/THIRD PERSON POV/

Lisa walked towards her new office with her head held high, sparing a curt nod at some employees who greeted her on her way. She had never been into Marco's office before. Funny thing, the first time she would enter it was also the time the office belongs officially to her.

Lisa clenched her jaw as she passed Marco's secretary's, Elizabeth, front desk. Elizabeth noticed her and she stood up almost too fast that it turned out clumsily. She blushed when Lisa glanced downward towards her slightly lifted skirt. Lisa focused her eyes back to Elizabeth, "Good morning," Lisa greeted.

"Morning, Miss Manoban," Elizabeth bowed slightly and Lisa held back a scoff at that. "I -- I'm sorry for your loss. Mr. Manoban was a great --"

"Thank you," Lisa cut in and her jaw clenched once again, so Elizabeth decided not to continue. "I need you inside as soon as possible. Bring me the reports of the last two weeks and everything essential I need to catch up on."

Elizabeth flushed under the unwavering gaze of her new boss. She hadn't expected Mr. Manoban's daughter to be this... intimidating. If anything, she kind of hoped Miss Manoban would be better than the cold, unreadable Marco Manoban. But it seemed like they weren't that much of a different person. "Right away, Ma'am," Elizabeth chipped when she realized she was silent all this time. Lisa went inside without saying anything.

Despite being a nervous wreck -- Lisa was starting to get used to people, especially her employees being unnecessarily nervous and tongue-tied around her, but -- Elizabeth was doing an impeccable job at explaining everything to Lisa. She was decent, Lisa noted, even though her confidence could be helped a little bit. But now wasn't the time to talk about it.

Elizabeth explained a little further about the progress of their newest invention -- black diamond jewelry and accessories -- which until now was much more beneficial than what's expected when they first released it. Elizabeth was also a critical thinker, Lisa noticed. She could answer most of Lisa's questions without having too much time thinking about and contemplating them. She was straight to the point, and Lisa liked it. She understood now why she was Marco's secretary in the first place. Marco needed someone who could not only remind him of his schedules, but also someone who could remind him why everything is the way it is -- he needed someone who's reasonable and convincing.

"Very well," Lisa faintly smirked and sat a little bit straighter on her chair. "That was impressive. Now I need you to schedule a meeting with the whole board at 7 PM tonight. I want everyone to prepare everything they had been working on for at least two months. We have a lot of things to discuss." Elizabeth nodded and offered a small smile before she decided to exit the room.

Now that she was alone, Lisa sighed heavily. That was way worse than she had prepared herself for. She definitely needed a lot of time to catch up because having Elizabeth explaining everything to her like that, it made her realize that Elizabeth knew what she had to do more than she did herself.

And that needed to change.

Lisa rubbed her face and closed her eyes, leaning back to the leather chair. She had never been this pressured before. It was 6 PM and she hadn't even moved a muscle since Elizabeth left the room earlier in the morning. But that was worth it, though, because now she had understood much more than she did ten hours earlier.

She felt her nose sting painfully and her eyes watered, but she wasn't going to breakdown in her father's -- her office especially when her employees were still present. It had been days since her father passed away, but Lisa was still having a hard time accepting it. Mostly, and mainly, because of her bitter regret.

She grieved for all the time she spent avoiding and escaping her father and only comes to him whenever it's business-related. Well, she didn't really have the reason not to. Marco was hardly ever home. He spent most of his time traveling to attend conferences and to do things Lisa didn't even know what. And when he's home, it's Lisa who wasn't. She -- intentionally and sometimes unintentionally -- avoided him at all costs because she knew if they were both home, that would only end up in either a misunderstanding or a fight. And she preferred none.

But what made the pain in her chest way more painful than it already was was the conversation she had with Marco at his birthday party. He was stripped bare from any impression of the CEO of Manoban Corporations or the mighty and unflawed Marco Manoban. He was just... her dad. He was glowing that day, she remembered, mostly with happiness and solitude. She hadn't understood why he was being all... warmed up with her of a sudden, but now she thinks she does. She was a part of the population who believed that when someone's about to die, they would know. And maybe, but most likely, Marco knew, too.

