"Lucian, what exactly do you take me for?" she asked the minute he slid the Ruby-Dean diamond necklace towards her on their fourth wedding anniversary. Taken aback by her sudden question, Lucian frowned. "I don't understand what you mean." Selena laughed, but there was nothing happy about it. Her expression twisted into disgust when she was done. She cleaned her hands with the napkin, dropped it onto the table, and folded her arms as she stared at Lucian with an amused expression.He continued eating without a care in the world. Noticing his wife's eyes on him, he finally looked up. "Why are you being like this?" "Because you are fucking one of my best friends while coming home to me every day, acting all fake and shit." Her voice rose slightly, but she didn't care. The restaurant was fully booked for the two of them anyway. "Tell me something, Luce. Was I that much of a joke to you that you thought you could cheat with one of my closest people and still be buying me flowers and chocolates every time you meet her?" The chocolates. Claire's younger sister had made them for him to give her but she didn't know that, yet. Selena stared at his face, searching for guilt, regret, a mistake-anything she could hold on to. But what she saw was coldness. It chilled her to the bones. Lucian didn't even look at her twice. He simply continued eating. "Eat your food, Selena." One Day Ago Selena had been on her way to work when Claire called, saying she had something to tell her. From Claire's tone, Selena immediately knew something was wrong, and it stayed on her mind the entire day. So when she finally left work, she went straight to Claire's house. "Babe, are you okay?" she asked immediately when Claire opened the door. Claire gestured for her to come in. She looked physically drained. "What's wrong? You're scaring me." "Can you at least sit first?" Claire sat down, and Selena, with no other choice, sat beside her. "Anything I can offer you?" Selena gave her the Girl, Are you being serious right now? Look Claire gave up and sighed. "I'll tell you why I brought you here, but first, you have to promise me one thing." Selena was already impatient. "What?" "You will not panic. You will be calm, and-" "Panic?" "Don't start," Claire said weakly. "Just promise me." Selena agreed without hesitation. She wanted to soothe her bestie's mind, but deep down, she already knew that if things went south, she was going to attack and shut down whoever had put her once-lively bestie in this state. With Sel's affirmation, Claire brought out her phone and opened something on it. She hesitated for a few seconds before finally handing it to Selena. Selena took the phone and played the video. Two people-a man and a woman-were in the sheets together. Selena looked at Claire, confused. "Why are you showing me a video of two people having sex?" Claire had gone pale."Just keep watching." Selena, now heavily worried about her, had no choice but to continue. The man changed positions, and the woman's face came into view. Selena froze. It was Katie. Claire's younger sister. She still didn't understand why Claire had shown her the video, but she kept watching out of curiosity.Then she noticed the man's shoulder. There was a tattoo on his shoulder blade.It wasn't completely clear, but Selena knew that tattoo.Then the man spoke, and the sound of his voice made her entire world come crashing down. Lucian. Her Lucian. Her feet felt glued to the ground. All the air around her seemed to disappear. Her face turned tomato red, and she became completely speechless. Speechless would have been putting it mildly. For almost a minute, she sat there staring at the screen without moving an inch, as though moving would somehow make everything real.Then the dam broke. She wasn't sobbing loudly. The tears simply began falling. Slowly, she turned to face her best friend, who was now crying fully. Finally finding her voice, Selena asked, "What is this?" Claire shifted closer to her, but Selena moved back until her body hit the armrest of the couch. It broke Claire's heart. "I'm sorr-" "I asked WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?"Selena stood up and screamed at the top of her voice. "Sel, please calm down." Claire stood as well, trying to comfort her friend, but Selena's next question shook her. "Why are you crying?" Selena looked straight into her eyes. "Did you know about this?" She pointed towards the phone. Claire tensed. Selena's shoulders dropped. Her hands fell to her sides, and the phone slipped from her fingers, clattering softly onto the floor. