The next morning, the grand mansion felt too quiet and too heavy with secrets. Lili didn't wait for the fancy breakfast or the professional staff to serve her. She quietly gathered her things, whispered a quick goodbye to a sleepy Luca, and took the first bus back to her small apartment.
When she stepped inside her own room, the smell of her familiar space—lavender and old books—felt like a reality check. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. She looked the same, but her heart felt like it had been permanently altered by the marble walls and the silk pajamas of the night before.
The following days at Evergreen State College passed in a blur of routine. Lili went to her lectures, sat with Maya and Rohan in the quad, and walked to the bus stop every afternoon. On the surface, she was the perfect student. She turned in her part of the sociology project and even laughed at Rohan's jokes.
But her mind was a thousand miles away.
In the Library She would stare at a page for twenty minutes, only to realize she hadn't read a single word. Instead, she was remembering the way Leo's thumb had grazed the stone balcony.
In Class: Every time a tall man in a suit walked past the classroom door, her heart would leap into her throat, thinking it might be him.
She would lie in her bed, the silence of her apartment feeling empty compared to the electric tension of the mansion.
She couldn't stop thinking about him. She thought about the "CEO" who ran a city but took the time to punch a bully for a girl he barely knew. She thought about the "Brother" who was loyal to Luca but looked at her with a hunger that felt anything but brotherly.
Most of all, she thought about that near-kiss. The way the air had vanished between them. She felt a strange, suspicious ache in her chest—a mix of wanting to see him again and being terrified of what would happen if she did.
The Silent Phone
Lili kept her phone close to her at all times. She checked her messages constantly, hoping for a text from an unknown number, or even a mention of him from Luca.
"Leo's been working late every night," Luca mentioned casually one afternoon while they were grabbing coffee. "He's been a bit... intense lately. Cranking through deals like he's trying to distract himself from something."
Lili stirred her sugar into her coffee, her eyes fixed on the swirling brown liquid. Distract himself from what? she wondered. From me?
She realized then that she was no longer just a "New Girl" in a new city. she was a girl caught in a very dangerous, very beautiful storm. And she knew that sooner or later, the storm would come back for her.
The walk home from the bus stop felt longer than usual. Lili's mind was a chaotic loop of Leo's intense gaze and the feeling of the silk pajamas against her skin. Just as she turned the key in her apartment lock, her phone vibrated in her pocket.
It was Luca.
"Lili! Tell me you're sitting down," Luca's voice bounced with his usual infectious energy.
"I just walked in, Luca. What's going on?" she asked, tossing her bag onto the sofa.
"Okay, so next week is my birthday," Luca started, his voice dropping into a tone of pure excitement. "And you know my family—they don't just do cake and balloons. They've organized a week-long trip to our private estate in the mountains. It's a huge birthday getaway, and only my closest friends are invited. That means you, Maya, and Rohan are coming with us!"
Lili's heart skipped a beat. A whole week? Away from the city, away from the college, and away from the safety of her own apartment?
"Luca, that sounds... incredible. But a whole week?" she hesitated, her mind immediately jumping to the one person she knew would be there.
"No excuses!" Luca cut her off. "The bags are packed, the cars are ready, and it's going to be the best week of our lives. Hiking, bonfires, and definitely no sociology homework. Plus," he added, his voice lowering slightly, "Leo is coming too. He's taking the week off to host us. He specifically told me to make sure you were on the guest list."
Lili leaned against her kitchen counter, her breath hitching. He specifically asked for me? The thought was both romantic and deeply suspicious. A private estate in the mountains meant no distractions, no crowded clubs, and no maids accidentally walking in on quiet moments in the hallway. It was seven days of being under the same roof as the man who had almost kissed her.
"I... I'll be there," Lili whispered, her heart already racing at the thought.
"Great! Pack your warmest clothes, Lili. The mountains get cold at night," Luca laughed before hanging up.
Lili looked out her window at the darkening city. A week-long trip. It was the perfect birthday celebration for her best friend, but for Lili, it felt like she was walking straight into the heart of the storm she had been trying to outrun.
The morning of the trip arrived with a crisp, biting wind that signaled the change in season. Lili stood outside her apartment building, her breath hitching in small white clouds. She had packed a small suitcase full of warm sweaters and the denim jacket that had become her comfort blanket.
Soon, a large, premium SUV pulled up to the curb. Luca was hanging out of the passenger window, grinning ear-to-ear, while Maya and Rohan waved frantically from the back seat.
"Hop in, birthday girl-adjacent!" Luca shouted. "The mountains are calling!"
Lili climbed in, and the energy was infectious. They spent the three-hour drive singing along to the radio and devouring snacks. Luca talked nonstop about the family's mountain estate—a massive timber-and-stone lodge hidden away in a private valley.
"Is... is your brother already there?" Lili asked, trying to keep her voice casual as she stared out at the passing pine trees.
"Nah," Luca said, checking his watch. "Leo had a 'finalizing a merger' thing this morning. He's driving up later tonight. He told us to start the party without him."
Lili felt a wave of relief, followed quickly by a sharp pang of disappointment. She had spent all morning rehearsing what she would say to him, how she would look him in the eye after that night in the kitchen. Now, she had a few hours of peace.