It was morning when Ronan slowly opened his eyes. As his vision cleared, he realized he was lying on Elara’s lap, her hand resting on his chest while her head leaned against the edge of the sofa. She looked peaceful, almost fragile, with strands of hair falling over her face.

Ronan stared at her for a moment, a small smirk tugging at his lips. His movement made Elara stir; she opened her eyes slowly and, realizing where she was, gently lifted her hand from his chest. Ronan sat up straighter but didn’t back away. Instead, he leaned closer to her, one hand resting behind her on the edge of the sofa, his face just inches from hers.

Elara avoided his gaze, trying to look anywhere but at him, but Ronan kept his eyes locked on her, unbothered and fearless.

“What did you do to me last night?” he asked playfully.

Elara’s eyes widened. She pushed him lightly and stood up.
“What?” she said, then quickly moved behind the kitchen counter. Ronan’s eyes followed her every movement. She poured water into a glass, took a sip, and began preparing breakfast, all while trying to ignore his gaze.

“Are you leaving now?” she asked without looking up.

“You brought me here yest…” He left the sentence hanging.

“Because you were lying on the road like a stray dog. I was just — “ she stopped mid-sentence, looking at him.

“Worried? Were you?” Ronan teased, his smirk returning.

“Don’t flatter yourself. I don’t care about you,” she replied, her focus fixed on cutting vegetables.

Ronan rose from the couch and walked up to the counter. Without warning, he caught her hand — the one holding the knife.

“What are you doing?” she asked, meeting his eyes now. Her voice wasn’t scared, nor was it soft; it was somewhere in between, steady but unsure.

“Has anyone ever told you they could burn the world for you?” Ronan asked, his voice low, his gaze fixed on her as if he were lost in her eyes.

Elara pushed him back firmly. “Have you lost your mind after drinking?” she snapped, turning away. She picked up the knife again and went back to chopping the salad. “You’re fine now. Go back to your house.”

“You didn’t answer my question,” he pressed, leaning casually against the counter, his arm resting close to her.

Elara stopped, set the knife down, and turned to face him directly. Her eyes didn’t waver. “I don’t want someone who would burn the world for me,” she said firmly, “and who would do that,” she added

For a moment, Ronan just looked at her. Then a smirk curved across his lips. Without another word, he walked back into the living room, grabbed his jacket from the couch, and slid on his shoes. “See you in college,” he said, his tone unreadable, before stepping out of the apartment.

Elara stood there, confused by him — by his words, his look — but she shook her head and decided not to dwell on it. Just then, her phone rang. Seeing Alax’s name on the screen, a smile spread across her face, like it was the first good thing to happen that morning.

“Hello?” she answered.

“Are you prepared for tomorrow’s exam?”

“Yes, I am. How about you?” Elara said, absently running her hand in circles over the kitchen counter.

“Yeah, me too. So…what are you doing now? Did you have breakfast?”

“Not yet, I’m preparing it.”

“It’s already ten. Why so late?”

“Actually, a bug was bothering me, so I was busy getting rid of it.”

“Ohh, okay. I’ll pick you up tomorrow. If you need anything, let me know.”

When the call ended, Elara’s smile lingered. She twirled lightly in place, a small, joyful dance just for herself.

The next day, after their exam, Alax and Elara sat in the cafeteria with a few other students. Laughter and chatter filled the air, the sound of clinking cups and trays adding to the usual buzz. They were talking casually when one of the girls suddenly asked,

“So… are you two dating?”

The question dropped like a pebble in water. Alax glanced at Elara, and Elara looked back at him, her heart skipping for a beat.

“No, we’re not,” Alax said.

The words cut deeper than they should have. Elara’s smile faltered, her face falling just slightly, but she forced herself to put on a small, polite smile for everyone else.

“And how does that kind of nonsense even come into your mind?” Alax added with a light laugh, before pulling out his phone and scrolling through it, clearly uninterested in the subject.

The others moved on quickly, their conversation shifting to exam questions and weekend plans. But Elara’s thoughts stayed stuck on that moment, her heart heavy. She had liked Alax since high school, quietly carrying that feeling all these years. Hearing him deny it so bluntly — it stung more than she wanted to admit.

She lifted her cold coffee and sipped slowly, trying to hide her disappointment behind the straw.

“Elara, let’s go. We need to leave,” Alax said suddenly, grabbing his bag and standing up.

“Oh, okay,” she said softly, pushing her chair back and following him.

They walked together out of the cafeteria, through the hallways, and out to the college entrance, where Alax’s driver waited with a sleek black car. The driver quickly stepped out, opened the back door, and Alax gestured for Elara to get in. She slid onto the leather seat beside him.

“Where are we going?” Elara asked, setting her bag on her lap.

“For the next exam preparation,” Alax replied casually, lowering the car’s side window to let the breeze in.

Elara blinked at him. “I can’t go to your house. I mean… your fa — “

“We’re not going to my house,” Alax interrupted smoothly.

