Lucca was the one who barged into our master's house without even knocking. As he looked at us and saw our master, he immediately bowed his head in greeting.
"Why are my students here? Is Damian around?" our master asked.
"I let him go home," Lucca answered, but he kept staring at me. "What are you doing here?" he frowned.
I frowned too. "Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?" I shot back.
He glanced at our master and sat beside him. "I already found the black ring," he said.
"I know," Master calmly replied. Then he looked at me. "Dominic, you should go home now. Let's talk tomorrow."
I hesitated, but I knew he would do anything to stop Lucca from hurting innocent people. I didn't protest and bid my master goodbye, ignoring Lucca. I was mad at him for saying that Seraphina was easy to kill and that he didn't care at all.
****
Lucca's POV
When Dominic left, my master spoke. "Do you know the reason he came here?"
Though I had a hint, I shook my head. I wanted to hear the exact reason why Dominic came here in the middle of the night.
"You threatened to kill someone."
I sighed. I didn't know why I said that. It was out of frustration. A while ago, I was happy telling Damian that I had finally found the black ring. I even had my assistant prepare a check for the payment. But when Dominic came and told me that I couldn't easily get the ring because Celina Morgan had given it to her granddaughter and that it was the only memory she had of her grandmother, my world fell apart. Many questions popped into my head. Of all the things she had, why was the black ring so important to her?
"It was my fault, Lucca. I didn't know that Celina gave it to her granddaughter."
I sighed deeply. Frustration lingered within me. I couldn't even understand what I should feel.
"But using your strength just to get the ring, I don't agree with that," my master said.
"I didn't mean to," I replied, and that was true. I didn't mean what I said earlier. It was just my overflowing emotions that spoke and made Dominic mad at me.
"You still have a choice."
I looked at him intently, waiting for him to continue.
"Make her trust you and willingly give the ring to you. That way, no one will be hurt."
"How should I do that, Master?" I asked, frowning. I didn't even know how to make friends with someone.
"Dominic is good at it. You should ask for his help."
I frowned even more when my master mentioned Dominic. He clearly saw the tension between us, yet he still suggested it.
"Dominic is friendlier compared to you and Damian. He could be a great help."
I agreed. Dominic was indeed friendlier than Damian and me. He had this ability to make people like him without much effort.
"You can't use your strength just to get what you want. You kill your enemies, not innocent people. My suggestion is far safer than what you're thinking."
I stayed quiet, trying to absorb everything he said. Make her trust me and willingly give the ring to me. I only had less than a year before my deadline. I sighed deeply. This was going to be tough. I thought getting the ring would be easy but it turned out to be the opposite.
"Talk to Dominic about it tomorrow. Tell him you're not planning to kill that woman. He was so worried he came running to me when you said that. Celina's granddaughter seems dear to him."
"Yeah, he likes her," I said lazily.
"You can do that as well, Lucca."
I looked at my master, confused. "What do you mean?"
"You have to make her like you. You have to change your personality, the way you act, everything, so that she will like you."
"But what if she doesn't like me?"
"You haven't tried yet."
"What if I can't?"
"And just accept that you're going to die soon?"
I didn't like the idea of dying at an early age. I didn't like the idea of putting in effort for a woman either. I had never done that before. I had an ex-girlfriend, but I didn't court her. We simply came to a mutual understanding, we liked each other's bodies.
"Clear your mind first and think about what's best for you," my master said, ending the conversation with that advice.
I went home confused, not knowing what to do. How I wished I wasn't cursed, so I wouldn't need that black ring just to live. I didn't wish for eternal life, I just wanted to live long enough to grow old.
I kept sighing while driving my car. Surely, I wouldn't be able to sleep the whole night.
The next morning…
I went early to Dominic's house, which was 30 minutes away from mine. As I arrived, I saw him getting into his car. I walked quickly, opened the passenger door, and got in.
"What the—" Dominic was shocked by what I did. Even I would feel the same if it happened to me.
"What are you doing here?" Dominic asked as he recovered from the shock.
"I need your help," I said directly.
He frowned at me, probably remembering what I said last night.
"Oh, I don't kill people," he said sarcastically.
"I'm not going to kill her," I replied, and that seemed to lighten his mood.
"Really?" His eyes widened, almost sparkling, as if I had just given him good news.
