looked after her. Maybe Chelsea's gift isn't as absolute as I imagined.
They were close enough now that the worn notebook was almost within reach. Sophie slowly straightened from where she sat on the ground and cautiously lifted her hand toward it. Jane naturally noticed the movement. Yet her eyes remained fixed upon the title page as though completely unaware of Sophie's intentions.
Patiently, she waited. She waited until hope returned to Sophie's eyes and until her guard dropped. She waited until her trembling fingertips were only inches away from touching the notebook's worn back cover.
Only then, Jane finally lifted her gaze. Her red eyes were razor sharp. There was even a trace of cruelty in them.
The next instant, RIIIP! The tearing sound exploded between them, so close that it seemed to slash straight through Sophie's vision.
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