Cherry didn't speak immediately after leaving the boardroom.
She walked beside Jay in silence, her heels clicking sharply against the polished floors, her mind replaying the moment over and over again.
That question.
It hadn't been random.
It couldn't have been.
By the time they stepped into the car, her patience snapped.
The door shut behind them with a soft thud, sealing them in.
She turned to Jay, her composure still intact—but her eyes sharp with thought.
"Did you notice her?" she asked.
Jay adjusted his cufflinks calmly. "Nyla?"
Cherry frowned slightly. "Of course Nyla. Who else?"
A pause.
"She asked that question like she understood what was being discussed," Cherry continued. "Not like someone guessing. Not like someone who just saw something online."
Jay leaned back against the seat, his expression unreadable.
"She asked one question, Cherry."
"And it was the right one," she snapped quietly.
Silence settled between them.
The car began to move.
Jay's gaze drifted briefly to the window, thoughtful now.
He had noticed.
Of course he had.
Nyla had always been easy to read—carefree, distracted, uninterested.
But today…
There had been a moment.
A flicker.
Subtle.
But there.
Without another word, he reached for his phone.
Cherry watched him closely.
"Who are you calling?"
Jay didn't look at her.
"Malik."
The line rang only once.
"Sir," Malik's voice came through, steady as always.
"Where is Nyla?" Jay asked.
A brief pause.
"She's at home, sir."
Jay's eyes narrowed slightly. "Doing what?"
On the other end, Malik stood still.
This was it.
The moment Nyla had prepared him for.
The moment that would decide everything.
"She returned from the office and went straight to her room," Malik replied calmly. "She's been on her phone for most of the afternoon."
Jay's tone remained even. "Doing what exactly?"
Malik didn't hesitate.
"Posting. Responding to comments. Reviewing brand messages. She also had a short video call with a clothing brand earlier."
Cherry folded her arms, listening closely now.
Jay's fingers tapped lightly against his knee.
"And this past week?"
Malik inhaled slowly—just enough to steady himself.
"Routine activities, sir. Shopping trips. Social media engagements. Outings with friends. Nothing out of the ordinary."
A pause.
Then carefully—
"She's been consistent."
Silence.
Heavy.
Measured.
Jay leaned back slightly, his expression easing—just a fraction.
"Very well," he said.
Then ended the call.
Inside the car, Cherry exhaled slowly.
"Well?" she asked.
Jay slipped his phone back into his pocket.
"You heard him."
Cherry shook her head slightly. "That doesn't mean anything."
"It means," Jay replied calmly, "that she's still exactly who she's always been."
Cherry turned toward him, unconvinced.
"People don't just ask questions like that by accident."
Jay gave a faint smile.
"And people don't transform overnight either."
Cherry looked away, her fingers tightening slightly against her arm.
She wanted to believe him.
It would be easier.
Safer.
But something about today—
Something about Nyla—
Didn't feel like a coincidence.
"She's changing," Cherry said quietly.
Jay didn't respond immediately.
His gaze returned to the window, thoughtful once more.
"Or," he said after a moment, "you're starting to see what was always there."
Cherry frowned.
That didn't comfort her.
If anything—
It made it worse.
The car continued down the road, the city moving around them in a blur.
But inside—
The silence carried something new.
Not certainty.
Not control.
Doubt.
Back at the estate, Nyla lay on her bed, her phone held loosely in her hand as she scrolled through her feed.
A soft smile played on her lips as comments flooded her latest post.
Carefree.
Unbothered.
Exactly as expected.
Her screen lit up briefly.
A single message.
From Malik.
"He asked about you."
Nyla didn't reply immediately.
She simply stared at the message for a second—
Then smiled faintly.
Good.
Her fingers moved lazily across her screen, liking comments, replying with emojis, playing her role perfectly.
But behind the ease—
Her mind was already moving ahead.
Calculating.
Adjusting.
Preparing.
Because now she knew—
They were watching her more closely.
And that was exactly what she wanted.