Jenny's Heart

Chapter 9

Jenny's eyes shot open, her mind instantly alert and listening, when the sound of footsteps reached her sleeping mind. She was a light sleeper; waking up due to the sound of footsteps had been embedded in her mind from when she was little.

The soft glow of the city seeping through the lace curtains was the only source of light as she glanced towards her bedroom door. It was still closed, but the sound of quiet footsteps hitting against the marble flooring was drawing nearer.

She slowly lifted her head from her pillow in order to hear more clearly and waited. Her hand eased under the pillow to grip the small metallic object that lay there. The footsteps stopped, and she knew that the person was now standing outside her door. 

She waited, not daring to breathe for fear of missing a sound.

After a moment, the footsteps continued on their way. Jenny glanced at her niece to see her blissfully unaware. For a second, she thought that it could be Nathan, but another part of her rejected the thought. 

Why would he be sneaking about his own house?

She slowly sat up in her bed, her ears straining to hear any sound as her heart beat erratically in her chest. When she heard Rosa's bedroom door open, panic flew up her throat. She grabbed the switchblade under her pillow and swiftly slipped out of the bed.

The chilled air of the room pricked Jenny's skin as she rushed to her door, her footsteps drowned by the fluffy carpet beneath her bare feet. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest as she opened her door and peered down the hall to see a tall frame partly hidden from view.

Although she opened the door quietly, the place was so still that it caught the intruder's attention, and the person quickly turned to look at her. She let out a breath of relief as she caught sight of the familiar pair of blue eyes staring back at her, which were illuminated by the dim light that streamed in through the windows of the hallway. 

It was only Nathan.

Jenny sucked in a breath when she remember what time it was and how she was dressed. She quickly backed away from the hallway to conceal her body behind her bedroom door. Her pyjamas were the opposite of flattering and consisted of an old, extremely baggy shirt and long pants, which needed to be bunched on the side with a rubber band to keep from falling off her thin frame.

Nathan slowly closed the door of his daughter's room and walked up to her. She hastily tucked the knife into her pocket and hoped he didn't notice it.

No one, not even Isabella, knew that Jenny carried a knife wherever she went, and she wanted to keep it that way. It was unusual for a person to carry a knife with them, and people would definitely ask questions, especially when the knife was - undoubtedly - more valuable than her own net worth. She didn't want anyone to know about it or what it signified.

"Did I wake you?" Nathan asked in a soft voice when he reached the threshold of her door.

Jenny was speechless for a moment as she stared at him. He still looked as handsome as he usually did; the light glistened across his face and made his eyes appear a paralysing silver. However, despite his good looks, she noticed the tiredness that spread across his features. His hair wasn't styled as it usually was, his tie hung loosely around his neck, and his eyes showed fatigue.

"I'm a light sleeper," Jenny said after a moment, her voice soft.

His eyes flickered with guilt. "Sorry."

She found herself shrugging. "It's okay."

A beat of silence passed between them before Nathan spoke, "I'm leaving for Florida in the morning. There are a few issues I need to sort out there."