HPDBC Chapter 558 Strolling by
Chapter 558 Strolling by
JJ's hand slowly rose, trembling, and touched the side of the bandit's face. His greasy skin burned under her fingertips, but her grip tightened. Without thinking, she summoned the energy inside her. An invisible sphere formed around his head, unnoticed by him in his arrogance.
"What the hell are you doing, bitch?" he sneered, his knife pressed harder against her waist.
JJ's lips parted, but she didn't speak. Her breathing became steady, the world fading around her. The grief, the anger, the suffocating pain from Daemon's death—it all focused into that moment. She closed her fist.
The sphere contracted instantly, crushing his face with a sickening crack. His body slumped against her, his blood spraying in slow, warm spurts. The knife clattered to the ground with a sharp clang, echoing down the alley as his lifeless form crumpled.
JJ stood there, frozen, her hand still hovering in the air where his face had been. She stared at the blood pooling on the ground, her breath coming in slow, ragged gasps. Tears welled in her eyes, but she didn't wipe them away. A few rolled down her cheeks, hot against the cold reality of what she had just done.
The body lay still at her feet, a grotesque reminder of what she was capable of now. Her mind felt numb, yet the image of Daemon's face, lifeless on that flyer, remained sharp in her mind.
She stepped over the bandit's corpse, not sparing him another glance, her feet moving forward on instinct. I'm still breathing. That's all that matters right now.
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JJ wiped at her face quickly, shaking her head as if to clear the fog. The pain wasn't gone, but it was manageable—for now. She walked back toward the road, leaving the alley and the dead man behind her. Her body felt lighter, but her heart still dragged with the weight of what she'd done—and what she still had to do.
As she approached the grand entrance to the waiting grounds, a familiar figure stepped forward from the shadows—a man in a tailored black coat, his expression sharp but welcoming.
"Lady JJ," the butler greeted her with a deep bow, his voice smooth and measured. He was from her house's council, a man who had served her family for as long as she could remember. He straightened, meeting her gaze with calm precision. "I have been awaiting your arrival. There have been... developments, but we'll discuss that once you're settled. You look as though you've traveled far.
Let's get you changed into something more appropriate."
JJ nodded, following him wordlessly through the opulent hallways lined with marble and golden accents. Her feet moved on instinct, but her mind was still tangled in the mess of Daemon's death. The butler led her to a private chamber, where attendants stood ready with finely tailored clothing—silk and velvet, materials far softer than the worn clothes she had been traveling in.
"You represent your house, after all," the butler said with a slight smile. "It's best to make the right impression." He motioned to the attendants to assist her.
JJ allowed herself to be dressed, her mind elsewhere. The feeling of silk against her skin was strange after days spent in rougher clothing, but she barely noticed. The weight of her house's status was one she had carried for so long, it was almost second nature to step into the role, even now, when everything felt like it was crumbling around her.
Once dressed, she looked at herself in the mirror briefly—she barely recognized the woman standing there. The butler appeared at her side, offering a small nod of approval.
"Shall we proceed?" he asked, gesturing toward the exit.
JJ followed him down a winding corridor, her footsteps muffled by plush carpets. The chatter from the waiting grounds grew louder as they approached the main hall, but JJ remained focused. There was work to be done here—she had to keep Ty in her sights, had to play the part of the sponsor, no matter how heavy the weight of everything else felt.
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