Novels by Jennie

ARIA'S POV Monday morning, on the first day of junior year but I didn't go to class. Instead, I was sitting in our apartment with Sage. Cole was at his morning lecture. Julian too. "We need to talk about this," I said. Sage knew what I meant. The tensing. The waiting. The counting down. Nine years, four months until Victoria's release. "We can't live like this," she said. "Waiting for her. Checking phones. Tensing at unknown numbers." "She's still controlling us. From prison." "Yeah." "So what do we do?" I pulled out my laptop and opened a document I've been writing. "I think we need to stop counting and stop waiting for her release like it's inevitable confrontation." "And just... let her go." "Can we do that?" "I don't know. But we have to try. Or she wins. Even from prison. Even nine years from now. She keeps winning." Sage and I sat across from each other. "I've been writing," I said. "Everything we've survived. Everything we built. I want to publish it. Not as vi

Aria's POV December, sophomore year. It was the final week again, but this time I was prepared. Living with Cole changed everything. No dorm chaos, no roommate schedules. Just us, our apartment and our routines. We had morning coffee together. Afternoon classes and evening practice sessions. He studied composition while I worked on pedagogy. Martha's program expanded to twelve kids. I was running weekend sessions alone. The university outreach coordinator position was official, paid, on my résumé. Sage's gallery offered her a paid internship for next summer. Her art was in two campus shows. Julian transferred to state for his engineering program. They were inseparable and we were thriving. After my last final exam, Music Education Theory. I walked out confidently and met Cole outside, he finished his last final yesterday. "How was it?" "Good. Solid B at least." We walked home, our apartment was home now. I stopped at the grocery store for ingredients. Cooking dinner to

ARIA'S POVJanuary. Spring semester, second week.I went to Martha's church basement every Saturday. Eight kids this semester. Word gradually spread about the free piano lessons.Marcus could play a simple melody with both hands. A new girl, Sofia, seven, just started. She was shy but eager.They didn't know about my criminal record and didn't care about articles or scandals. They just wanted to learn music. It was the purest thing in my life.Campus felt different this semester too. The article was old news. Victoria investigation made headlines briefly, then faded.People stopped recognizing me and stopped whispering.I'm just Aria Chen, music education major, again.Sage was thriving too. Her portfolio review went so well they asked her to submit work for the spring exhibition.Cole and I were solid and planning summer together. For the first time in years, Victoria felt distant. Like a bad dream that was finally fading.Then my phone buzzed. Unknown number.And I remembered: she w

ARIA'S POVThe article got published after the interview."The Perfect Victim: How One Teen Manipulated Her Peers and the System"It was everywhere and viral with thousands of shares.I was walking to class when a girl stopped me."You're Aria Chen."It was not a question but a statement."Yeah." I replied."My roommate was like your Victoria. She made me think I was crazy.""Your article helped me leave him. Thank you."She walked away before I could respond.It happened twice more before I could reach the music building.Strangers recognized me, shared their stories and thanked me. It felt good and validating until I checked my email.Message from professor Williams: Aria, we need to talk in my office by 2 PM today and it's urgent.'Urgent.'My stomach dropped. I went there exactly 2pm. She was not alone. A woman in a business suit sat across from her."Aria, this is Patricia Harris. She's on the youth center board."I sat, confused.Patricia spoke. "We read the article." She paused

ARIA'S POV I stood in front of my dorm building three weeks after the conference in the state university with two suitcases, a box of books, and my keyboard.Mom and Dad were unloading the car. Sage was across campus at the art building dorms.Cole texted: Which building? I'm helping with the move-in crew.Me: Harrison Hall, Room 304.Him: Be there in five.A girl walked past with her parents, arms full of bedding. Another girl struggling with a mini-fridge. Everyone was starting over. Everyone was nervous and excited.Victoria's threat sat in the back of my mind like a stone. 'I'll be watching.' But she is not here. She's in a prison cell two hundred miles away.And I'm here, starting college and building my future.I grabbed my keyboard case. Time to move in.Harrison Hall was packed. Students were everywhere, parents helping, RAs directing traffic.My room was on the third floor. It was small but functional, two beds, two desks and a shared closet.My roommate hasn't arrived yet.

SAGE'S POV August 5 was the day I was supposed to face Victoria. I woke at 5 AM even though the conference was until 2 PM. I couldn't sleep or do anything else. Seven weeks of preparation condensed into this one afternoon. The prep session with the facilitator in June, learning the rules and practicing what to say. The conferences with Julian, Lincoln High, Ashford Academy in July all went fine, surprisingly healing. But this one was different. This one is Victoria. My phone showed messages from last night that I couldn't answer: Aria: I'll be right outside the whole time. You're not alone. Julian: You're stronger than her now. Remember that. Mom: We love you. No matter what happens. I got dressed and went to the university alone. Aria offered to come but I said no. This was something I had to do myself. The restorative justice office is in the student services building. I arrived early. The waiting room was small and quiet. Comfortable chairs, calming colors, tissue box

