Jack's POV
I stood in front of Marie's door.
A week. A week and three days of this.
My knuckles hurt from knocking. "Mom? Please. Open the door. Talk to me. I'm so sorry. I never meant… I should have told you. I was wrong. Please." My voice was filled with guilt.
I heard nothing. Not a rustle, not a sigh. Just that awful silence.
I leaned my forehead against the cool wood, defeated. The memory of her whispering – "You knew?" – echoed louder than any shout. I'd broken her trust as surely as Jarvis had broken his vows.
Turning, I found Kai standing at the end of the corridor, her face filled with worry.
She saw the answer in my slumped shoulders and my empty hands. She didn't need words.
"I'm making breakfast," she announced, her voice a little bit winded. She turned towards the kitchens.
"Baby" I sighed, following her. "We have staff. A dozen people whose job it is to cook. You don't need to do this. You haven't slept properly in days."
