The school day passed without much incident, though Vaelis remained aware of the subtle shifts in the air. The banquet had changed things. People whispered more when she passed, their glances filled with a mix of curiosity and hesitation.

She ignored them all.

Instead, she focused on something far more important—the final stages of her project with Alicia, Adrian, and Rowan.

The four of them gathered in the library after classes, books spread across the table. Alicia, ever diligent, had neatly organized their findings, while Rowan leaned back in his chair, looking half-bored yet oddly attentive.

“It’s almost done,” Alicia said, scanning through their notes. “We just need to finalize the conclusion and prepare for the presentation.”

Vaelis nodded, adding a few finishing touches to her section. “We’ll split the speaking parts evenly. The more balanced it is, the harder it will be to single anyone out.”

Adrian, who had been quietly reviewing the structure, finally spoke. “That works. If we keep the tone professional and structured, we won’t leave room for criticism.”

“Agreed,” Rowan muttered, tapping his pen against the table. “Let’s just get this over with.”

Alicia sighed, but a small smile played at her lips. “You say that, but you’ve actually done your part.”

Vaelis glanced at her, noting how their interactions had grown less tense over time. There was still a distance between them, but Alicia no longer regarded her with suspicion. If anything, there was an unspoken understanding now—a silent truce neither of them had acknowledged but both had accepted.

Vaelis noticed Adrian glance at her briefly, but she didn’t meet his gaze. He had been… different lately.

More observant.

More aware of her presence.

She filed that thought away for later.

Once the group finalized everything, Alicia stretched. “I’ll print everything out. We’re officially done.”

Rowan smirked. “Good. That means I’m free.”

With the project settled, the group parted ways, but as Vaelis left the library, her phone buzzed.

An unknown number.

She glanced at the screen.

Leo Laurent.

Her brows raised slightly. She hadn’t given him her number.

A message followed.

> “I assume this is a surprise. I had my ways.”

Of course, he did.

> “I’d like to meet. I believe we have things to discuss.”

Vaelis tapped her nails against the side of her phone, considering.

Leo was observant, calculating in a way that was neither overtly aggressive nor particularly gentle. He had approached her at the banquet with confidence, and now, he was making an effort to follow up.

She didn’t trust him.

But she wasn’t one to ignore an interesting opportunity.

> “When and where?” she replied.

His response was immediate.

> “Tonight. Black Rose Café. You won’t regret it.”

Vaelis exhaled slowly, a faint smirk touching her lips.

We’ll see about that.

---

Elsewhere in the city…

Rain pattered against cracked pavement, the steady rhythm filling the quiet night.

Under the dim glow of a flickering streetlamp, a young man sat on the steps of an old apartment building, a textbook open in his lap. His pen hovered over the page, but he wasn’t reading.

He was thinking.

Ezra Moreau had made a mistake.

He shouldn’t have gone to that banquet.

He shouldn’t have seen her.

Vaelis Cara.

She had walked past him like he was nothing. Hadn’t even spared him a glance.

And yet, in that brief moment—he had seen everything.

Her elegance. Her indifference.

The way the world had stopped to look at her.

It reminded him of another girl. Another obsession.

Serena Vale.

He had spent years chasing a dream—an illusion that had never once turned back to see him.

But tonight, something had shifted.

For the first time, he had looked at someone else. And that someone had ignored him completely.

Ezra wasn’t used to being invisible. Not anymore.

He wasn’t the same desperate boy who had stood at the edges of Serena’s world, waiting to be noticed.

He had worked too hard, fought too much, climbed too high to let history repeat itself.

Vaelis Cara had walked past him without a second thought.

But next time…

She would have to look.