Lysander dragged Alaric into the bar, where he was a regular. Everyone from the manager to the staff knew him. As soon as he walked in, someone called out his name across the crowd.Alaric followed, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else, with a gloomy, don’t-talk-to-me expression. Lysander greeted the manager on duty and said, "Get us a private room upstairs. I'm having a drink with Mr. Strider."“Sure thing, Doc! Right this way!” The manager led them upstairs to the quietest room, stocked with the bar's finest. For a rich kid like Lysander, splashing cash was the norm, so the whole bar rolled out the red carpet for him, even bringing in a new girl to keep him company.Lysander didn’t mind at all. No girlfriend, no one special—he was a free spirit, not envious of Heath at all! And definitely not Alaric, who was moping around like a lovesick fool. Lysander was ready to use his charm to lift his buddy’s spirits tonight.“Hey, pour the gentleman a drink,” Lysander said, nodding to th
Vespera was feeling stuck. She couldn’t get anything useful out of Alaric, and half the time she couldn’t even understand him. He was mumbling like he had a bottle cap in his mouth or something.So, she called Cheryl, asking her to check with Zane about which bar they usually hit up when they drink. Cheryl got back to her quickly, and Vespera changed and headed out into the late night, hoping to find him. If she couldn’t, she’d have to bother Aurora and Heath for help.Vespera took a cab to the bar and went straight to the front desk. “Did a tall, good-looking guy named Alaric Strider come in tonight?”The bartender looked clueless, but just then, the music took a pause, and the sounds of shouting and breaking glass came from upstairs. The bartender was about to check it out when the manager stopped him. “What do you think you’re doing? Upstairs is reserved for Mr. Strider and his friends; don’t get involved!”Hearing that, Vespera thought, "Alaric Strider?" She headed upstairs. The d
Vespera made her way to the hospital room and struggled to pull the blanket over herself as she lay in bed. Looking at her heavily bandaged hands, she let out a resigned sigh. She couldn't understand how she had ended up in this situation.Just a few days ago, she had firmly told Cheryl that she barely knew Alaric. Yet here she was, rushing to his side with just one phone call. And now, she was lying in a hospital bed, covered in injuries, while Alaric had been calling out Elowen's name.Vespera thought to herself that a man like that was simply not worth it – someone with another woman etched so deeply in his heart was nothing but trouble. Besides, she really disliked how Elowen always seemed to be at odds with Aurora.The pain in her palms kept Vespera awake until the early hours of the morning when she finally dozed off. Meanwhile, Alaric, aided by alcohol, slept soundly through the night. He only woke up when he rolled off the couch and hit the floor.Seeing Abby standing in front
Vespera watched Alaric awkwardly standing there, feeling annoyed.Alaric lifted the gift bag he was holding and said, "I got your clothes dirty yesterday, so I bought a couple of new ones to make up for it."Vespera was inexplicably irritated. She couldn't figure out what Alaric wanted. He kept trying to get close to her, creating gossip about them, but then he'd run back to Elowen, leaving Vespera hurt, only to show up later with gifts as apologies.Alaric was like a shadow—unpredictable and impossible to grasp. Vespera disliked this and didn't want to get close to someone so inconsistent.She glanced inside the bag and said, "No need to apologize, Alaric. I chose to pick you up, and my injuries are my own fault. Plus, what you bought isn’t really my style."Alaric hesitated. He wasn’t stupid; he could sense Vespera’s displeasure, almost like she was sulking. He put the bag down and asked, "What do you like? I’ll get it for you."Vespera looked at him and said, "Do you think I’m desp
Vespera watched the crowd coming and going at the entrance. Not wanting to make a scene with Alaric, she reluctantly got into the car. Alaric kept his cool on the outside, but inside he was thrilled.During the ride, Vespera stubbornly stared out the window, refusing to speak to Alaric. The atmosphere in the car was super awkward, but Alaric was determined to get her talking."How's your hand? Feeling better?" Alaric asked."Mm," Vespera grunted.Alaric glanced at her awkwardly and tried again. "Have you been changing the bandages yourself?""Mm.""Your dress looks beautiful tonight.""Mm."Alaric racked his brain. "You're not mad anymore, right?""Mm.""Great!" Alaric said excitedly.Vespera blinked, caught off guard. She quickly composed herself and went back to staring out the window in silence.At a red light, Alaric turned to face her. "I'm sorry. Please don't be angry.""Mm."Alaric sighed internally. When did girls become so hard to please? No, wait – he'd encountered this befo
Alaric felt like an idiot. He'd spotted Elowen looking bored in the crowd earlier. The only reason she'd come to this party was for Heath, but as luck would have it, Heath was out of town on business. Now Elowen had no one to focus on.Alaric knew that if he asked Elowen to dance now, she'd definitely say yes. But suddenly, he didn't want to. He was tired of always being Elowen's second choice. As Lysander had once said, even if you're a doormat, you've got to draw the line somewhere.So he ignored Elowen's gaze and turned away, only to see Vespera getting up to leave. Without hesitation, he walked over to intercept her. She was his only chance to save dignity and not look like he was running away with his tail between his legs.Alaric looked down at Vespera's smiling face and said, "I'm being ridiculous, aren't I?"Vespera paused, then shook her head. "There's nothing ridiculous about liking someone."Alaric's mood lifted instantly. He danced with Vespera, then gently held her hand a
The next morning, Alaric showed up bright and early to pick up Vespera, driving her to Lysander’s clinic where Lysander unwrapped her bandages and changed her dressings.Her once pristine hands were now crisscrossed with cuts—some scabbed over, some still fresh with traces of blood. Not a single spot on her pale palms was unscathed; the sight was shocking.While replacing the bandages, Lysander glanced up at a tense Alaric and joked, “Feeling sorry now, right?”Alaric blinked, then nodded, “Yeah, it hurts to see.”Vespera's cheeks flushed; she couldn't understand why Alaric was talking nonsense like that.But Alaric was being honest. Seeing those wounds on her hands really did hurt him.After the bandages were changed, Alaric drove Vespera back home. She thanked him politely, without much warmth or coldness—just polite enough to leave Alaric feeling powerless.From then on, Alaric was at her door every day, on time, to take her for her appointments. A week later, her stitches were rem
Alaric felt powerless and frustrated. He desperately wanted to explain things but had no idea where to start; he hadn't even sorted out his own thoughts. He knew he loved Elowen deeply, but lately, the person on his mind wasn't Elowen—it was the girl standing right in front of him.Vespera took a step back, putting distance between herself and Alaric. She moved to the curb and hailed a taxi. Before getting in, she looked back at Alaric and said, "You love Elowen. Everyone in the city knows that. Maybe you should figure out what you really want before you come looking for me."Without waiting for a response, Vespera got into the cab, which drove her back to her family's home. Alaric followed behind in his car, watching as Vespera got out and disappeared inside.Vespera knew he was tailing her but refused to look back. She kept her gaze fixed on the passing city lights, trying to clear her mind and avoid the confusion Alaric was causing her. It wasn't just Alaric who was struggling; she