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I didn't know at first either. I only found out after I caught them going into Hotel Brine." Claire was weeping profusely, her eyes red and her face flushed. Selena could see the guilt written all over her face. She could even see the veins standing out on Claire's forehead and neck. It hurt.It hurts so much.But Selena was angry. Furious. And she knew that if she opened her mouth right then, she was going to make Claire drown in guilt. She would call her later. When she was calmer.For now, she needed to leave before she said or did something she would regret. She grabbed her bag and headed for the door. Claire grabbed her before she could leave, wrapping her arms around her and apologizing over and over. Selena started crying again too. She wanted to hug her best friend. God, she wanted to hug her so badly. But she felt betrayed, and she needed to clear her head. So she gently pushed Claire away and left the house, ignoring her frantic calls. She didn't go home. Of course she couldn't. How was she supposed to go home and face that bastard? She knew she was going to pick up one of the flowers he had brought her every time he went to see Katie and stab him with it. So instead, she went to the place she always went when things got rough.The place she went when she needed to cool down. She had come here when it felt like the burden of the world was on her shoulders, Whenever life became too much, she came here. This time, she cried freely. She didn't hold anything back. She cried so badly her chest hurt. How could Lucian do this? After everything she'd done to become the perfect wife, both in his eyes and in the eyes of his parents. Selena had come from a humble background in a quiet town in the Midwest. Her parents weren't rich, but they were happy. They worked hard to provide for their family and gave Selena a simple but loving childhood. Selena had always been a bright and intelligent child. That was why her father's younger sister, Moraine, who was a principal at one of the schools participating in a prestigious academic competition, had come to persuade her parents to let Selena participate. They were reluctant at first, but seeing how excited Selena was, they eventually agreed. She arrived in the city two weeks before the competition. It wasn't a lot of time, but it was enough for her to study and prepare. It was her first time in the city, so navigating it was difficult. Thankfully, her aunt was always there to guide her and help her prepare. The competition was meant for students from prestigious schools, but Moraine, being the principal of one of the competing schools, had been able to bring Selena in on one condition: She had to help the school win. Come the day of the competition, Selena was fully prepared. Still, she was nervous. A little encouragement from Moraine brought her confidence back, and once the competition began, Selena quickly proved why she'd been chosen.She advanced to the finals. But at the last minute, her final competitor was changed. Someone else had to take his place. Five minutes before the final round began, the new student came backstage to introduce himself. And Selena forgot how to breathe. He was the most handsome boy she had ever seen. She had only ever seen someone that handsome on television. She wanted to approach him, but before she could, they were called out for the finale. They were both impressive. Question after question, they answered almost seamlessly. Then they reached the final question. The commentator finished speaking, and the boy immediately slammed his hand on the bell but Selena didn't. It surprised him. It surprised the judges. It even surprised the people from their schools sitting in the crowd. But Selena knew the question was a trick. She had no intention of rushing to answer it. She let him go first. And luckily for her, he got it wrong. The question was passed to Selena. She answered flawlessly, explaining her reasoning so clearly that even the judges looked impressed. When she finished, they were sent backstage to wait for the results. Selena had planned to approach the boy afterward. His name, she had learned, was Lucian. But she decided to wait until the results were announced.

The results were out, and Selena had passed Lucian by 15 marks. Her aunt was so happy, jubilating as she hugged her. Lucian also came forward and congratulated her. She blushed and thanked him. Other schools came forward to congratulate her too, and they offered her flowers, which her aunt helped her carry as they were becoming too heavy. She went backstage and noticed two people waiting in her section. Her aunt stopped her, telling her she should go talk to them first, but they approached them before Moraine could even move.They had warm smiles on their faces as they came closer. "You are Selena Meyers, right?" the woman asked. Selena looked at her. She was a beautiful woman wearing a standard corporate dress, with dark hair and hazel eyes. She looked no more than forty, if Selena wasn't mistaken. She wore a wedding ring with an inscription on it and carried a small black laptop bag and a coat that didn't seem to belong to her, considering she already had her jacket on and it was summer.Selena glanced at the man's finger and noticed he also had a wedding ring with an inscription. She immediately knew they were married. She returned their smiles. "Yes, I am." They looked at each other and smiled wider.The man stretched out his hand for a handshake. "Hi. We are Brandon and Louisa Knight. Pleasure to meet you two." Selena took his hand. "Likewise, sir." Moraine also greeted them, and they turned to her. "Is she your daughter?" "She's my niece," Moraine answered quickly. Selena almost laughed at how quickly she answered. "Oh, alright then. We were here because of our son, Lucian, but we saw the show and honestly, we were mesmerized. So we came to congratulate you." They looked at each other before Louisa continued. "And we want you