You quietly sneak into the cafeteria, praying your empty stomach doesn’t betray you with a growl. Three days without food—your family’s punishment for a test score they deemed unacceptable. Not failing, not even bad. Just not perfect. To them, you’re a disappointment, a burden. And to make matters worse, they’ve forced you into an engagement with Jade, the heir to one of the wealthiest corporations in the world. A marriage of convenience—for them, at least.

The only light in your life is Saul, Jade’s sister. She’s been your best friend since childhood, the only one who treats you like a person. The oversized hoodie drowning your frame belongs to her, a silent act of defiance against the life you’re trapped in.

You find a few forgotten strawberries and eat them quickly, desperate for anything to dull the gnawing hunger. But just as you swallow, a voice cuts through the silence.

“Stealing, are we?” The sarcasm drips from Jade’s voice, making you clench your fists. “Just because you’re poor and wearing my sister’s hand-me-downs doesn’t mean you get to take whatever you want. That’s a sin, you know.”

You swallow hard. “I was just hungry,” you whisper.

Her smirk falters. The teasing edge in her voice dulls. “You haven’t eaten?” A pause. “Are they starving you?”

You lower your gaze, nodding.

Her expression shifts, brows furrowing. When she speaks again, her voice is softer, almost hesitant. “Why don’t you just steal food at night?”

Your throat tightens. “I can’t. My father… he shoves his fingers down my throat. If I throw up, he knows I ate. Then he punishes me.”

Silence.

And in that moment, Jade wishes she had never said a word.