Falling for the Goddess

"Do You Want to Take a Look?"

The next morning, when Sara Hart sat down for breakfast, she noticed a small note under a cup on the table. It was from Adrian Blake:

There’s oatmeal in the bowl.

His handwriting was strong and sharp, each stroke deliberate and powerful. As with everything else about him, the note was concise and emotionless - just stating the facts, with not a single extra word. Yet, to Sara Hart, it meant something different.

The fact that he’d taken the initiative to leave her a note and make oatmeal was something she never would’ve imagined before.

Sara Hart stared at the note for a long time, her fingers brushing over the bold black ink. A renewed sense of hope and courage swelled in her chest.

People are like that - give them just a little sweetness, and they can overlook all the bitterness, finding a way to endure even the darkest times.

She carefully folded the note, treating it like a treasure.

The oatmeal Adrian Blake had made was a simple oatmeal with blueberry and almond butter, topped with a sprinkle of blueberry. It was smooth, thick, and fragrant. Sara Hart sat at the dining table, savoring each spoonful. Could this be a good sign?

As she ate, she looked around the house. It was clean and bright, mostly decorated in shades of white and natural wood. But it still felt cold and empty, devoid of any real warmth or life.

After finishing her oatmeal, she placed the bowl in the dishwasher and tidied up the kitchen.

Her back still needed a few more days to heal, so going to school wasn’t practical. Instead, she decided to stay home.

With nothing else to do, Sara Hart remembered the flowers outside. She found a pair of pruning shears in the toolshed and made her way to the garden.

Outside, there was a large lawn bordered by a white fence, along which roses were planted. The rose bushes were lush and in full bloom. Sara Hart crouched down and began trimming them. The roses hadn’t been planted long and hadn’t yet grown into full clusters. Wearing gloves, she carefully removed the weeds and dead branches, then pruned away the excess leaves and overgrown stems.

The weather in September was starting to cool down, and the sun wasn’t as harsh as it had been during the summer. Sara Hart focused on trimming the bushes, feeling a sense of calm wash over her. For a moment, she felt as though she were back in South City, tending to the flowers in her grandmother’s garden.

Everything felt peaceful.

Adrian Blake had come home to retrieve some documents. As he stepped out of the car and approached the front door, he spotted Sara Hart crouched beside the rose bushes.

She was wearing a pale beige dress, and because of the way she was kneeling, the hem of her skirt trailed along the grass, catching a few blades and morning dew. She wore white gloves and was meticulously trimming the branches. Her long black hair was tied back with a simple ribbon, though a few loose strands framed her face. In the sunlight, her figure seemed to glow faintly, as if the light itself had softened just for her.

Adrian Blake paused, his gaze lingering on the scene before him. For a fleeting moment, he felt an unfamiliar sense of tranquility, a kind of quiet peace he rarely experienced.

As she tugged on one of the branches, a rose petal fell and landed on her shoulder. Sara Hart reached up to brush it off, and just as she did, her eyes met Adrian Blake’s.

"Oh, you're back…" Sara Hart was surprised. Why was he home at this hour?

"I came back to grab some documents," Adrian Blake replied coolly, averting his gaze. With a nod, he turned and walked into the house.

He was quick. In less than five minutes, Adrian Blake was back downstairs, documents in hand.

This time, he didn’t look at Sara Hart again as he headed straight for the door.

Sara Hart watched his figure disappear, listening to the sound of the car engine starting up outside. Only then did she refocus on the flowers in front of her.

With a faint smile, she resumed her work.

It took her a little over an hour to finish trimming the bushes. Afterward, she carefully selected a few nearly-blooming roses and snipped them off.

She found a glass vase in the cabinet, filled it with water, and arranged the roses in it.

After studying the arrangement for a moment, Sara Hart placed the vase on the coffee table in the living room.

The soft pink roses instantly added a touch of warmth and liveliness to the otherwise cold and quiet space. Sara Hart stood back and admired her work, feeling satisfied. Maybe next time, she could replace them with jasmine flowers.

---

At North Capital University, a group of people moved together through the campus.

Adrian Blake, dressed in a tailored black suit, walked beside Lucas Graves. Today, Graves had traded his usual carefree demeanor for a more serious one, donning a gray suit that made him look unexpectedly professional. Accompanying them were several deans and heads of the university.

"Mr. Graves, Mr. Blake, this is our Biological Sciences building. At this time of day, the students should be busy with their experiments. The Medical School is on the other campus. If you have time later, we can go over and meet with the dean to discuss the latest research findings."

Today, Adrian Blake was accompanying Lucas Graves.

The Graves family had built their fortune on pharmaceuticals. Over time, they expanded into medical devices, healthcare products, and even overseas medical services. They also owned several private hospitals.

Graves’s family had long-standing ties to North Capital University, with past generations having graduated from the institution. Every year, they donated substantial sums to fund research and provide the school with the latest equipment. In return, Graves’s company often recruited top talent from the university, solving many employment issues for the students.

Lucas Graves’s visit today was to discuss a new pharmaceutical project.

Though Graves had studied clinical medicine abroad, he wasn’t very familiar with North Capital University, so he had persuaded Adrian Blake to accompany him. Adrian Blake was an alumnus, a well-known figure during his university days, and many of the professors still remembered him. Today, however, Adrian Blake kept a low profile, letting Lucas Graves take the lead in discussions.

After a brief tour of the biology labs, where mostly graduate and doctoral students were hard at work, they headed back outside. The group passed by another white building, where they noticed a crowd of students gathered near the entrance.

The students were all dressed in uniforms - new freshmen, it seemed. They were gathered around one of the doors, craning their necks to see something inside.

Lucas Graves stopped, and the rest of the group halted as well.

Following his gaze, they all turned toward the commotion.

"This is the chemistry building," one of the professors explained.

"What are they looking at?" someone asked.

A nearby student, startled by the imposing group of adults, turned and saw them standing there. Clearly nervous, the student stammered out a greeting, "H-Hello, professors…"

"What’s going on here? Why is everyone gathered around?" the vice dean asked kindly.

The student glanced back at the crowd of curious onlookers, unsure of how to explain.

"It’s alright, just tell us the truth," the vice dean encouraged.

"Well… we heard that there’s a senior in our department who's really brilliant at research, and, well… also really pretty. Since we got a break from training, we thought we’d come and take a look…" The student’s face flushed bright red as he spoke, clearly embarrassed.

"Oh, is that all? You young people…" The vice dean chuckled. It wasn’t a big deal, nothing harmful, and at that age, it was only natural to be curious.

Hearing this, Lucas Graves raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "So, is she pretty?"

The student nodded without looking up, still too nervous to make eye contact. "Very."

Lucas Graves’s interest was piqued. He strode over to the door, peering through the crowd to catch a glimpse of the person inside.

After taking one look, his eyes widened slightly in surprise. He turned back to Adrian Blake, a mischievous smile tugging at his lips.

"Hey, do you want to come take a look?"