What had been ruining her mind and fucking up with her conscience was, did Marco know he would be murdered? Did he know he would die at his own birthday party? Did he know he would die under the nose of her family? Did he know he would die painfully?

Lisa didn't want to know the answers.

Lisa came home at nearly one in the morning.

Jennie had been waiting anxiously for her to come home. She was also going to demand explanations from the blonde as to why she came home this late without even trying to give any notice to the brunette. But seeing Lisa's exhausted state, she didn't have the heart to be too harsh on her, didn't matter how annoyed and overly worried the blonde made her. Lisa slumped down the couch and closed her eyes, her palm covering her face as she tried to hold back her confusing, overwhelming emotions.

Jennie approached her lover whose face was now void of any emotions. "Go take a quick shower, then we'll go to sleep," Jennie whispered, caressing Lisa's thigh, feeling the tense muscle underneath her pants. Lisa could only nod before disappearing behind the bathroom door.

Approximately five minutes later, Lisa got out of the shower with her pajamas already folded neatly on the bed. Lisa changed into her pajamas and joined Jennie on their now shared bed. Jennie cupped Lisa's face and kissed her with an unsaid understanding, devotion, and love. It was painfully obvious how tense and overwhelmed Lisa was, and Jennie could only hope that her presence was enough to make her lover feel more at ease. She didn't want to push and ask about what happened in the office because she knew what Lisa needed right now: her. Just her, no questions asked, no accusations, no second-guesses. So, she was more than willing to give it to Lisa. It's the least she could do right now while waiting for the time when Lisa's relaxed enough to talk to her about everything, anything.

Lisa deepened the kiss and caressed Jennie's waist, her heart fluttered at the softness underneath the thin clothing. That's one of the million things she loved about Jennie. Jennie was soft. Her skin was so smooth and lovely. She didn't know how to describe it, but overall, to her, Jennie was lovely.

Pulling away, Jennie stared deeper into Lisa's eyes. It wasn't long before her heart started to ache to see the sadness and oppression vibrant on the golden irises. She held back her own tears and whispered, "I love you."

Lisa smiled and Jennie felt her body tingled, welcoming the warmth she missed. "I love you more," Lisa rasped.

"Not possible,"

Lisa grinned and kissed Jennie again, this time hovering the brunette so she got on top of her. Lisa wanted to apologize to Jennie for making her worry over nothing only because she was too stressed she didn't even know how to tell Jennie she's going to come home late. Much, much late. But she felt so, so exhausted, not only physically but also mentally. She kissed Jennie's jaw and trailed her kisses to her neck. Then her collarbone. The valley of her breasts.

"Lisa..." Jennie said and her heart ached. Jennie needed her. Jennie wanted her. Guilt was quickly taking over Lisa and she felt her exhaust evaporating off of her body.

But Jennie had another plan in mind. She brought Lisa upward and kissed her again. "It's okay, I'm not mad at you. We can just sleep, okay?" Jennie said softly, staring into Lisa's eyes to let her know that she was sincere.

Lisa felt a pang on her ego. Was she that weak in Jennie's eyes? But then her conscience took over. Of course, she was. Jennie could always see through her. She couldn't be mad at Jennie for stating the truth. But, still, Lisa was Lisa. 

"No, I want to --"

"Lisa," Jennie said sternly and the Alpha stopped. "You don't have to. You're here now, and I wouldn't ask for anything else -- you're enough."

Lisa sighed defeatedly, "I'll make it up to you, I promise."

Jennie smiled as the Alpha climbed up towards her. Lisa laid down beside her and Jennie naturally wrapped herself around Lisa. "Noted."

"I'm sorry," Lisa apologized suddenly, breaking the brief silence engulfing them.

"No apologies. There's nothing to be sorry about,"

Jennie kissed Lisa's neck and nuzzled her nose to the spot where Lisa's mole was settled. Not long after, they both drifted off to a deep slumber as they held each other in their arms.

