"Can I come visit you tomorrow?"
Betty nearly choked on her Pringles. She coughed, grabbing the water bottle from her nightstand. "What?" she wheezed, blinking at the screen.
"I miss you," Chloe said simply. "I just want to see how you're doing. And your mom's on my side."
Betty wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "I talk to Mom every night, okay? She knows everything. You do too. I'm fine. And I don't think Alicia lets people just... show up here."
"I'm just saying," Chloe pressed, lifting a brow through the video chat. "She did blackmail you into staying. Maybe she'll bend the rules for once."
Betty sighed, letting her head fall back onto the pillows. "I called you to talk about that series we started."
Chloe lit up. "Oh, it's so good! I binged three episodes last night until my eyes started burning. I would've kept going too. It's so addictive."
And just like that, the conversation drifted into easier things, the idea of Chloe visiting seemed forgotten.
Or so Betty thought.
—
The next morning, Betty sat at the breakfast table, picking at her food. She wasn't hungry, mostly dreading another practical task with Bellamy. She hated feeling incompetent around him.
Only Andrew sat with her today. The others had been distant since yesterday — whispering in corners, sharing glances she didn't understand.
"They're probably talking about what happened to Kai," Andrew said casually, sipping his tea.
"I figured," Betty replied, lowering her fork. "But... we're not in danger, right?"
Andrew hesitated, just for a second — then gave a soft smile. "Of course not."
Just then, Alicia appeared in the doorway with Ronan by her side. Betty had barely seen Kai since the incident — he mostly stayed shut away in his room.
"Are you ready?" Alicia asked.
Betty stood quickly. "Yeah."
She followed her grandmother to the front door. Just as the butler opened it, Betty froze.
Three familiar faces stood outside.
Chloe. Elara. Dean.
Her heart dropped in shock.
She turned instinctively to Alicia — and the expression on her face told Betty everything.
She knew they were coming.
Of course she did. No one would get past the gates without Alicia's approval.
"Hi!" Chloe blurted, breaking the silence.
"Hey," Betty breathed, stepping forward to hug her best friend. Then Elara. She gave Dean a small wave.
"You didn't tell me your friends would be visiting," Alicia said coolly, slicing through the moment.
"I didn't know," Betty said honestly.
Alicia arched a single brow and turned to the trio. "So your friends think it's acceptable to show up uninvited to someone's home? That's not only rude — it's inconsiderate."
Betty stiffened, biting her tongue. She hated how Alicia spoke to them — but she also couldn't argue. Technically... Alicia was right.
"We're late," Alicia said shortly. She took Betty's arm and guided her outside. "You can continue your reunion when we return."
Betty gave her friends one last apologetic glance before the door shut behind them.
"What about us?" Elara asked, blinking after them.
"This way," the butler said politely, motioning toward the living room.
_____
Ronan and Andrew walked into the living room, surprised to see strangers sitting on the sofa, eating a delicious dessert their grandmother only made for them when they were kids.
"Who are these people?" Ronan asked quietly, glancing at his brother.
"Your guess is as good as mine," Andrew replied, clearing his throat to gain their attention.
All three stopped and turned to look at the boys standing at the entrance.
"Hi," Chloe spoke first.
"Who are you?" Ronan asked, growing impatient. This had never happened before. Alicia never let anyone come over.
"I'm Betty's best friend. This is my sister and her boyfriend," Chloe explained with a warm smile.
Ronan closed his eyes, sighed deeply, then chuckled and shook his head. "Great. A few days in the house, and Alicia's already breaking her own rules for her dear granddaughter."
Andrew said nothing. Technically, Ronan was right, and even though he didn't care much, it seemed to affect Ronan deeply.
"I'm leaving. I have important matters to attend to," Ronan said to his brother and left without another glance.
"What's your name?" Chloe asked Andrew, who was standing awkwardly in his own home.
"Andrew."
"I'm Chloe," she replied with a smile, pointing toward a dessert on the plate no one had touched. "I don't want it, thanks."
Andrew turned and walked upstairs, wanting to check on his brother before heading out.
_______
Betty finally sighed in relief as Alicia told her what they needed to do: she and Bellamy had to inspect the finished residential complex before it opened to buyers.
"Are you ready?" Bellamy asked. After getting a nod from her, he walked out first, holding the door open.
"Thanks," she said quietly.
Alicia didn't go with them — she wanted Betty to handle this on her own. So it was just her and Bellamy.
During the ride, both of them stayed silent. Neither wanted to be the first to speak.
As soon as the driver parked the car, Bellamy stepped out and circled around to open the door for Betty — but she had already gotten out on her own. He paused awkwardly, then turned and headed toward the building's entrance.
"We have to check if the CCTV is functioning properly, and if all the apartments meet safety and living standards," he said.
Betty nodded. "I know."
It took over an hour to inspect all the cameras and tour the apartments, but everything seemed to be in perfect condition
______
They sat on a bench in the lobby, going over the checklist Alicia had given them.
Bellamy flipped through the pages, tapping his pen against the clipboard. "Okay, ground floor—seven apartments. First floor—seven. Second—seven." He paused, brows furrowing. "Wait."
Betty looked up. "What?"
"Didn't we check eight apartments on the third floor?"
She nodded slowly. "Yeah, we did. Why?"
Bellamy held up the sheet. "Because there are only seven listed here."
Betty leaned in to look. He was right — the list only mentioned seven units. But she clearly remembered them walking into eight.
"That doesn't make sense," she said, voice quiet. "We walked all the way to the end of the hall. Remember the one with the black doorknob? It didn't have a number on it."
Bellamy's expression darkened with curiosity. "Exactly. And it was fully furnished. Same as the others. Nothing seemed off."
"But it's not on the official unit list," Betty murmured.
They both stared at the paper in silence.
"So," Bellamy said, flipping the page back and forth like it might suddenly update, "we either imagined it… or there's a whole apartment in this building that doesn't officially exist."
Betty stepped away and called Alicia. She couldn't make a decision on her own — not yet.
After a few rings, Alicia picked up.
"Elizabeth, did you finish already?"
"Yes. All the cameras are working, and the apartments meet the safety and living standards. But… there was one apartment on the third floor that isn't listed on the paperwork."
Betty waited, biting her lower lip, impatient for a response.
Alicia stayed quiet for a moment — satisfied. Betty had noticed, and more importantly, reported it.
"Good girl."
Betty cringed at the phrase. She was about to ask what Alicia meant when she continued.
"You passed, Elizabeth. Good work. Come home. Today's task is complete."
The call went dead.
Betty scoffed softly. Her so-called family had tested her. Tested her loyalty.
She didn't know how to feel. One part of her — the logical one — understood Alicia's reasoning. But another part, the aching, quieter part of her, just wanted to be loved and trusted without conditions.
She sighed, pushing it down, and walked over to Bellamy.
"She said it's okay."
Bellamy nodded and stood. "So… should we leave?"