We really had fun. It was exactly the kind of relaxation I had been looking for. It was just too bad we'd be going home tomorrow. I wouldn't be able to see this peaceful and beautiful place again anytime soon.
After we returned from the river, the boys started preparing dinner, while Dominic let us handle dessert. Mira and I decided to make a mango float since we figured it was everyone's favorite.
"Did you have fun?" Mira asked as she whipped the cream for the topping.
"Yeah," I said. "That was exactly my definition of relaxation."
"Then you should visit our farm. I'm sure you'll like it," she said with a smile.
"Is it far from the city?" I asked.
"Yeah, we need to ride a plane."
I nodded. I wasn't even surprised that she owned a farm, but it did make me wonder just how rich she really was.
We made two tubs of mango float, then went outside to help the boys with the grilling. I liked the feeling of it, like camping with friends. Though if I were being honest, I couldn't really call Damian and Lucca my friends.
Still, the night went well. We enjoyed dinner together, laughing and talking. The annoyance I had felt toward Lucca and Dominic earlier had faded after the trip to the river. But I was still curious, why had things gotten so physical between them? Or more specifically, why had Lucca attacked Dominic?
Looking at them now, though, you'd never guess anything had happened. They were talking like normal.
Maybe I had overthought everything.
After dinner, we gathered in the living room. As usual, Dominic suggested a game. This time, it was Spin the Bottle. Whoever the bottle pointed to had to choose between truth or dare.
Dominic and Mira were clearly excited, while Damian, Lucca, and I just listened quietly as Dominic explained the rules.
Dominic spun the bottle.
Everyone held their breath as it slowed down… and stopped.
It pointed at Mira.
She squealed like a teenager, making Dominic laugh. He was about to ask a question when Damian suddenly spoke.
"How serious are you about me?"
The room went still.
Mira froze, clearly caught off guard. Dominic giggled, while Mira's face turned bright red. I didn't even know how to react; I was confused. Wasn't it obvious she was serious about him?
"I haven't even chosen truth or dare yet," Mira said, her voice slightly shaky.
"If you choose truth, answer my question," Damian said calmly. "If you choose dare… kiss me."
The words dropped like a bomb.
Everyone gasped except Lucca, who remained completely unfazed, as if this was nothing new to him. Maybe he just knew Damian that well.
"Whoa, Damian! That was intense, dude!" Dominic said, still laughing.
Mira couldn't even speak. Her face was completely red.
"Do you really have to be that direct?" I cut in, noticing she was struggling to respond.
"That's the rule Dominic gave, right?" Damian said. "If it's true, I ask a question. If it's a dare, they follow the command."
"Truth," Mira finally said.
I honestly thought she would choose dare. I knew how much she liked Damian; she had even joked before about what it would be like to kiss him.
We all looked at her, waiting.
"Of course I'm serious about you," she said, meeting Damian's gaze. "Why would I joke about something like that?"
Dominic cheered like he was rooting for a team.
Damian smirked and gave a small nod. Mira was still blushing, but as the next round began, her face slowly returned to normal.
Dominic spun the bottle again.
This time, it landed on him.
He grinned, as if he had been waiting for it.
"Truth," he said immediately before anyone could even ask.
"Yesterday, when I saw you fighting in the room… was it really just playful, or were you arguing about something?" I asked directly. I was still curious.
"We weren't fighting, Seraphina," Dominic said.
"Why lie when you chose truth?" Lucca cut in. I looked at him as he stared at Dominic.
"I actually hurt him. That's what you want to hear, right?" Lucca said, his eyes shifting to me.
I didn't know whether to feel relieved that he admitted it or more concerned about why Dominic tried to hide it.
"Oh, come on, Lucca. Don't scare the girls and make them think you're a monster," Dominic said, laughing.
He seemed completely unbothered. There was no sign of resentment toward Lucca. Maybe Lucca had only reacted because Dominic pushed him too far. At least now, I could see there was no tension between them.
I simply nodded. "Okay."
Dominic spun the bottle again.
This time, it pointed at me.
I hesitated. If I chose truth, would I really be honest? If I chose dare, would I be able to do whatever they asked? I didn't like sharing personal things about myself.
Dare felt safer.
"Dare," I said, hoping it wouldn't be too much.
Everyone went quiet, thinking. Then Damian spoke.
"Hug Lucca."
I froze.
Was he serious? Why would I hug Lucca in front of everyone? We weren't even close. If it had been Dominic, maybe… but Lucca?
"Why, Lucca, man?" Dominic protested.
I almost agreed, but I held back. I didn't want to offend Lucca.
"Because I want to," Damian replied calmly.
"That's kind of tough, don't you think? Seraphina, you can just choose truth," Dominic said.
I glanced at Lucca. He was staring at me blankly, his usual cold expression sending a chill through me.
But I didn't want to back down.
I stood up.
"Seraphina…" Dominic tried again.
"It's not even that hard," I said, cutting him off.
I walked toward Lucca. He didn't move as I got closer.
I leaned in slightly and whispered, "It's just a dare. Let's just forget about it afterward."
Then I wrapped my arms around him.
I could feel the warmth of his body, the closeness unfamiliar and uncomfortable. A strange tension ran through me, making everything feel slow, like time had stretched.
It only lasted a few seconds.
But it felt longer.
