The plane hummed quietly beneath us as we soared through the night sky. The world outside the window was shrouded in darkness, just like my thoughts, with only the faint twinkling of stars to remind me that there was still life out there, somewhere. I stared out the small window, but my mind was far away from the present—lost in a sea of tangled thoughts and distant memories. “Don't worry, everything is going to be absolutely fine,” Lucas tried to convince me. He was sitting on the seat next to me, holding my hand in his hand. “I talked to dad before boarding the plane. Robert was out of the operation theatre. He is doing okay. He will probably be awake by the time we reach London.” “I know, mom texted me earlier,” I said quietly, letting him hold my hand. I needed some human contact to remind me I wasn't alone. He sighed as I continued, “I just… I need to see him with my own eyes to convince my heart that he is really fine.” “I understand,” Lucas said, sinking into his seat to
The car sped through the dimly lit streets of London, rain gently pattering against the windows. The city I once knew, with its familiar landmarks and winding roads, had transformed. It felt like a distant memory, a place that had once been home but now felt like a foreign place. I pressed my face to the window, the fog of my breath misting the glass as I watched the blur of lights and shadows pass by. Beside me, Lucas stretched his arms over his head, groaning softly as he blinked the sleep from his eyes. “How long was I out?” he mumbled, still half-asleep. “The whole flight,” I said, smirking. “You didn’t miss much, though. We just flew across an ocean.” Lucas chuckled, his laughter lightening the tension in the car for a brief moment. He turned to Caspian, who was seated on my other side, his expression unreadable. “You get any sleep?” Lucas asked, clumsily moving to sit properly. Caspian shrugged, his gaze still focused out the window. “Just a little,” he said quietly. His
Hours later, I found myself sitting in a chair outside the ICU, the cold sterility of the hospital seeping into my bones. The exhaustion had finally caught up with me, my body heavy, my mind weighed down by the swirl of emotions and sleepless hours. The low hum of hospital equipment and the occasional shuffle of nurses seemed to meld with the soft buzz of fluorescent lights overhead.“Miss, you need anything to eat?” Simon asked as the sun started to peek through the horizon. Caspian sat next to me, his posture stiff but eyes closed, as if he were trying to rest but couldn’t truly relax. His hands were folded neatly in his lap, and though his face was expressionless, I could see the tension in his shoulders. I shook my head, “No, I'm fine, I am not hungry. I ate on my way to the airport in the States.” “Okay.” Lucas was on the other side of Caspian, flipping through a magazine, though I knew he wasn’t really reading it. His foot tapped lightly on the floor in an unspoken rhythm, a
The doctor's words brought a wave of relief that washed over me, so sudden and overwhelming that for a moment, I couldn’t breathe. My father was stable—he was going to wake up. The tension in my chest loosened just slightly, though the knots of anxiety and uncertainty still lingered. “Thank you, doctor, for saving my father. I will always be thankful to you,” I said, and the doctor smiled warmly at me. “Thank you so much.” “You don't have to thank me, I was doing my job,” the doctor said, checking the papers in his hand. “Though you need to look after you dad from now on. He can't lift anything heavy for at least four months and needs some physiotherapy sessions. Try to keep him away from doing any physical activity that needs a lot of strength.” “Okay, I will make sure that he is taking care of himself, and not doing something that could hurt him,” Harry said, turning the conversation away from me and towards himself. “I will take care of him and all his needs. Thank you doc
The sterile scent of the hospital room felt overwhelming, even more so now that we had moved from the ICU to a private room. The dim lights cast soft shadows across the floor, making the space seem both more intimate and somehow heavier. “I’m glad you’re here,” dad said softly, his voice filled with sincerity and love. “I love you, my Kat. I love you a lot.” With just those two lines all the uncertainty and fear I had in my heart washed away in a blink of an eye. He was glad I was there. He wasn't angry at me for the text I sent him. He didn't ask me to leave, so that he could be alone with Harry. He said he loved me. Harry’s body tensed immediately, and I could feel his gaze burning into the side of my face. I didn’t need to look at him to know he was glaring, furious that dad had noticed me first. Dad stil hadn't noticed him, his eyes were on just me. “I-I love you too, dad. I love you so much.” My eyes started to fill with tears and no matter how much I tried to control the
The cool air from the air conditioner welcomed me as I stepped out of the bathroom, towel wrapped around me. My hair was still damp from the shower and the air felt cold against my skin. The tension from the long day at the hospital clung to me like a second skin, but the warm water had helped wash away some of the exhaustion. For now, at least. After the shower, I expected to have a few minutes to myself, but as I walked into the room, I found Lucas sprawled across the bed, his head propped up on one hand as he stared at the ceiling. He was lost in his thoughts and didn't even notice me. I paused mid-step, raising an eyebrow at him. “Really?” I asked, shaking my head in mock exasperation. He turned his head toward me, a lazy grin spreading across his face when he looked at me. “What? Just getting comfortable. Long day, you know? And I don't mind the view.” I rolled my eyes, heading toward where my bag was thrown in the corner. “You’re in my bed, Lucas. I am pretty sure, C
