Jae parked his car in front of the grand Burchart residence, taking a deep breath before stepping out. He knew today would be challenging, not just because of their philanthropic duties, but because of the tension simmering between him and Kaye. He walked up to the front door and rang the bell, his mind racing with thoughts of how to navigate the day ahead.
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Kaye opened the door, her expression cool and distant. "You’re late," her voice devoid of the warmth it once held.
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"I’m sorry, I had this thing with my mom…" Jae replied, trying to mask the hurt her demeanor caused. "Have you decided on the philanthropy project for gala yet?"
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Kaye nodded, stepping outside and closing the door behind her. "Yes, I have." She pointed to the two trucks coming up the long driveway from the gate. “That’s for the orphanage in the hills of Lake View and the Lake View Homeless Shelter.”
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Jae's heart skipped a beat at the mention of Lake View. He had his own secrets tied to that place, secrets shared with his friends. He hoped Kaye wouldn't uncover them, but he knew they had to spend a significant amount of time together. Respecting her boundaries while dealing with his anxiety about their connection was going to be tough.
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"Lake View isn’t included on the list Mrs George gave us yesterday," Jae said, keeping his tone neutral.
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“Well, does it look like Bloomfield need more donations or something? Besides, I was never one to follow rules anyway. Why would I start now?” Kaye walked off to the trucks and ordered them to follow behind them, her deep blue ocean eyes, staring defiantly at Jae.
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“If you’re not up for it, I’m sure my mom can make a few arrangements and have you switch with Aaron instead.”
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The thought of Aaron this close to her, send chills down Jae’s spine, not only driven by his feelings for her but also by the fact that Aaron would do anything to steer her away from Lake View, even if it meant getting her out of the way with forced persuasion.
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“Well, I guess I’ll be going back to being a rebel myself.” His words laced with resentment at his past self, knowing the person he used to be, didn’t care much for humanity.
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As they got into his car, her eyes briefly flickered with the emotions she was trying to suppress. Once she was strapped in, she noticed the camera on the dashboard, remembering that they were to film some parts of their charitable acts, as evidence to the high society. “Do we have to film? What’s the point in being generous and helpful to society, if we’re going to brag about it?” she sighed.
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Jae nodded, appreciating her commitment to the cause despite the personal turmoil she was going through. Enchanted by her mind and her empathy towards others. He had never met anyone like her before, growing up in this society, he was used to superficiality and materialistic girls determined to play the power game, privileged to them by their parents’ hard work. For so long, it was his type, thinking that this was how life was supposed to be but as he reflected more on his past, he felt grateful that his mother had send him to that mental health resort over the summer. The workshop had turned him into a person he liked when staring into the mirror and in that moment, he realised how his connection to Kaye felt as comforting as the silence that passed between him and the mystery girl that summer. He hadn’t thought of her in a while, but since the night before, he wondered if he was meant to have a good girl. His past weighing with regret and resolve to make right what he and his friends had wronged over the years, driven by the puppy love for his ex-girlfriend, and his loyalty to his lifelong friends.
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As they drove into Lake View, he was flooded with guilt and shame for his past and the horrible events that transpired there, but soon put it to the back of his mind, determined to make up for it with current events and Kayetana by his side.
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The drive to Lake View was filled with an uncomfortable silence. Jae tried to focus on the road while sneaking glances at Kaye, who stared out of the window, lost in her thoughts. He wanted to bridge the gap between them but didn't know how to start.
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When they arrived at the Lake View Homeless Centre, they were greeted by a group of volunteers. Kaye immediately immersed herself in organizing the donations, her cold demeanour softening as she interacted with the people in need. Jae watched her, admiring her dedication and strength, and the way she was received by the community brought Aaron’s cruel plan to mind uncovering whether the Burcharts were the actual Ferucchi’s. They called her an angel and commented openly on how she resembled the woman that was once a beacon of hope and prosperity to Lake View, instilling happiness in them once more.
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As he was helping to unload the truck filled with blankets, warm clothes for the transitioning hot season into Autumn and a variety of foods, he caught glimpse of Kaye’s brightly lit smile. He knew in his heart he didn’t deserve her, but the longing for her, made him want to be better.
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“What the fuck?” He noticed a familiar voice rip him from his ponder. Knowing that whatever events transpired next, could only be dire.
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Jae turns around, and found his long-time foe, Brendan Thatcher, he hadn’t seen in years. “Bren, whatever you are thinking, just let it go. This is not the time.” Jae glanced over at Kaye, who was too occupied to notice the dispute unfolding.
