The Reclaimed Rose (Annalise and Steven)

Baffled, I lowered my head and asked, "What is it?"

Penelope bit her lower lip as if mulling over what she was about to tell me. A long pause later, she confessed, "Someone in our class has been picking on Willow. I tried to stop them and tell them bullying was wrong, but they refused to listen to me." She kept her gaze on her feet, looking ashamed. She appeared to be disappointed that she couldn't stand up for Willow.

Upon hearing this, I crouched and held Penelope's hand. "You're so brave, Penelope. You spoke up when you saw someone do something wrong."

She stared at me in disbelief. "Aren't you upset that I didn't protect Willow?"

She tipped her head to the side as if puzzled at my words. I elaborated, "It's normal for you to feel helpless when facing a tough situation like that, but thank you for telling me about it. If you hadn't told me, I might never know what Willow is dealing with in school." Penelope blinked at me. Relief colored her face as she said, "I'm glad you care about Willow."

I chuckled. "You're just a kid, Penelope."

"Penelope!" Willow had finished washing up and hurtled out of her bedroom to beckon for Penelope. "It's your turn to shower!" "Coming!" Penelope bounded upstairs. Willow linked arms with her as they made their way into the bedroom.

After showering, Penelope and Willow played with their toys on the third floor. Milton and Dorothy stayed to keep an eye on them.

conversation was any indication, she probably felt awkward around Zane. She even started informing him of her work progress. She was a bona fide workaholic. It hadn't been

Huxley Corporation. It was

proposal quietly. He looked solemn, and it was impossible to

waited for her to stop talking before commenting, "Your idea's pretty solid, but there's room for plenty of adjustments. If you don't mind, grab a pen and paper to fot them

was Zane's house, after all. She wouldn't know where to get a

I hurriedly passed her my notepad

to Zane. "You may begin,

on Willow and Penelope, there was no better

printing house tomorrow. Not to mention, I had I Willow's performance the day after to attend. I ought to use my free time to sketch new panels. That way, I wouldn't have to come

I turned on my laptop, I visualized what I wanted to draw and started

...

Casper had sent her. She stared at the