Lisa was starting to get used to her hectic and inhuman schedule.

She barely remembered she needed to eat, she suffered from headaches she'd never felt before, she couldn't stop her brain from overworking twenty-four-seven, she couldn't even remember the last time she had enough and peaceful sleep.

It was another busy day at the MC building, and Lisa was keen not to be disturbed. She had a pack of files she needed to read over and approve before six in the evening. However, she was informed by Elizabeth that there's someone who wanted to see her, saying that it's urgent and she looked so desperate. Her condition was proved bad enough when she couldn't even acknowledge the signature scent of strawberry and vanilla which belonged to none other than Jennie herself.

So when Jennie entered the office, Lisa was perplexed. She couldn't move, her brain stopped working and she could only stare as the brunette sashayed closer. At Jennie's smile, Lisa broke free from her frozen state. "Hi. I hope this is okay?" Jennie asked, referring to her sudden visit to Lisa's office.

"Yeah," Lisa said and she cringed at how raspy and stranded her voice sounded like. "Yeah, of course, it is. What are you doing here, by the way?"

Jennie approached her and sat on Lisa's lap, her fingers tangled in Lisa's blond locks. Lisa leaned onto her touch and felt herself slowly, slightly relax, " I just want to see how you're doing. You're not answering my calls nor messages."

"Ah, fuck," Lisa inhaled sharply as if only remembering she had a phone when Jennie mentioned it. She had been too focused on her laptop and the pile of papers that she forgot her phone existed. "Sorry, baby. I rarely check my phone... it distracts me."

"Am I distracting you?" Jennie asked, caressing Lisa's cheek with her thumb.

"Yeah," Lisa said, staring up at a pair of warm brown eyes. "You can't not distract me when we're in the same room, Jennie."

"Well," Jennie smiled. "Should I go home so you can finish your work in peace?"

"No, no. Don't," Lisa said -- almost begged, please stay. "I'll just -- I have finished half of it, anyway. Do you mind waiting for a while?"

Jennie shook her head and kissed Lisa, only a brief peck on the lips, "I'll be here." And by that, Jennie wasn't only referring to their current discussion.

"Okay, I'll be quick." 

They ended up being on a cheap date. Cheap as in they had their hands in each other's with the other hand holding a cone of ice cream. It was a quiet evening, Lisa would say. She didn't know whether it's caused by the atmosphere which was too thick, or her senses were finally becoming numb once and for all.

Even though the sun was still present, it was chilly. Lisa had taken off her jacket and it was now draped over Jennie's petite body instead. They were strolling at the park, in silence, enjoying ice cream. It was simple, relaxing, yet Lisa couldn't stop her mind from racing in an incredulous speed.

She realized it's her hectic and overwhelming schedule that had helped her mute the harmful thoughts inside her head. Now that she was supposed to relax, she couldn't quite her mind down. And she was scared.

"Your ice cream is melting," Jennie said, pulling Lisa out of her thoughts.

Yes, in fact, it didn't look as appealing as it was at first anymore. Lisa realized she had abandoned it. Quickly, Lisa licked the remaining of her ice cream before throwing her cone to the nearest trash can. She didn't have the appetite.

"Lisa," Jennie said, her ice cream was now joined with Lisa's. "Talk to me?"

Lisa sighed and looked at her dress shoes, a sign when she's nervous and uneasy. "About what?"

"I don't know. What do you want to talk about?"

"Nothing," Lisa said. "Seems like you're the one who wants to."

Jennie squeezed Lisa's hand. "It's been two weeks, Lisa. Don't you want to let it all out? On me? You know you can always lean on me."

Lisa clenched her jaw, her hand in Jennie's was now growing uncomfortable. "Why would I let it all out on you? You're not the one who killed him. Nor the one who's blind at the fact that her father is in danger."

"You know that isn't what I mean," Jennie sighed and stopped walking when they reached a secluded part of the park. Trees surrounding them, shielding them from the sun who seemed intrigued enough to peek occasionally. When Lisa turned to face her, Jennie was faced with an unreadable facial expression. Lisa was concealing everything, knowing Jennie was almost excellent at reading her. Almost.

