Chapter 6

Louisa and Brandon kept their promise. Katie's father sent her abroad, and the Knights made sure everything went according to plan.

Lucian left shortly afterward. However, before his departure, something about him changed. He became distant from everyone, especially Selena. She would occasionally catch him looking at her with an expression of pure disgust, only for him to quickly compose his face as though nothing had happened. Whenever she tried to talk to him, he would either ignore her or walk away. He was always on his phone, too. Sometimes, he would type furiously, his expression darkening with every passing second. Other times, he would sneak away to make a call, only to end it the moment someone approached him. Selena couldn't understand what was happening.Had she done something wrong? She tried asking him several times, but he never gave her an answer. Eventually, she decided to try one last time. This time, however, she wasn't going to let him intimidate her or talk down to her.

She found him alone one afternoon and approached him. "Lucian, can we talk?"

He barely glanced at her. "About what?"

"About you. You've been acting strangely lately, and I don't understand why. Did I do something to upset you?"

He let out a humourless laugh. "Seriously, Selena? Is this what you've been bothering me about?"

"Bothering you? I'm only asking if there's a problem."

"Of course you are. You always have to make everything about yourself, don't you?"

She frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb with me. You're an attention-seeking whore who doesn't know when to leave people alone. You're always sticking your nose into things that have absolutely nothing to do with you."

Selena stared at him, stunned. "Lucian—"

"No, I'm not finished." He took a step closer, his expression hardening. "You're a busybody who never learns to mind her own business. Must you always find a way to insert yourself into other people's lives? Don't you have anything better to do?"

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. All she had done was ask him what was wrong, yet he was speaking to her as though she had committed some unforgivable crime.

"Why are you talking to me like this?" she asked, her voice trembling. "What exactly have I done to deserve this treatment?"

He scoffed. "Not everything is about you, Selena. Get that into your head." Something inside her snapped. Before she could think twice, she slapped him. Then she slapped him again, her eyes burning with tears and anger.

Lucian didn't retaliate. He didn't even look particularly surprised. He simply stared at her for a moment before walking past her.

"Bitch." That was all he said. Selena stood rooted to the spot, watching him walk away as though she meant absolutely nothing to him. She had never felt so humiliated.

That afternoon, she cried until her eyes were swollen and her head ached. She kept replaying their conversation in her mind, desperately searching for something she might have done to provoke him. Was it because he knew she had feelings for him?

Had her feelings become so obvious that he found them disgusting? Or had she somehow become a burden to him without realising it? She had no answers, and the uncertainty hurt almost as much as his words. Eventually, she wiped her face and sniffled."If this is how he wants it, then so be it." And she meant it. From that day onward, Selena stopped trying. She didn't speak to him. She didn't greet him. She didn't ask how he was doing or attempt to find out why he had changed.

When Lucian eventually left, she didn't even bother to see him off. If he wanted nothing to do with her, she would give him exactly that. She had no idea that the silence between them would last for years.

University life began soon afterward. Selena enrolled in a combined programme in Psychology and Business Administration, while Claire pursued Psychology, hoping to become a therapist. Their university years were demanding, but Selena adapted quickly. She had always been academically gifted, and she threw herself into her studies with the same determination she had displayed since childhood.

Lucian, too, continued to excel at his studies abroad. Before long, their academic achievements became an unspoken competition.

Whenever Selena received excellent results, Brandon and Louisa would proudly tell her about Lucian's latest achievements. Whenever Lucian performed exceptionally well, his parents would make sure Selena heard about it.

It didn't matter that they were studying in different countries. Somehow, the two of them still managed to compete with each other without exchanging a single word. The Knights found the situation amusing. As far as they were concerned, the competition was doing both of them good. It pushed them to work harder, and neither seemed willing to let the other get too far ahead. 

Meanwhile, Katie struggled to adjust to her new circumstances. She had initially forbidden Selena and Claire from visiting her. The shame and embarrassment she felt about everything that had happened made it difficult for her to face them in person. Selena and Claire worried about her, especially because they couldn't be there to support her physically. However, they respected her wishes and settled for occasional video calls. Eventually, Katie became more comfortable with the idea of seeing them. She allowed them to visit during their holidays, although she preferred to keep those visits short and private. As the years passed, their friendship slowly found its footing again. Still, there were periods when Katie withdrew, particularly when she was struggling with motherhood and her new life abroad. During their fourth year, she stopped accepting visits altogether, insisting that she needed time to sort things out. The girls hated being so far away from her, but they had promised to respect her decisions. And so they waited.