"Yeah." I crossed my arms and looked straight ahead. "But I need your help in another way," I added.
"What kind of help?" Dominic asked.
"Since I can't get the ring by force, I'll have to make her like me… or maybe even fall in love with me."
"Whoa, whoa—take it easy, Lucca. Am I hearing you right?" he asked, pretending to fix his ears.
"I'm serious."
"Why?"
"What do you mean, why?" He was starting to piss me off. I was getting annoyed.
"I don't like your idea of making her fall for you. What if she falls in love and you just end up hurting her?" Dominic said.
"Or are you just afraid she won't like you? That she should like you because you came first?"
"Wow. What a nice and creative way of thinking," Dominic said sarcastically while clapping his hands. He looked pissed at what I said.
"I'm serious, Dominic," I said, cutting through the sarcasm.
"I'm serious too, Lucca. If this will hurt Seraphina, I won't help you."
"I'm not going to hurt Seraphina. I already promised our master," I said, massaging my forehead. My head was spinning since I hadn't slept the whole night thinking about what I should do.
Dominic fell silent. I looked at him, and he was just staring outside the car window. Maybe he was still deciding whether to help me or not.
"I'll help—but once you hurt her, I'm out," he finally said.
I smirked slightly. I knew he couldn't refuse me, especially now that I was on the verge of dying.
"You need to get close to her as much as possible. For now, you have to apologize for what you did at the cemetery," he said, frowning.
I sighed deeply. So this was the effort Master was talking about, getting close to her and making her like me, or even fall in love with me. If only this were something simpler, I would've handled it already.
"Okay," I replied, sounding defeated.
As the conversation ended, I went back to my car and sped off toward Seraphina's house.
****
Seraphina's POV
As I prepared my things for work, I quickly left the house. I had woken up late today and decided to skip breakfast because I didn't have time to prepare my meal. I'd just invite Mira to eat out for lunch later.
As I stepped out of the gate, I noticed a car parked near my house. My eyebrows furrowed in curiosity. Who owned it and why was it parked there? I was about to walk away since I was already late when the car door suddenly opened.
I stopped when I saw a familiar face.
It was Lucca.
I instinctively stepped back, remembering what happened yesterday at the bookstore and especially at the cemetery. I glanced at my left hand. It was fine now since I had applied a cold compress last night.
"Hop in," he said.
"Huh?" I asked, not quite catching what he meant.
"I said, hop in. I'm going to Dominic's company. Let's go together," he repeated, irritation evident in his voice.
So he came here just to show his irritation? I wasn't even forcing him to come.
"No need. I'll commute," I said, then started walking away.
"Do women always act like this? I'm already offering you a ride, yet you refuse," he called out.
I frowned when he shouted. Did I force him to do this?
"Did I force you to come here? I didn't even know you were coming to fetch me. If you're concerned about what happened yesterday at the cemetery, let's just forget it. My hand is completely fine," I said before turning my back and walking faster.
I didn't want to talk to him any longer. Just looking at him made me feel intimidated. His choice of words was harsh and rude. I didn't look back, even though I was curious whether he was following me or not.
When I arrived at the bus stop, there was still no bus. I was the only one waiting at that early hour. Suddenly, a car stopped in front of me and the window rolled down.
I frowned again.
So Lucca followed me.
"Hop in. You're going to be late," he said, frowning as if he was being forced to do this.
"I said I'm fine. I don't need your help," I replied firmly.
"You're so stubborn," he muttered, frowning even more. Despite that, he still looked annoyingly handsome.
"Sir, I already told you, I'm going to commute. If Sir Dominic told you to do this, I'll talk to him myself. You don't have to force yourself. I know you don't like being around people," I said.
And it was true. From the little time I had spent with them, I had already observed that Damian and Lucca were both introverted. Dominic, on the other hand, was completely different.
He didn't respond. Instead, I was shocked when he suddenly sped off.
I couldn't help but stare, mouth slightly open in disbelief at his reaction. I shook my head repeatedly. What would Dominic say if he found out that his friend came all the way to my house just to fetch me? And he didn't even apologize for hurting me yesterday.
What a rude guy.
I stopped muttering to myself when the bus finally arrived. Since it was still early morning, it wasn't crowded yet.
***
Lucca's POV
I was frowning when I barged into Dominic's office. I was mad because she kept refusing my offer. If it were other women, they would be crawling just to get into my car.
