bChapter /bb102 /b

Elena’s POV:

At first, she didn’t hear me. Of course, she wouldn’t. The crowd was too loud, I could barely hear my own voice over the sound of it, let alone hershe was just a fleeting glimpse in the throng. But somethingpelled me, a strange urgency that hummed beneath my skin, demanding reach out

I called out to her again, louder this time, forcing my voice to cut through the general din like a sharp de. “Hey!” My hand reached her shoulder on my third shout, a light tap, but enough to make her flinch. She was obviously startled, her shoulders jerking up to her ears as the spun around, her eyes wide, started like a trapped bird.

She looked around, clearly frantic, her gaze darting from me to the swirling mass of students, as if expecting something terrible to materialize. Her breath hitched. “Yes?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper, thin and ready.

i frowned, softening my expression, trying to project calm. “Hey… Remember me? From that day?” Thesitated, then pushed on, my voice lowering to be more confidential “Mind if we talk somewhere private? Just for a minute!”

She looked at me, a flicker of suspicion, bor /bperhaps bfear/b, clouding her eyesb. /bHer hesitation was palpable. But then, after a long, silent moment, the gove tiny, almost imperceptible nod. It was enough.

Her out wasn’t that different from mine, a beige hoodie that looked oversized on her, paired with an ankle length denim skirt that swirled around ankles Where I wore a dark grey hoodie and cargo pants.

Her dark hair, fine and straight, was mostly hidden beneath the hood, but stray strands framed her face, partially obscuring her features, as if she were trying to disappear into herself. There was a quietness about her, a fragility that resonated with something deep inside me.

We made our way through the congested hallway, pushing against the flow of students until we finally reached the rtive quiet of the university’s main

“There’s a cafeteria across the road,” I offered, gesturing with my chin. “We could grab some coffee, if you want? It’s usually pretty quiet there this time of day.” I tried to make my tone as inviting as possibleb, /ba casual boffer/b, not a bdemand/b.

She looked at the bustling streetb, /bthen back at me, her fingers nervously picking at the hem of her sleeve. “No,” she said, her voice still low, almost a whisper. “bThank /byou, But… what bis /bbit /byou want, really? You don’t bhave /bto beat around the bush.” Her eyes, when they metinine, were guarded, wary, as if she expected a trick. The directness of her question, stripped of any pretense, made me ufortable. I hadn’t anticipated such a blunt approach.

My own difort aside, I pressed on, realizing I hadn’t even thought to ask her name. “You’re right,” I said, ba /bbsmall/b, awkwardugh bescaping /bmy lips. *I’m sorry just…I don’t even know your name.”

Her shoulders stiffened imperceptibly. “Miele,” she offered, her voice barely audible over the distant traffic.

“Mielle,” I repeated, letting the name settle on my tongue. “It’s a beautiful bname/b.” She blushed faintly at that, a ssh of color across her pale cheeks

Then, to my surprise, her demeanor shifted. She became visibly frantic, her hands clenching into fats at her sides. “Look, Elena,” she blurted out, her words tumbling over each other in a rush, “I’ll stay away from Dmitri, bokay/bb? /bI promise. Whatever happened, it won’t happen again” Her eyes, wide and pleading, darted around, as if expecting him to appear out of thin air

the, trying to soothe her I frowned, genuinely confused by her sudden panic. “I’m not telling you to stay away from anyone, Mielle,” I said, my vo frayed nerves. “Although… Dmitri isn’t the nicest gy. He’s…plicated. It’s your own private matter what you guys do. I just wanted to ask if you’re okay. You seemed…well, it just sort of seemed to the like you were afraid that day. In the janitor’s bcloset/b.” The memory of her shed vividly in my mind.

Her shoulders visibly stiffened at the inention of that day, bas /bif the words themselves physically constrained her. A cold dread seeped into my bones, affirming my gut feeling that something truly awful bhad /bhappened. She looked away, her gaze food on the bustling street, anything but me

“Please,” I tried again, stepping a little bcloser/b, lowering my voice further. “bPlease /bdon’t be afraid. If something’s wrong or those guys were messing with you, then you can tell me, okayb?/b” I knew I was bgrasping /bat straws, offeringfort could barely provide for myself, it was stupid, I didn’t even know bthis /bgirl, but the urge to protect her was overwhelming My own life was a chaotic mess, spiraling out of control, but in this moment, looking at Mills, felt ba /bstrange sense of strength, I knew that if suspected those guys of truly harassing her, of putting her in ba /bbsituation /bshe didn’t want to be in b7 /bbcould /bjust tell Niki Or even Sergei It’s not like I was asking for help for myself.