The kiss lingered on my lips even as I pulled away, my breath still unsteady. I wasn’t sure what it meant—what we meant anymore. Things had been so complicated, so full of unspoken emotions between Lucas and me. But right now, in that moment, I didn’t want to analyze it. I just wanted to feel it, but I couldn't, because I felt like it was morally wrong to even think about him. My dad was in the hospital, I was in London to look after him, to make things better between us and not to kiss guys and get laid. It should have been the last thing in my mind. However, I wanted to know what was was going on inside Lucas' head. Did he feel the difference in the kiss too? “Can I say something to you, Katherine?” he questioned but I didn't answer. I kept looking down at the street. I wasn't ready for that. “Not now, it is not a good time, Lucas.” I glanced at him after a few minutes passed, but he didn’t say anything. His eyes held mine, intense and searching, but for once, he didn’t push
The silence lingered between us, thick and heavy. I could feel Lucas breathing next to me, each rise and fall of his chest matching my own. My heart was still racing, despite the quiet that had settled over us. His question hung in the air, unanswered. What did he want to tell me? I shifted slightly on the bed, turning my head to look at him. His profile was just visible in the dim light, the soft shadows of the night playing across his face. I couldn’t see his eyes, but I knew they were staring up at the ceiling, just as mine had been moments ago. I didn’t want to break the silence, but I needed to know. “Lucas,” I whispered, my voice barely breaking through the stillness. “What did you want to tell me?” For a moment, I thought he wasn’t going to answer. His chest rose and fell in a slow, measured rhythm as if he were carefully weighing his words before speaking. He wanted them to mean something more. He wanted me to understand them. So, when he finally did, his voice was low,
I didn’t want to talk about the Salvatore family with Cami. It was too depressing to have that conversation with her. I didn't want to talk to her about Alaric, or about my mother, not about Derek lying in the hospital while his sons tried to salvage the mess he unknowingly helped create.For once, I just wanted to talk about myself.And—more specifically—I wanted to talk about Caspian.“So, let me get this straight.” Cami’s voice was clear through the speaker, cutting through the quiet of my dimly lit bedroom. “You like Caspian?”I groaned, rolling onto my stomach and burying my face in my pillow for a second before lifting it again. “God, don’t say it like that. I didn't mean it like that. I meant there are things that have happened, and he has done things that made me feel weird.”“Like what? The true feeling you've been hiding for months?” She let out a breathless laugh. “Kat, this is huge. You’ve been dodging relationships for years, and now you’re telling me you have actual fee
Alaric knew something.That much was clear the moment he stepped into the dining room, his presence wrapped around the air like a noose, slowly tightening around all of us. His sharp, assessing gaze skimmed over the table, taking in our frozen postures and the lingering tension that none of us could shake off.Then, as if he hadn’t just walked into a room full of people on the brink of plotting his downfall, he smiled. A slow, knowing, chilling smile appeared to scare us. “Why does it look like someone just died?” he mused, his voice was light and easy, but there was something underneath it—something taunting, something dangerous.Nobody answered.I could feel the tension radiating from Caspian beside me, the way Lucas’s fingers tightened around his fork, and the barely restrained scoff from Dev.Alaric didn’t seem to mind the silence. He strolled forward with unhurried confidence, like a predator stepping into a den of prey. Pulling out the chair next to Leo, he sat down, completely
Dinner had never been that quiet. Not in the Salvatore house. The long dining table was filled with plates of steaming food—pasta, grilled chicken, and fresh bread—but no one seemed interested in eating. They were thinking about something, and while their hands moved mechanically I knew they wanted to know what was the important thing Caspian wanted to talk about. He told them that he had something important he wanted to share with them after the dinner. And I guess he shouldn't have shared that much information with the others before because the others were still thinking about it, trying to figure out what it might be. Ian already had a small idea, yet he could feel the tension in the room. As a result, he was very uncomfortable. I could see it in his eyes. The room was dimly lit, with the chandelier above us casting soft, golden light over the strained faces. Unlike other days, even Leo didn't fuss about the food or ask for dessert with the meal. And that's when I realise
