Alaric stared at Vespera, knowing instantly that she was upset. He desperately wanted to explain, but as soon as he opened his mouth to say, "Ves..." she cut him off."Good morning, Mr. Strider," Vespera said coldly, not even glancing his way.Her tone was polite but distant, as if their relationship had regressed to that of strangers. No matter what Alaric said, it felt like nothing. Vespera maintained a smile, treating him with impeccable courtesy that also served as an impenetrable barrier.Aurora shot Alaric a glare before following Vespera into the elevator. Alaric moved to chase after them, but Elowen clung to him even tighter, gripping his sleeve. "Alaric, I'm dizzy..." she whined.As the elevator doors closed, Vespera still refused to look at him. Alaric panicked. He tried to pry Elowen's hand off, determined to go after Vespera, but Elowen held on. "Alaric, where are you going?" she asked."I'm going after Vespera!" Alaric blurted out."Why are you chasing her? Do you like he
An officer approached Alaric, tapping him on the shoulder. "Excuse me, sir. Who are you?"Alaric froze. Why were the cop here?Before he could answer, the officer continued, "Are you a student at this university?"Alaric shook his head. The officer frowned. "We received a report of a suspicious person hanging around the women's dorm. You'll need to come with us.""Me? Suspicious? No, I'm not—I was just—" Alaric stammered, trying to explain."Save it for the station," the officer cut him off, leading Alaric downstairs and into the patrol car.Vespera watched from her window as Alaric was taken away. She quickly tidied up her room and crawled into bed, feeling drained from her stomach flu. All she wanted now was to rest.At the police station, the officers asked Alaric to explain himself. He sat there, utterly mortified.How could he possibly explain this? That he came to see his girlfriend, and she called the cops on him because she was mad? Talk about losing dignity.Alaric looked at
Just as Alaric was about to confess his feelings to Vespera, she jetted off overseas. He found himself anxiously waiting for her return, but each day he scrolled through her social media posts, seeing her living her best life abroad. Part of him wondered if it might be better if she never came back.Desperate for attention, Alaric commented on one of her posts: "Where are you? I'll fly over and be your personal bag carrier!"Vespera replied coolly, "Thanks for the offer, Mr. Strider, but I'm good."Alaric: "..."They say it's nearly impossible to appease an angry woman. Alaric used to think that was nonsense, but now, dealing with Vespera, he was starting to believe it. She really was impossible to placate!For days, his calls and messages went unanswered. If it weren't for her constant social media updates, Alaric would've thought her phone was broken.Two days before the film festival, which Vespera was attending with Aurora and Cheryl, a lovesick Alaric resigned himself to watching
Alaric got out of the car, grabbed Vespera's suitcase, and reached for her hand. Vespera subtly avoided his touch. Alaric's eyes darkened slightly, but he said nothing as he carried her luggage upstairs. Vespera's apartment was right below Cheryl's. Alaric brought the suitcase inside.The apartment was beautifully furnished and spacious. To accommodate Vespera's role as a designer, they had even set up a studio larger than her bedroom. It had two rows of clothing racks and an easel – more than enough for a budding designer like her.Vespera wandered around her new place, her mood lifting with each perfect detail she discovered. When she returned to the living room, she found Alaric still sitting on the couch. "You're still here?" she asked bluntly.Alaric was taken aback. Her words stung – she clearly didn't want him around. But what could he do? Chasing a girl meant having thick skin, right? He should learn from Heath and how persistent he'd been in pursuing Aurora. It had worked out
Vespera sighed as she watched Alaric's cheerful face. She lowered her head to focus on her meal, wondering what this guy was up to. He'd been hanging around her place so much lately. Wouldn't Elowen be upset?After dinner, Vespera headed to her studio, intent on working on her latest piece. But just like last night, inspiration eluded her. An hour passed, and she hadn't managed to sketch anything worthwhile. Frustrated, she ran her fingers through her hair and stepped out to grab some water. Alaric couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of her."What's so funny?" Vespera snapped, glaring at him.Alaric pointed at her head. "Your hair," he said, grinning.Vespera glanced in the mirror and groaned. Her once-neat bun had come completely undone, with stray strands falling around her face. Somehow, a pencil had found its way into the mess. She looked like a total disaster.Rolling her eyes at Alaric, she grabbed her water and started back to her room. "Artist's block?" he called after her.
Alaric's confession had lifted Vespera's spirits. Now that they had finally opened up to each other, all her worries seemed to melt away. Sitting atop the hill, Vespera gazed at the breathtaking view, peacefully sketching in her notebook.It had been ages since she'd felt this calm while drawing. The man sitting behind her, watching over her, was the reason she could finally relax and focus.Vespera felt her inspiration flooding back. All the anxiety and restlessness from the night before had vanished, leaving only tranquility in its wake.As the sun dipped below the horizon, Vespera finished a piece she was truly proud of. With darkness falling, she stood up and packed away her easel. Alaric immediately came over to help, carrying her supplies in one hand and holding hers with the other. "Ready to go?" he asked softly.Vespera nodded, following Alaric down the hill. The descent was much easier than the climb up, but Alaric insisted on holding her hand the entire way. Somehow, this ge
When Vespera awoke, she found herself in a hospital bed with Aurora sitting beside her. "How are you feeling?" Aurora asked, concern etched on her face.Vespera shook her head weakly. "I'm okay now. Thank you, Aurora."Aurora sighed, telling Vespera to rest. The next day, she helped discharge Vespera and took her back to the apartment. Under Aurora's persistent questioning, Vespera finally revealed that she and Yvonne were half-sisters, and that she was nothing more than the Thornfield family's illegitimate daughter.For years, Vespera had only wanted to prove to her father that she was just as good as Yvonne—better, even, in many ways. She'd been meek and compliant all this time, hoping her father would notice her, if only for a moment.Unlike Aurora, who wasn't afraid to turn the Pendleton household upside down when she was angry, Vespera was inherently timid. She longed for family and warmth, so she never dared to talk back to Yvonne or her father. But years of humiliation had only
Yvonne glared at Alaric's hand, which was holding Vespera's. That little tramp! When did she manage to snag a man like Alaric Strider?"Mr. Strider, what brings you to here today?" Mr. Thornfield tentatively asked."I'm here to pick up Vespera," Alaric interrupted, lifting their joined hands. "Didn't you need to get your books? Go on, I'll wait downstairs.""Okay," Vespera replied without even glancing at Mr. Thornfield as she headed upstairs.Her heart felt heavy. The home she'd cherished for so long wasn't really her home at all. She was just a walking blood bank for Yvonne. Whenever Yvonne got hurt, Vespera was there to donate blood. That's why Mr. Thornfield never intervened when Yvonne bullied her—as long as she wasn't killed outright, it was fine.Yesterday's incident was a perfect example. Yvonne had tried to take advantage of her, but before Vespera could explain, Mr. Thornfield had already believed Yvonne's side of the story. In her father's eyes, she wasn't a daughter at all