Lucca's POV
I couldn't hear what Seraphina murmured. She was clutching her chest tightly as if she was gasping for air. A while ago, she had been silently scrolling through her phone, then in an instant, she suddenly gasped loudly and held her chest. She looked at me with frightened eyes. I wanted to ask what she had murmured, but I decided not to.
After a while, she recovered and apologized to me.
"I'm sorry," she said.
"For what?" I asked.
"For acting crazy," she answered.
I didn't know how to respond, so I just stayed silent. Even though I was looking at the television, my attention remained on her through my peripheral vision. I don't know why, but every time I looked at her, Monica Blake appeared in my mind. It haunted me as if I had been connected to her for a long time. Mandy Moore's words were also confusing me. Was that enough reason to curse a person just because she didn't love you back? What did Mandy Moore mean when she said Xavier Knight hadn't hurt her in that lifetime, but before then? Why would she curse us until the last generation? I wanted to ask my master, but I didn't know when I could.
My deep thoughts were interrupted when Dominic and Damian entered the room. They were both carrying baskets full of fruits and snacks.
"Hi, Seraphina!" Dominic waved at her. She smiled in response.
"Yo, dude! You okay?" Dominic asked me. "You should get better soon because I got a new set of wines from my client in Japan."
"Stop it," Damian interrupted.
"Can't I motivate him to recover faster?" he asked.
I shook my head in frustration at Dominic for being so noisy.
"I thought you were busy. Why are you here now? I was expecting you this evening," I asked.
"We just dropped by, actually. We won't stay long. I also wanted to check if Seraphina was okay," Dominic said before sitting beside her on the sofa.
"Do you need anything? I could get it for you," he asked.
"I don't need anything."
"Thank you for taking care of Lucca. Just don't mind his rude behavior," Dominic said with a laugh. I glared at him, which only made him laugh harder. Yeah, he was teasing me again like before. But what if he knew about the struggles inside my mind? Would he still keep teasing me?
Seraphina and Damian looked at each other as if there was some unresolved issue between them. I wanted to ask Dominic about it, but since they were both there, I couldn't.
"Seraphina… can I talk to you outside?" Damian suddenly asked.
Seraphina looked shocked, but she still nodded.
Then the two of them went out.
"What was that for?" I asked Dominic, who was smiling.
"You wouldn't know because you passed out," he said.
"Of course I wouldn't, you fool!" I snapped.
"Hey, watch your words. You shouldn't waste too much energy because it'll affect your condition," Dominic said, and I rolled my eyes.
"Just answer me," I said impatiently.
"Damian blamed her for what happened to you."
"He did?"
"Yeah. Why should Damian blame her? She didn't even know what you needed. And besides, it was your fault for losing your power."
I glared at him. Dominic only laughed.
"If I had known, I wouldn't have done it."
"So now you regret it?" Dominic chuckled.
"Who wouldn't?" I glared at him again.
"Be good to her. Then you'll get what you want. Don't be too rude, dude. You need her, and that's a fact."
"I have something to tell you," I said. Maybe I should finally share the thoughts that have been bothering me.
"Really? What is it?" he asked.
"I think Seraphina and I have known each other for a very long time," I said.
"What do you mean?"
"Ever since I touched the ring, different scenes have kept appearing in my mind. I saw myself and Seraphina in those memories."
Dominic's face turned serious. "Does Master know about it?"
I nodded. "He said that we have a connection, but he didn't explain anything before leaving."
"Does that mean you and Seraphina existed even before this lifetime?"
"I don't know. I don't understand any of it either," I said.
Seraphina's POV
When Damian called me outside the room to talk, I was a bit shocked because I didn't expect him to do so. I tried to forget what he had said and how rude he had been to me. Yet here he was, calling me just to talk.
Once we were outside, Damian leaned against the wall and looked at me.
"I'm sorry," Damian said.
His words startled me. I didn't know what to say to him.
Then he continued, "I know I blamed you and treated you rudely even though you don't know what's happening."
"What is happening?" I asked curiously.
He didn't answer. "Just accept my apology," he said, sounding irritated.
I frowned. "You said sorry, but now you're being rude again."
"Just accept it and stop asking questions."
"I'm just curious about it. Am I not allowed to ask?"
"Yes. And I won't answer any of your questions," Damian said.
