FIONA POV:

I dragged myself back to Leo and Jessica's house in the suburbs. It was nominally my "home," but I was just a long-term guest in their spare room. The moment I walked in, I saw Jessica on the sofa, arms crossed, her face a thundercloud.

"Fiona Wagner, you finally decided to come back?" Her voice was sharp, cutting. "Do you have any idea how long I spent apologizing to Mrs. Henderson for you standing her up? You embarrassed me!"

Leo emerged from the kitchen, his face etched with worry. "Fiona, are you okay? Where have you been?"

I ignored Jessica's tirade and spoke to them both. "Leo, Jessica, I need to talk to you."

Taking a deep breath, I delivered the lines I'd rehearsed a hundred times in my head. "I have a boyfriend. We met at... a school art exhibit. I was with him last night."

Jessica stared, then let out a derisive snort. "A boyfriend? Fiona, don't tell me you're making this up just to get out of a blind date."

I pulled the keys from my pocket and placed them on the coffee table between us. "These are the keys to his apartment. I'm moving in with him."

That stunned her into silence. For a second. "Moving in? How long have you known him? What does he do? What's his family background? Have you even asked?" The questions came like machine-gun fire.

I stuck to the script Beckett and I had loosely agreed upon. "His name is Beckett. He's a hockey player. We just... clicked."

"A hockey player?" Jessica's brow furrowed. "Which team? What's his salary? Does he have endorsements?"

I looked down, feigning a lack of confidence. "He's... still trying to make it. Bouncing between the minor leagues and the pros. The salary isn't very stable. But he has a lot of potential!"

The moment she heard "not stable," her face hardened. The look she gave me was a cocktail of pity and disgust. "Fiona, are you out of your mind? You'd pass up a banker for an athlete with no future? What has he done to you? He's probably just using you because you're young and naive!"

Her words were like daggers. In her world, everything, including love, had a price tag. And I had a pretty good idea what was really upsetting her. If I married Henderson, she'd have a wealthy banker in the family—and, through me, a convenient source of loans, favors, and money whenever she wanted them. But if I tied myself to a hockey player with an unstable paycheck, that little financial pipeline she'd already imagined for herself would disappear.

Leo tried to defend me. "Jessica, don't say that. Fiona's a grown woman. She can make her own choices." But his voice was a whisper against the storm of her anger.

"Her choice is to ruin her life!" Jessica shrieked. "I'm telling you, Fiona, if you move out of this house, don't expect another penny from us!"

This was exactly what I wanted. I looked up, my voice calm. "Fine. I won't ask you for money anymore. I'll handle my tuition and living expenses myself."

My composure only enraged her more. She was speechless, pointing at me with a trembling hand.

I went to my room and started packing my few belongings. Most of my clothes were things Jessica had bought for me, reflecting her taste, not mine. I didn't want to take any of them.

A soft knock came at the door. It was Leo. He pressed a bank card into my hand. "Fiona, take this. It's my own money, Jessica doesn't know. You'll need it out there."

A lump formed in my throat. "Leo..."

He ruffled my hair, just like when we were kids. "Don't be too hard on Jessica. She means well, she just has a terrible way of showing it. This guy... Beckett... is he good to you?"

"He's... great," I lied, a warmth spreading through my chest. At least my brother truly cared.

I pushed the card back into his hand. "I can't take it, Leo. I've decided to be independent. Don't worry, I can take care of myself."

An hour later, everything I truly owned was packed into one suitcase and a backpack. As I was about to leave, I sent a text to Beckett.