Chapter 2

The dinner was tense and awkward. The long table was covered with delicate dishes, but I felt like an outsider sitting there.

Richard and Ian spent the whole evening talking business. Grace chimed in occasionally, while Irene was like a clever little songbird, always chiming in with the perfect thing to say when it was needed.

"Dad, I heard Project Phoenix is really making progress. You're incredible," Irene said, her eyes shining with admiration.

Richard's face lit up with pride, his usual serious expression softening for once. "Sweetheart, you sure keep up with everything, huh?"

Irene said in her heart, 'System, pretty slick, right? That secret you gave me totally impressed Dad. All it took was one sentence.'

'Ding! Great job, host. Dad's approval +5. Keep going.'

Grace smiled as she set a plate of seared scallops in front of Irene. "Irene is always so thoughtful. Unlike some people, sitting there like a statue."

She shot me a pointed look.

I kept my head down, quietly sipping my clam chowder, pretending not to notice the barb.

Ian's voice cut through the table, cold and sharp. "Dad, Project Phoenix is classified. Irene, how did you hear about it?" His eyes were fixed on her, hard as daggers.

Irene's smile flickered for a second before she recovered. 'Damn. I forgot how suspicious Ian can be. System, give me something.'

'Ding! Suggested response: Act vulnerable and subtly redirect attention to the real heiress for contrast.'

Irene dropped her gaze at once, her voice trembling with a hint of hurt. "I-I happened to overhear Dad on the phone. I only wanted to make him happy. Ian, do you think I'm being too much?"

Her eyes grew red, her expression so fragile and tearful that it was hard not to feel sorry for her.

Grace immediately rushed to her defense, her voice thick with concern. "Ian, how can you speak to your sister that way? She was only trying to be thoughtful.

"Your other sister has barely said a word since she got here, and you're scolding Irene for caring about this family?"

In an instant, everyone's attention shifted to me.

Richard frowned, cutting off the conversation. "Enough. Let's eat."

Ian glanced at me, something complicated flickering in his eyes, but he said nothing more.

'Heh. Trying to trip me up? Jessica is such a pushover. She can't open her mouth. She's the perfect cover.' Irene's satisfaction pulsed through the thought.

I set down my spoon, dabbed my mouth with a napkin, and looked up at Richard. My voice was soft but clear. "Dad, I don't know much about business.

"But on the way here, I saw some news about the financial markets in Equatoria. They've been unstable lately. Especially the raw material prices for the new energy sector.

"It looks like someone might be manipulating them. Is Project Phoenix connected to that?"

I spoke slowly, like a country girl stumbling through a world she barely understood.

The table went silent. Richard and Ian both stared at me, stunned.

Project Phoenix was centered on new energy. Only a handful of board members knew the specifics. No outsider should have had that kind of insight.

For the first time, Richard looked at me with genuine attention, his eyes sharp with curiosity. "Where did you get that information?"

I gave a small, awkward smile. "I happened to read some analysis articles online. I was skimming, really. I'm probably completely off. Please don't take it seriously, Dad."

'How could she know that?! System, does she have a cheat too?' Irene's voice in my head was nearly frantic.

'Ding! System scanning. No system energy detected in the target. Preliminary assessment: coincidence. Host, no need to panic.'

Irene relaxed slightly, but when her gaze shifted to me, it was sharp with suspicion and laced with malice.

Ian studied me for a long moment, then turned back to Irene. His tone was calm, but the warning was unmistakable. "Irene, stay out of company matters. And don't go repeating things you hear."

This time, neither Richard nor Grace said a word in her defense.

The dinner seemed peaceful on the surface, but hidden currents were swirling beneath it.

Irene's attempt to humiliate me had backfired completely. She was the one who ended up on the receiving end of Ian's rebuke.

I watched her force a smile and felt nothing but cold clarity. This was only the beginning.