chapter 6

"You little—!" Serra growled, attempting to snatch it back.

Jane sighed, shaking her head. "Nick, stop teasing her already."

Nick grinned. "No way, babe. This is way too fun." He dodged Serra's swipe again, laughing at her growing frustration.

Serra huffed and took a step back. "Fine! You leave me no choice!"

With a quick motion, she yanked the camera from his hands, twisting his arm and turned away, checking her pictures anxiously. They were still there.

"Hmph. That's what I thought." She muttered, clutching the camera to her chest as if protecting a treasure.

Nick rubbed his arm dramatically. "Damn, woman. You fight like a military officer."

Jane giggled. "You deserved it."

Nick groaned. "Yeah, yeah."

As Serra smugly walked ahead, Nick whispered to Jane, "Remind me never to mess with her and her precious pictures again."

Jane just laughed, pulling him along as they continued their adventure in the heart of Paris.

Just then, Charles walked over, his hands shoved in his pockets. His sharp gaze flickered over Serra for a second before he looked away, uninterested.

"What's going on here?" His voice was casual, but there was an underlying edge.

Nick sighed. "Madam Seraphina Calderon nearly broke my arm over some pictures."

Serra stiffened slightly at Charles' presence, her grip tightening on the camera. She cleared her throat. "That's an exaggeration."

Charles didn't respond, simply taking a slow sip of his coffee. His indifference made Serra frown slightly.

Nick, oblivious, continued. "She's so scary sometimes, man. I’m telling you, she's gonna stay single forever at this rate."

Serra tensed, feeling awkward. Her eyes darted toward Charles, but he didn't react. He was staring off to the side, ignoring her completely.

Why did that bother her?

Before she could process it, Diana suddenly appeared, fuming.

"What the hell is this?!" She shoved her phone in Serra's face.

Serra blinked at the screen. "Uh, a phone?"

Diana gritted her teeth. "The university confession page AGAIN! Someone posted about how I got scammed into leaving the room last night! And now everyone’s laughing at me!"

Serra tilted her head innocently. "Oh no... how terrible."

Diana glared. "You did this, didn't you?!"

Serra smirked but said nothing.

Nick chuckled. "Man, I almost feel bad for you, Diana."

Jane sighed. "Serra, you need to stop playing with fire."

Serra flicked her gaze toward Charles again, hoping for a reaction. But he just stood there, scrolling through his phone, acting like he didn't hear a word.

It irritated her for some reason.

Diana clenched her fists. "You'll pay for this."

Serra shrugged. "Looking forward to it."

Diana stormed off, leaving them standing there.

Serra expected Charles to say something. Anything. But he simply put his phone away and walked past her without even glancing in her direction.

Her stomach twisted for no reason.

Jane nudged her. "You okay?"

Serra scoffed, forcing a smirk. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

But deep down, she knew Charles' silent treatment was bothering her way more than it should.

***-------***

The café was buzzing with soft conversations, the scent of freshly brewed coffee hanging in the air. The warm lighting cast a golden glow on the sleek wooden furniture, making the place feel both intimate and inviting.

In a Café

Charles sat by the window, lazily stirring his coffee while Beside him, Diana was in her usual attention-seeking attire, an off-shoulder red top paired with a short, tight black skirt, her blonde hair styled in loose waves. She exuded confidence, but—

The moment her gaze landed on the entrance, her lips curled into a smirk as her gaze landed on Serra, who had just stepped inside the café.

But Serra, being Serra, met her gaze with a smirk of her own, tilting her head slightly as if accepting an unspoken challenge.

Diana's smirk faltered, her jaw tightened. 'That damn attitude!' Gritting her teeth, she was about to say something when her phone rang.

With an annoyed sigh, she stood up, flipping her blonde hair over her shoulder dramatically. "Charles baby, I need to take this call." She placed a manicured hand on his arm before walking away, heels clicking against the floor.

Serra wasted no time. With a casual sway in her step, she made her way toward Charles and plopped down right beside him.

"Hi, Charles..." she greeted, flashing a teasing yet warm smile.

"Hi," he replied without looking at her, his brown eyes still fixed outside the window, his expression unreadable.

Serra leaned back, resting one arm on the chair. 'Typical Charles.' She rolled her eyes internally when he didn't give her attention but maintained her playful demeanor. "Can I sit here if you don’t mind?"

"Sure," he said with a shrug, still not looking at her.

"Thank you," she hummed before crossing one leg over the other, her combat boots tapping lightly against the floor.

The silence between them stretched, not entirely awkward but definitely charged.

Serra sipped her coffee, stealing side glances at Charles. He was dressed in his usual effortlessly attractive style—dark jeans, a fitted white shirt with the top buttons undone, revealing a hint of his collarbone, and a silver watch resting on his wrist. He looked like he belonged in a fashion magazine, yet here he was, completely unfazed by his own appeal.