“Then where?” she asked, her voice uncertain.

“At Ronan’s place.”

Her breath caught. “What?” she blurted out, her heart lurching at the sound of his name.

“Why are we going there? We can study online, or even meet at the library,” Elara said quickly, her words tumbling out in protest.

“You know I don’t like online studying,” Alax replied calmly, not even looking at her as he adjusted his watch.

“Alax…” she tried again, her tone filled with unease.

But he was already dialing his phone. “We’re almost there,” he said into it, then ended the call before she could object further.

Elara sat back against the seat, her fingers tightening around the strap of her bag. Her mind swirled with nerves, memories of the previous night with Ronan flickering like a shadow she couldn’t shake. The thought of walking into his place again made her chest tighten.

The car turned, heading straight toward a place she wished she could avoid.

When they reached Ronan’s luxury apartment, the door opened to reveal him standing there. He was dressed all in black, his hair damp as though he’d just stepped out of the shower. A towel hung loosely around his neck.

“You came early after the exam,” Alax said as he stepped inside, but Ronan’s eyes weren’t on him. They were locked on Elara.

She tried to avoid his gaze, but the more she forced herself to look away, the more she found herself checking — was he still staring? He was. His eyes clung to her until, flustered, she brushed past him to get inside.

They settled in the living area. The high ceilings and wide glass windows gave a sweeping view of the city below, glittering in the daylight.

“Make yourself at home. You’ve been here before,” Ronan said, his gaze flicking deliberately toward Elara.

Her eyes widened at the words, and she shot him a sharp glare, silently warning him to keep his mouth shut. He only smirked, then shifted his attention to Alax, tugging the towel from his neck and tossing it aside.

“Yeah, of course,” Alax replied casually, admiring the large abstract painting mounted on the wall. “I helped you move in here.”

Elara drew in a deep breath, trying to steady herself.

Ronan disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a tray, pouring water into glasses.

“So, why did you leave right after the exam?” Alax asked.

“I was hungry,” Ronan said flatly, setting the glasses down in front of them.

Alax chuckled. “You could’ve eaten there.”

Ronan handed over the glasses.” I don’t like food there,” he said, then dropped onto the couch beside Alax. Elara sat opposite them, keeping her posture stiff, her eyes focused anywhere but on Ronan.

“So… let’s start,” Elara said quickly, her tone clipped, eager to avoid any unnecessary conversation.

After half an hour of studying, Alax’s phone rang. The name Aria flashed on the screen.

Elara’s expression dropped immediately, though she tried to hide it. Ronan noticed.

“What are you talking about?” Alax’s voice rose, urgent. He pushed back his chair and started pacing.
“You hang in there — I’m coming.”

Without another word, he grabbed his bag and rushed out. Elara’s eyes followed him all the way to the door, silently wishing he would turn back. But he didn’t. A few of his books still lay scattered on the table.

Ronan leaned back, watching her. When Elara’s pen slipped from her fingers and clattered onto the the floor, he stood. She was still staring at the door.

Ronan disappeared into the kitchen, returned with a chilled soda can, and pressed it suddenly against her cheek.

“What are you doing?” she startled.

Ronan chuckled. “Let’s take a little break,” he said, sliding into the seat next to her. He always got what he wanted — who he wanted. He never cared about how people felt.

“Why do you look so down?” he asked casually.

Elara stayed silent, then took a sip of the drink he’d given her. Finally, she asked quietly, “What’s her relationship with him?” She turned, meeting his gaze. “You’ve known Alax since childhood, haven’t you?”

Ronan exhaled slowly, his eyes narrowing. “Aria is our childhood friend,” he said after a pause.

Elara shifted closer, searching his face for more. “So you know her, too.”

“Yes. But I was abroad for a few years. I only came back recently, so I don’t know what’s going on between them now,” Ronan admitted.

“Still… you must know something,” she asked,

“Aria was our classmate. When I left, I lost touch with everyone. I only kept in contact with Alax because our fathers are close friends.”

Elara felt the urge to put space between them, but as she leaned back, Ronan suddenly grabbed her waist, pulling her closer. His eyes burned into hers, closing the distance until she could feel his breath.

“What are you doing?” she whispered, trying to push him off. The tension between them crackled.

“You really don’t know,” he murmured, “or are you just pretending?”

Her gaze hardened. “Didn’t you already get what you wanted?” she snapped.

Ronan’s expression flickered. “What do you mean by that?”

“That night you brought me here. We spent the night together, isn’t that enough? Or do you want more nights with me?”

Ronan leaned in until she nearly fell back onto the sofa, his hand firm on her waist. He smirked, but his eyes betrayed hurt.

“You think that’s what I wanted?” he asked.

Her glare sharpened, her tone dripping with contempt.

“Elara…” He said her name softly, almost broken, and in that moment, she realized she’d struck deeper than she meant.

“I never force anyone to sleep with me,” Ronan said, his voice low. “That night — it wasn’t like that. It was you who came here.”