The visitation bell rang, cutting through the air like a razor. Chairs scraped, goodbyes mumbled. Daphne's eyes lingered on Viv for a fraction longer than necessary.

"Stay alive," Daphne murmured. It wasn't a request.

Viv gave a barely-there nod. "You too, sis."
They parted without another touch, each walking away as though nothing had passed between them—because officially, nothing had.

The walk back to the unit was uneventful, the corridors buzzing with post-visit chatter. Viv returned to her usual spot in the common area, Pen sitting cross-legged on the bench beside her. A few other inmates lounged nearby, gossip passing like currency.

Pen leaned closer. "So... step-sister, huh?" Her tone was casual, but her eyes were anything but.

Viv didn't look up from the book in her lap. "That's what the C.O. said, isn't it?"

Before Pen could press, a shadow fell across them. Lux Donnelly, all smug ease and polished menace, sauntered over.

"Well, well. If it isn't the girl with the most interesting family reunions I've ever seen." Lux's smirk was lazy, but her gaze was surgical—cutting, measuring.

Viv didn't rise to the bait. "Some of us aren't boring."

Lux tilted her head, feigning thoughtfulness. "Funny thing, though. I've got step-siblings. Never felt the need to... greet them quite like that."

Pen's brows shot up. "Wait, what?"

Lux's smile widened like a cat toying with prey. "Oh, didn't she tell you? It was quite the... touching moment."

Viv closed her book, the movement deliberate. "My stepmother is French. My step-sister grew up there. It's a thing. You know how Europeans are—touchy, dramatic, overly affectionate." She said it with such deadpan conviction that it almost sounded boring.

A couple of nearby inmates snickered and muttered, already deciding it was just "rich people weirdness."

But Pen's gaze lingered, her mind turning. She'd seen Viv's precision under pressure—nothing about that kiss had felt accidental.

Lux wasn't convinced either. She leaned against the table, voice soft but edged. "Well... maybe one day you'll introduce me to dear sis. I'd love to see that dynamic up close."

Viv didn't flinch. "You wouldn't survive her."

Lux gave a slow, knowing smile and walked off, the air behind her still humming with the unspoken.

Pen waited until Lux was out of earshot before speaking. "You really expect me to buy that story?"

Viv turned a page in her book without looking up. "I expect you to repeat it."

Pen didn't answer—but in her gut, she knew there was more to that "sister" than Viv would ever admit.