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“Who the fuck do you think you are? Coming into my town, acting all bust? We had an agreement, you stay on that side of the tracks and we stay over here!” Brendan was making a scene and soon the bustling inside the shelter turned quiet and everyone’s attention was directed to them.
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Kaye stepped away and made her way over to the commotion, along with one of the volunteers, who happened to be Thalita.
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“Is there a problem, Jae?” Kaye’s eyes jumped between the two, looking questionably at Jae.
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“No, there’s not,” Jae retracted his anger, looking worriedly at Kaye, afraid that Brendan would reveal too much. “You just go back to what you were doing.”
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Brendan scoffed, his eyes glancing at Kaye from head to toe. “Is this your new squeeze? What happened to the Wicked Witch of the North? That little feisty flame haired girl you were fucking?”
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Jae clenched his jaw, his anger simmering in quicker than he expected. “Shut the fuck up, Bren! Like I said, this is not the place or time.”
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Thalita placed a hand on Brendan’s chest, her eyes warning him. “Babe, let it go, this isn’t the Starling’s donation, it’s from the Burcharts, okay.”
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Brendan, angered at Thalita’s words, shot a look of disbelief at her. “Are you fucking kidding me, right now? Are you supporting this shit? Weren’t they the once who got you fired yesterday from their fancy event?”
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Kaye stared at Thalita wide eyed, “You worked the event yesterday?”
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Thalita nodded, bowing her head in shame at the remembrance of yesterday’s humiliating events.
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Kaye, ever determined to clear the incident and invoke justice, stepped in between Jae and Brendan, “Bren, is it? Read the room, would you? How blind and conceited can one be to deny his own people help. Are you homeless? Do you need these items as much as they do, if not than get the hell out of my way and allow my people to do their damn jobs. And one more thing, disrespect me one last time and I’ll show you what a military brat can do. What will it be, Bren?”
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Looking around, he shot a vile look at Thalita then at Jae, “This isn’t over.” He mumbled to Jae before leaving the shelter.
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Kayetana, angered with Jae and intrigued by who Brendan was referring to, she shot Jae a look of disappointment.
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The confrontation with Brendan left a sour taste in Kaye's mouth. She felt her anger simmering, not just at Brendan's rudeness, but at Jae's seemingly hidden past, jealous at the indication of his very physical relationship with this girl from his past. She turned her attention back to Thalita, her expression softening.
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"I'm sorry about yesterday. That shouldn't have happened," Kaye said sincerely.
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Thalita gave a small, appreciative smile. "It's alright. These things happen. I expected at least that much, when I agreed to fill in for my cousin yesterday."
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Kaye nodded, feeling a sense of solidarity with Thalita. "Bren, is he your boyfriend or something.”
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Thalita thought about the brief moments she encountered with Wiley and her sudden relationship with Brendan that followed after. “It’s very recent. He’s a good guy, just has a bit of a temper when it comes to the elite families. We haven’t received a donation this huge in years, ever since the founding families took over, we’ve been pretty much neglected.”
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Kaye, saddened by the news, felt a sense of purpose. “My brother Wiley mentioned it the other day, he said that things were really bad here and, in that moment, I practically knew I needed to do something. I promise you that things will get better here from now on, knowing my brother, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself knowing he could make a change. Between us,” she leaned in closer to Thalita, “he’s talking to my dad about setting up job opportunities for the Lake View locals, when our mines open.”
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Thalita’s eyes widens in disbelieve. Perhaps, she had misjudged him too soon, she wondered what his motives were, would he still try to extract information for her even after she had called their deal off?
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“That’s great, I’m pretty sure, your family is the only empathetic people residing over there.”
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Kaye chuckled, “I hope so, we grew up pretty humble. Our parents, despite their wealth, were in the military where we used to live. Going from that life to this, is a vast contrast.”
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“To be honest, once I saw you with Jae Starling, yesterday, my expectations for you were set pretty low, but he seems different. I could tell he’s changed so much.”
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Kaye’s eyes widened, who was this man before? She had only known him as a gentle soul but coming here, it seemed like everyone knew a different side of him. “We’re not together.” She faltered, but Thalita shot her a look of disbelief.
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“Okay girl, whatever you say.” She rolled her eyes playfully. “You would have to be blind to not notice how he looks at you or acts around you.”
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As Kaye and Thalita continued organizing donations, Jae remained at a distance, wrestling with his emotions. He could feel Kaye's disappointment and the weight of his own guilt. Brendan's appearance had stirred up old memories and secrets he'd rather leave buried.
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After a while, they were ready to pack up and continue ahead to the orphanage. The car once again filled with silence.