I pulled away and looked at him for a moment before returning to my seat.
That awkward moment was something I wouldn't forget. Hugging someone you weren't comfortable with felt… strange.
Dominic slouched back, pouting slightly. Maybe it was because I hugged Lucca, I wasn't sure. But after a few moments, his usual energy returned.
The bottle spun again.
It landed on Dominic, then Damian, and finally Lucca.
Dominic chose truth again, and Damian asked him about a girl he liked. He didn't reveal her name, but the others seemed to know based on his reaction.
Next was Damian.
Dominic chose dare for him, glancing at Mira with a grin.
"If I tell you to kiss Mira, would you do it?" Dominic asked, laughing.
Damian turned to Mira. Her face flushed red.
"Why not?" he said confidently.
He stood and walked toward her.
The tension in the room shifted. Mira leaned back slightly against the sofa as Damian leaned closer. It felt like watching a drama unfold right in front of me, the way he looked at her, teasing, intense… and Mira, flustered and unable to move.
Their eyes met.
For a moment, everything felt still.
Then—
Damian kissed her on the cheek.
I let out a quiet breath of relief. At least it wasn't on the lips.
Mira looked stunned, frozen in place. Only Dominic's loud cheering filled the room.
Finally, it was Lucca's turn.
The bottle stopped in front of him.
Everyone looked at him, waiting.
"Truth… or dare?"
"Truth," he answered.
"Other than the secrets we already know, what else are you hiding from us? What haven't you told your friends?" Dominic asked, his tone turning serious.
The room fell silent. All eyes were on Lucca.
But he remained unbothered, as if the question meant nothing.
"I don't have any secrets," he said, crossing his arms.
Dominic frowned. "Why would you lie?"
Lucca raised an eyebrow. "What would I gain from lying?"
"I know you, Lucca," Dominic said.
"If you really knew me, you wouldn't be asking that," Lucca replied.
Dominic sighed, clearly giving up on trying to push him further.
The game ended, but we stayed in the living room. The others decided to drink beer and wine. Mira joined them, drinking like she had no limits.
I stayed where I was, watching them, not even taking a sip.
"You don't want to try? It tastes good," Mira said.
"No thanks," I replied.
She didn't insist and went back to drinking. I sat there, eating chips and watching them. It went on for almost two hours.
I yawned, feeling sleepy, but they were still full of energy, especially Mira and Dominic, who had become louder and more playful. Meanwhile, the other two remained calm, quietly sipping their drinks. They looked oddly composed compared to the rest.
My eyelids grew heavy.
Slowly, they started to close—
Until I finally fell asleep.
Lucca's POV
Mira was getting wild now. Instead of stopping her, Dominic joined in. Damian and I stayed where we were, calmly sipping from our glasses of wine.
"What's your plan with Mira?" I asked Damian, who was sitting beside me.
I watched Mira and Dominic dancing like crazy without any music.
"We'll see," Damian replied. As usual, a man of few words.
I wasn't really interested in whatever he felt for her.
My focus shifted to the fragile woman across the room. She was fighting to stay awake, but it was obvious she was losing the battle.
"Now let me ask you," Damian said, glancing at me. "Are you interested in her?"
I didn't answer right away. I kept my eyes on Seraphina and took another sip of wine. I poured more into my glass before finally speaking.
"I'm only interested in the ring."
He chuckled. "I doubt it," he said with a grin.
I didn't bother asking what he meant. I didn't care enough to know.
We stayed like that for a few more minutes before Damian excused himself and went to his room.
Meanwhile, Dominic was trying to get Mira upstairs. She was drunk, rambling nonsense.
"I wanna dance," Mira slurred.
"You need to go to your room now," Dominic said firmly.
She pouted, but she didn't have much strength left to resist. Dominic held her arm and guided her upstairs while she continued mumbling incoherent words.
Soon, it was just me and Seraphina left in the living room.
I looked at her.
She was in a deep sleep, completely unaware of everything around her. One of her hands hung loosely off the sofa, and that's when I saw it.
The black ring.
For a moment, everything else faded.
It was right there.
Within reach.
I could take it now. No one would see. Damian was in his room. Dominic and Mira were upstairs. I wouldn't even have to hurt her.
All I needed was the ring.
If she looked for it later… I could just let her search. I could give her money, enough for a lifetime. More than enough to replace something like that.
But the ring…
It was calling to me.
It felt like it belonged to me, that I was meant to have it. Like it was the key to something greater… to survival… to eternity.
I moved closer to her.
Her lips were slightly parted, her breathing steady. She was deeply asleep.
I stood there for a while, watching, waiting to make sure she wouldn't wake up.
When I was sure, I leaned closer.
I studied her face.
So innocent.
The same face that sometimes argued with me… the same fragile woman trying to stand on her own.
I knew how important that ring was to her.
But this—
This was my life.
If I didn't get it, I might die within a year.
Yes, I would be stealing something precious from her, something her grandmother gave her. But what about me? I was just trying to survive.
Someday, she might understand that I needed it more than she did.
Slowly, I reached for her hand.
This was the moment.
If I got it… I could finally live.
I gently held her hand, watching closely for any sign that she might wake.
Nothing.
She stayed still.
Then, carefully, I touched the black ring—
And suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my entire body.
My breath hitched.
Memories, ones I didn't recognize, flashed through my mind.