Xylia’s heart raced as she stepped out of the music room beside Aciel.
He held her hand firmly, refusing to let go as they walked down the hallway together.
Students immediately noticed them.
Whispers spread throughout the campus like wildfire.
Some looked jealous.
Others looked shocked.
But most agreed on one thing—they looked good together.
Xylia knew her family would never approve of her decision.
Her aunt certainly wouldn’t.
But for the first time in her life, she refused to let them control her.
When they reached the parking lot, they found their friends waiting for them.
Liliana, Naomi, Zoey, Simon, Chris, Leiam, and the rest of the student council were all there.
Chelsea stood among them as well.
Xylia felt a pang of guilt.
After the incident involving Chelsea’s position as vice president, they hadn’t spoken properly.
She wanted to reach out, but Ivan’s constant presence had made it nearly impossible.
“Xylia!”
Liliana practically bounced toward her with excitement.
Xylia instinctively tried to pull her hand away from Aciel’s.
Not because she didn’t want to hold it.
But because everyone knew she had been the one chasing after him.
Before she could pull away completely, Aciel tightened his grip.
She looked at him and pouted.
“What?” he asked.
She bit her lip.
“It’s unfair.”
Aciel raised an eyebrow.
“What’s unfair?”
“I’m the only one getting embarrassed all the time.”
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
He didn’t answer.
‘If only you could hear my thoughts, princess.
If only you knew what my heart was doing right now.’ He thought internally.
He had already accepted the truth.
He had feelings for her.
But he wasn’t ready to tell her yet.
Not until he understood them completely.
Simon was the first to approach them.
A mischievous grin spread across his face.
“Princess, take care of our Aciel, okay?”
The others laughed.
Xylia smiled shyly before turning toward her friends.
Chelsea walked straight to her and wrapped her in a tight hug.
“I’m sorry.”
Xylia blinked.
“For what?”
“For walking out that day.”
Chelsea tightened her embrace.
“I didn’t know what was really happening.”
Xylia smiled sadly.
“I’m sorry too. I should have told you.”
The tension between them instantly disappeared.
And for the first time in weeks, things felt normal again.
Unfortunately, reality quickly returned.
She still had to face her family.
And she knew they wouldn’t stay silent once they learned about Aciel.
Chelsea crossed her arms and looked directly at him.
“So what’s your plan?”
Aciel sighed.
“Do I really need to explain myself to you?”
Chelsea rolled her eyes.
“She’s my best friend.”
Her expression softened.
She pointed at him.
“Just don’t make her cry.”
Simon immediately nodded.
“Yeah. Otherwise we’ll all jump you.”
Aciel snorted.
“As if any of you could beat me.”
The group burst into laughter.
Then Chelsea became serious again.
“I’m asking because I want to help.”
Aciel glanced at Xylia before answering.
“First, I need to speak with my father.”
Xylia looked at him curiously.
“I have the resources to help you and your family,” he continued.
“But I’m also my father’s successor.”
His expression darkened.
“My decisions affect the entire clan.”
He paused.
“If I’m going to move against the Antonovs or the Harlows, the family needs time to prepare.”
“Prepare for what?” Xylia asked.
Before Aciel could answer, Simon spoke.
“For a fight.”
The girls froze.
“What?” Liliana blurted out.
Simon rubbed the back of his neck.
“Aciel wasn’t supposed to get involved with an Antonov woman.”
Everyone immediately looked at Aciel.
“What does that mean?” Xylia asked quietly.
Simon exchanged glances with Aciel before continuing.
“The women of the Antonov Clan have been forbidden to the De Silva Clan for decades.”
Xylia frowned.
“Why?”
Aciel looked away.
For the first time, he seemed reluctant to answer.
“That’s a story for another day.”
Xylia could tell he wasn’t ready to tell her.
Before she could ask more questions, Aciel opened the passenger door of his car.
“Come on.”
Then he turned to their friends.
“If you really want to help, meet me at the penthouse tonight.”
Without waiting for a response, he guided Xylia into the car and got into the driver’s seat.
The moment they drove away, silence filled the vehicle.
Xylia glanced at him nervously.
Aciel stared ahead at the road.
His jaw was tight.
His expression was unreadable.
And the silence became unbearable.
“Can you say something?” she finally asked.
“You’re making me nervous.”
Aciel released a long breath.
Then he looked at her.
“It’s true.”
“What is?”
“I’m not supposed to be with you.”
Xylia swallowed.
“How did you find out?”
Aciel tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
“I told Martin I wanted to marry you.”
Her eyes widened.
“You what?”
He laughed bitterly.
“I know. Crazy.” Get faster updates on g.com.
“A-And why would you want to marry me?”
Aciel shook his head.
“I don’t know.”
The honesty in his voice surprised her.
“I saw photos of you.”
Xylia blinked.
“What photos?”
“The magazine.”
Realization immediately hit her.
She groaned and covered her face.
“Oh no.”
“Yeah.”
Aciel smirked.
“That photoshoot.” His expression softened.
“After that, I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”
Xylia felt her cheeks burn.
“I tried to ignore it.” His voice lowered.
“I tried to distract myself.”
Then he laughed humorlessly.
“But nothing worked.” He looked at her.
“I don’t even fully understand what I feel.”
The confession made Xylia’s heart flutter.
“But one thing is certain.”
His eyes became serious.
“I won’t let another man marry you.”
Xylia stared at him silently.
Then she sighed.
“Everyone keeps talking about marriage.”
She looked out the window.
“Like I’m some kind of trophy.”
Aciel’s expression darkened.
“Because that’s the world we were born into.”
He paused.
“Your family isn’t that different from mine.”
Xylia turned back to him.
“What do you mean?”
“You’ll understand eventually.”
His gaze softened.
“Especially if you become the wife of a Mafia Boss.”
Xylia didn’t ask another question.
The rest of the drive passed quietly.
Soon, they entered Southford—the territory controlled by the De Silva Clan.
It was Xylia’s first time visiting that side of the city.
The atmosphere was different.
The streets.
The people.
The buildings.
Everything felt unfamiliar.
Her nervousness began to grow.
Aciel immediately noticed.
Without a word, he reached for her hand.
His warm fingers intertwined with hers.
“Relax.” His voice was gentle.
“I’m here.” He squeezed her hand reassuringly.
“Nothing will happen to you.”
Xylia’s heart pounded even harder.
Not because she was afraid of Southford.
Not because she was entering Mafia territory.
But because of the man sitting beside her.
For the first time, Aciel wasn’t treating her like a problem he needed to solve.
He was treating her like someone precious.
And that realization terrified her far more than anything else.