Mira's POV
Since I had nothing to do at my condo and Damian told me he was busy, I texted Seraphina. She had told me earlier that we would be going to the mall for her makeover. But an hour had already passed, and she still hadn't replied. That's why I decided to go to her house. Had she forgotten what she told me this morning? Or had she changed her mind?
I shook my head and grabbed my car keys from the bedside table. I took the elevator down to the parking area. It was already five o'clock in the afternoon, so I was sure she was home by now.
The drive took about twenty minutes, even though Seraphina's house wasn't far from my condo. The streets were packed, and traffic was terrible. As I waited for the traffic light to turn green, my phone buzzed with a text message. It was from Seraphina.
I'm sorry I wasn't able to answer my phone. I was so busy. Can we do the makeover another time?
So Seraphina hadn't forgotten after all. She had simply been too busy to reply. Oh well. Since I was already stuck in traffic anyway, I decided to continue to her house.
After what felt like forever, I finally arrived. Since Seraphina was used to me coming over without knocking, I let myself in.
The moment I stepped inside, I saw Seraphina and Lucca standing there, both soaking wet.
"Seraphina? Lucca?"
They both looked at me in surprise, as though they had seen a ghost.
"Mira?" The shock on Seraphina's face was unmistakable. She froze, as if she didn't know what to do. She looked like someone who had just been caught doing something wrong.
"Why are you two soaking wet?" I asked, looking back and forth between them. Lucca simply stood there, staring at me blankly.
"I... I..." Seraphina tried to speak, but no words came out.
"We got caught in the rain," Lucca answered calmly, slipping his hands into the pockets of his wet pants.
"You let Seraphina get soaked in the rain when she just recovered?" I asked, glaring at him.
"No. It's not Lucca's fault. It was mine," Seraphina quickly said.
I raised an eyebrow. She actually sounded like she was defending him. Was she hiding something from me?
"Then why are you two still standing here instead of taking a shower? You're getting the whole floor wet," I said, glancing at the puddles forming beneath their feet.
"Ah, yes. I'll go now," Seraphina replied before hurrying to her room.
I crossed my arms and watched her disappear down the hallway. Something was definitely off. I'd always known Seraphina to be calm and composed, someone who could hide her emotions with ease. But now she was the complete opposite. She looked flustered, shy, and completely unsure of what to do.
I turned to Lucca, who was still staring at me.
"What happened? Didn't you have an umbrella in your car?" I asked.
"Are you still blaming me for letting Seraphina get caught in the rain?" Lucca asked sarcastically.
"She told me not to blame you, but what exactly did you do to her? She never acts like this. More importantly, she never takes anyone's side, especially yours."
"What? Do you still think Seraphina hates me?" he asked, almost as if he were challenging me. "Why don't you ask her yourself?"
"Just go home and let me spend the night with Seraphina. We were supposed to have a girls' night," I said, looking him up and down.
I had never seen Lucca this drenched while wearing one of his formal suits. What on earth had happened between them? Had the rain really been heavy enough to leave them both completely soaked?
After I told him to leave, he walked out without even saying goodbye. He didn't even wait for Seraphina to finish her shower.
"He's really rude," I muttered, shaking my head.
Lucca's POV
As I drove back home, I called Dominic. It took him a minute before he answered.
"What took you so long?" I snapped over the phone.
"Hey, chill. Why are you so angry?" he replied. "I'm in the middle of a meeting, so I didn't hear my phone ringing. Anyway, why did you call?"
I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down.
"Can you stay with Seraphina tonight?" I asked.
"You mean spend the night at her house?"
"Yes. I need to go back to the mansion to finish some paperwork. I haven't been able to do it at the office since Hillary has been there."
"Why? Are you sure it's safe? What if she's waiting for you at the mansion?" Dominic asked.
"That's none of your concern. Just go to Seraphina's house tonight," I said before ending the call without waiting for his reply.
I pressed harder on the accelerator, eager to get home. My car seat was already soaked.
"Fuck!"
I didn't think I'd be able to sleep tonight because of what had happened earlier.
Flashback...
My gaze drifted to Seraphina's lips. They were so tempting that I could no longer control myself. I wasn't in my right mind anymore. All I could think about was how soft her lips would feel against mine.
I closed the small distance between us.
The moment my lips touched hers, I remembered how Xavier had kissed Monica. Seraphina wasn't my first kiss, yet somehow, it felt as though she was.
Her lips were unbelievably soft, just like her, delicate and fragile.
I couldn't bring myself to pull away. Instead, I savored every second of the moment.
The world around us faded into silence. I could no longer hear the rain or the people nearby. All I could hear was the pounding of our hearts.
The kiss lasted for nearly a minute.
It wasn't a French kiss, nor was it passionate or aggressive. It was simply our lips meeting, lingering against each other. Neither of us moved. We simply stayed there, letting our lips remain together without deepening the kiss.
We both came back to our senses when the rain finally stopped and the murmurs around us became clear again.
