CHAPTER 424: THE FORGOTTEN PEN DRIVE

Evaline:

The morning sun poured in through the window, soft and golden, as I stood at my dresser, folding a few extra clothes to take back to the Academy.

The room smelled faintly of lavender from the sachet I kept in the corner, and the faint hum of life from downstairs - my mates talking, the clatter of dishes, and Lioren’s soft giggles - made the space feel warm and alive.

It was hard to believe an entire week had passed so quickly. Between classes, assignments, and my nightly secret visits to the house, time had simply slipped through my fingers. And now, it was Saturday again - a day I got to spend with my son and the men I now called home.

I had woken up early and left Academy with Draven the moment gates opened at seven in the morning. My friends were coming over for lunch, and Selene, Noah, and Ria were finally going to meet Lioren for the first time.

A smile tugged at my lips as I thought about the way Lio had giggled earlier when Draven had lifted him high up in the air while Kieran scolded that he shouldn’t make the boy dizzy. River had been there too, leaning against the doorway, his expression soft and content before he had left for his meeting. He had promised to return by noon. He always kept his promises.

Downstairs, I could already hear Oscar’s loud voice and Draven’s laughter as they helped rearrange the living room to make space for everyone. Kieran was probably in the kitchen with Madam Elira, taking care of the big lunch menu they had come up with to treat my friends.

Everything felt so... normal. So blissfully, beautifully normal.

I finished folding the last of my clothes and zipped the small bag shut. My gaze wandered around the room to check if I needed to pack anything else.

I sighed, stretching my arms above my head, when something shiny on my study table caught my attention.

For a moment, I just stared at it, blinking in surprise before realization hit me.

The pen drive.

My mind went back to that day weeks ago when Kieran had handed it to me after I finally won the battle against him and River.

The plan was to go through the case files during that weekend with Rowan, but then everything changed because of the rogue attack. Students were prohibited from stepping out of the Academy even during weekends.

After that, I became too occupied with my training sessions with Kieran and River, as well as catching up on my studies as I needed to return to the Academy. And let’s not forget Draven keeping me way too occupied the rest of the time throughout the week... and even after that.

Then I returned to the Academy and got buried in classes.

Among all that, I barely had time to catch my breath, let alone think about investigating the soul death cases.

Until now.

I picked up the pen drive and rolled it between my fingers. For something so small, it carried too much weight.

My curiosity sparked to life again - the same curiosity that had first made fight to get these files.

Maybe I could just take a quick look - nothing too deep, just skim through the files before everyone arrived.

I sat down, plugged in my laptop, and opened the screen. My fingers brushed the cool surface of the pen drive as I positioned it near the USB port-

A hand reached out from behind me, and before I could even react, the pen drive was gone.

I froze and my heart skipped a beat. The hand withdrew as silently as it had appeared. I turned sharply in my chair, my gaze landing on the man standing behind me.

He was wearing a simple light blue shirt, the sleeves rolled to his elbows, his hair perfectly pulled back in a manbun. His presence filled the room, quiet yet commanding, and his expression... though calm... held that familiar warning glint I knew too well.

For a few seconds, neither of us spoke. The only sound was the faint buzz of my laptop fan and the muffled chatter from downstairs.

I blinked, trying to find my voice. "Kieran," I finally managed, standing up slowly. "What are you-"

He slipped the pen drive into his shirt pocket. "Not now," he said quietly, his tone low but firm.

I frowned. "What do you mean ’not now’? I was just going to-"

"I know what you were going to do." His gaze softened slightly as he looked at me. "And I also know what it will lead to."

I crossed my arms. "You gave it to me, remember? I thought you finally agreed to me doing my little investigation."

"I did," he admitted, stepping closer. The air between us shifted, his familiar scent enveloping me. "But not now."

My brows drew together. "Why not?"

He stared right into my eyes, unflinching. "Because this isn’t the right time, Evaline."

The words hung in the air, heavy with meaning I couldn’t quite grasp.

He sighed softly and ran a hand through his hair. "You just returned to the Academy, and the coming weeks are going to be filled with projects, assignments, tests, and quizzes. Your focus is already divided between your classes, training, our son, your mates... and the upcoming exams. The last thing you need right now is this." He tapped his pocket lightly.

My lips parted in protest, but something in his tone made me hesitate.

"Kieran-"

He met my gaze again, and this time there was something else there. Not just concern. It was protectiveness, fierce and unyielding, the kind I had seen in him before... but this time, it felt heavier, almost burdened.

"I’ll tell you when it’s time," he said finally, his voice quieter now. "I promise to hand it over to you the moment your final exam will be over."

I really wanted to argue, but I knew that he was right. This was the worst time for me to get distracted by the investigation thing. But at the same time, I felt this unsettling feeling deep within me that made me feel like there was something in those files that I needed to see before it would be too late.