The walk back home was quieter than usual—heavy with unspoken thoughts—though giggles slipped through now and then, fragile and fleeting, as if laughter itself was unsure whether it was welcome. When they reached their private hostel and climbed the stairs, the hallway greeted them with stillness, both bedroom doors standing opposite each other like witnesses.
Elowen veered left toward her room, then paused.
"Seraphina," she called softly.
Seraphina turned. Her face crumpled instantly, brows knitting together as if tears were moments away.
"What's wrong, darling?"
"I miss him, El."
Elowen crossed the space between them at once. "Hey—hey, don't cry." She cupped Seraphina's face gently. "How can you miss him after everything? After that embarrassment?"
"I don't know," Seraphina whispered. "But you know I loved him."
Elowen sighed, brushing her thumbs across Seraphina's cheeks. "Listen. What we need right now is a long, warm bath, zero Thaddeus drama, and a very long nap. We'll talk later, okay? Go freshen up."
Seraphina nodded, subdued, and disappeared into her room.
Later that afternoon, Elowen was jolted awake by the sharp sound of the doorbell. Groaning, she dragged herself downstairs to answer it—and froze.
Alden stood there.
For a full thirty seconds—seconds that felt like hours—she stared, her mind racing through every possible explanation for his presence. Finally, she stepped aside. "Come in."
"Hello, Elowen," Alden said politely. "I hope I'm not intruding. I'm here to see Seraphina. Is she around?"
"Yes—yes, she is. I'll let her know."
She knocked on Seraphina's door and stepped inside when invited. Seraphina sat at her desk in the far corner, buried in a book.
"I heard the bell," Seraphina said absently. "Who was that?"
Elowen hesitated, still unsettled.
"El," Seraphina prompted, lifting her eyes. "Who was it?"
"Alden."
Seraphina looked up sharply. "Alden? How—what is he doing here?"
"I don't know. He asked for you."
"For me?" Seraphina frowned. "That's strange. Okay. I'll be back."
As Seraphina descended the stairs, Alden rose from the couch and pulled her into a brief hug. She stiffened in surprise, then relaxed, recognizing the gesture as gentle rather than intrusive.
"I'm sorry if I'm disturbing you," he said. "I just wanted to check on you. After our conversation last night… I thought it would be decent of me."
She nodded, still processing.
"And," he added with that disarming smile, "I'd like your contact. So I don't keep making you walk down the stairs."
Seraphina blinked. He gently guided her phone into her hand, motioning for her to unlock it. Within seconds, his name was saved.
They exchanged light banter—nothing heavy, nothing forced—before he excused himself and left.
Upstairs, Elowen lay stretched across her bed, watching Seraphina enter with an unreadable stare.
Silence stretched.
Finally, Elowen spoke. "What was that about?"
Seraphina exhaled. "I was just as shocked as you are. But… he's actually very nice."
Elowen raised a brow. "You do realize he's Thaddeus' greatest rival."
Seraphina's lips curved slowly.
"Yes. That gives me an idea."
"Did you see Thaddeus' face this morning when Alden and I came down the stairs?"
"I did," Elowen said carefully. "But where are you going with this?"
"I'm going to use Alden to make him jealous."
Elowen shot upright. "What? Can you hear yourself? He humiliates you publicly, and this is your response?"
"Listen," Seraphina said calmly. "I know when I set my mind on something, I don't change it."
"That's exactly the problem," Elowen snapped. "What if Thaddeus doesn't care? And what if Alden actually falls for you? This isn't a game."
"I don't care if he falls or not."
"Seraphina—"
"Anything to bruise the ego of that selfish brat," Seraphina cut in. "Four years, El. And he ends it like that. This isn't even retaliation."
"You were crying this morning because you still love him," Elowen said quietly. "Now you want revenge? You need rest, not schemes."
"No," Seraphina said firmly. "I won't stop."
Elowen shook her head. "You're taking this too far."
"I have to teach my insecure ex a lesson," Seraphina replied. "And the fact that Thaddeus and Alden despise each other makes it perfect."
She leaned forward. "Plan one: I get Alden to fall for me.
Plan two: I earn his trust.
Plan three—" She paused briefly. "I cross a line. I get him to have sex with me.
Plan four: I walk away."
Elowen's voice dropped. "I hope you know exactly what you're doing."
"I do."
Seraphina stood. "Are we still going to the library?"
"No," Elowen said flatly. "I'll study here."
"Fine," Seraphina replied. "Then get dressed. Let's grab something to eat while you tell me everything you know about Alden."
"I'm telling you nothing," Elowen said, already leaving the room.
That night, the soft hum of the television filled the otherwise quiet living room, but neither Elowen nor Seraphina was paying attention to the movie. A sudden, sharp chime echoed through the house—the doorbell.
Late. Far later than anyone would expect a visitor. Unusual. Intrusive.
Elowen froze, the remote still clutched in her hand. Her eyes, wide and unblinking, flicked toward Seraphina. "Do you think it's Alden?" Her voice was calm, almost too calm, but there was an edge to it that made Seraphina tense.
Seraphina hesitated, brow furrowing. "Wouldn't that be a little… much? For just checking up?" Her voice trailed off, uncertain, as a prickle of unease crept up her spine. She could feel it, the quiet warning in the pit of her stomach, a flutter of tension that made her chest tighten.
The movie faded into background noise as she rose slowly, every step toward the door deliberate. The wooden floor creaked beneath her bare feet, each sound amplified in the stillness of the house. She reached for the doorknob, hesitated, then gripped it firmly. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears as she drew a slow breath.
She pulled the door open.
And froze.
The night air carried a chill that made her shiver, brushing against her skin like the brush of unseen fingers. Standing there, framed by the dim glow of the porch light, was Thaddeus.
Her breath caught somewhere between her chest and her throat. He looked… different. Not drastically, but enough to make her stomach twist with a mixture of surprise, apprehension, and something she wasn't ready to name. The moonlight highlighted the sharp line of his jaw, the tense set of his shoulders, and the quiet intensity in his eyes that seemed to pierce right through her.
Elowen's voice broke the silence, small and uncertain. "Seraphina…?"
Seraphina couldn't move. Words lodged somewhere in her throat as she stared at him, her mind racing, heart hammering, and all the questions she hadn't even realized she was asking—why, how, when—crowding her thoughts.
Thaddeus shifted slightly, his expression unreadable. "Hey," he said finally, his voice low, steady, and strangely… warm, despite the chill in the air.
The quiet that followed was heavy, almost tangible, filled with possibilities Seraphina wasn't ready to confront. Tonight had just turned into something entirely unexpected.