[center][color=teal][h2]Jessamyn "Jess" Bailey[/h2][/color][/center]

Jess tried to keep herself from visibly squirming. She looked up from the food, which would have been appetising any other time except now. [color=teal]"Well, not all emotions,"[/color] she told the men. It was technically true, as Roxy's shield muted them to an extent. She just wasn't going to reveal any more about how limited that extent was if she could help it.

Mr Black, though, was still doing his utmost to get what he wanted, responding to Roxy's protest with a guilt trip. Lips pressed together, Jess thought back to something she'd once overheard her mom saying, about narcissistic parents, how they deflected blame and manipulated their children into thinking problems were their fault. [color=teal]"Roxy isn't selfish, I can tell you that,"[/color] she replied, making sure her voice didn't rise with the anger. No selfish person would have put themselves in this situation for a stranger. [color=teal]"She'd just rather not be involved, even if her brother is. It isn't her responsibility."[/color]

She'd probably just gone and started another argument, but defending Roxy was all she could do. From the sheer level of guilt, she could tell Roxy cared about her brother, who was all too possibly another unwilling pawn in this. And Mr Black was exactly the kind of person to get at his daughter through that concern.