"Whoa! You seem mad!" Dominic exclaimed as I sat on his sofa. I crossed my arms and rested my right leg over my left. How dare she refuse me? I couldn't even have a proper conversation with her. Is that really the woman Dominic likes?
"Hey, what happened?" Dominic, who had been sitting on his swivel chair, now moved to sit across from me. I didn't look at him. I was preoccupied with what had happened earlier. Was she playing with me because she knew I was at fault for hurting her at the cemetery?
"Seeing you like this means you failed," Dominic laughed.
I glared at him, making it clear that I wanted to kill him right then and there. But my glare meant nothing to him. He just kept laughing while I sat there fuming.
"Is Seraphina always like that? She refused my offer to take her to the office," I said, sounding like I was complaining to a parent.
"It's just the beginning. Seraphina is different from other women. She's not easy to get. She's reserved and a bit mysterious."
"I don't like that woman," I muttered, still frowning.
"Then you'll just accept that you're going to die?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Why can't I just use my power? I should just take the ring from her!"
"Hey! You just told me you wouldn't hurt her," Dominic said seriously. He clearly didn't like what I had just said.
I sighed deeply and leaned my head against the couch. Everything was giving me a headache. My situation was too complicated. If I hadn't promised Master that I wouldn't hurt her, I would've already done it just to get the ring.
Damn this effort. Damn, all of this.
"It's going to take a lot of effort, Lucca. Even I had to put in effort before I got her to be my friend."
"I'm not you. I don't like putting in effort."
"Then change your perspective. You're the one who needs something from her; you should be the one making an effort."
"I can't kill her. I can't even tell her I need the ring to survive. I can't do anything," I said, sighing. I wanted to shout everything out, but I forced myself to stay calm. Right now, I just wanted to down a bottle of beer in one shot.
"I have an idea," Dominic said, making me look at him.
"I'll ask Mira about Seraphina. That way, we'll have an idea of what to do."
His idea made sense. At least I'd know what I should and shouldn't do. Hopefully, next time I saw her, I'd be able to control myself.
"Sir?" Dominic's assistant entered after being called.
"Tell Mira from the marketing department to come to the CEO's office," Dominic instructed.
We waited for a few minutes before someone entered. The woman looked at us with a confused expression.
"Hi, Mira!" Dominic greeted cheerfully. I simply stared at her. Dominic gestured for her to sit beside him, and she quietly did.
"Did I scare you by calling you here?" Dominic asked in a friendly tone. He was good at talking to people.
"I was just curious why you called me, sir," she replied, glancing at me.
Dominic smiled. "I have a few questions about Seraphina."
"Like what, sir?"
"You know… the things she likes, what she enjoys doing, her favorite food—everything."
Mira paused, thinking carefully before answering.
"Seraphina doesn't really tell people what she likes. She's not the type to share her story with everyone. But based on my observations, she likes reading books. She loves her grandmother very much, and she often visits her at the cemetery. She doesn't like eating out either. She prefers cooking her meals at home and bringing them to the office. She's also not a fan of coffee or tea."
Dominic and I listened intently. Mira was clearly trying her best to recall everything.
"I'm her only close friend," Mira added, which made Dominic curious.
"Why?"
"She had a traumatic experience, but I can't share it. I want her to tell you herself. I don't think it's my place to say."
She had a point. It showed how much she respected Seraphina.
"The time I kept sending her gifts, she got mad at me. Doesn't she like gifts?" Dominic asked.
"She doesn't like attention especially from rich people. She lives a simple life, and she prefers it that way. She also feels awkward knowing you're her boss."
"That makes sense. I guess I provoked her without considering her feelings," Dominic admitted.
I frowned. Was this the time he got drunk and told us what he did to Seraphina?
"I know you want to be her friend, Sir Dominic. I can help you get close to her. I also want her to have a wider circle of friends," Mira said.
I looked at Dominic, and our eyes met. Without saying a word, we both understood that this might be our way to get close to her.
"I'll help you get closer to Damian, too. It's a win-win situation," Dominic said with a smile.
"Really, sir?" Mira's eyes sparkled. She clearly liked Damian.
"Of course. Thank you, Mira. I owe you one."
Mira smiled and stood up. But before leaving, she turned to us and said—
"We're going on a beach trip this weekend. Do you want to join?"