to join our school. Everything, even down to your personal expenses, will be funded." Now it was the aunt and niece's turn to look at each other. Selena spoke first. "I don't understand. You want me to finish at your school with a full scholarship?" The Knights nodded in sync, their warm smiles still on their faces. "I'd love that so much." Moraine looked at her and saw how excited she was, but she excused them for a minute so she could speak with Selena alone. "What about your parents?" she asked with obvious worry. She knew how hard she had to beg her sister to release Selena for the competition, and she knew very well that they wouldn't want their daughter staying here alone. "You'll have to speak to them for me, Aunt." "You accepted the offer yourself, so why do I have to talk to your parents on your behalf?" "Because they'll listen to you better than they will to me, and you can explain this type of thing better to them." Moraine sighed in defeat. She knew the opportunity was too good for Selena to pass up. If left to her parents, they would probably keep her tucked away in the countryside forever. "Alright." Selena squealed with joy and hugged her aunt tightly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" "That's enough." Moraine released herself from her tight grasp, and they walked back to the waiting couple. "Sorry for keeping you waiting." Moraine looked at Selena for confirmation, and Selena nodded rapidly. "We agree to it." They were happy to hear it. "Perfect. Any questions or concerns?" "My house is far from here because, as you know, we are only here for the competition," Moraine stated matter-of-factly. She was a principal at another prestigious school in a different city, and her school had also come for the competition. "If she's okay staying alone, we'll fund her accommodation. But if you're okay with it, she can live with us. That way, we can keep an eye on her." Moraine was still doubtful, but for now, she had to talk to Selena's parents first before making a decision. "Let us think about it first." "Take as much time as you need. And this is my card. Call us when you're ready." Louisa handed her a sleek black business card with embossed lettering and gold details. "I will, and thank you very much for this opportunity." They said their goodbyes, and the couple left. "So they're Lucian Knight's parents?" Selena asked Moraine, who was still admiring the card. "Yes, it seems so. And from the look of this card, they're very, very wealthy. Probably old money." Selena shrugged, and they went to say goodbye to Moraine's school, who rewarded her for her performance and also offered her a place in their school. Selena flatly refused but still thanked them for the opportunity. It was getting late, and the students had already been sent back to their hotels, but Selena had to wait for her aunt to finish up. As she waited, she saw someone sitting alone at the far end of the hallway. He looked familiar. When she looked closely, she realized it was Lucian Knight. She had been meaning to talk to him all day. "Hi." Lucian looked up but didn't smile. "Hello," he replied coldly. She sat beside him. "I'm guessing you're Lucian, right?" He didn't answer. Such a spoiled brat, she thought. "I might not be in the right position to ask, but what's put you in this mood?" "You don't know the real reason my parents approached you, right?" Selena was taken aback. Was he angry that his parents had approached her? "Because they saw my talent and wanted me to be their student." The statement he had just made put some doubt in her mind, but she still answered confidently. He laughed sarcastically. "Not only are you an attention seeking whore, but you're also naive." Before she could think twice, Selena slapped him right across the face. She should have just stayed where she was. She stood up and went back inside, where she found Moraine waiting for her. They then left for the hotel. The drive to the house the next day was silent, mostly because they were both thinking about how to break the news to Selena's parents that she was going to move to the city and live with people she barely knew. Oh well. She was just going to have to try her best to convince them. When they got there, they noticed a small, rowdy commotion outside Selena's house and rushed over to find out what had happened. A neighbour had found Selena's parents dead inside the house. Everything seemed straightforward. The scene suggested a tragic domestic incident, and the local authorities treated it as such. There were no obvious signs of a struggle, and the circumstances were quickly interpreted as a personal tragedy rather than something more sinister. Nothing that Selena, still young and completely overwhelmed by what she was seeing, could notice. It's been two days since she became an orphan. Two days since she'd been completely distraught. Two days since she'd been staring into space, barely responding to anyone. Two days since she'd been receiving condolences from people she knew... And people she didn't. And up until this moment, she still hadn't gotten herself together. The funeral was held in their town's cemetery, two blocks from their house, and it went smoothly. Selena was completely against anyone following them back home or offering her