CHAPTER 147: Insurrection-16

CHAPTER 147: Insurrection-16

Vanessa knocked twice on the door.

"Boss? May I?" she said without really waiting for an answer and entered.

Enid is sitting at her desk. Dark circles marked. Paler than normal. Mountains of papers, a cold coffee abandoned to the side. She doesn't look up until a second later.

"Vanessa."

"Just came by for something quick," she enters as if it were her home, with her usual mask of nonchalance. "Do you know where Fénix is? He owes me thirty-four euros from the other day. He swore he'd pay me back today. He's vanished off the map."

Enid only frowns… and suddenly brings her hand to her mouth.

Vanessa blinks.

"…what?"

Enid stands up too quickly, pushes back her chair, and practically runs to the private bathroom.

The sound of her vomiting is clearly audible.

Vanessa watches her from outside, raising an eyebrow very slowly.

"…hangover, Drakewood? Or were you poisoned at some diplomatic banquet?"

Enid returns a minute later. She's rinsed her mouth. Still pale.

She sits back down. Breathes somewhat agitated.

"I ate something spoiled."

Vanessa doesn't believe it for a second.

Her eyes lower. Slowly. To her abdomen.

It's not huge… but it's definitely more rounded than two days ago.

Brief silence.

"…boss."

Enid looks up.

Vanessa narrows her eyes.

"Are you pregnant?"

Enid remains motionless for exactly two seconds.

Until she finally inclines her head slightly… and responds, very quietly:

"Yes."

Vanessa relaxes her shoulders. She doesn't make a scene, doesn't shout. Just smiles, with a felinely delicious interest.

"And whose is it?" she asks, already knowing the answer.

Enid closes her eyes.

Takes a deep breath.

"Fénix's."

Vanessa lets out a low whistle.

"…Wonderful disaster."

Enid drills her with a look.

"Vanessa." Her voice is a knife. "Don't tell anyone. Not a word. Not even Fénix. Not even by accident. Is that clear?"

Vanessa raises her hands as if someone pointed a rifle at her.

"Easy, easy. I don't sell secrets… I collect them. And this one, wow… this one is worth gold."

Enid leans back slightly. For a moment, she seems more fragile than she would ever allow herself to show.

"I still don't know how I'm going to handle this. Or when… or even if I should tell him."

Vanessa leans over the desk, resting her elbows.

"We know him, boss. If you doubt it, it's because you feel something. If you didn't, you would have already ripped his jugular out."

Enid averts her gaze. Barely. As if she hates being read so easily.

"I don't want it to affect his judgment. Not now."

"Oh, easy, his judgment was already in tatters before," Vanessa smiles. "But anyway… congratulations, I guess."

Enid doesn't respond, but her eyes reveal too many things at once.

Guilt. Pain. Something that seems… sickly hope.

And fear.

Vanessa straightens up and gives an informal half-salute.

"I'm off. And relax: sealed lips. Fénix will never know he owes me thirty-four euros now… and a niece."

Enid looks at her icily.

Vanessa winks, turns… and leaves as if nothing happened.

And Enid, completely alone again… for the first time in years, feels her world is about to change irreversibly.

Vanessa left, closing the door softly. As soon as silence took over the room, a faint flicker crossed the mirror. A voice emerged from within, cold, hissing:

"Congratulations, Enid… we no longer need Fénix for anything. The witness no longer matters. The children are already ours. That dog can go back to the hell he came from."

Enid frowned, taking a step back.
"Shut up. I won't allow it. He's not disposable. I… love him. I'm not handing him over."

"Love him?" The voice twisted with contempt. "You're pathetic. Since when does a Drakewood grovel for a dog? Do you think you're being romantic? Do you think this is a redemption story? He's already fulfilled his purpose!"

Enid clenched her fists.
"He's not a tool. He's not a resource. He's my partner, and—"

"YOU'RE A DAMN IDIOT!" roared the reflection, now with different eyes. "Always so soft, so weak, so emotional. Because of you, Elena humiliated us. Because of you, we almost lost everything. And you want to keep defending a fucking monster that shouldn't even exist!"

"SHUT UP!" Enid screamed, trembling. "I'm not condemning him. I won't betray him. I won't sacrifice him as you want."

The reflection smiled with madness.
"Then you'll burn together. You and your ridiculous fairy-tale love. How ironic… the queen devoured by her own dog."

Crack.

Enid grabbed the lamp from the nightstand tightly and threw it with all her rage against the mirror.

DRY EXPLOSION. A THOUSAND FRAGMENTS OF SILENCE.

And suddenly, nothing. Only breathing. Only darkness. And no further sound from the mirror.