The image was just too vivid!
Serena's face flushed, and she quickly looked away.
It was all that show-off's fault, always peacocking at the drop of a hat!
He was constantly showing off in front of her!
But even as she cursed him in her head...
...she couldn't stop her eyes from drifting back to his chest.
She couldn't help but think...
...that the man's collarbones and pectoral muscles...
...would look really good wrapped in iron chains.
"What's wrong? Are you not feeling well?" Nicholas keenly sensed the change in her, his perfect brows furrowing slightly.
The girl had been pulling all-nighters for days, so busy she was barely on her feet.
She'd only gotten a little sleep last night.
Could she have gotten sick from exhaustion?
Serena immediately averted her gaze, pushing down the chaotic thoughts in her mind. "It's nothing. I'll come down after I wash up."
"Are you sure?" Nicholas asked skeptically, staring at her face. "Your face is flushed pink. You look like you're burning up."
As he spoke, Nicholas raised his hand to feel her forehead and check if she was actually running a temperature.
The long, elegant fingers slowly approached, and just as they were about to touch her forehead...
Serena jerked back, dodging his hand, her voice a little tense. "I'm fine, really!"
As soon as she finished speaking...
She spun around and slammed the door shut with a sharp click.
Nicholas's hand remained frozen in mid-air.
He stared at the closed door, rubbing the fingers she had avoided. His eyes darkened, and his heart sank.
Was Serena... avoiding him?
Was it because he was too impatient? Had he pushed things too fast and... scared her off?
Nicholas stood at Serena's door, lost in deep self-doubt and criticism.
He seriously began to wonder if he needed to slow down and wait patiently for her to come around.
Meanwhile, Serena, having shut the
door, raced to the bathroom. She
turned on
the faucet ans
cold water on her face. .net>
The cool water washed over her skin.
It finally cleared her muddled head.
She braced her hands on the sink and looked at her reflection in the mirror.
Her cheeks were flushed, her brow was furrowed, and droplets of water trickled down her face.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
She could remain perfectly composed in the face of gunfire and life-or-death situations.
So why did she feel like she was under a spell whenever she was near Nicholas?
Was it just because of that ridiculous dream?
Just then, her phone vibrated.
It was an encrypted communication from Jaxon.
Serena opened it and saw his message: [Latest news, Black
Mirage is on the move eyl
They likely arrive in Elyndor within days.]
Seeing this message...
All traces of romance vanished from Serena's eyes.
Her cool, clear gaze hardened as she quickly typed a reply on the screen [Check all deployments. Prepare to spring the trap.]
Since Black Mirage was about to arrive in Elyndor...
...once the net was closed...
...she would no longer have to live under the same roof as Nicholas.
If they weren't living together, she wouldn't be affected by his constant, infuriating peacocking.
The most pressing matter now was to get to YB headquarters and finish the remaining work.
Otherwise, when the time came to confront Black Mirage...
...she wouldn't be able to spare any time and would miss Brianna's coming-of-age
party.
Serena immediately pushed aside the strange flutter of emotion and the messy, romantic images from her dream.
Work was the best cure for a wandering mind.
After she washed up...
...her expression was back to normal when she walked out of her room again.