Chapter 17

Three days had passed since Elena had last seen Alexander.

At first, she hadn't thought much of it.

Alexander was in his final year at university and had plenty of lectures and commitments, so his absence for a day or two wasn't unusual.

What was strange, however, was that he hadn't even sent her a message.

Elena sat in the university library, flipping through the pages of a book in front of her without reading a single word.

For the third time in a matter of minutes, she lifted her eyes from the book.

She glanced at the table across from her.

Empty.

She sighed.

"Maybe he has something keeping him busy."

She returned to her book.

A few minutes later, she closed it in frustration.

"Or maybe I should stop thinking about him every five minutes."

She tried to concentrate again.

But she couldn't.

Ever since they had grown accustomed to meeting in the library, his presence had become part of her daily routine in a way she hadn't noticed until he disappeared.

She kept expecting to hear his voice out of nowhere.

To see him appear beside the bookshelves.

To hear him make some annoying remark that would make her smile despite herself.

But none of that happened.

On the fourth day, Elena left her lecture and found herself automatically heading toward the spot where Alexander usually stood.

He wasn't there.

She stopped.

She stared at the empty spot for a few moments, then took out her phone.

She opened their conversation.

His last message had arrived three days earlier.

"Good night."

She typed:

"Where are you?"

She hesitated.

Then she deleted it.

Instead, she wrote:

"Is everything okay?"

She stared at the screen for a moment.

Then she sent it.

She waited.

One minute.

Then five.

No reply.

A small sense of unease crept into her chest.

She tried to convince herself that perhaps he wasn't carrying his phone.

But something deep inside her didn't feel right.

---

The following day, he didn't show up either.

This time, Elena couldn't ignore it.

She left the university, lost in thought.

"Maybe he's busy."

"What if something happened to him...?"

She fell silent, suddenly overcome with fear.

She didn't know his exact home address, but she knew the area where he lived from their previous conversations. She also knew his family name.

She stood outside the university gates for a few moments, hesitating.

"Is this weird?"

She looked at the road ahead.

Then she told herself, "I'll just make sure he's okay."

After spending some time searching and asking people who lived in the area, she found herself standing in front of the Alexander family home.

The house was large and remarkably quiet, so much so that Elena felt, for a moment, as though she were standing before a world entirely different from her own.

She looked at the expansive façade, the large windows, and the carefully maintained garden.

"Apparently, the word 'wealthy' isn't enough to describe this place."

Her eyes returned to the front door.

She suddenly felt nervous, though she didn't know why.

What would she say if he opened the door?

"Hello, you disappeared for three days, so I came to check on you?"

She quickly shook her head.

"That sounds incredibly embarrassing."

Nevertheless, she finally pressed the doorbell.

She waited.

No one came.

She pressed it again.

The house remained silent.

Her anxiety began to return.

"Alexander?"

No one answered.

Before she could press the bell a third time, the door slowly opened.

Alexander appeared.

But the moment she saw him, every thought vanished from her mind.

His face was pale.

His hair was slightly disheveled, and his eyes looked exhausted, as though he hadn't slept properly in days.

She stared at him with concern.

"Alexander?"

He looked at her in surprise.

"Elena?"

Without thinking, she placed her hand against his forehead.

He was unmistakably hot.

Her eyes widened.

"You have a fever!"

He moved his face slightly away from her hand, seemingly startled by her gesture.

"It's just a mild fever."

She gave him a stern look.

"And that's why you look like you're about to collapse at any moment?"

He smiled tiredly.

"I'm fine."

"Clearly."

He tried to laugh, but quickly broke into a cough.

Her expression changed.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't think it was worth mentioning."

"Where are your parents?"

He looked at her for a moment.

Then he answered calmly, "My parents are traveling."

She stared at him in disbelief.

"You're alone?"

He nodded slowly.

She sighed in frustration.

"You're unbelievably stubborn."

He smiled.

"I've heard that before."

"Don't smile."

"All right."

Then he staggered slightly.

She quickly grabbed his arm.

"Alexander!"

"I'm fine."

"I'm not listening to that sentence ever again."

She helped him back inside.

He sat down on the sofa while she closed the door behind them.

She looked around.

The house was even more spacious than she had imagined, and everything was arranged with meticulous care. Yet, despite its grandeur, it was strangely quiet.

For a moment, Elena felt that Alexander, despite everything surrounding him, truly was living alone.

She turned toward him.

"Have you eaten anything?"

He remained silent.

She narrowed her eyes.

"Alexander."

"I had some coffee."

She stared at him in disbelief.

"You're sick, and you haven't eaten?"

He shrugged.

"I didn't feel hungry."

She placed a hand against her forehead.

"Oh, my God. You're going to drive me insane."

Then she looked at him.

"I'll make you something warm."

He raised an eyebrow.

"You?"

"Yes, me."

"Do you even know how to cook?"

She shot him a sharp look.

"Do you want something to eat, or would you rather I leave you here?"

He smiled playfully.

"I want to eat, but I'm afraid you might poison me."

She glared at him.

"You're being rude instead of thanking me for caring about you?!"

He waved his hand playfully.

"I apologize. I won't do it again. Please, feed me."

She sighed in surrender.

"You're truly impossible."

She looked around once more, then sighed.

"All right, where's the kitchen?"

He pointed ahead.

"Over there. The first room on your right."

Elena headed in the direction he indicated, then stopped for a moment.

She turned back toward him.

"And don't even think about getting up."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Are you ordering me around?"

"Yes."

He smiled.

"Understood."

"Good."

She turned to leave, but then heard his voice behind her.

"Elena."

She turned around.

He was looking at her calmly, the teasing gone from his expression.

"Thank you for coming."

She paused for a moment.

She didn't know what to say.

So she settled for a small smile.

"Don't thank me yet."

Then she continued toward the kitchen.

"Just try not to die of stubbornness."

He chuckled softly from his place on the sofa.

For the first time in days, he felt that his quiet house was no longer entirely empty.

As for Elena...

She had no idea that stepping into that house that day would bring them closer than she had ever imagined.