By their final year, all three girls were counting down the days until they could finally be together again. Selena and Claire were especially excited about meeting little Noah properly. They had watched him grow through video calls, although the terrible connection often made it difficult to see his face clearly. They had spent countless hours complaining about the poor video quality and teasing Katie about how much they were missing out on. Now, at last, they would get to hold him. Unfortunately, their final year at university was also their busiest. Between final examinations, major projects, and graduation preparations, travelling abroad was practically impossible. Besides, they had agreed not to visit Katie before she returned, partly to avoid an awkward encounter with Lucian.

So they stayed behind and focused on finishing their studies.

Around that time, Brandon and Louisa travelled to the country where Katie and Lucian were living. The couple had barely been gone when they returned the following day, looking unusually displeased.Selena noticed immediately.

"Is everything okay?" she asked as they entered the house.

Brandon offered her a reassuring smile.

"Of course, darling. It's just work. Something came up, and it was rather frustrating to deal with."

Louisa nodded in agreement, although neither of them looked particularly convinced by their own explanation. Selena studied them for another moment. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely," Brandon assured her. She accepted their answer. Running an empire was hardly a walk in the park, and she imagined that unexpected business problems were part of the package. Still, she didn't like seeing them so tense.

After thinking about it for a while, she came up with what she considered the perfect solution.

A spa day.

She booked a premium spa package for both of them, including massages, hoping they could relax and forget about whatever had happened abroad. Once everything was arranged, she headed upstairs to their room to drag them out herself.

She was about to knock when she heard Brandon's voice. He was shouting. The sound was so loud that she could hear him clearly through the thick door, despite the soundproofing. Selena froze.

She had known Brandon for years, and while he could be stern when necessary, she had rarely heard him raise his voice like this.

"I wonder who pissed him off," she muttered. She considered leaving. Whatever was happening inside the room was clearly private, and she had no intention of eavesdropping on her guardians.

Then she heard another sentence.

"SHE IS THE ONLY WOMAN WHO HAS ANY RIGHT TO BE WITH YOU!"

Selena blinked. What? She couldn't make out the response from the other person, but Brandon sounded furious enough to tear the entire room apart. There was a brief silence, followed by Louisa's quieter voice. Then everything went still.

Selena stood outside for a few seconds, wondering what on earth she had just heard. Who was the woman they were talking about? And who, exactly, was supposed to be with her? Before she could come up with an answer, she decided that she had already heard more than she should have. She raised her hand and knocked.

"Come in," Louisa called. Selena opened the door and stepped inside.

"Sir, are you okay?" Brandon turned toward her. For a brief moment, his expression seemed caught between irritation and surprise. Then he smiled at her, the familiar warmth returning to his face.

"I wasn't," he said, "but seeing your face has brightened my day again." He cupped her cheeks affectionately, and Selena smiled back.

"Well, I'm glad I could help. I booked a premium spa package for the two of you because you both look terribly tense."

Brandon and Louisa exchanged a glance.

"My darling, thank you so much!" Louisa exclaimed. "You're the only person in this entire house who cares about us." Selena burst out laughing. "That's because I'm the only one here with common sense. Now, come on. We're leaving before you find another excuse to work."

She practically herded them out of the room. At the spa, Selena called Claire and invited her to join them. They also video-called Katie, who was delighted to see everyone together, even if she couldn't be there physically.

By the time the afternoon ended, Brandon and Louisa seemed much more relaxed. Selena considered the day a success. Afterward, she and Claire went shopping for their graduation outfits. They also picked out a gift for Noah, spending far too much time debating which of the adorable little things they found would suit him best. Neither of them could wait to see him.

Two days after graduation, Katie finally returned home with Noah. Selena and Claire arrived at the airport early, unwilling to risk missing even a minute of their reunion. They waited near the arrivals area, watching as passengers began filing through the doors after their flight landed. Then Selena spotted her.

"Katie!" Katie looked up, and her face immediately lit up.

For a second, the three women simply stared at one another, as though they needed to confirm that this was really happening. Then Claire rushed forward. The next few minutes were a blur of excited squeals, tight hugs, and overlapping questions. They held on to Katie as though they were afraid she might disappear again. Then  little Noah came running toward them.

"Aunties!" Both women immediately bent down to catch him, laughing as they wrapped their arms around him.

"Oh, my goodness! Look at you!" Claire exclaimed, showering his face with kisses. Selena hugged him tightly, her heart practically bursting.

"So this is the little man we've been seeing through those terrible video calls!"

Noah giggled, apparently delighted by all the attention. Katie watched them with a smile, although her eyes grew misty as she took in the sight of her best friends holding her son. She had missed them terribly. And now, at last, they were together again.