It has been several days since Ivan transferred to Bloomsdale, and he rarely left Xylia’s side.
Every time Aciel saw the two of them together, his mood worsened.
Xylia’s friends could barely get close to her anymore.
Although she was constantly surrounded by people, they were all Ivan’s friends.
“Aciel!”
Liliana came running toward him down the hallway.
“The student council meeting is today at three o’clock.”
Aciel frowned.
He knew nothing about any meeting.
And even if there was one, he had no intention of attending.
“What meeting?” he asked irritably.
“No one informed me. Besides, I need to go home. I’m tired.”
Liliana stopped in front of him, breathing heavily.
She took a moment to catch her breath before answering.
“The principal asked everyone to attend. You have to be there.”
Aciel sighed.
“Fine. But if I get bored, I’m leaving.”
Liliana nodded enthusiastically and informed him that the meeting would be held in the music room.
Since there was still an hour before the supposed meeting, Aciel decided to head there early and rest.
The music room was empty when he arrived.
There were no chairs, only a grand piano occupying the center of the room.
Sunlight streamed through the large windows, filling the room with a peaceful atmosphere.
Aciel leaned against the wall for a moment before eventually walking toward the piano.
He sat down on the bench and let out a long sigh.
For some reason, exhaustion weighed heavily on him.
He rested his head on the closed fallboard and closed his eyes.
He only intended to rest for a few minutes.
But sleep quickly claimed him.
Meanwhile—
“Xylia! Xylia!”
Xylia frowned when she saw Liliana running through the hallway while calling her name.
“Liliana, keep your voice down,” she scolded gently.
Liliana stopped beside her and took a deep breath.
“I texted you. Why didn’t you answer?”
Confused, Xylia pulled out her phone and checked the message.
Her brows knitted together.
“The principal wants to see me?”
“Duty calls,” Liliana teased.
Xylia sighed.
Everyone knew how seriously she took her responsibilities.
Being student council president wasn’t simply a title to her.
She genuinely enjoyed helping students.
Her gaze shifted toward Ivan and his friends standing at the end of the hallway.
The moment she started backing away, Ivan frowned.
“Xylia! Where are you going?” he called.
“I’ll be back later,” she answered quickly.
Before Ivan could follow, Liliana stepped between them.
“The principal called her,” she explained.
Ivan studied her for a moment before nodding.
“Fine.”
He turned around and walked away with his friends.
The second he disappeared from sight, Liliana released a long breath. Find the original chapter at g.com.
A huge smile spread across her face.
She immediately pulled out her phone and sent a message.
Stand by.
Let’s hope everything goes well.
The truth was simple.
There was no student council meeting.
And the principal hadn’t called Xylia.
Liliana, Chelsea, Simon, and the others had secretly planned everything.
They wanted Xylia to stop accepting her fate.
And they believed only one person could help her.
Aciel.
Unaware of the scheme, Xylia hurried toward the music room.
She opened the door and stepped inside.
The room was silent.
No teachers.
No students.
No meeting.
Only one person occupied the room.
Aciel.
He was asleep beside the piano.
Xylia immediately realized she had been tricked.
But strangely enough, she wasn’t angry.
She knew her friends were worried about her.
Ever since Ivan arrived, she had been isolated from everyone she cared about.
Every conversation.
Every interaction.
Every moment.
Ivan was always there.
Watching.
Waiting.
Controlling.
She quietly turned around, intending to leave.
But her feet refused to move.
Slowly, she looked back at Aciel.
The two of them hadn’t spoken since their conversation on the rooftop.
They weren’t close.
Their relationship was complicated.
Painful.
She loved him.
She didn’t even know why.
He had hurt her countless times.
Yet somehow, seeing him still made her heart race.
And in the middle of her miserable reality, those feelings were the only thing that made her smile.
Almost unconsciously, she walked toward him.
She quietly sat beside him on the piano bench.
His head rested peacefully on the fallboard.
For once, the usual coldness on his face was gone.
He looked calm.
Human.
Vulnerable.
A small smile appeared on Xylia’s lips.
She rested her head beside his, allowing herself to simply admire him. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
Then, without thinking, she slowly raised her hand.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she brushed a loose strand of hair away from his forehead.
Her touch was gentle.
Careful.
As though she were afraid he might disappear.
She traced the line of his temple before letting her fingers drift lower.
His eyelashes were longer than she expected.
Her heart tightened.
How unfair.
How could she love someone who didn’t love her back?
A tear slipped down her cheek.
She quickly wiped it away.
Soon she would belong to Ivan.
Soon she would lose even the freedom to dream.
This moment— this stolen moment— might be all she had left.
Slowly, she stood up.
She knew she should leave.
But before she did— she leaned down and pressed a soft kiss against his forehead.
A silent goodbye.
Or perhaps a farewell to the future she had wished for.
The moment she pulled away— a hand suddenly wrapped around her wrist.
Xylia froze.
Aciel slowly opened his eyes.
His gaze immediately found hers.
Neither of them spoke.
For several long seconds, they simply stared at each other.
Then Xylia looked away first.
“I-I’m sorry,” she whispered.
Embarrassment flooded her face.
“I shouldn’t have done that.”
She tried to pull away.
But Aciel refused to let go.
His grip remained firm.
Not painful.
Just enough to stop her from leaving.
“I promise,” she continued softly, “this will be the last time.”
She stood up again.
Once more, Aciel tightened his hold on her hand.
Xylia looked down at him.
Confusion filled her eyes.
Aciel slowly sat upright.
Then he raised an eyebrow.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
His voice was quiet.
But for the first time in days— there was no coldness in it.