34.

Jace’s face lit up on the screen as he leaned in closer, concern mixing with curiosity. “Wait, what? Caelan had an accident? And he saved you?” His voice held that older-brother edge, equal parts protective and intrigued.

After the first day of the event, she called her brother to tell him about her day. He was still in another city and will be returning soon.

Alina huffed, dropping onto her bed with a tired but amused sigh. “Yeah, I was standing under this spotlight on stage, and it was about to fall right on me. But then Caelan—he just came out of nowhere and pushed me aside. It fell on him instead. His leg took most of the hit.” She stood up, pacing around her room, running her fingers through her hair and removing the pins one by one.

Jace frowned, his brow creasing. “And you’re telling me this like it’s no big deal?”

Alina shrugged, tossing a pin onto her dresser. “I mean, he’s okay. He just kind of shook it off, you know? Like it was nothing. But I don’t know, Jace… it’s bothering me now.”

Jace leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing. “Bothering you how?”

Alina stopped pacing, a sudden thought striking her as she stared into space. “Hey… do you actually know anything about Caelan? I mean, beyond him being the CEO of a publishing house? Something’s been nagging at me ever since this whole accident happened.”

Jace scratched his head, puzzled. “What do you mean? Like, personal stuff? Honestly, I’ve heard he’s a bit of a mystery. You’re the one who’s been hanging out with him more lately. Why?”

Alina started pacing again, her steps quicker this time, almost restless. “It’s just… the way he acts. He’s always so composed, like nothing phases him. And when that spotlight fell… he didn’t panic. He moved like he knew it was going to happen. Then afterward, he acted like it was just another Tuesday, even though his leg was hurt. It doesn’t make sense, Jace.”

Jace’s face grew more serious. “Are you saying you think something’s off about him?”

Alina stopped walking and bit her lip, her eyes darting toward the window. “I don’t know. Maybe. But I feel like there’s more to him than what we see. He’s… different. And not just in that ‘billionaire CEO’ way. It’s like he’s holding back some part of himself.”

Jace’s gaze sharpened as he leaned closer to the camera. “What exactly are you saying, Alina?”

Alina turned around, her mismatched eyes flashing with a mix of uncertainty and curiosity. “I’m saying… I don’t think Caelan is just an ordinary CEO. I think he’s hiding something—something big. And I need to figure out what.”

Jace was silent for a moment, then he let out a low whistle. “You always did get yourself involved in strange things.”

Alina smiled faintly, but the concern remained. “Yeah, well, this one feels stranger than most. And I can’t shake the feeling that this accident wasn’t just a coincidence.”

Jace raised an eyebrow. “What are you gonna do about it?”

Alina met his gaze through the screen, her expression determined. “I’m going to find out who Caelan really is. And why he’s always around when things happen to me.”

"And do you know that I saw him and me, infront of me?!" She questioned with wide eyes.

Jace’s eyebrows shot up at Alina’s words. “Wait, what do you mean you saw something? Like… you and Caelan?”

Alina shuddered slightly as she sat back down on her bed, the memory giving her goosebumps. “Yeah, it was so strange. I can’t even explain it properly. We were in the university library, and I accidentally wandered into a section I didn’t even know existed. The whole place felt... off, like I shouldn’t have been there. And then suddenly, I saw us—me and Caelan—right in front of me. It wasn’t a reflection; it was like I was looking at… I don’t know, a scene? A vision?”

Jace’s expression hardened with concern. “And you didn’t tell me this earlier?”

Alina sighed, running a hand through her hair. “I didn’t think much of it at the time. I was confused and freaked out. And then, before I could figure out what it meant, the librarian came rushing over and practically yelled at me for being in a ‘forbidden’ section of the library.”

Jace leaned forward, his voice tense. “Wait—there’s a forbidden part of the university library? Since when? And how did you get in there?”

Alina shook her head, still trying to make sense of it. “I don’t even know, Jace. I just remember being curious and exploring a new area. I didn’t expect to stumble into some restricted section, let alone have that weird… vision, or whatever it was. But the librarian was really stern about it, like I’d broken some serious rule.”

Jace frowned, his concern deepening. “Alina, this is getting weird. First, Caelan saves you from an accident that seemed almost too perfect, and now you’re seeing things and getting scolded for being in a part of the library no one’s supposed to go to?”

Alina wrapped her arms around herself, the memory still unsettling. “I know. It’s been nagging at me ever since. And the way Caelan acted afterward… it was like he knew something too, but he didn’t say a word about it.”

Jace was quiet for a moment, then asked cautiously, “Do you think Caelan might be connected to whatever you saw? I mean, if there’s something off about him…”

Alina hesitated, but then nodded slowly. “I think so. I don’t know what it is yet, but I have this feeling that Caelan is tied to everything—this accident, the library, all of it. And I’m starting to think that none of this is a coincidence.”

Jace’s eyes narrowed. “You need to be careful, Alina. If Caelan’s hiding something, you might be walking into something dangerous.”

Alina met his gaze, her face serious. “I know. But I can’t ignore it anymore. There’s something bigger going on, and I need to find out what it is.”