She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.

Mitch McConnell on Elizabeth Warren

JENNIE

Three days. That's how long it's been since lisa left. In those three days, I have paced and tossed and turned and paced again, hardly sleeping at all. I'm certain that, if another day passes without any word from Lisa, Bastian will leave me here—I'm getting on his last nerve.

Hell, I got on Krystal's last nerve an hour into my stay, when she and Nella, who shares her dorm room, got up to sleep in one of her lackeys' room instead. My night guard followed after her until another of Lisa's guards could take his place. None of us trust Krystal and Nella to keep their mouths shut, so they have to be watched.

When there's a knock on the door, I shoot upward from the desk chair and head straight to the door. To my irritation, Mino cuts me off, and Bastian opens the door in my stead. There's a moment of tense silence before I see Lisa walking through the threshold. A small cut lines her forehead, and her lip is busted, but other than that, she looks okay.

Not caring who sees, I run up to her and jump into her arms, making her stumble slightly into the crowded hallway until sbe carries us back into the room. She winces, and I immediately untangle myself from her, but she pulls me back into her arms. I slither my fingers under her shirt, pressing gently around her abdomen, pausing when she hisses in pain.

"What happened?" I ask.

"Probably a broken rib."

"You need to see a doctor."

She gives me an awe-shucks-aren't-you-so-cute? smile that pisses me off. "No need. It'll heal."

I don't press the issue. I won't win, and I need to pick my battles. "What happened?" I ask again, though this time, I'm referring to what happened while she was gone.

"Nick and I were ambushed by Jiyong's men."

"How many?"

"Nineteen at a warehouse in Jersey."

Nineteen. After the showdown at the penthouse, I have no doubt Lisa can handle nineteen men—with or without Nick's help. Clearly, Lisa is fine. She's here, after all.

So, I ask, "Nick?"

"He's fine. He blew out of town to lay low."

I don't ask about that, because I don't give a damn about why Nick needs to lay low so long as he's okay. "And Jiyong?"

"We found him at a motel a mile away from the warehouse."

"What'd you do?"

She narrows her eyes at my accusatory tone. "We didn't kill him, Jennie."

"Then, what'd you do?"

"We called the police."

"And they arrested him? With what evidence?"

Lisa smirks. "He didn't have any evidence with him, but we may have planted some for the police to find when they search the room."

"Lisa… that's illegal."

"So? It's only illegal if the police finds out, and they won't."

I should be worried that she broke the law, but I'm not. I'm just relieved she's here, and this is all over. "And Rosé?"

"Fired with a lawsuit pending for breaking the NDA. We're also gathering evidence against her as we speak for a criminal suit. We have the security log showing her entering the building right before the attack. We handed that over to the cops. She should be in jail soon if she isn't already."

"But you don't know if she's in jail yet."

"It's only a matter of time."

"Oh."

"Jennie?"

"Yes?"

Her eyes darken. "The black rose..." she begins.

My mind races, confused. "What about it?"

"Jiyong sent it to you. We were able to track the purchase."

My eyes widen. "I thought you gave it to me."

Lisa places a finger under my chin and tilts my face up, so I'm looking into her eyes. "For future reference, if I send you roses, it'll be a whole damn bouquet."

I smile and lean forward to kiss her. When I pull back, I ask, "So what now?"

"Whatever you want, Jennie."

Turns out that what I really want after all of this is to have a normal day with Lisa, and that includes going to my only class today. I'm taking another course with Dr. Rolland this semester, one on the applications of physics in biology. I haven't actually physically gone to it, thanks to the threat on my life, but I'm excited to now.

"We're going to be late." I frown.

Lisa lifts her brow, as if to say, "So what?"

"Splash zone."

I laugh when she quickens her pace, but it dies immediately at the sight of Rosé. She's hovering outside the entrance of Vaserley just as we exit. In her designer getup and perfect blow out, she reminds me of the third world cuisine I was accustomed to eating during my travels—seasoned to death to hide the rotten meat underneath.

When she sees me, she snarls. "You!"

I approach her as Mino and my night guard grab her arms. "What about me? You're the one that tried to kill Lisa."

"I'd never hurt Lisa. It was supposed to be you!"

I laugh at her naïveté. "Is that how he got you to go along with this? He promised to kill off your competition?" I know I'm right when she freezes in her struggle against Mino's hold.

She opens her mouth to say something, but it doesn't matter. I'm already walking past her with Lisa by my side. Mino stays behind and waits for the cops to come, but I don't.

I move forward, and I move on.

And when Lisa and I enter the lecture hall and see that the only free seats are in the splash zone, we sit down anyway. I giggle a little when a speck of Dr. Rolland's spit lands on Lisa's cheek, and she rolls her eyes at me. When she pulls the handkerchief out of her suit pocket to wipe it off, I take the time to admire her.

Lalisa's a killer. She's a genius. She's loyal. She's my kind of perfect. She's the type a girl would sit in the splash zone for. And most importantly, she's mine.

THE END . . . .