The whole university knew she had a crush on him. But Charles? He never seemed to care. Never showed any real interest.

'why do I always feel his gaze on me when I'm not looking?' She continued peeking at him while pretending to scroll through her phone.

Suddenly, as if he could feel her gaze, Charles turned his head and looked at her, tilting it slightly.

Her heart skipped a beat.

The moment stretched between them, his dark eyes holding hers.

'Why is he looking at me like that?' She swallowed, gripping her cup tighter. 'Stop blushing, Serra. Stop..!!'

Then she cleared her throat. "Why are you looking at me like this?" she asked, her voice softer than intended.

He leaned back slightly, still holding her gaze. "Nothing... Just like that," he said casually, shrugging again.

Then, just as suddenly as he had looked at her, he picked up his coffee and took a slow sip, shifting his attention back to the window as if nothing had happened.

Serra exhaled, realizing she had been holding her breath.

'Damn it, Charles Voden.' She bit her lip and looked away, frustrated yet unable to wipe the small, stupid smile off her face.

***--------***

The trio wandered into an antique store, each getting lost in the mesmerizing collection of rare artifacts. Jane and Nick were busy examining some old pocket watches.

While Serra strolled aimlessly near the racks, her hands tucked into the pockets of her hoodie.

Her steps halted near a glass display showcasing antique stones. Among them, a delicate jade bracelet caught her attention. She picked it up, running her fingers over its cool surface, admiring the intricate carvings.

Just as she was about to put it back, her gaze inadvertently drifted to a corner of the store—where Charles and Diana stood.

Her breath hitched.

Diana's arms were draped around Charles' neck, her lips pressing against his in a lingering kiss.

The jade bracelet slipped from Serra's fingers, falling to the ground with a soft clink, but she barely noticed.

Her hazel eyes locked onto Charles, searching for something—anything—that could ease the sharp sting blooming in her chest.

And then, He looked at her.

His dark eyes held hers, unwavering. He wasn't surprised to see her there. He wasn't guilty. He wasn't even indifferent.

Instead… he smirked.

And then, as if to prove a point, he leaned in and kissed Diana again—this time slower, deeper—while still maintaining his gaze on Serra.

A lump formed in her throat, her chest tightening painfully. The moment felt suffocating, as if the walls of the antique store were closing in on her.

A single tear slipped from the corner of her eye. She couldn't stay there. Not for another second.

Spinning on her heels, Serra stormed toward the exit, her vision blurring as hot tears spilled down her cheeks.

Behind her, Charles finally pulled away from Diana, his smirk deepening as he watched Serra disappear through the doors.

"What happened?" Diana arched a brow, confused by his sudden distraction.

"Nothing," he muttered, slipping an arm around her shoulder. "Let's go."

But even as he walked away with Diana, his mind stayed elsewhere—on a certain hazel-eyed girl who had just walked out of his sight.

***------***

Serra ran out of the antique store, her vision clouded with tears. The cold evening air hit her face as she dashed through the walking street, blindly trying to outrun the suffocating pain in her chest.

She didn’t stop until her legs grew tired, finally coming to a halt in the middle of an unfamiliar street.

Breathing heavily, she covered her mouth with her hand, trying to stifle the sobs that threatened to escape. Her shoulders shook as she trembled under the weight of her emotions.

But then—

A chuckle slipped past her lips.

Followed by another.

And suddenly, she burst into laughter—loud, unrestrained, almost maniacal.

"Uff... THIS IS TOO MUCH FUN TO SHED FAKE TEARS!"

She wiped the lingering wetness from the corner of her eyes with her index finger and flicked it away with a vicious smirk.

The world was cruel, but Serra Calderon knew how to play the game.

But just as the amusement settled in, she blinked and looked around.

"Wait a second... where the hell am I?"

Her smirk faded as she turned on her heels, scanning the unfamiliar surroundings. The street wasn’t the same as the one she had been walking on before. The old-fashioned lampposts, the narrow alleyways, and the absence of familiar faces made her stomach twist.

"Aurggh... I went so deep into character that I forgot my way."

Letting out a long sigh, she pulled out her phone and quickly dialed Jane’s number.

"Why is this dumbo not picking up the call??" she muttered, her patience wearing thin.

Her eyes narrowed as she imagined Jane clinging to her Hulk boyfriend Nick, completely ignoring her.

"Tsk… Must be lost in his muscles or something," she huffed before an idea struck her.

"Fine, let’s call my dear son-in-law and spoil their moment instead."

Grinning mischievously, she was about to dial Nick’s number when—

BAM!

She collided hard with someone, her phone slipping from her grip.

"Ouch!!" Serra yelped, rubbing her nose as she looked up, ready to cuss the idiot out.

Her gaze landed on a tall man, sharply dressed, his dark eyes scanning her from head to toe with an unreadable expression.

To be continued