CHAPTER TWO
As soon as Jade arrived at the house, she noticed something was different. The place was busier than usual. More workers than she had ever seen before moved about, carrying things, rearranging furniture, and filling the space with a restless energy that made her head spin. She ignored the commotion and made her way toward the living room.
What greeted her there was an even bigger surprise. Laughter and chatter filled the air. The atmosphere was warm—joyful, even. It was a stark contrast to what she was used to. A group sat in a circle, completely enthralled by a story being told by someone in the center. They were so absorbed in their conversation that they didn't even notice her presence.
That was until a gentle, almost musical voice broke the spell.
"The maid standing by the door, could you bring me a jug of warm water? Thank you."
Jade blinked, momentarily stunned. Is she talking to me?
She glanced down at her clothes, plain black and white, her usual preference. Maybe that was why she had been mistaken for a maid. But no maid would wear something as expensive as what she had on.
She turned toward the source of the voice, her gaze landing on a young woman beautiful, poised, and around her age, yet carrying a maturity that Jade could never hope to possess, not even in her next life.
Before she could correct the misunderstanding, another familiar voice cut in.
"Jade, please get her a jug of warm water."
Jade's body stiffened. Without even turning, she knew who had spoken. The woman she had called mother for over twenty years.
For a brief moment, she debated whether to argue, but in the end, she simply let out a quiet breath.
"But ma'am, I'm not a maid." The word ma'am rolled off her tongue stiffly, feeling foreign wrong. Mother no longer suited the woman in front of her. She had called her mother for more than twenty years and to think she would one day have to change the address.
"You know what? It doesn't matter. I'll have someone bring the water over."
She turned on her heels, no longer interested in lingering in the room where the joyful atmosphere had noticeably dimmed the moment people finally acknowledged her presence.
Apart from the unfamiliar young woman, the entire Thomas family was present. Two strangers one man, one woman sat among them, their faces vaguely familiar, though Jade couldn't recall ever meeting them before. And yet, deep down, she could already guess who they were and why they were here.
She had expected this moment. Anticipated it. But that didn't mean she welcomed it.
Without another word, she climbed the stairs to her room, making no effort to send anyone to fetch the water. Doing so would have been an admission. It would have been a silent acceptance of the degrading role they had just assigned to her.
Inside, the familiar solemnity of her space greeted her. The walls were painted a deep gray, one corner darker than the rest, almost black. Heavy black curtains covered the windows, dimming the room further. A simple wooden desk sat against the wall, its surface mostly bare except for a few books on children's education and handmade teaching materials bright splashes of color that seemed completely out of place in the otherwise somber room.
She walked across the room, tracing her fingers along the furniture. This room that she had spent her entire life wouldn't be hers for much longer. Soon, someone else would take her place here.
It hadn't always been like this. She used to love warmth, light, and color. But when everything in her life came crashing down, so did her desire for anything bright.
The sound of the door creaking open pulled her out of her thoughts.
Jade turned, surprised to see the young woman from earlier standing at the entrance.
"Hello," the woman said with a pleasant smile. "I'm Scarlett."
There was nothing particularly hostile in her tone, yet Jade immediately felt somewhat uneasy. After all she had occupied the magpies nest.
"You must be the Jade everyone keeps talking about."
Jade arched a brow, lazily leaning against the desk. "Well, hello to you too. And yes, I'm the Jade everyone's been talking about."
Scarlett's smile remained. "You don't seem to like me very much. That's fine. I don't like you either. I think you already know why."
Her voice was still calm, but there was an underlying sharpness to her words.
Jade scoffed. "Oh, I'm sorry, but this is our first meeting. I don't read minds."
She had never been fond of people who danced around their words, hiding sharp edges behind polite smiles. She had no patience for that kind of game.
Scarlett's expression didn't falter. "You really want to pretend you don't understand?" She straightened her posture, hands neatly folded in front of her, the picture of grace and etiquette. "Fine. Let me spell it out for you. You and I were born 24 years ago same day, same month, same hospital. Everything you have right now… should have belonged to me."
Jade stared at her for a long moment before letting out a low, unimpressed chuckle.
"Oh, I get it now," she said, rolling her eyes. "Your former family must have been very poor, so you think it's unfair that we were switched at birth. Who cares? You can have everything here if you want."
She folded her arms, tilting her head mockingly. "Including my underwear, if you'd like. Just a warning, some of them are old and worn out. And, well… some might not fit since I seem to have more in certain areas than you."
Scarlett's lips twitched, though whether in irritation or amusement was unclear. "They're your poor family now, you know."
Jade shrugged. "Is that why you took etiquette classes before coming to meet your 'real' parents?" Her tone dripped with sarcasm.
Scarlett's smile thinned. "I'm here to remind you to start packing your bags. Your parents are here to take you home."
Jade's expression didn't change, but something inside her shifted.
Home.
For ten years, she had been waiting for a place where she truly belonged.
"I'll find a home that belongs solely to me," she murmured under her breath.
What the future held was uncertain. But as long as she was breathing, she had a chance to carve out a place of her own.
Her phone rang again, snapping her from her thoughts.
Glancing at the screen, she felt a pang of disappointment.
She answered with a sigh. "You have ten seconds."
"They're dead." and then there was a tutt sound,
The call ended.
Jade lowered her phone, her face blank. But beneath that calm exterior, a storm was brewing.
Another tie had been severed. Another piece of her past erased.
The ones in the dark had made their move.
But it was only a matter of time before she made hers.