As we slowly opened our eyes, we realized several people were staring at us.
I looked at Seraphina. She looked frightened and confused.
I was just as shocked.
It felt as though someone had poured a bucket of ice water over me, forcing me back to reality.
Without saying a word, I grabbed her hand and gently led her to my car.
I opened the passenger door for her before walking around to the driver's seat.
After sitting down, I simply stared ahead without starting the engine.
Silence filled the car.
Neither of us spoke. We both tried to ignore the deafening sound of our racing hearts and our uneven breathing.
"Are you not going to start the car?" Seraphina finally asked.
Her voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
I started the engine and drove away from the place where we had shared our kiss, a place I knew I would never forget.
I didn't turn on the air conditioner since we were both completely soaked.
Then I remembered the coat lying on the back seat.
I pulled over to the side of the road, reached for it, and handed it to Seraphina, who was already shivering from the cold.
"Put this on," I said softly. "You look so pale."
My eyes instinctively fell to her lips again.
I quickly shook my head, trying to drive those thoughts away.
Seraphina didn't refuse. She quietly accepted the coat and wrapped it around herself to keep warm.
For the rest of the drive, silence accompanied us.
I drove her home as quickly as I could. She needed to change before she caught another cold, especially since she had only just recovered from being sick for the past few days.
When we arrived at her house, she immediately got out of the car.
I noticed several of her neighbors staring at my car.
As I stepped out, I overheard them whispering among themselves.
I ignored them.
When I entered the house, Seraphina was standing in the living room. Water still dripped from her hair and clothes onto the floor.
"Seraphina..." I called softly.
She looked at me, still visibly confused.
"Hmm?"
I was about to bring up the kiss when someone suddenly walked into the house.
It was Mira.
I had planned to stay the night, but Mira practically shooed me away.
If I insisted on staying, she would definitely become suspicious.
That's why I called Dominic to take my place.
I couldn't leave Seraphina unprotected.
I knew Damon.
He was only waiting for the perfect opportunity, for all of us to let our guard down.
The moment we looked away, he would take Seraphina.
And I would never let that happen.
I wouldn't let Damon hurt her.
End of Flashback...
Seraphina's POV
I didn't want to leave the bathroom anymore.
I didn't know if I could ever face Lucca after what had happened in the rain.
I looked at myself in the mirror as my fingertips brushed against my lips.
His kiss had been so gentle, far gentler than I had expected. It felt as though he had been careful not to be too aggressive because it was my first kiss.
And I never imagined that Lucca would be the one to steal it.
Maybe the saying, "The more you hate someone, the more you end up loving them," was true after all.
I sighed.
How was I supposed to face him now that he was my boss? Every time I saw him at work, that kiss would surely replay in my mind.
Was it my fault for asking him to play in the rain?
Was I guilty for kissing him?
The answer?
No.
I wasn't guilty.
I didn't regret it either.
In fact, it had been... nice.
At least I wouldn't go through life without ever knowing what it felt like to kiss someone.
I let out another sigh.
Why was I thinking like this? How could I let my guard down so easily? I had always been good at hiding my feelings, yet here I was, unable to conceal any of my emotions.
"Sera? Are you sleeping in there? You've been inside for almost half an hour."
Mira's knock on the door startled me.
"I'm just getting dressed. Why? Do you need to use the bathroom?" I asked.
"No. I was just wondering why you're taking so long when you usually spend only five minutes in the shower."
She was right.
I hated staying in the bathroom for too long.
But here I was, doing something completely out of character.
Maybe I really had changed.
After getting dressed, I stepped out of the bathroom.
Mira was already waiting by the door.
"What took you so long?" she asked suspiciously.
"Nothing. Can't I take a longer shower once in a while?"
"Seraphina..." she called in a serious tone. "What happened between you and Lucca?"
The words caught in my throat.
It felt as though Mira was interrogating me, as if I had done something wrong.
"Why can't you answer me? You look guilty."
She was definitely suspicious.
"Just like Lucca told you, we got caught in the rain. We didn't have an umbrella, and his car was parked too far away, so we ran and..."
The memory of the kiss flashed through my mind.
Heat rushed to my cheeks.
"And...?" Mira urged.
I quickly snapped back to reality.
"And... that's why we ended up completely soaked," I finished, forcing a smile.
"You're acting so strangely today, Seraphina. You weren't like this before."
Of course I wasn't.
Not until I met the boys.
Especially Lucca.
"Is Lucca giving you a hard time on your first day? Didn't he at least let you rest?" Mira asked as she sat on my bed.
I quietly sighed in relief when she stopped asking about what had happened between us earlier.
"I was the one who told him I wanted to start working right away. I'm excited to earn my salary," I lied.
"Are you really that broke? Didn't your mother leave you ten million?"
"I know. But prices keep going up, and I can't depend on that money forever. I need to work hard."
It was only an excuse, but it sounded believable enough.
"Come here. Let me comb your hair," Mira said.
