She stops in front of it.
Takes a breath.
Her heartbeat rises again, an anxious rhythm in her chest.
Just say thank you, she tells herself. Just hello, and thank you. That's it.
She raises her hand and knocks, gentle but firm.
A pause.
She knocks again, this time a little lighter, as if hoping no one will actually answer.
Then—footsteps.
They come closer, muffled and slow, but steady. Her shoulders tense involuntarily. She smooths her blouse with one hand, then lets it fall.
The door opens.
And there he is.
Julian stands in the doorway, framed by the soft light from the windows behind him. His eyes are deep and steady behind black-rimmed glasses. His jawline clean, lips almost symmetrical—lifted ever so slightly at one corner in a half-expression that's unreadable. Casual, but composed. Effortlessly so.
Grace can't help but take in the moment. It hits her harder than she expected.
She opens her mouth, but for a second, no words come.
As Julian's eyes meet hers, the faint smile he wears dissolves. His expression hardens—just slightly—but enough for Grace to feel it. His jaw tenses. The air shifts.
See? He's always like that when he sees me, Grace thinks, holding her ground.
Still, her voice is calm and smooth when she finally speaks.
"Hello, Professor Lenter," she says, carefully steady, keeping any trace of nervousness locked away.
Julian looks at her for a long beat. His gaze, cool and unreadable, lingers on her face. Then finally…
"Hello."
They just stand there. A few more seconds pass in silence, the hallway humming faintly behind them. Grace feels a subtle unease creeping into her chest. She pushes it down and forces a smile—small, a little sheepish, unconsciously charming.
"So I came here to say hello!" she says, the words tumbling out in a breath, her voice light and a touch too bright. Almost cute.
A flicker—barely perceptible—tugs at the corner of Julian's lips.
And Grace catches it. That tiny lift.
There it is. Something shifts in her chest—an unexpected flutter. At least he's a little more welcoming than before.
"Yes. Hello," Julian replies again, voice low and even.
Well, aren't you going to let me in? she thinks.
Her eyes drift past him, trying to get a glimpse into the room. The hesitation is small, but Julian notices. Of course he notices.
She wants to come in, he thinks. The thought amuses him, just enough to smirk.
He steps to the side. "Come in," he says, almost casually.
"Oh, okay…" Grace answers, acting surprised, though her heart jumps slightly. She steps in, composed, as if this wasn't what she'd been hoping for all along.
Julian closes the door behind them with a soft click.
Now, it's just the two of them.
The silence is different now—quieter, heavier.
Grace lets her eyes wander for a moment, genuinely taken aback by what she sees.
Wow…
The office is stunning—clean, modern, minimalist, but warm. Ivory tones dominate the space, from the smooth curtains to the carefully chosen furniture. Bookshelves line the wall in perfectly balanced arrangements, not just functional but aesthetic. The framed artwork is subtle and cerebral. Every detail seems deliberate.
She's never been in a professor's office like this before.
"You can sit there," Julian says, gesturing to the sofa across from his desk.
"Thank you." Grace nods, taking a careful seat. She settles down, feeling the cool fabric beneath her as she leans back slightly, taking in the room again.
Julian moves toward the coffee machine in the corner, his back to her for a moment. "You want a cup of coffee?" he asks casually, his voice carrying just enough warmth to soften the air between them.
Grace blinks, a little surprised. She hadn't expected him to offer anything, let alone a drink. From the way he'd acted toward her before, she'd assumed he'd be distant, possibly cold.
Maybe I've been wrong about him, she thinks. Maybe he's not as cold as I thought.
She settles more comfortably into the sofa, her body naturally leaning back a little. She feels herself relax just slightly.
"It's fine. I don't drink coffee," she replies, keeping her tone light.
Julian turns, pausing as their eyes meet across the room.
For a few seconds, neither of them speaks. The silence stretches between them, thick and almost tangible.
Here it is again. That strange moment of staring without saying anything, Grace thinks, the odd tension curling in her chest. It's like they're both waiting for something, but neither of them knows exactly what.
Julian's brow furrows just slightly, his expression unreadable. His mind flashes back to another moment, another woman, another time. She doesn't drink coffee just like Hannah…
The memory of Hannah—so long ago—lingers briefly. He tenses, just a fraction, but it's enough to make him pause for a heartbeat longer than necessary.