"Stop blaming yourself," Jennie whispered and took a step closer to the taller. "And talk to me."

Lisa hated the fact that Jennie was so calm and collected about this -- the same state she was trying so hard to be. But she couldn't -- not even if she tried her best -- to be calm about any of this. Her dad's murder. The unknown murderer. She knew Jennie had a point, she really had to talk it out, but she didn't know whether she was ready or not. Her father was killed under her own nose. And what destroyed her more was the fact that she had no idea who the murderer was. What the motives were -- are. She's clueless and there's nothing she hated more than that. Looking at her from the outside, it would seem that she had a hold on herself. That she was collected, calm, unbreakable. But if you look deep enough, you would see that she's nothing but defeated.

"What's on your mind?" Jennie asked once again.

"Everything," Lisa hissed painfully, though not directing her concealed anger at Jennie. "The company. Him. Chaeyoung. Jace. That night. The what-ifs. You. Everything's on my mind."

"Me?" Jennie found herself surprised -- why would she be on Lisa's mind? Did she do something wrong?

"You," Lisa repeated, lifting her gaze to stare at Jennie.

"Why?"

Lisa refused to answer and looked away.

"How are you?"

Chaeyoung smiled weakly and exhaled through her nose. "I'll be fine," Chaeyoung answered. It didn't slip past her attention how strong and determined Chaeyoung sounded. She wasn't saying it as a cover-up, unlike Lisa.

Jennie smiled at her friend and nodded, "If you ever need someone to talk, I'll be here, okay?"

"I know," Chaeyoung said with a smile as they both arrived in the dining room. Dinner with various menu was served on the table, steaming warm with irresistible savor.

Chaeyoung didn't miss the way Jennie glanced at an empty seat beside her nor the several glances she threw at the grandfather clock standing proudly on the hall. Lisa came home late, again.

"How's Lisa?" Chaeyoung asked in a small voice, although knowing the answer already.

Jennie's sigh alone confirmed Chaeyoung's thoughts. "Busy. Overwhelmed. Hurt. Confused. Angry. I don't know, she won't let me in."

Chaeyoung understood Jennie's frustrations. It was hard, trying your best to understand someone only to be blocked from everything you wanted to understand. Chaeyoung had been there before, but she knew it was different from what Jennie's been dealing with. Jennie's challenge was far more complicated.

"Jennie, please know it's the hardest thing Lisa has ever gone through. Lisa wasn't prepared for any of this. Not at how dad died on her watch, not at what the company pressured her to give, not at how clueless she is about the whole situation, not at how she starts to over-worry about me and Jace, and most importantly... not at how she feels like she's obliged to share her pain with you. If there's anything Lisa hates more than being clueless, it's to burden the people she cares about with her own pain and problems. Trust me, I have twenty years of experience on it," Chaeyoung's lip tilted up sadly.

"I know you only want her to open up, to share her thoughts with you so that she won't suffer alone, and please know that I'm thankful for that. I'm not saying that you should let her bottle everything up, what I'm saying is let her come to you. Don't chase her around. Don't pressure her. She's suffered enough pressure in the office and I'm sure you've noticed that too. Just... be there for her. Hold her when she needs to be held. When she's quiet around you? Talk about something else. Distract her from the hurricane of her own thoughts,"

Chaeyoung reached for Jennie's hand and gave it a squeeze.

"Make her feel that this doesn't change the way you see her. That doesn't matter the circumstances, you don't see her as weak and vulnerable, broken. This is as hard and frustrating to her as it is to you. It's hard enough for her to talk about her feelings, and it's worse now that she knows you want her to talk about it. Guilt is eating her alive because she knows she can't give you what you need from her. Yet."

When Jennie kept quiet, Chaeyoung continued. "I know you just want to understand her, but let her come to you. Lisa's hard to deal with, she really is. But if there's someone who's capable of putting up with her even more than herself, it's you."

Jennie nodded slowly,