any more condolences, and Moraine made sure to pass that message along to everyone who came for the funeral. Ever since they'd returned, Moraine had been trying to get her to eat, but Selena couldn't say anything. She couldn't eat anything. She could barely even move. She felt like the world had opened another door without her parents in it. She felt like she could never be normal again. To her, this was the end of the world. And right then, she couldn't imagine a life beyond it. Moraine never gave up..She was always bringing food to Selena's bedroom door, only to take it back untouched. She knew that if things continued like this, Selena was going to starve herself. She was grieving too, very deeply, in fact, but she knew her brother would want her to take care of Selena as her own. It had been three days, and she needed to do something to bring Selena out of her room. So she had no choice but to call Lucian's parents, the couple they had met at the competition. This was crossing a line because Selena had strictly told her not to. Calling people they barely knew, people who had no business being involved in what had happened, felt wrong. But Selena's parents were her family too. She had the right to do what she believed was best for Selena. So she called them. She didn't tell them about the tragedy that had befallen the family. Instead, she told them that Selena was having a difficult time and that she would really appreciate it if they could come. They agreed without hesitation. They arrived around sunset and met Moraine. After exchanging greetings, she brought them inside, including their son, whom they had brought along. She offered them something to drink, and they chatted for a while before Moraine decided to open up. They immediately offered their condolences and expressed their regret. Moraine also explained why she had brought them there on a whim, and they agreed to help her. She prepared another meal, Selena's favourite, and signalled for them to follow her upstairs. When they got there, Moraine knocked. "Selena?" She tried persuading her to come out. She even cried as she pleaded with her, but all to no avail. At one point, Moraine began wondering if Selena was even still awake inside. Then, just as Louisa was about to speak, Lucian spoke from behind them. They hadn't even realized he had followed them upstairs. "Selena, you either come outside and eat..." He stopped for a moment, as if contemplating what to say next. Then he continued. "Or else I'll break down this door and take you to your parents' grave and show them what their daughter has been doing to herself." That did it. The next second, the door unlocked. Selena stepped out.

Selena already knew there were people in the house, but she didn't bother to check or go downstairs. She didn't care if they were there to offer their condolences or if they genuinely wanted to see them. None of that mattered. But when she heard footsteps, she knew her aunt had come again with the visitors, and that annoyed her because Moraine knew she didn't want to see anyone. Then she heard the voice of that familiar young boy. And the threat. That annoyed her even more. Before she could think everything through, she had already opened the door in anger. "What did you just say?" She finally came to her senses and saw the people standing at the door. She also recognized the voice. But instead of getting a response, Lucian simply smiled, while her aunt hugged her very tightly, weeping profusely. "Why are you doing this to yourself?" Selena felt bad now because she realized when she opened the door that the threat had only been a ploy to get her out of her room. The Knights eventually hugged and consoled her, and they all ate together as Moraine convinced them to stay for dinner while she made more food. Selena and Moraine agreed to be at their house on Friday, and Louisa promised to send a driver for them once they got back to their city. She also told them that if they needed more time, they should take it. Selena strongly refused. Moraine had tried to get them to stay, but they said they had already gotten an inn nearby for the night. They said their goodbyes, finished with more hugs, and left. Moraine sat down with Selena and talked to her, wanting to know how she was feeling. She also apologized for calling the Knights when Selena had strictly told her not to. Selena didn't dwell on it. They consoled each other, did the dishes, and went to bed. But Selena went to her aunt's room because she didn't want to sleep alone. The Knights came to see them the next day before they left. Lucian and Selena had a little chat. He apologized for yesterday and for the way he had behaved at the competition, and Selena forgave him. He explained that he had been jealous when his parents were talking to her because he was an only child. His parents had always wanted three children, but after complications with Louisa's fertility treatments, having more children became difficult. His mother eventually decided against trying artificial insemination. That day at the competition, something had simply ticked in his head. He had convinced himself that his parents were going to adopt Selena and that all their attention would suddenly be on her. Selena laughed at that. His parents were nice