Morning arrived quietly.
Too quietly.
Soft sunlight spilled through the curtains of Seraphina's room while the faint scent of rain still lingered in the air from the night before.
For several seconds—
she remained still beneath the blankets.
Eyes half-open.
Mind drifting slowly between memory and reality.
Then she reached beside her instinctively.
Cold sheets.
Empty.
Seraphina opened her eyes fully.
The room was silent.
No dark coat thrown carelessly across furniture.
No dangerous silver-eyed man standing near the windows.
No trace of Adrian at all.
A faint smile tugged at her lips despite herself.
"…Of course you disappeared again."
Still—
something about the room felt different now.
Warmer somehow.
Like traces of him still lingered within the silence itself.
She sat upright slowly.
Her gaze drifting toward the faint marks along her collarbone reflected in the mirror nearby.
And immediately—
memories from the previous night returned in dangerous detail.
His voice against her skin.
His hands.
The way he looked at her like restraint itself hurt.
Heat crept faintly across her face.
Rare.
Embarrassingly rare.
Seraphina quickly stood from the bed.
"…Absolutely not."
She muttered to herself.
"I'm not blushing over him."
Yet the small smile never fully disappeared.
Hours later—
after breakfast and the usual exhausting formalities of De Luca estate life—
Seraphina returned once more to the grand library.
Because despite everything—
Selene still haunted her thoughts.
The library remained quiet as always.
Towering shelves.
Dust floating through beams of golden light.
Ancient records whispering secrets from forgotten generations.
Seraphina walked deeper between the shelves slowly.
Searching older genealogy records this time.
Private family correspondences.
Alliance registries.
Anything.
But again—
nothing.
No Selene.
No hidden references.
No traces.
It was almost unnatural.
Like the woman had been surgically removed from history itself.
"…You're here again."
Luca's voice echoed lightly from behind her.
Seraphina turned calmly.
Her brothers stood near the aisle entrance.
But this time—
the moment they saw her—
their expressions shifted subtly.
Tension.
Brief.
Almost invisible.
Yet unmistakable.
Luca's shoulders stiffened slightly.
Dante's eyes sharpened instinctively.
Like both were suddenly unsure how much she knew.
Seraphina noticed immediately.
And instead of speaking—
she slowly lifted one hand near her side.
Subtle enough that cameras hidden inside the library wouldn't immediately recognize it as communication.
Her fingers moved quickly.
Precise.
Fluid.
A silent language.
One only the three siblings knew.
A code they created as children during training so they could communicate secretly during missions.
Even their father didn't fully understand it.
And Adrian certainly shouldn't.
'Relax.'
I know.'
'Stop acting nervous.'
Both brothers froze briefly.
Shock crossing their faces instantly.
Then
Dante nearly laughed in relief.
Luca shook his head slowly.
And finally returned the signal.
'You figured it out already? '
Seraphina smirked faintly before responding silently again.
'Your acting is terrible.'
Luca looked deeply offended.
Which only made her smile slightly wider.
For the first time in days—
the tension between them eased naturally again.
Not forced.
Not manipulated.
Real.
The three siblings moved deeper into the library together quietly.
Still pretending casual conversation in case anyone watched.
But their hands occasionally shifted subtly between bookshelves.
Silent messages flowing beneath ordinary movements.
Luca leaned against a shelf dramatically.
"…So what exactly are you searching this obsessively for?"
Seraphina glanced briefly around first.
Then answered honestly.
"…Someone named Selene."
The effect was immediate.
Dante's expression changed first.
Not dramatically.
Just enough.
Luca's smile faded slowly too.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Seraphina narrowed her eyes slightly.
"You've heard the name before."
Neither denied it.
Finally Dante spoke carefully.
"…Where did you hear it?"
"Father."
That answer made both brothers exchange a quick glance instantly.
A glance filled with things unsaid.
Seraphina crossed her arms slowly.
"…Tell me."
Luca exhaled softly.
"…We don't know much."
Dante nodded slightly.
"…But mother does."
Silence.
Seraphina stared at them carefully now.
"…What do you mean?"
Luca lowered his voice instinctively.
"…A long time ago…"
He hesitated.
"…I overheard father and mother arguing."
Dante continued quietly.
"…Selene's name came up."
Seraphina's pulse sharpened immediately.
"…And?"
Another pause.
Then Dante answered carefully.
"…Father almost lost control."
That sentence alone disturbed her deeply.
Because Lord De Luca losing composure was nearly impossible.
Luca rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
"…Mother told him the past should stay buried."
Seraphina went still.
Because suddenly—
everything felt larger than she initially thought.
This wasn't merely an old friendship.
It wasn't nostalgia.
It wasn't grief.
Selene represented something dangerous enough that even now—
the De Luca family avoided speaking about her openly.
Dante stepped closer slightly.
"…If anyone knows the truth…"
He lowered his voice further.
"…It's mother."
Silence settled between them.
Heavy.
Suspenseful.
Seraphina looked toward the towering shelves slowly.
Mind racing rapidly now.
Selene connected to Adrian.
Connected to the necklace.
Connected somehow to her father.
And now—
even her mother.
Which meant one terrifying possibility remained.
Selene wasn't erased because she was unimportant.
She was erased because she mattered too much.
And Far away—
inside a dark surveillance chamber—
multiple screens flickered quietly.
One showing the library.
One showing the siblings.
And one showing Seraphina's hands moving in silent code.
Adrian stared at the screen silently.
Then slowly leaned back in his chair.
A faint dangerous smile appearing briefly.
Because despite everything—
Seraphina still found ways to move beyond his reach.
And somehow—
that only made him want her more.