Chapter Seventy-Six

Jade's eyes fluttered open an hour before the alarm went off. Birds were chirping outside the window, not the sound she wanted to be woken up to. She let out a groan and tucked her head under the blanket.

The smell of coffee was seeping from the lobby next door, enticing her to get out of bed and request a cup. After all, there wasn't a coffee maker in the room, and she wondered if it was intentional. Jade slid her feet into the houseshoes before making her way to the office. A wall of morning dew hovered above the sidewalk, dampening her skin.

"Oh good, you're awake," the receptionist greeted Jade as if she'd been expecting her sooner.

"I could smell the coffee from my room," she chuckled, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Help your