After almost an hour, I exited the bathroom only in my robe, my eyes were swollen from tears, and droplets of water clung to my skin. With a heavy heart, I made my way to the bed, grabbing the phone I borrowed from Sammy. I sat on the floor, hugging my knees. My fingers trembled slightly as I dialed the number I had memorized by heart. The phone rang once, twice, and then a click followed but no one answered first. A sad smile appeared on my lips since I told them that if the call was from me, I would speak first and they should wait for me to speak first. It is for safety purposes. "Hey," I said softly, trying to mask the weight in my voice. A familiar voice came through, "Took you forever, kiddo." I managed a faint smile at the familiar greeting. "Give me a break, Percival. How's Sara?" Then, in the background, I heard someone approach the phone. “Dad, is that Florence?” There was a pause, then another voice, full of excitement, “Florence?! Is that really you?! We we

The next few days became so hectic at the flower shop that once I got home, I was knocked out instantly. I didn't even notice that there were only 3 days left before the Werewolf Council visited this place. Ever since the conversation I had with Percival and Quin, I decided to follow their suggestion and just lay low for now. I decided to wait for the meeting of the Werewolf Council to pass before I set my plan to action, which was to get close to Nicholas as much as possible–maybe make him fall in love with me. However, I continued to familiarize myself with the map Jake had given me, just in case. It's always good to have a backup plan. During this time, I hadn't seen Layla or had any visits from Gayle. And as much as I don't want to admit it, I was expecting Nicholas to visit unexpectedly but he never did. He must be really busy. While wiping down the counter, my attention shifted to a stylish elderly lady engaged in a serious conversation with Sammy. I couldn't help but

When we were near the entrance of the castle, Nicholas put me down but he quickly grabbed my arm and pulled me into the castle, his jaw tense. I couldn't help but notice the sideways glances from the passing servants. They were totally checking out the drama we were having, but Nicholas? He was like a rock, completely unbothered by their sneaky looks. He had his eyes laser-focused on me. "Why the f*ck you insisted on going there?" His voice sliced through the air, sharp and stern, layered with frustration. I rolled my eyes at him, "I was just curious about the training, so I asked Isaac and Gayle to bring me there." "Curiosity doesn't excuse reckless actions. You had no business there" I stopped in my tracks, making another attempt to wrestle my arm away from him, but he might as well be part of a concrete wall. Why is he so strong?! "Why are you so angry at that?!" I snapped in frustration. “It's not like I cause trouble there” Nicholas's jaw clenched as he stared at

Finding myself alone in Nicholas's bedroom, I couldn't resist the temptation to explore the room. It's not like I would have any chance. My curiosity led me to notice the connecting door, revealing a mini living area. Despite the sparse furnishings, the space felt roomy enough to rival a master bedroom. “Damn, he is wasting space” I murmured to myself, shaking my head. Returning to the main room, I scanned the bedroom, but nothing else caught my attention until my gaze landed on the only picture frame in the whole room atop the table. Raising a curious brow, I inspected the photograph, but what I saw left me speechless. Like someone poured a bucket of ice on me right now. The person in the picture—a very familiar man—brought an unexpected wave of emotions. The man was the person who had saved me years ago. But what struck me most was seeing him standing beside Nicholas, both of them sharing a wide grin. The realization hit me hard; the man I owed so much to seemed

Five minutes passed, and a sudden knock on the door snapped me out of my reverie. I rose to answer it, finding Layla standing there, her appearance indicating that she had been out clubbing last night. Her dress seemed rumpled, and there was smudged mascara on her face, a paper bag in hand. "Hey there! Good morning, pretty! Got some clothes for you," Layla exclaimed, seemingly unfazed by her disheveled appearance. “Good morning to you too,” I chuckled and opened the door wider. "What happened? Did you just get in?" Grinning back at me, Layla nodded. "Yep, just got home, and Oliver caught me as I was about to head to my room. He asked me to bring some clothes for you instantly." “I told him not to bother you.” She leaned towards me, “Did you say something to him?” “What do you mean?” I asked, taking a seat across from her. “I mean when I came back from my room to get your clothes, he was still guarding the stairs and looking at his room like he is making sure you're not