Chapter 3: Just One Crack

Giovan realized something was wrong the moment he looked at Crema.

She was terrified.

Not nervous.

Not shy.

Terrified.

For a brief moment, doubt crept into his mind.

Had he misunderstood everything?

Ever since the engagement was announced, he had convinced himself that this was what she wanted. That she had happily accepted the future being handed to her.

But the woman standing before him now looked nothing like someone who had gotten her wish.

She looked trapped.

The realization should have mattered more.

Instead, frustration won.

Too many emotions were already tangled inside him.

Anger.

Resentment.

Desire.

Confusion.

And none of them made any sense anymore.

His gaze lingered on her face.

Then on the way her fingers desperately clutched the robe.

"You don't have to look at me like I'm going to hurt you," he said quietly.

Crema lowered her eyes.

That simple reaction irritated him more than it should have.

Because she was afraid.

And because a small part of him knew he was the reason.

The room grew quiet.

Heavy.

Uncomfortable.

Neither of them knew what to say.

Neither of them knew how to bridge the distance between them.

And somehow, despite standing only a few feet apart, the distance felt impossible to cross.

The next morning, Crema woke slowly.

Every muscle in her body felt exhausted.

The previous night replayed in fragments she wished she could forget.

Not because of what happened.

Because of how confused she felt afterward.

She stared at the ceiling for several moments.

The room felt unfamiliar.

Cold.

Too large.

Too empty.

Giovan was gone.

A strange feeling settled inside her chest.

Relief.

Disappointment.

Confusion.

All mixed together.

Eventually, she forced herself out of bed.

The simple task felt harder than it should have.

After freshening up and dressing carefully, she stood in front of the large mirror.

Her reflection looked composed.

Elegant.

Every inch a princess.

At least on the outside.

Her mother had spent years teaching her how to stand tall even when everything inside was falling apart.

Today, that lesson felt more important than ever.

A knock interrupted her thoughts.

When she opened the door, the maid from yesterday greeted her with a polite smile.

"Good morning, Madam."

"Good morning."

"The King has requested your presence for breakfast."

Crema nodded.

"I'll be there shortly."

The maid stepped aside.

Crema followed her downstairs.

As soon as she entered the dining room, her steps slowed.

The King was already seated.

So was Giovan.

But neither of them surprised her.

The third person did.

Janine.

For a second, Crema thought she was mistaken.

But no.

Her cousin sat comfortably at the table as though she belonged there.

A strange feeling tightened in her chest.

Confusion.

Suspicion.

Unease.

She quietly took an empty seat.

Nobody spoke immediately.

The silence stretched.

Then the King smiled.

"I imagine you're wondering why Janine is here."

Crema looked up.

The King seemed pleased with himself.

"As of today, Janine will be assisting you."

The words landed like a bucket of ice water.

Crema blinked.

Surely she had heard wrong.

Assisting her?

Why Janine?

Of all people.

Across the table, Janine lowered her gaze modestly.

The performance was almost impressive.

"Thank you for choosing me, Your Majesty," Janine said sweetly.

"I know my cousin better than anyone. I promise to serve her faithfully and make you proud."

The King nodded approvingly.

"I'm glad to hear it."

Then his expression became serious.

"Remember your position. You are now responsible for assisting my daughter-in-law. I expect excellence."

"Of course, Your Majesty."

Janine's smile never slipped.

Not even once.

Crema stared at her.

Something felt wrong.

Very wrong.

And judging from the look on Giovan's face, he knew it too.

Their eyes met briefly.

For the first time that morning, she noticed something strange.

He wasn't surprised.

He wasn't pleased either.

He was watching.

Almost as if he were waiting to see how she would react.

Testing her.

The thought unsettled her even more.

Breakfast continued.

The conversation moved on.

But Crema barely heard any of it.

Questions kept piling up inside her mind.

When the meal finally ended, she returned to her room without argument.

She needed time to think.

Time to breathe.

Time to understand what game was being played around her.

Footsteps followed behind her.

She didn't need to turn around to know who it was.

Janine entered the room moments later.

The door clicked shut.

Silence filled the space.

Then Janine smiled.

Soft.

Friendly.

Completely fake.

"Thank you for allowing me to become your assistant."

Crema remained quiet.

Janine clasped her hands together.

"I promise I won't disappoint you."

Her smile widened.

"And you don't need to worry."

