Chapter 5

"Vanes—"

I hung up, not wanting to hear another word of whatever Alex had to say.

Soon, the plane lifted into the sky, and with it, my new life was finally beginning.

When I dragged my suitcase into the airport arrival hall, a sleek black car was already idling near the entrance.

Standing beside it was a tall figure with his back toward me, clad in a sharp, tailored black suit.

He had broad shoulders and an exceptionally upright posture. Even from just his silhouette, I could tell he was undeniably handsome.

As if hearing my footsteps, he turned around.

"Vanessa." He walked over to me, a subtle curve forming at the corners of his lips. "Long time no see."

"Troy?"

I stood there in shock for a good few seconds.

Troy Johnson was the son of a close friend of my father's. Growing up, Troy was always so serious, constantly trailing behind me with a stoic face.

But he had grown so much taller since I last saw him, his facial features far more defined and his jawline dangerously sharp.

In short, he had matured into an incredibly striking man.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Your dad sent me to pick you up." He took the luggage from my hand. "Let's go. The car is over there."

He walked by my side, deliberately slowing his pace to match mine.

On the drive home, his gaze constantly drifted toward me in the mirror. I didn't call him out on it, though it made me feel a bit self-conscious.

"You've lost a lot of weight," he suddenly said.

"I guess so."

"Your complexion looks pretty pale, too." He frowned slightly. "Haven't been getting enough rest?"

I didn't answer.

He let out a quiet sigh, choosing not to press any further.

Troy drove with remarkable care, occasionally checking in to ask if I was tired or wanted something to eat.

He even remembered that I loved sweet tea with extra cinnamon and deliberately took a detour just to buy me a cup.

"How do you even remember I like this?" I asked, accepting the warm cup.

"I remember everything about you," he answered candidly.

Holding the warm cup, I honestly didn't know how to respond.

The car remained quiet—so quiet that I could almost hear the rhythm of both my breath and Troy's. Fortunately, the abrupt vibration of my phone broke the somewhat awkward silence.

I pulled it out to check, only to see Alex's messages popping up one right after another.

[Vanessa, why on earth did you transfer your pack affiliation? Are you actually serious?]

[Can you please just reply to me? Are you really doing this just because you're still mad about Lily?]

[Vanessa, don't be reckless, okay? Let's just sit down and talk this through.]

...

I gave the messages a quick glance, tapped the screen off, and casually threw the phone back into my bag.

Troy glanced at me through the rearview mirror, but he didn't pry.

A few minutes later, the phone vibrated again. The sound cut through the quiet cabin louder than ever.

"Is it him?" Troy finally spoke, his voice carrying a hint of tension.

He paused briefly, as if searching his memory. "That guy... what was his name again? Alex? Is it him?"

"Yeah." I nodded.

Troy fell silent for a few seconds before tentatively asking, "Are you going back?"

"No," I said, firm and unflinching.

At that, Troy's expression visibly relaxed. The corners of his lips curved into a subtle smile, and his steering relaxed as his mood lightened.

"Good," he said.

I assumed he would ask for more details, but he simply redirected his focus back onto the road and reached to turn on the stereo, letting soft music fill the car.

Surrounded by the gentle tune, I drifted off into a deep, peaceful sleep.

By the time we pulled up, my mom and dad were already standing by the front door, waiting eagerly to welcome me.

The moment I stepped out of the car, my father walked right over and wrapped me in a tight embrace.

"Oh, Vanessa." Dad's voice sounded choked and raspy. "You're finally home."

Mom stepped in as well, placing a gentle kiss on my cheek.

"Vanessa, sweetheart, how did you get so thin? You must not have eaten properly on the road. Come on, let's get you inside."

She pulled me by the hand and guided me into the house.

Looking around at the familiar surroundings, an overwhelming sense of relief washed over me.

When I was around Alex, I constantly had to cater to Lily's emotions while no one gave a damn about mine. I was nothing more than a third wheel.

It wasn't until I came home that I realized just how much I had missed the feeling of being unconditionally loved and accepted.

During dinner, my mother cooked an entire table full of my absolute favorite dishes.

My father poured a glass of wine and held it up toward me with a smile.

"Here's to your eighteenth birthday," he said. "Don't worry about a thing. When your awakening ceremony comes tomorrow, we'll all be right there by your side."

Looking at the steaming flatbread in my bowl, my father's raised glass, and my mother's warm, beaming smile, my eyes suddenly welled up with tears.

Underneath the table, my phone screen kept lighting up as Alex's texts flooded in. So I reached down and shut the phone off completely.

Here, I didn't need to walk on eggshells for Lily, and I'd never be treated like an outsider.

Because I was home, where I truly belonged.