“Ding”.Came the notification sound from Elowen’s phone.Her phone vibrated once again and then by the third time, Elowen knew something was wrong.She opened the message and she saw a link a link with no name and no greeting.Her heart pounded as she tapped it.The screen loaded painfully slow, like it wanted to warn her. Then words appeared. “Internal audit file, verified excerpt.”She gasped in shock as her hands trembled.Someone had released a part of the drive.Just a piece.Elowen did not plan for the truth to come out this way.She was sitting by the window when it happened, one hand resting on her stomach, the other holding her phone. The house was quiet. Cassian had left early, his face tight with thoughts he would not share yet. That had become normal between them. Careful steps, half-truths, slow healing.The article was short but it spoke of secret transfers, shadow accounts, and one name that stood out clearly; Cassian’s father. He was not accused directly or arrested

Elowen woke up with a dull ache in her back and a slow heaviness in her body. She sat up carefully and waited until the feeling reduced."Urghhhh!" She groaned as the twins shifted gently inside her.She stood up and walked to the window. The city was very calm.Cassian came inside, standing behind her. “You’re awake early.”“I couldn’t sleep,” she said. “My mind wouldn’t slow down.”He joined her, standing close but not crowding her. “Mine either.”They stayed quiet for a moment and then Elowen said, “We should not open the drive today.”Cassian nodded. “I agree.”That choice mattered because it was the first time they had both decided not to act. Not because they were afraid, but because they were ready to think.“If we rush,” Elowen continued, “we would literally give control back to Yura, your father or anybody else watching.”Cassian glanced at her and nodded without arguing.Later that day, Cassian met with his legal team.Elowen stayed home, as the doctor advised. She sat in t

Urghhhh” Elowen groaned tiredly. She felt the weight of the day in her bones.The conversation with Yura had shaken her more than she wanted to admit, but it had also made something clear: she could not wait for the truth to fall into place. She had to act.Cassian was still in the study, going through files. His brow was tight and his hands were moving over documents with precision. At any slightest time, he muttered a word under his breath, either in frustration, worry or calculation.Elowen stepped closer. “Cassian,” she said softly.He looked up, and for a moment, she thought he would smile but the tension in his jaw didn’t soften.“What is it?” he asked.“We need to take the first step,” she said. “We can’t just wait for whoever has the drive to make the next move.”Cassian ran a hand through his hair. “And what step is that?”She drew in a breath, steadying herself. “We make them show themselves then We force the first move, carefully” Cassian studied her. The way she said it w

Her body felt heavy, but not in pain but she was tired when she woke up. Elowen placed a hand over her stomach without thinking. The movement inside her was gentle, steady and calm today and that was what mattered.She lay still for a moment, listening to the house. It was quiet, but not empty. Cassian. She thought.She pushed herself upright and reached for her robe. Pregnancy had taught her patience.She stepped into the hallway and followed the soft glow of light toward the living room.Cassian stood near the window with his phone in his hand, his posture tight. He hadn’t noticed her yet.“Elowen,” he said quickly when he turned. “Did I wake you?”“No,” she replied. “I woke up because you weren’t there.”That made him pause.She walked closer, slowly, and took his hand. His grip was strong, but tense.“What happened?” she asked.Cassian hesitated. He always did when the truth felt heavy.“There’s something missing,” he said. “Something important.”She didn’t let go, she persis

Cassian did not ask Elias to sit and that alone said enough.Elias stood near the door with his hands folded behind his back and his face was so calm in the way Cassian had learned not to trust. The room was quiet except for the low hum of the lights above them. Outside the glass wall, the city moved as if nothing was breaking apart inside this building.“You said the audit was finished,” Cassian said.He kept his voice even and nodded once. “Yes.”“That’s all?” Cassian asked still in doubts.Elias met his gaze. He did not rush to explain and he did not fill the silence. He had always known how to use quietness like a weapon.“That’s all you asked,” Elias replied.Cassian watched him closely. He searched for unusuals, something in the eyes, the shoulders, the breath but Elias gave him nothing.Cassian leaned back against the desk. “You didn’t bring a report.”“No,” Elias said.“Why?”“Because a report leaves a trail.”Cassian’s furrowed his eyebrows. “So you came empty-handed.”“I

Cassian woke before dawn. The house was quiet, too quiet, the kind of silence that pressed against his ears. He lay still for a moment, staring at the ceiling, listening to his own breathing. For the first time in weeks, his mind felt clear.That alone should have warned him. He got out of bed and walked to the window. Outside, the city was just starting to become lively and behind him, Elowen slept on her side, one hand resting protectively over her stomach. Cassian watched her for a long moment. The twins were safe. That was what mattered most. That was what he kept telling himself.I’m winning, he thought.The legal pressure on his father was tightening. Key accounts had been frozen. Two allies had stepped back, choosing silence over loyalty. The evidence Cassian had gathered, clean, verified, and legal was finally being taken seriously.For the first time, Anton Vale was cornered.Cassian let out a loud breath.He dressed quietly and left the bedroom, closing the door with care.