A person like Mielle seemed like she would break at the slightest wrong touch. I didn’t know why, small, blost /bcat I’d stumbled upon

felt a sort of kinship towards her, like she was

Mielle, however, shook her head roughly, a frantic denial, her hair swaying around her face like a curtain. “No, no, I’mpletely fine,”

voice tight, strained, “Whatever happened was my own fault. … I was careless And anyways, it’s thest day of university, right? It’s not a good idea to cause bany /btrouble.” She offered a wide, forced smile, a desperate attempt to reassure me, or perhaps herself, that everything was perfectly normal it was a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

My lips pressed into a thin line. It would be useless to continue pursuing this. Her eyes were zed over with a defensive stubbornness, a clear brefusal /bto engage further. She wasn’t going bto /bconfide in me, not here, not now. But I couldn’t just walk away, not alter seeking her out.

b“/bbOkay/b,” I said, conceding the point, letting out a small sigh. “Then… would you like in join me for some cake and coffee paused, then added, trying to make it sound appealing, almost a plea forpanionship. “To celebrate thest bday /bof Unit I was heading over to the cafe across the street anyway. It’s always nice to havepany on days like these purposefully made it sound like I was lonely, like she’d be taking pity on me if she agreed. It was a calcted risk, a small maniption, but I desperately wanted to connect with her. If I left it at this then I had a feeling that I was going to get it

Mielle seemed to ponder it for a long while, her gare fired on the ground, her brow furrowed in thought. I watched her, holding my breath, unsure if the would ept, if she would trust me enough. Then, slowly, she lifted her head, a hesitant nod. “It’s… alright,” she said, her voice a Ettle stronger this time, a sliver of genuine relief in her eyes. “I guess a little celebration wouldn’t hurt.”

A wave of quiet triumph washed over me. And so, we headed toward the cafe across the university, its ss front already shimmering with the reactions of other students inside, celebrating their newfound freedom. The aroma of roasted coffee beans and sweet pastries wated out, aforting hambar scent. We waded our way through the bustling tables on the ground floor and headed up the worn wooden stairs to the second floor, which was slightly less crowded, offering a bit more privacy.

ndow. We both ordered our stuff–a strong ck coffee for me, a matchatte for her and a box of macarons–and found a small table nestled near the overlooking the steady stream of students below. The distant murmur of conversations provided a soothing backdrop. As we waited for our drinky, i formally introduced myself, extending a hand across the table. “I’m Elena. It’s really bnice /bto meet you, Mielleb./b”

She smiled, a small, genuine curve of her lips this time, and took my hand. “I know who you are, Elena Niki Vetrov’s wife” The words, though delivered gently, hit me like a physical blow, stripping away the brief, fragile moment of normalcy. “You’re famous around here.”

My smile fell, ba /blead weight dropping in my stomach. The warmth that had started to spread through me evaporated instantly, reced by ba /bfamiliar chill. “Right the bonaire’s wife,” I mocked lightly.

But then, Mille quickly interjected, her eyes widening as if she realized her mistake. “That’s not what I meant!” she blurted out, her cheeks flushing.” mean, that’s just something what I recently heard. But you’ve… been popr since freshman year. You were the most talented one. I saw your projects…. you’re very talented,” Her words tumbled out in a rush, a frantic bbering that surprised me. All of a sudden, my face felt hot, a blush spreading from my neck to my hairline. It had been so long since anyone in the university had looked past the scandalous headunes, past the “billionaire’s wife‘ or ‘switched grooms”bel, to see me, Elena Kovalyova.

“Wow“Imurmured, genuinely taken aback. “I never thought someone would beplimentingne like this

“Really?” Melle asked, her eyes gleaming with genuine enthusiasm. She leaned bforward/b, a small, infectious smile gracing her lips. “I’ve been ba /bfan of Itial shynesspletely yours since junior year. After that Ergonomic Adaptive Vehicle (EAV) you submitted that was fourth ce. I really thought it should’ve been first. The bmechanics /bof it were so detailed, and the fact that you integrated the Al system… Most people would just think that people with disabilities shouldn’t drive, but personally, I think your design was wonderful and more affordable at that.” She seemed more excited now, hi forgotten bas /bshe animatedly sipped her matchatte.

A genuine smile, wide and unforced, stretched across my face. It felt like it had been days, weeks even, since I’d truly smiled, since anything had genuinely lifted my spirits. It felt good. More than good. “You really think so?” The words were bbarely /ba whisper, Imbued with a quiet hope I hadn’t realized I possessed.

Chapter b103 /b