Sorcha stepped out from her hiding spot, brushing imaginary dust from her dress as she approached Damien.
"Sorcha?" Damien's brows pulled together. "What were you doing back there?"
She forced a quick smile. "Just looking for something, Dad. I found it." Without giving him a chance to press further, she slipped her hand into his and tugged gently. "Come on, let's go to bed."
Damien gave her a suspicious glance, but let her lead him upstairs. Behind them, Korios lingered in the hallway for a few seconds, making sure they had left, before coming out and heading to his room.
He noticed the emptiness right away—no sign of Elena. His brows drew together, but he didn't dwell on it. Shrugging off his jacket, he dropped onto the bed and was asleep within minutes.
Meanwhile, Damien paused just outside his bedroom door. He turned to Sorcha and gave her a soft nudge. "You should head back to your room. I can manage from here."
Sorcha gave a quick nod and watched him enter before she turned away. Damien stepped inside and smiled faintly at the sight that greeted him—Elena, lying on the bed exactly as he had left her earlier, waiting.
---
The next morning
Sorcha stepped out of her room with a yawn, arms stretching lazily above her head. She rubbed her eyes and padded toward the kitchen, but froze mid-step when she spotted Damien at the table, sipping coffee with casual ease.
The memory of last night—the heat of the kiss, the way his touch lingered—flashed in her mind. Her cheeks flushed crimson before she could stop it.
"Why are your cheeks red?" Elena's voice pulled her back to reality. "Are you hot?"
Karios looked up at the sound, his eyes landing on Sorcha for a moment before sliding away disinterestedly toward Elena.
"You weren't in bed last night," he said, his tone flat. "And you weren't there when I woke up either."
Elena tensed, but quickly covered it with a calm smile. "I was in the maid's quarters," she said lightly. "Chatting with one of the girls. I must've dozed off there."
Karios gave a slow nod, not questioning her further. He set his cup down and turned to leave, his expression unreadable as he made his way upstairs—without sparing Sorcha so much as a second glance.
Sorcha's gaze followed him, her stomach tightening. Is he really going to pretend nothing happened between us? She turned to Elena, only to find the woman already watching her with a strange smile. Without a word, Elena turned and followed Karios upstairs.
Sorcha narrowed her eyes. Something's off with elena, she thought. She is acting weird.
But she shook the thought away. Not my business, she told herself. As long as it doesn't involve my Karios.
With that, she turned around and headed to her room to change, completely forgetting the tea she had come for.
Sorcha stepped into the living room minutes later, her long hair bouncing behind her. Her dad stood near the door, keys in hand, while Elena and Karios were already dressed for the day. From the way Elena clutched her handbag and the lingering glance Karios gave the front door, it was clear—he was dropping her off first.
"I've got to head to work," Karios said, turning to Elena. "But I'll drop you at home first."
Elena gave him a gentle nod.
Damien chimed in, straightening the collar of his jacket. "We're leaving early tomorrow morning elena. Make sure everything you're taking along is packed today."
Elena smiled, nodding again. Then, without another word, she followed Karios out the door.
Damien turned to Sorcha. "You're off school today. Stay home and finish getting your things ready for tomorrow."
Sorcha's eyes lit up. "Yes, dad," she said with a grin that was hard to miss.
Her heart fluttered with anticipation. She'd gone shopping weeks ago just for this move. Oh, she was going to have so much fun getting her things ready.
As soon as the door shut behind her father, she practically skipped into the kitchen, humming a cheery tune. She made herself something light—just toast and eggs with a glass of milk—then carried it all up to her room, her excitement bubbling over.
Music blasted from her speakers as she danced around the room, a shirt draped over one shoulder, socks mismatched, and clothes scattered across every surface. She twirled between hangers, singing into a hairbrush like a popstar.
Just then, the door creaked open and Ava and Celestial stepped in, eyebrows raised.
They took one look at the chaos—and the gleam in Sorcha's eyes—then exchanged a knowing glance.
Ava stepped forward and tapped her shoulder. "Okay, what's the good news?"
Sorcha turned down the music with a sheepish grin. "Good news? What good news?"
Celestial plopped onto the bed, pushing aside a pile of dresses. "Don't play innocent," she said, arching a brow. "We know that look."
"I can't just be in a good mood?" Sorcha asked, downing the last of her milk.
"Nope," Ava said, grinning. "We've known you too long. That face screams 'I'm hiding something.'"
Celestial reached for Sorcha's hand and pulled her down to sit beside her. "Spill it, angel. Don't let us die of curiosity."
Sorcha laughed and stood. "It's really nothing, I promise." She slipped into the bathroom to ease herself, still chuckling to herself.
But when she came back out, her friends were sitting in wait—huge grins plastered on their faces.
Eva was holding up her phone, eyes twinkling with mischief. Sorcha froze.
'Wait… what did you do?'"