Not long after Damien finally pulled up in front of Sophia’s apartment, the car eased to a soft stop. The morning breeze whispered through the air, but inside the car, silence lingered a little longer than expected.Then Sophia turned toward him, her hands gently folded over her lap. Her eyes searched his face like she was still trying to understand the man who had turned everything upside down in less than 24 hours.“Damien…” she started softly, “thank you—again. For everything.”Her voice held no pretense. Just raw gratitude.“For protecting me, for staying with me, for following me to that audition—even after everything that happened there. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t been there.”At that moment he glanced at her briefly, offering only a small nod.She bit her lip and added, “One day… I’ll repay you. I know you said you don’t want anything, not money or anything like that, but I’ll find something—something that matters to you. Something you’ll actually cherish

“Is anything wrong?” Serenity’s voice came out sharp, her expression already shifting from surprise to worry. “Why did you just burst into the guest room like that?”Upon hearing what Serenity just said.The girl struggled to catch her breath, her eyes already welling up. “It’s… it’s your grandfather,” she stammered. “He… he was doing fine just a few minutes ago. But then… he just collapsed. He just fell to the floor.”Serenity didn’t wait for the girl to finish. Her breath caught in her throat as she pushed past her and bolted out of the room.Her heartbeat thundered in her ears.‘No. No. This can’t be happening. He was fine. He was laughing just a few minutes ago. He was okay. Wasn’t he?’Her feet slammed against the floor as she raced down the hallway. Her mind was spiraling, she didn't understand what was going on.Could it be…? Could it be the medicine didn’t work? Did we miss something? What if… what if it’s worse than we thought?Behind her, Elvis was frozen for a second. His

Upon hearing what serenity just said Elvis's hand froze in midair, the crushed herbs clinging to his fingers. Serenity’s voice had cut through the air like a blade.“Stop!” she had shouted again.And now, silence wrapped the room, thick and choking.He slowly lowered his hand, his eyes avoiding hers. The weight of the disappointment crushed his chest—he could feel it swelling there like something stuck, something painful. This was his one chance to prove he mattered, to prove he could be the one Serenity relied on. But now…Now everything felt lost.He looked at her grandfather lying motionless on the bed, the blood still fresh at the corners of his eyes. The room smelled faintly of the herbs, sharp and earthy—but all Elvis could taste was failure.without being told she could tell If her grandfather didn't make it, Serenity would blame him. Even if she didn’t say it out loud, she would feel it. And worse, he would know it was true.Immediately a low, shaky breath escaped his lips as

Her grandfather stepped forward, tone calm but firm. “London, you’re wrong. She just came in not long ago. Barely ten minutes before you arrived.”Her father nodded in agreement. “We were outside when a car drove her in. It can’t be a coincidence that you’re both arriving around the same time. Whatever is upsetting you—maybe you should calm down and talk to her.”But that only made London’s face twist in rage. “Coincidence?” he scoffed. “You think this is coincidence?”He took a deep breath, barely able to contain his shaking.“Fine. Let me tell you why I came here.”At that moment both men were silent.“I came to tell you that I’m done. I’m not going to have anything to do with Sophia again,” he declared.Immediately Their expressions shifted—confusion, disbelief.London continued, his words sharp, his voice edged with disgust. “Sophia went to go sleep with that village doctor. She spent the night with that village bastard—and for what? Just because he was able to heal Mr. Nathaniel,

Everyone’s eyes turned to her. Sophia’s fists clenched at her side, her jaw tightening. But her grandfather didn’t pause.“We have kept quiet too much,” he said. “We have given you too much freedom. Too much leverage. And now, look what you're doing with it—misusing it!”At that moment he turned away for a second as if trying to calm himself, then looked back at her. “You think you can throw away everything we’ve built for some stranger? You better be mindful, Sophia. Mindful of the way you talk, of the way you behave. Because right now, I am already angry at you.”London, who had remained quiet for a while, finally stepped forward. His expression was cold, his shoulders squared as he spoke with calm pride.“I didn’t come here for Sophia to apologize,” he said, voice low and sharp. “I only came here to inform all of you that I am no longer interested.”But deep down, as he said those words, something tightened in his chest. He was hoping. Hoping she would stop him. Hoping she would br