"Then how can I forgive you?" I asked challengingly.
"Then don't."
He was being rude again and was about to leave, but I stopped him.
"I just want to know if I made a mistake so I can avoid doing it again."
"Your presence is—"
I didn't let Damian finish his sentence. He was just like Lucca—rude.
"My presence is annoying, isn't it?" I continued for him.
He rolled his eyes at my statement. Yeah. So he called me out here just to remind me how annoying I was.
"Okay, apology accepted," I said, giving up. I knew he wouldn't tell me the real reason anyway.
He simply nodded before we went back inside. Dominic and Lucca were talking seriously, but they stopped when we entered the room.
Dominic smiled at me. "Did Damian apologize?" he asked.
I looked at Damian, who was staring blankly at Dominic. I sighed. What else could I do? Even if I didn't want to forgive him, he hadn't given me much of a choice.
"Yeah," I answered, sounding unenthusiastic.
"Seraphina, we won't stay here long. I have a meeting in fifteen minutes, but we'll come back this evening. Do you want us to bring you something for dinner later?" Dominic asked.
I shook my head. I could just buy dinner from the hospital canteen or eat the food I had bought earlier since Master hadn't eaten it.
"Don't be shy," he said.
"I'm not shy. I just can't think of anything," I replied.
"I like steak and lobster. Buy me some," Lucca interrupted while still focusing on the television.
"And let the doctor and nurses get mad at me for letting you eat that?" Dominic asked.
"Why? Did the doctor say I shouldn't eat those?" Lucca asked. "Just because I'm in the hospital doesn't mean I'm not allowed to eat good food. My tests were fine."
Dominic shrugged. He couldn't argue with Lucca anymore. Then he looked back at me.
"Just text me if you think of something," he said.
I nodded even though I had no plans of texting him back.
When Dominic and Damian left, Lucca and I were alone again in the room. I sat on the sofa and scrolled through my phone.
"What did Damian say to you?" Lucca asked.
I looked at him while still holding my phone.
"He apologized," I answered.
"And?"
"And I accepted it as if I had no choice. He's still rude, just like you," I said bluntly.
He raised his left eyebrow at what I said. I wanted to laugh, but I forced myself not to.
"How is that even my fault? I didn't do anything wrong to you," I said honestly. I didn't know where I got the courage to speak to him like that, as if I suddenly wanted to let everything out. "I didn't do anything wrong," I repeated.
Lucca stared at me with amusement, maybe because I was being unusually talkative and frank. I didn't know. After talking to Damian and not even being able to express how I truly felt, I suddenly wanted to tell Lucca everything instead. After this, I probably wouldn't act this talkative again.
"Damian has his reasons for saying those things," Lucca said.
"I know that. He wouldn't say them without a reason. But he kept his mouth shut about it. How am I supposed to know what's wrong with me?"
Lucca didn't answer. He only stared at me as if he was trying to read my thoughts.
I sighed deeply and stood up. I wanted to breathe some fresh air. I felt suffocated inside the room.
"Do you need anything else?" I asked.
Lucca frowned. "Why?"
"I'll go outside for a while," I said.
He simply shrugged. I thought he would stop me or say something, but he didn't react at all.
I left the room and headed straight to the rooftop. At least I could breathe fresh air, even if only for a few minutes. My mind was a mess, and I didn't even know how to act around Lucca. I wasn't comfortable whenever he was near me.
If only Mira were here…
Ring….
I was already on the rooftop when my phone rang. The caller was Mira, and I answered immediately.
"Hey, Sera. How are you there?" she greeted before asking.
"You already know the answer," I said while rolling my eyes.
She chuckled. "What made you agree to Dominic's request to take care of Lucca? You could've refused his favor."
"How could I?" I replied. "I'm still indebted to Lucca. I don't want him to think I'm taking advantage of him. This is the least I can do."
"But you didn't force him to help you, right? Then why are you forcing yourself to help him?" Mira asked.
I sighed deeply. "If only I could think like that without feeling guilty. I don't know… I just feel obligated," I said. "By the way, how's work? Was the head curious about why I still haven't returned?" I asked, trying to divert the topic.
"Dominic personally came here this morning. The head didn't even question it. Who is he to question the owner of the company?" Mira chuckled.
I sighed again, and that immediately worried her.
