CHAPTER 16: THE FALL AFTER THE NECKLACE

(Evelina’s POV — The Next Day—Evelina’s Chamber)

The room was silent.

Too silent.

Uncomfortably, eerily, soul-squeezingly silent.

Why?

Because—

I. AM. FUCKING. DOOMED.

I sat up on my bed like a corpse resurrecting out of spite, hair sticking up in every direction, eyes swollen, blanket draped around me like a tragic cape.

"I REGRET EVERYTHING!!!" I screamed into the pillow.

Then screamed again because the pillow muffled it too much. I flopped back dramatically, staring at the ceiling like it personally ruined my life.

"Oh my god... why... why did I say all that yesterday!?" My hand slapped over my eyes. "Why did I monologue like a Shakespeare villain having a breakdown?!"

I threw the blanket off me. Then dragged it back. Then threw it again.

"I didn’t raise affection." I crawled backward on the bed like a dying crab.

"I didn’t FIX affection." I slumped against the headboard.

"I DESTROYED affection."

I grabbed the system screen floating in front of me like it was a physical object and shook it. "WHY DID YOU LET ME TALK!???"

The system, heartless as always, glowed smugly.

[System: Affection Levels of All Characters—Decreased to 3%.]

I made a strangled noise.

"Three percent... THREE??" I pointed at the screen like an offended auntie. "That’s not affection! That’s the emotional equivalent of a dead battery!"

I buried my face in my palms.

"Oh god... oh god... Arden probably hates me more, Mother thinks I’m unstable, Father thinks I’m dramatic, Lucien thinks I need therapy, and Sera probably thinks I want to drown her in a pond!"

I leaned back, staring blankly at the wall.

"I literally closed every possible door for myself. WHY AM I LIKE THIS—?!"

I kicked the air.

"I’m supposed to SURVIVE. So what do I do? I throw a tantrum in front of the ENTIRE family and yell like a rabid raccoon!"

My voice cracked as I clutched the blanket dramatically.

"Evelina’s body is allergic to peace. I swear."

A long, painful sigh escaped me.

"Now I have to fix this mess. Rebuild affection. Avoid death flags. And still somehow push Sera into Kael’s arms."

I rubbed my temples aggressively.

"And I did all this damage because my dumb emotional self decided it was a good idea to be honest!"

I groaned into the blanket again.

"I am screwed. So screwed. So—"

KNOCK! KNOCK!!!

I jolted like a guilty criminal caught mid-crime. A maid’s voice came through the door—nervous, shaky. "Miss... Sir requests your presence. In his office."

I stared dead at the wall.

"...Yes. Violently screwed," I muttered.

Great. Fantastic. Wonderful. Court-martial at 10 AM. I slid off the bed like a dying noodle. "Alright... let’s just face it."

I opened the door, expression blank, soul evaporated. Margaret was already waiting outside, hands folded primly.

I exhaled and began walking. The halls felt colder today. Or maybe that was just my dignity dying. I kept walking... until I noticed something.

Margaret was trailing me. Exactly one step behind. Like a shadow with anxiety issues. I stopped and turned slightly. "Margaret... why are you following me?"

She halted immediately, posture stiff. "It is my duty to guide you to Sir’s office, Miss."

I stared at her.

"...Guide me?" A slow blink. "You’ve never guided me before; why now?"

Her shoulders twitched. Margaret’s eyes darted away. "Madam requested that you be... properly looked after."

Properly looked after? What the hell?

I raised a brow. "I’m not a child. You can go do your job."

She stepped forward, flustered. "Miss, It’s my duty—"

I cut her off, voice flat. "Don’t worry. I’m not going to bite or harass any maid today."

She panicked visibly. "Miss—! That’s not—! I didn’t suggest—!"

I tilted my head, exhausted. "Why are you panicking?"

Margaret froze. Opened her mouth. Closed it. Looked like a fish trying to summon words. Finally, she let out a shaky breath. "I... apologize, Miss. If that is your wish, I will return to my duties."

She bowed stiffly and retreated backward down the hall.

I watched her go, eyebrows knitting.

"...Weird," I mumbled. "Definitely weird."

Since when did she treat me like someone fragile? And why... did she look almost guilty?

I shook off the thought. I had bigger problems to deal with. Like Reginald Hartgrave.

I squared my shoulders, marched forward, and muttered, "Alright. Time to go get scolded like the most hated child in the house."

***

[Hartgrave’s Office—Later]

KNOCK. KNOCK.

I steadied my breathing, pushed the door open—and froze. Not because Mother was there. But because of what floated above their heads.

[Isabella Hartgrave—50%][Reginald Hartgrave—40%]

I stared.

What?

Didn’t the System say all affection points dropped to 3%?So why—WHY—were theirs higher?

Did the System lie? Did I glitch it? Did THEY glitch it?

Before I could unravel the cosmic betrayal, Father’s voice pulled me back. "Evelina. Take a seat."

My body jolted. "Huh? Ah—yes. Sorry."

I sat down stiffly, hands clasped in my lap like a child waiting for punishment.

Should I bow? Kneel? Cry?

These numbers... I wasn’t sure what reaction they wanted anymore.

Father cleared his throat. "How are you feeling today?"

"Good."

A lie. But I didn’t need a therapy session in front of my execution committee. He nodded at Mother, who reached into a sleek black case beside her.

And then—she placed it on the table.

The Mermaid Tears Necklace.

My heart stuttered. Almost stupidly. Mother said softly, "Sera came to our room this morning. She said she’d like to return this—"

"I don’t want it."

The words shot out fast. Too fast. Both of them blinked.

I exhaled slowly. "This was a gift from Mr. Vinter to Sera. It doesn’t belong to me."

Mother’s shoulders eased in visible relief.

"I knew you would say that," she said, voice airy. "It’s good that you understand. Even if you desire something... you must learn that it can’t always be yours."

"But," Father interjected, tone deepening, "I did make you a promise."

I blinked. "Promise...?"

"Yes. I promised I’d get you the Mermaid Tears necklace," he said. "Since I failed, I intend to give you something else in its place."

"Something... else?"

Father stood, walked toward the desk drawer, and pulled out a document envelope.

My brows furrowed. He placed it in front of me. "Didn’t you want to become a senior manager in our company?"

I blinked again.A beat of silence.

Senior Manager? Evelina wanted THAT?

I looked down at the papers—an official offer letter, stamped with Hartgrave Corporation’s golden crest.

Before I could think—

DING!

A blue shimmer filled my vision.

[System Alert: New Objective Unlocked.][Join Hartgrave Corporation as Senior Manager]Reward: Smoother access to future events and easier influence on main storyline progression.

My eyes widened slightly.

Joining the company means... greater access to the main characters. Greater control. Greater leverage.

And—

The Valtore & Hartgrave partnership project.

Kael Valtore.

If I work in Hartgrave Corp...I will be directly in the same world, same meetings, and same environment as him.

Sera + Kael’s encounter chances = multiplied.

Which means... A faster path to the ending. A faster path home.

I looked up slowly.

"Thank you," I said softly. "I’d like... to join the company."

Mother’s expression softened with rare approval. Father smiled—an actual smile, warm and relieved.

"Good," he said. "Then it’s settled."

I nodded.

Inside? A storm.

Because somehow—I was now officially part of Hartgrave Corporation. And unknowingly walking straight into the heart of the game’s main plot.