I let her.
No friend had ever combed my hair before.
Only my grandmother had.
"Don't forget to take your supplements," Mira reminded me. "Have you eaten dinner yet?"
"I'm actually not hungry."
"Not hungry? So you're telling me you're going to skip dinner?"
"I ate a lot for lunch. Lucca and I went to a Japanese restaurant outside the city."
"Was it that good? You said you ate a lot."
"It was amazing. I honestly can't say anything bad about either the food or the place. I really enjoyed it."
I couldn't help smiling as I remembered the restaurant.
"I want to go back there someday."
"We can," Mira said with a smile. "When do you want to go?"
"Aren't you busy?" I asked.
Mira walked over and stood in front of me.
"Hello?" she said, laughing. "I'm jobless right now, remember? What could I possibly be busy with?"
"Damian," I answered without hesitation.
Mira fell silent, and a faint blush crept onto her cheeks.
Damian definitely had an effect on her, just as Lucca had on me.
I quickly shook my head at the thought.
So... I had finally admitted it to myself.
Lucca had a huge impact on me.
"So, when are we going to do your makeover and shop for some clothes? You canceled our plans today," Mira said with a pout.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know all of this would happen. Can we do it this weekend instead?"
"Sure. But this time, don't cancel on me, okay?"
I smiled.
"Okay."
We both laughed.
Our conversation was interrupted when Dominic suddenly appeared in the doorway.
"Dominic!" Mira exclaimed.
I turned toward the door and saw him standing there with several paper bags in his hands.
"Hi, girls. Did I miss anything?"
We both got off the bed and walked over to him.
Mira excitedly grabbed the paper bags from his hands.
"You really know us. You brought food!" she squealed before rushing to the kitchen.
I laughed.
She looked like an excited little child waiting for her parents to bring home her favorite meal.
"Shall we eat?" Dominic asked.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, noticing he was still wearing his suit.
He had probably just come from the office.
"Am I not allowed to visit you?" he asked, giving me a pitiful puppy-eyed look.
I chuckled.
"I'm just asking. You look exhausted, so why did you stop by?"
"I didn't just stop by," he said with a grin. "I'm spending the night here."
"What?"
"Lucca asked me for a favor. You know how he is. He doesn't want to leave you alone. It would be much harder for us to rescue you if you ended up in our enemies' hands."
Right.
I had almost forgotten.
They were protecting me because they didn't want Damon to get to me.
But it was asking too much of them.
And I couldn't let Dominic sleep on that tiny couch.
"I can't let you sleep on the couch," I said.
"Don't worry. I can manage," Dominic replied with a reassuring smile. "Come on. Let's eat."
He headed to the kitchen.
I sighed.
I felt guilty that they were doing all of this for me.
They were so determined to keep me within their sight.
Especially Lucca.
He had even asked Dominic to stay here and guard me.
Neither Dominic nor Damian had ever complained.
Not once.
But I couldn't stop worrying about them sleeping over.
My house wasn't exactly spacious, and I didn't have enough room to make them comfortable.
Instead of following them to the kitchen, I walked toward my grandmother's room.
As I slowly opened the door, a cloud of dust greeted me, making me sneeze.
I knew Grandma would understand.
She would probably be happy to know that my friends were staying over.
Maybe...
Maybe it was finally time to use her room again.
"Sera..."
I turned around and saw Mira standing behind me.
She looked at me as though she was ready to comfort me at any moment.
I forced myself to smile, even though my eyes had already filled with tears.
"Can you help me clean my grandma's room?" I quietly asked.
Ever since Grandma passed away, I had never found the courage to open her bedroom.
Every time I even thought about it, my heart ached.
But this time...
I finally found the courage to open the door and let someone else use the room.
Mira gently rested her hand on my shoulder.
I kept smiling, trying my best to stop the tears from falling.
"Of course," she said softly. "Let's clean your grandma's room."
The three of us had dinner first.
Afterward, I told Dominic that Mira and I were going to clean my grandmother's room so he could sleep comfortably on the bed.
It wasn't a luxurious bed, but it was certainly better than sleeping on the sofa in the living room.
"You know, Sera," Dominic said, "you don't have to do this for me. You worked all day, and now you're cleaning your grandmother's room just so I'll have a place to sleep."
"Would you really be okay sleeping in a dead person's room?" I asked.
"Of course," he answered with a smile. "It doesn't bother me."
"Just rest in the living room for now, Dominic."
"Okay."
Although he looked hesitant, he eventually agreed.
After he left, Mira and I began cleaning the room.
It wasn't really messy.
It was only dusty.
Everything my grandmother had left behind was still neatly arranged.
"Why are you letting Dominic sleep here when I'm already staying over?" Mira asked curiously.
"Because... he wants to protect us," I answered.
"From whom?"
I couldn't answer.
I knew Mira was curious about why the boys kept accompanying us everywhere.
If I were in her position, I would be curious too.
"From the people who want to hurt us."