Ch.15
The late afternoon light spilled through the classroom windows, soft and honey-gold. The hum of conversation filled the air with laughter, footsteps, the clatter of notebooks just another school day nearing its end.
Selene sat by the window, chin resting lightly on her hand. The warmth on her skin, the drifting sound of chatter outside, it was peaceful.
Until the scene began to shift.
She spotted Ethan leaning lazily against the hallway wall, his friends laughing and nudging him.
"Why are you still here, man? Waiting for someone?" one teased.
"Maybe I am." Ethan only smirked.
Selene's eyes followed his line of sight and then she saw her.
The female lead..
Right there in the corridor, hair catching the sunlight, her laughter ringing over the sound of the breeze. And a few steps behind her was Adrian.
Wait... this scene, Yuna thought, her pulse skipping for a moment.
This isn't in the book yet, right? What chapter is this?
She straightened a little in her seat, watching like someone who'd just stumbled upon a secret episode no one else knew existed. The way Ethan started walking toward Lina, the way Adrian's gaze followed her it all felt so cinematic, like the pages of the novel unfolding before her eyes.
Students nearby started whispering.
"Oh my god, are they both going for her?"
"This is crazy— Ethan and Adrian?"
"It's like a drama!"
"Tsk, seducer."
Ethan reached Lina first, that familiar confident grin on his face.
"Skipping club practice again?" he teased.
"I— I just finished," Lina stammered softly.
Adrian appeared beside them then, smooth and unbothered.
"You shouldn't tease her, Ward. Not everyone has the luxury of time like you."
Ethan shot him a look, half-amused.
"You always this serious, Vale?"
"Only when someone's being irritating." Adrian smiled faintly.
The tension was deliciously subtle polite smiles and layered tones but everyone watching could feel it. Yuna's lips curved, her amusement barely hidden.
Oh, this is good. Even better than the novel described the scenes.
Lina looked caught between flustered and confused, trying to ease the tension.
"Um... I should probably go—"
"Let me walk you." "I'll accompany you."
Ethan offered at the same time Adrian said. The crowd nearby gasped. The moment froze in golden light a perfect cliffhanger scene. Yuna exhaled softly, torn between laughter and awe.
Yuna slipped her tablet into her bag, more than ready to go home and unwind.
Another day of surviving teenage chaos.
Another day of dodging the plot like a professional.
She stepped out of the classroom, expecting her usual driver waiting by the gate but instead, she froze. A familiar black luxury car gleamed at the curb.And standing beside it was her father.
Selene's father.
Yuna blinked once.
What in the world?
The man never personally fetched Selene in the novel, ever. If anything, he was the type to let the driver handle such things. Her classmates, of course, noticed.
"Wait, is that Mr. Valen?"
"He came to pick her up himself?"
"Must be nice being rich..."
Yuna straightened her posture, schooling her expression back to calm before walking toward him.
"Father?" she asked, voice polite but laced with confusion.
"Is something wrong?"
He smiled, a rare softness in his eyes.
"Nothing's wrong, Selene. We're having dinner tonight your mother, your grandparents, and I. I came to get you myself."
"Dinner?" Her brows slightly furrowed.
"Yes," he said, opening the car door for her.
"Your grandfather will be meeting someone important this evening. It's a private dinner, and your presence is requested."
"Alright."
She slid into the car still in her school uniform, feeling oddly out of place among the polished leather and subtle scent of cedar. The engine hummed to life, and as they pulled away from the school, Yuna glanced out the window, the world outside slipping by in golden afternoon light.
Her mind was spinning.
This part... wasn't in the novel right?
There was never a dinner with Selene's grandparents this early.
And someone important? That sounded like plot bait.
She looked at her father, who was scrolling through something on his phone. No sign of tension.
"Father," she said carefully, "is this dinner about business?"
"In a way," he replied. "Your grandfather wanted the family present. He's meeting a potential partner someone with an impressive background."
"Partner?" she echoed softly. "For which company?"
Her father smiled faintly.
"You'll find out soon enough. But don't worry, you don't need to speak much. Just observe."
They arrived thirty minutes later at one of the city's most exclusive fine-dining restaurants the kind of place where reservations were made months in advance, and the valet whispered your name like a secret. Inside, the atmosphere was warm and elegant all gold light and hushed conversation.
Her mother waved from across the room, already seated beside her grandparents, who both looked perfectly at home among the elite crowd.
"Selene, my dear," her grandmother said, smiling fondly as Yuna greeted her.
"Still in your uniform, I see. How studious of you."
"School ended late, grandma." Yuna replied smoothly, taking her seat beside her father.
Her grandfather chuckled, his deep voice carrying quiet authority.
"At least you came. That's what matters. We're meeting someone tonight, an old acquaintance of mine and his grandson."
Yuna's attention sharpened.
That could mean anything or anyone.
She sat up a little straighter, her curiosity now fully awake. Her inner voice whispered, So who exactly are we meeting tonight?
And as the waiter poured wine into crystal glasses, Yuna caught the faintest hint of movement at the far end of the dining hall two figures approaching their table.
Her grandfather smiled knowingly.