Something in her tone made Crema's stomach tighten.

"I'm here to serve the palace."

A pause.

"And to follow my own dreams."

Her eyes sparkled.

Cold.

Calculating.

"Prince Giovan is no longer part of those dreams."

The room suddenly felt smaller.

Janine took another step forward.

"So believe me when I say this."

Her smile never wavered.

"I'm not your enemy."

For some reason, those words frightened Crema far more than any threat ever could.

Crema listened quietly.

She didn't answer right away.

The walls of the palace had ears.

That was something she had already learned.

Every word mattered.

Every mistake could become a weapon.

When she finally spoke, her voice remained calm.

Almost too calm.

"Janine, I know you better than anyone."

The smile on Janine's face faltered for the briefest second.

Crema noticed.

"I know you never do anything without a reason."

Her eyes remained fixed on her cousin.

Steady.

Unwavering.

"Whatever you're planning, be careful."

The warning hung between them.

"I won't allow anyone to hurt me again."

Janine's smile slowly returned.

Sweet.

Polite.

Dangerous.

Crema took a step closer.

Just enough for her next words to land.

"And you already know what happens when I stop being patient."

For the first time, something dark flickered in Janine's eyes.

Then it vanished.

The two women stared at each other.

Neither willing to look away first.

Neither trusting the other.

Crema finally turned.

She had no intention of staying any longer.

The palace was already complicated enough without giving Janine more opportunities to create problems.

As she walked away, she could feel her cousin watching her.

Waiting.

Calculating.

The moment Crema disappeared around the corner, Janine's expression changed completely.

The sweetness vanished.

So did the politeness.

Only bitterness remained.

Her hands curled into fists.

Yesterday's humiliation still burned inside her.

Being locked away.

Missing the wedding.

Watching Crema become a princess.

None of it felt fair.

Not after everything.

Not after all the years she had spent chasing the future she believed should have been hers.

A slow smile spread across her face.

This wasn't over.

Not even close.

She touched her stomach.

A dangerous idea had already taken root.

Maybe she didn't know who the father of her child was.

Maybe the truth didn't matter anymore.

What mattered was what people believed.

And if she could make Giovan acknowledge her publicly...

Everything would change.

Crema would never tolerate humiliation.

Janine knew that better than anyone.

The moment doubt entered that marriage, cracks would begin to form.

And Janine only needed one crack.

Just one.

Determined, she headed toward the west wing of the palace.

Toward Giovan's office.

The palace guards barely looked at her.

Nobody questioned her presence.

Not yet.

When she reached the door, she glanced down the hallway.

Empty.

Perfect.

She knocked softly.

"Come in."

Giovan's voice carried through the door.

Janine entered immediately.

Then closed the door behind her.

The click echoed through the room.

Giovan looked up from a stack of documents.

Surprise flashed across his face.

Gone almost instantly.

His expression hardened.

"What are you doing here?"

Janine approached slowly.

Carefully.

Like someone approaching a wounded animal.

"I'm sorry for showing up like this."

Giovan said nothing.

His patience was already running thin.

Janine lowered her eyes.

A performance she had perfected years ago.

"Did you know Crema's parents locked me away last night?"

Silence.

"I couldn't even attend your wedding."

Still nothing.

The lack of reaction frustrated her.

"Why didn't you come looking for me?"

Giovan leaned back in his chair.

His expression unreadable.

"I thought I mattered to you."

The words sounded fragile.

Almost heartbreaking.

Almost believable.

"You married her because your father ordered you to."

The temperature in the room seemed to drop.

Giovan placed his pen on the desk.

Slowly.

Deliberately.

"If that's why you're here, leave."

Janine froze.

His voice was calm.

Far too calm.

"I have work to do."

The rejection stung more than she expected.

But she wasn't finished.

Not yet.

"Giovan, "

"No."

His gaze lifted.

Cold.

Sharp.

Dangerous.

For the first time, Janine felt genuinely uneasy.

"Tell me something."

The sudden question caught her off guard.

Giovan folded his hands together.

Watching her.

Studying her.

"Why do you think my father placed you beside Crema?"

Janine's heartbeat stumbled.

The smile on her face almost slipped.

Almost.

Giovan noticed.

And that terrified her.

Because the look in his eyes said something she never expected.

He wasn't being manipulated.

He was already suspicious.

And somehow...

It felt as though he knew far more than he was letting anyone see.