Rico helped Maddie to a chair, his concern genuine, but Maddie could see the way his attention kept drifting back to Jane. The dynamic was clear: no matter what happened, Jane would always come first.
Maddie crouched on the cold kitchen floor, her injured foot stinging with pain. She glanced up at Jane, catching the fleeting glimmer of triumph in her eyes. Jane had done it on purpose—of that, Maddie was certain.
“What’s going on here?”
Before Maddie could respond, Rico walked into the kitchen. Jane’s expression shifted instantly, her red-rimmed eyes glistening with unshed tears. She rushed toward him, her voice trembling with feigned distress.
“Rico! I just wanted to help Maddie in the kitchen, but I ended up making a mess.” She lifted her foot slightly, revealing a few rice grains stuck to her pristine, unblemished skin. “Look! I even burned my foot. It hurts so much…”
Rico’s face softened immediately. He knelt down, gently cradling Jane’s foot in his hands, his voice thick with concern. “Jane, are you okay? Does it hurt a lot?”
Maddie’s stomach churned as Rico shot her a sharp glare.
“Maddie! How could you be so careless? Apologize to Jane!”