people, but she wasn't sure they would let anyone take the place of their son. "You're such an overthinker," she told him. "Maybe." "You're not just an overthinker. You're a professional overthinker." That earned a laugh from him. And it was genuine. They hugged each other before he left and said their goodbyes. "You like him." It wasn't a question. Moraine had been watching them earlier and had seen the way Selena smiled around him. "Who?" Selena looked at her aunt and saw her grinning then she shook her head. "Absolutely not." "Alright." But Moraine was still smiling, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "I'm serious. I was sitting on my own and he came to apologize." "Alright, alright. I heard you." They started walking back inside to begin packing. "For now, let's just pack everything that can fit into the boxes. The truck will be here soon." They brought out all the moving boxes and began packing everything. The truck arrived, but they weren't even halfway done. They didn't really have much-just the main essentials and a little more-but they were only two women trying to handle everything themselves. The truck driver and his assistant eventually joined in, and by 7:16 p.m., they were done packing and loading everything onto the truck. The driver and his assistant left with the truck. Selena and Moraine both lay down in the middle of the empty sitting room, talking about the memories they had made in the house. It was inevitable. They were both going back to the city, so there was no other choice but to sell it. And the buyer was coming tomorrow. Friday had come so quickly. They had actually sold the house the previous day, and the new owner had given them one more day to stay. Now they were already leaving. They filled the car trunk with Selena's luggage and set off. Selena felt hurt that she was leaving. She didn't know what the world outside this town was really like. She had heard stories, and she had been mesmerized by the tall buildings and busy life when she visited the city for the competition, but she had never imagined that she would leave this place completely one day. And not without her parents. She cried one last time before finally saying goodbye to the town. She knew she would always come back to visit her parents' graves and bring her new family here too. They arrived in the city, and just as Lucian's parents had promised, a driver was waiting for them at Brine Hotels and Suites, one of the city's most luxurious hotels. He was waiting in the parking lot. Selena found herself in awe of the place, and Moraine smiled at her.She wondered why she had never brought Selena here before. Oh, her brother. He had always tried to protect his daughter from the world and keep her grounded. And here she was now, admiring a hotel she would normally have only passed by without ever seeing inside. And she hadn't even seen its full glory at night. In the parking lot, the driver brought down the luggage and loaded it into the other car. They left Moraine's car at the hotel because once she was sure her niece was safe, she would be heading back to her own city. The break her school had given her was over, and she needed to resume work. If Selena thought the hotel was impressive, the house was on a whole other level. Even Moraine was surprised. She knew the Knights were rich, but she hadn't expected Neoclassical ultra-luxury mansion kind of rich. Selena was amazed beyond belief as they got out of the car and walked towards the house. Several maids in uniforms were waiting outside, and several bodyguards came forward to help with Selena's luggage. They didn't even let her carry a single bag herself. "Is this even a house on Earth, or have I transmigrated to heaven, Aunt?" Moraine laughed and shook her head. The maids stepped forward to welcome them, and the Knights also came outside to welcome them and usher them in. Immediately, Louisa welcomed them to the dining table, and the maids began serving dinner under her directions. They were both hungry because they had only had a burger for brunch, so they dug in before they even finished properly settling down. Their hunger earned a hearty laugh from the family, including Lucian, who had surprisingly been smiling since they arrived. Dinner was over, and the food hadn't even settled when Selena asked, "So I'll be living here with you?" The couple looked at each other before smiling. "Yes. But not only that. You'll have your own room upstairs, right beside Lucian's." Selena was so happy and relieved, and Moraine and everyone else were happy to see her smiling again. But Moraine still felt uneasy because she had to ask about the school. She was a principal herself, and she had seen firsthand what some wealthy students could do to scholarship students. She had even seen situations where students had suffered terribly because of bullying and harassment. The Knights took her to another room so they could talk privately about it, leaving Selena with Lucian. The lounge was very beautiful, with expensive couches, polished wooden floors, large decorative pieces, and huge windows overlooking the property. It was pretty, but that wasn't why Moraine was in there. She needed to lay down some ground rules and make sure Selena's safety was going to be taken seriously.