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The moment becomes too unbearable, leaving Kaye to the demise of her own teenage emotions. "Who was he talking about, Jae? The girl he mentioned... who is she?"
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Jae gulped, gripping tighter onto the steering wheel, his mind racing. He couldn't tell her the whole truth, not now. "It doesn't matter, Kaye. It's in the past."
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Kaye's eyes narrowed, emotions taking over her senses. "It matters to me!"
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Jae took a deep breath, pulling his car over as the truck sped past them, his eyes staring into hers. His heart pounded; confusion plastered on his face. “Why are you doing this? Is it fun for you to play with my emotions? Yesterday you said you wanted to end things and now, you act like you care about some girl who I used to date.”
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Kaye trembled at a loss for words, she stared ahead of her, unable to look at him any longer, in fear of crumbling at the proximity of his lips. “Forget it, don’t tell me, then.”
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Jae, unsure what to do next, sighs in frustration. "Her name was Heather. We dated but it ended badly. She's out of my life now, have been for a long time.”
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Kaye studied him for a moment, sensing there was more he wasn't telling her, unable to keep herself from pressing further. "Do you think about her still?"
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“Of course not. I only think about you.” His eyes soft, he reaches out to her and place a hand on her cheek. “I was never in love with her, you’re my first.”
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Kaye's heart fluttered at Jae's words, but she quickly looked away, trying to regain her composure. "Jae, this is all too much. We need to focus on the work ahead."
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Jae withdrew his hand, feeling a mix of frustration and confusion. "I don’t get you. Let's just get this done."
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They continued their journey to the orphanage in silence, both lost in their thoughts. The tension between them was palpable, yet neither knew how to bridge the gap.
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When they arrived at the orphanage, the sight of the children playing in the yard momentarily eased the weight on Kaye's shoulders. She smiled at the sight of their carefree laughter and felt a renewed sense of purpose.
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Kaye and Jae got to work, unloading the trucks and distributing the donations. Kaye's cold demeanor softened as she interacted with the children, her genuine warmth and kindness shining through. Jae watched her, admiring her strength and determination.
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The orphanage was nestled in the wooded hills, surrounded by tall trees that cast long shadows over the aged brick building. The scent of pine and earth filled the air, mixing with the faint smell of cooking from the kitchen. The building itself, though old, was well-maintained, with ivy creeping up the walls and flower beds adding bursts of color to the otherwise somber setting.
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After distributing the donations, Kaye felt the need to wash her hands and clear her mind. "Excuse me, I need to use the restroom," she said to Jae, who nodded in understanding.
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Following the directions given by one of the staff, Kaye made her way through a dimly lit hallway. The creaking wooden floorboards and the distant echoes of children's laughter created an eerie, yet comforting atmosphere. As she turned a corner, she noticed a heavy wooden door slightly ajar, marked "Staff Only."
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Curiosity getting the better of her, Kaye approached the door. Through the crack, she saw one of the house mothers, a stern-looking woman with graying hair, leading a young woman down a narrow corridor. Kaye's heart skipped a beat as she recognized the woman—the same one from the warehouse.
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The house mother glanced around, her expression wary, before guiding the young woman through another door at the end of the corridor. Kaye's instincts screamed that something was off. She waited a few moments before quietly following them, careful not to make a sound.
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The corridor led to a secluded area at the back of the orphanage, far from the bustling main rooms. The atmosphere was thick with suspense, the only sound being the distant rustling of leaves outside. Kaye's pulse quickened as she approached the door and peeked through a small window.
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Inside, the young woman was seated in a dimly lit room, her expression one of resignation and fear. The house mother stood over her, speaking in hushed tones that Kaye couldn't quite make out. The scene sent chills down her spine. She knew she had to act, but she couldn't risk being caught.
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Kaye took a deep breath and quietly backed away from the door, her mind racing with thoughts of what she had just witnessed. She needed to get back to Bloomfield and find Stasi, to share what she'd seen and figure out a plan. Her footsteps echoed softly as she retraced her steps, the weight of the discovery pressing heavily on her.
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Returning to the main area, Kaye found Jae talking to some of the volunteers. He looked up, concern etched on his face as he saw her expression. "Kaye, is everything alright?"
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Kaye shook her head, her voice trembling. "Jae, we need to leave. We need to go now!"
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The gravity of her words hung in the air, casting a shadow over the otherwise successful day. As they prepared to leave the orphanage, Kaye knew that the journey ahead would be filled with even more challenges and dangers. But she also felt like fate had brought her there, she couldn't turn a blind eye to this, not again.
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