"Hey, is something wrong?"
"Nothing. It's just that I've been dealing with a dilemma ever since we came back home."
"What kind of dilemma?"
"I'll tell you when I get back to work."
"Hey! That's not fair. You open up something and then shut it down again? I won't even be able to sleep without knowing."
I chuckled. "You're overreacting."
"I'm serious, Sera. What's bothering you?"
I let out a heavy sigh. "I've been dreaming about something. The woman in the dream looks like me, and the man looks like Lucca," I admitted.
"Don't tell me you like Lucca, that's why you've been dreaming about him?"
"No! It's not like that." How could I explain to her that there seemed to be something connecting Lucca and me? And why would I bother explaining when she probably wouldn't understand anyway?
"Then help me understand," she said.
I was about to explain over the phone when someone suddenly interrupted me.
"Seraphina Blake, right?"
When I turned toward the voice, I saw an angelically handsome man wearing a black long-sleeved polo tucked into black slacks, paired with polished black shoes. Judging from his appearance, the way he dressed, and the Rolex watch on his wrist, I could tell he was rich. He smiled at me, revealing deep dimples.
His curly hair perfectly complemented his dark skin. He looked like a Greek god. Every feature of his face seemed flawless, exactly the type of man women would admire.
"Sera? Sera! Are you still there?"
My attention snapped back to the call while my eyes remained fixed on the man who was still smiling at me.
"I'll call you later, Mira," I said before ending the call without even waiting for her response.
"Do you know me?" I asked curiously.
He walked closer while still smiling. "Of course."
"How?"
"Lucca, Damian, and Dominic."
From his answer, I assumed he was their friend. But why was I only seeing him now if he was close to them? He had never joined any of our trips, and Dominic had never even mentioned him before.
"You're their friend?" I asked, wanting to confirm my assumption.
He continued smiling. I had to admit, his dimples suited him so well.
"You could say that," he replied. "But I'm more interested in you."
His words caught me off guard. Why would he be interested in me?
"Why?" I asked.
"You're different. I can sense that you're not like other women."
"Ah… thanks?" I responded awkwardly. I didn't know how to handle that kind of statement. Dominic had already been enough for me. I couldn't deal with another man acting like this.
He laughed softly, and the sound was strangely soothing to my ears.
"You've never been in a relationship before, have you?"
"Why are you asking?" Were we even close enough for him to ask something so personal?
"I'm just curious. Someone like you is probably already taken."
I grimaced. What made him think that?
"What made you say that? I don't even find myself beautiful."
"And who told you that you're not beautiful?" he asked.
I didn't answer. Nobody had actually said it to me. I just never saw myself that way.
He smiled again. "Why are you here at the hospital?"
"I'm here with Lucca. He's confined here," I answered.
"Lucca Knight?"
I nodded. "Do you want to visit him?" I asked.
He chuckled. "No."
"I thought you were their friend?" I asked again.
He simply smiled without answering. "It was nice meeting you, Seraphina Blake. I want to be your friend."
Why did every person I recently met want to be my friend? Did I really look approachable? I didn't think so. Yet somehow, this man also wanted to get close to me.
"What's your name?" I asked.
He smiled again, but he still didn't tell me his name.
"You'll know soon," he said.
Yeah, I admit he was handsome, but just like Lucca, he was quite secretive.
I was distracted when my phone rang again. Mira was calling, so I excused myself from the strange man who thought I was beautiful and turned away to answer the call.
"Hello, Mira," I said.
"You even ended the call without warning me!" she complained, disappointment evident in her voice.
"I'm sorry. Someone called me, and I needed to talk to him."
"Him? Who's that guy?" she immediately asked.
I turned around to look at the man I had been talking to, but to my surprise, no one was there.
I lowered my phone and looked around the rooftop. I couldn't even properly hear Mira's voice anymore because of the confusion clouding my mind. Where did he go? Why didn't he tell me he was leaving? I wanted to know his name, yet he hadn't even told me.
I searched around the rooftop before heading downstairs, trying to find him, but he was nowhere to be seen. I ended the call again and texted Mira that I would call her later.
I spent another five minutes looking for him, but there was still no sign of that mysterious man.
There was something strange about him, yet his smile had made me feel at ease. I didn't sense any danger from him. But my question remained—was he really their friend? Should I ask Dominic about him later? But how could I ask when I didn't even know his name?