Well, then... he thinks, shaking off the thought. It's nothing.
After a beat, he asks, "Well, then, tea?"
Grace shakes her head, offering a polite smile. "No, that's fine."
Julian shrugs, his casual demeanor returning. He walks over to his office chair and sits down, facing her now.
They both fall into the quiet again. This time, it feels less awkward and more… contemplative. Neither of them seems to know what to say next, but both are aware of the undercurrent between them—something unspoken, something unsettled.
Grace shifts her gaze, watching Julian, who sits just a little farther away from her. The distance between them feels just right—better than being stuck on opposite sides of a desk, with barriers between them. This space feels like a pause, a breath.
"So, what brought you here?" Julian asks, his voice casual as he adjusts his glasses on his nose, his posture open and relaxed—almost as if nothing special were happening at all.
For a moment, Grace hesitates. She wonders if this is the same Julian who had helped her that night in Mellany. The Julian she remembers had been stern, his demeanor cold—yet somehow, he'd helped her, without question, with a focus she hadn't expected.
Is he the same person? Or was that someone else entirely? She wonders briefly, but then shakes it off. No time for doubts now.
"I came to say hello and thank you… for all the kindness you showed back in Mellany…" she says, her voice steady, though she feels the words floating awkwardly in the air between them.
At her words, a flicker of something crosses Julian's face—just a tiny movement at the corner of his lips. It's almost imperceptible, so slight that Grace can't even be sure it's a smile.
"Well, I can't really pass people who are in danger," Julian replies, his tone unchanged, still neutral.
Grace nods slowly, trying to mask the feeling that stings within her chest. People who are in danger—those words settle oddly in her mind, and for a moment, she feels a disorienting sense of disappointment.
It's not that she expected more than that, more than being considered just someone in need of help. But still… something about the way he said it makes her feel small.
After all, we were strangers. We still are, really, Grace thinks, and she shakes her head to herself, almost feeling like she's trying to clear away the unspoken emotions in the room.
"Okay, thanks," she says, forcing a soft smile, trying to dismiss the sting. "But I just gotta say…"
She pauses, then looks directly at Julian, meeting his steady gaze. His eyes seem to pierce through her, as if he's analyzing every flicker of emotion she might have.
"I'm really not good at paying back," Grace admits, her voice quiet, almost reluctant. Her fingers fiddle with the hem of her red cardigan sleeve, a small but telling sign of the discomfort that is starting to bubble beneath the surface.
She's not sure what she's trying to say yet, but something inside urges her to be honest, to break through the polite barriers and say what's been lingering in the air between them since that night.
Julian's lips curl upward ever so slightly, just enough to make Grace feel like she's under a microscope for a brief moment. That small gesture makes her feel... a little looked down upon, though she can't quite place why.
"I'll give you my bank account number," Julian says, his tone so nonchalant, as if it's a simple, everyday offer—like this is just how things go between people.
Grace blinks, surprised by his response. She thought he would say something like "No, it's fine," just as he had in Mellany. But this—this feels oddly businesslike.
Well, I guess this is what I wanted… she thinks, quickly tapping her iPhone screen to enter his bank details.
But then, the unease creeps back. She can't help but feel awkward using his phone, as though she's trespassing in some quiet, unspoken territory. She fumbles slightly as she lifts the phone, her eyes flickering between it and Julian.
"Umm… by the way, this phone?" She holds it up for emphasis. "I'll give it back to you tomorrow as soon as I buy a new one."
Julian chuckles softly and shakes his head, a lightheartedness in his voice. "You can keep it."
Grace opens her mouth to protest, but he cuts her off.
"Sell it or whatever. It's yours now," he adds with a shrug, the matter apparently settled in his mind.
He really doesn't want this back… Grace feels an odd tension coil in her chest. His words are so casual, but there's something about them that makes her feel strange, like there's more to this than meets the eye.
"So… Professor Lenter…" Grace continues, about to say something else, but then—
"Professor Lenter?" A sweet, almost seductively innocent voice calls from outside the door. "Can I come in?"