Chapter 134: Chapter 134

"Why would you want to go back there?" Lucien’s voice was low and rough, filled with disbelief as he pressed his fingers against the bridge of his nose. "You just came out of that hell, and you are barely alive... Now you want to walk back into it?"

Before Seraphina could respond, Alistair cut in sharply, "Lucien."

His tone was composed, but his words felt heavy. Read full story at NoveIꜰire.net

"Why are you even here?" he asked coldly. "Weren’t you with Evelyn at the airport."

Lucien’s body went rigid.

A muscle in his jaw twitched, but he didn’t say anything. Just turned his eyes slowly toward Alistair as his eyes looking extremely frosty.

He glared at Alistair as if his gaze would kill him.

But Alistair didn’t flinch, let alone blink.

Instead, he reached into his coat pocket, pulled out his phone, and held it out to him with a faint smile.

"Here," he said flatly. "You can see on the screen what you have stirred.

Lucien took the phone reluctantly. The screen lit up with news headlines:

Lucien De Rossi was seen at the airport with Evelyn Bells... They were hugging each other... Was the news of them secretly dating true?

"What the fuck is this?" Lucien cursed under his breath in a tone so cold that it could freeze anyone.

His hand tightened around the phone, veins showing in his wrist, his glare locked on Alistair like he was barely holding back.

Alistair stood still, completely unbothered. "Isn’t it obvious?" he said, a smug smile creeping on his face. "I hope you will clean up whatever mess you left behind before pretending to care about my sister."

Lucien’s jaw twitched, his nostrils flaring. For a moment, it looked like he might hurl the phone straight across the room. But when he heard Seraphina’s voice, he controlled himself.

"P–Past?" Seraphina stammered in a whispered tone as her gaze flickered to Lucien, whose eyes were locked onto hers.

She rubbed her sweaty palms over her thighs, her breath growing shallow.

The name Evelyn echoed in her head like a warning bell. She didn’t even know who that woman really was or how deep Lucien’s past ran with her, or how much it still bothered him.

What would happen if Lucien went back to her and forgot completely about her?

Seraphina didn’t know anything about him. She didn’t even know who his parents were or if he had siblings!

Just what right did she have to claim him?

Her chest ached as her thoughts spiraled. The room suddenly felt too small. Her brothers were here, her friend was there too... but all of a sudden, she felt alone.

"Alis!" Lucien turned to him as he started. "Of all people... how could you say something like that?" His jaw clenched, but the corner of his eyes gave him away, it was flushed red as if he was on the verge of losing his composure.

Alistair stood frozen.

He hadn’t meant for it to hurt Lucien. He was one of the two people he didn’t want to feel pain ever again.

He exhaled deeply as he slowly stepped forward. His voice softened, barely above a whisper. "I... I’m sorry."

Lucien didn’t move; he just stood stiffly looking at the person in front of him.

"I didn’t mean to hurt you," Alistair continued, his eyes briefly flicking toward Seraphina. "It’s just... You both matter to me way too much. I can’t let either of you get hurt."

The room went quiet, but frustration was rising inside Asher quickly.

He had come here with Alistair just to talk to Fae, just like they had been doing all week. They didn’t want to rush Seraphina or push her too hard. They only wanted to know if she was okay, if she was eating regularly, healing well, and resting. That was all she was there for.

But the moment they reached Fae’s house, everything suddenly changed.

Alistair noticed a familiar car parked outside the house... It was Lucien’s.

Without saying much, he rushed inside. Asher followed, his heart beating faster with multiple possibilities that something might have gone wrong with Serahina.

However, when they entered Sera’s room, he understood everything.

Seraphina was in Lucien’s arms, leaning against his chest and trying to steady herself.

Asher froze in place. His chest tightened.

He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. His sister, who was still hurt and fragile, was wrapped up in the arms of the man whom he disliked a lot.

He wanted to scream, go there and tear them away from each other, but he kept his composure, lest he frighten Sera.

On the other hand, Lucien looked too calm. Like he had every right to hold Sera in his arms, and no one in the world could object to that!

Asher’s hands balled into fists at his sides as his jaw locked tightly.

He was happy that she was safe, but... To think that she was leaning toward a person he didn’t like... However, he couldn’t do anything. All he could do was try to separate them, after all, Sera was too small and fragile to be in any kind of love relationship.

"What are you saying sorry for!?" Asher snapped, his voice sharp as he glared at Alistair. "We didn’t come here to argue with this man. We came to take our sister home, and that’s exactly what we’re doing." His words rang in the room, leaving no room for discussion.

"Please..." Seraphina’s voice cut in. Her tone was soft, but there was a quiet desperation in it. "Please don’t fight."

She was trembling slightly, and Asher had noticed it as well as the other people in the room.

"I already said I’m going home," she added, trying to steady her voice. "So why are you all making this harder?" Her eyes flicked to Lucien, holding his gaze. "I really want to go home."

Lucien stood frozen. He still couldn’t understand how daring she was to repeat the same things again.

His fingers curled slightly at his sides. There was so much he wanted to say but he held himself, as a lump formed in his throat.

He looked at Alistair and then back at Sera.

She was still looking at him.

Lucien had thought that when she would hear about his past... about Evelyn, she might try to distance herself from him. She might not want to be with someone who had still not gotten closure from his ex.

He was afraid, and his heart was trembling inside.

However, the moment she looked at him, as if she was telling him that she really wished to go home and he shouldn’t stop her... Made him feel that she still held some place in her heart for him.

Lucien had never been afraid of things before. He had believed that he’d stay single, as one time was more than enough for him to be heartbroken.

He just wanted to be alone but successful. And since then, he had buried himself in work and responsibilities. He had thought that was the best idea for him to live his life.

But things had changed since Seraphina came into his life.

Now, the thought of losing her made his chest tighten, his entire world spin!

And that was why he had been working so much lately... just like he always did. He kept himself buried in meetings and endless work, so much so that he barely had any time left for Sera these days.

But deep down, he knew the truth. He was still running away from reality.

He was running from the feelings he didn’t know how to handle, and running from the past that still haunted him.

But he didn’t know back then... that one strange dream would flip his whole life upside down.

In that dream, he had glimpses of Seraphina, which started something he couldn’t control.

Lucien’s dead heart started to beat again, and... the person who was scared of sleeping at night, afraid that he’d have the same nightmare again, was now eager to sleep, to see that girl in his dream again!

And now, day by day, he was falling harder for that girl.

His love for Seraphina wasn’t dramatic... it was quiet and maddening. He found himself thinking of her between meetings, during long drives, even in the middle of crowded rooms.

Everything around him reminded him of Sera. Her voice, her stubbornness, the way she looked at him like she didn’t know whether to trust him or run.

He was going crazy for her.

And the past that used to follow him like a shadow was fading bit by bit.

Evelyn’s name no longer stirred strange emotions within him like it used to. The memories of his ex didn’t haunt her anymore.

He didn’t wake up thinking about her, and these days, he had even forgotten that there was someone like her in his life before.

Because now, all he saw... was Seraphina.

The light of his life, who had unknowingly pulled him back and stopped him from sinking deeper into the darkness he had lived with for so long.

She didn’t even know it. But she had saved him... just by being there.

"Okay, enough!" Alistair’s voice suddenly echoed in the silent room.

Lucien flinched slightly as Alistair’s words pulled him out of his thoughts.

His eyes flicked to Alistair before he slowly stepped aside, his gaze dropping.

"Hm," he muttered. Then, as if trying to say something more, he opened his mouth, but no words came out as if he had swallowed what he wanted to say.