I decided to return to the room since I couldn't find him anywhere.
As soon as I closed the door, Lucca looked at me.
"Do you need anything?" I asked.
"Where did you go?" he asked back.
"The rooftop," I answered.
He didn't respond and simply continued reading.
A while ago, he had been watching television, but now he was absorbed in a book. I grew curious because of the book's cover. I wanted to ask if I could borrow it once he finished reading, but I stopped myself.
Maybe Lucca sensed it because he suddenly handed me another book from the bedside table.
"Debris in My Heart…" I read the title aloud.
Just from the title alone, I was already intrigued. What was the plot? Where would the story lead?
I didn't bother Lucca, who continued reading silently. Instead, I sat on the sofa and started reading the book he had given me. After reading just the synopsis, I was already hooked and eager to know what would happen to the main character.
I didn't know how many hours passed with Lucca and me sitting in silence, both completely immersed in our books. The story had already captivated me after only a few chapters. I felt like I could finish it in one sitting.
How did Lucca even bring these books here? I didn't remember Dominic or Damian carrying any books earlier.
I wanted to ask him, but when I looked at Lucca, he was peacefully reading. I liked the expression on his face right now. He looked calm, gentle, and almost innocent while reading.
I didn't even realize I had been staring at him for almost a minute until he caught me.
The softness in his expression immediately disappeared, replaced with a frown as if silently asking why I was staring.
I quickly looked away and focused back on my book. This time, I tried not to glance at him even once. If he caught me again, he would probably nag at me or call me annoying. Since he was still recovering, I shouldn't test his patience. What if I ended up worsening his condition? He got angry easily, and stress would only make him sicker.
Suddenly, Lucca broke the silence.
"Have you read the books I gave you from my library?" he asked.
"Not yet. I was planning to, but then we went on the trip," I answered.
He nodded before returning to his book.
I wanted to ask him questions. I wanted to know him better. It wasn't anything special. I was simply curious.
"May I ask something?" I started.
"You're already asking," he replied sarcastically.
I frowned, but since I really wanted to ask him something, I let it slide.
"Why don't you tell your friends about your personal problem?"
I didn't expect him to answer seriously.
"Because I don't want to. Did you immediately tell Mira that you were consulting a psychiatrist?" he asked in return.
He had a point.
I hadn't told Mira right away either. She only found out on her own later.
"I don't want them to think I'm weak," I admitted.
"Is consulting a psychiatrist considered weak?"
"With my gender? Yes."
Again, he had a point.
If Mira hadn't found out, I probably would've continued hiding it because, deep down, I had the same mindset as Lucca. The only difference was that I had already accepted the fact that someone else knew about my situation.
I nodded and returned to my book.
"If someone offered you a huge amount of money for the ring you're wearing, would you sell it?" he suddenly asked out of nowhere.
I looked at him, then at the ring on my finger. Everything my grandmother had told me came rushing back into my mind.
"No. I wouldn't trade my grandmother's memory for anything," I answered.
Lucca stared at the ring for a moment before nodding silently. Then he returned to reading.
That was it. Our short conversation filled with little bits of sarcasm.
I didn't ask any more questions because I didn't want him to think I was nosy.
Hours passed in silence again until someone entered the room.
A nurse came in to check Lucca's vital signs. While watching them, I noticed how the nurse kept smiling at him, making it obvious she had a crush on him. Lucca, however, looked completely unbothered even though the nurse kept finding excuses to brush against his skin.
I grimaced at the sight. It was obvious the nurse was doing everything she could just to get close to him.
I didn't realize Lucca had noticed my expression until he suddenly called my name.
"Seraphina, I want some water," he said.
The nurse looked shocked, as if she had only just realized I was there. She stared at me in confusion.
As Lucca's helper, for now, I grabbed the bottled water and walked over to him. The nurse continued staring at me as if I were some kind of mystery.
"Open it," Lucca said, though this time his voice sounded softer than usual. It was the first time I had heard him speak like that.
The nurse stood there in complete awe while I opened the bottle and handed it to Lucca. Even after checking his vital signs, she still hadn't left and kept staring at us.
"Is she your girlfriend?" the nurse suddenly asked.
I was about to answer, but Lucca spoke first.