I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dried and felt like sandpaper when I tried to swallow the lump forming in my throat. I wasn’t sure about my own emotions, about what to feel—relief, panic, guilt? Maybe all of them at once, or maybe none. Mom had looked at me when I was coming downstairs to help Dev with the dinner, her expression was unreadable. Yet, I knew what was going on inside her head. She must have been afraid of what kind of person wouldn't be in this situation. I asked her what happened or if she needed help with something, and she simply said, “I don’t care what happens to me. As long as you’re safe, I'm willing to do anything in the world. You might not trust me right now, but believe me, my words are true. And I'm going to show it tomorrow.” I hadn’t known how to respond when she was being that open with her thoughts. I should have said something, anything, but I didn't. I couldn't find the right words to say, and thinking about it now, I guess it wouldn't have ma
“So, when are we going to tell the other about what is going on in the family?” I asked the two brothers who still looked conflicted. “If mom confesses tomorrow, their life will be in danger too. If Alaric finds out, he will take it out on whoever he finds.” Caspian and Lucas shared a secret look but told us nothing about it. I was sitting at the kitchen island, my fingers were wrapped around the cool ceramic of my untouched water glass. While, my mind was elsewhere—spinning, twisting, trying to make sense of everything we were about to do. But worse were the fears associated with our every move. That was the reason I wasn't speaking much because I was afraid my fears and what-ifs would slip out mistakenly in normal conversations. And I knew it would only damper their mood, so I heard them instead and tried to be positive about our little mission. “She's right. At this point I think we need to tell the others,” Dev said, stirring a simmering pot of pasta sauce. “This morning t
The room was much quieter after my mom had left. It had been more than an hour since she was gone. Yet, the heavy air of her decision lingered in the room that surrounded us, entering my brain through my nostrils. I couldn't stop thinking about it because it felt like an invisible force that had a huge surprise for everyone in the house. I still wasn’t sure if I believed her—if I could afford to believe her. I didn't know where I stood with her; sometimes, I had been acting like the best daughter in the world, while other times I felt as if she was my biggest enemy. I couldn't figure out how to act around her. Even though she had agreed to confess and that was ‘something not to look over’ according to Caspian, I couldn't bring myself to trust her completely. I knew I could have trusted her more when she told Derek the truth, but I couldn't help but think it was one of her other elaborate plans. “A woman can get anything if she wants it enough... anything.” Her words from years
“My brothers are crazy,” Caspian followed after when my eyes found his. “They have done some of the wildest things on the planet, and don't even let me start with Leo. He's the definition of cringe and intrusive thoughts.” “Yeah, that I know,” I agreed with him about Leo, because he had done some of the wildest things. However, after Ian disappeared on his birthday, Leo got a little serious about the things around him. “There's a lot more.” The way he said that made me think about what he meant by it. There was an undertone of some sort that I couldn't place, but it wasn't anything positive. The way he said that, it felt darker and chilling. “Well, I'd love to know more about you brothers than,” I said, hoping he would get the hint and will talk about himself then. ‘What are you trying to do?’ My brain questioned and I stopped myself from continuing, realizing that I was flirting with him. “You got time,” he said taking a seat on my bed and looked at the famed picture of me with
The air outside was cold and comforting, just walking outside through the entrance made me feel much at loose than I had been the whole day. A soft breeze carried the faint scent of the forest that surrounded the Salvatores’ estate, and moisture that brought me relief. The sky was covered with dark clouds and looked like it was going to rain soon. I was almost waiting for the rain, hoping to see the forest come to live. I was walking beside Caspian. I could feel the tension from the meeting still sitting heavily on Caspian's shoulders. Lucas was following closely behind us, his brows were still furrowed in deep thought, while Dev walked a few steps in front of us with Matthew. As we reached the driveway, Matthew paused. His shiny black Mercedes was waiting for him, the driver was inside. Matthew turned to face us, his demeanour was as calm and professional as ever. He had the same aura around him that at the beginning, I saw around Caspian. “I’ll wait for your call,” he said, his
Caspian’s office had turned into the Salvatore family's war room over the past few weeks. It was a room that once felt intimidating—lined with tall bookshelves, mahogany furniture, dark leather chairs, and the history it contained of me and Caspian. Now, it was a place where heavy discussions were taking place, to reach decisions that could alter the family’s fate. I was sitting in the corner of the room, feeling like an intruder in their world of business and law. Yet, as I watched Lucas and Caspian argue over the papers spread across the desk, I realized I wasn’t exactly an outsider anymore. I was part of the mess, whether I liked it or not.Matthew, the Salvatores’ lawyer, sat across from me. He was calm and collected despite the storm brewing in the room, trying to hear both sides. His neatly pressed suit and calm demeanour gave him an air of professionalism that felt out of place amidst the storm of words. Dev was pacing near the window, his hands were shoved deep into his po