Elara’s POV
“Maybe fake dating him wasn’t so bad after all.”
I sighed in relief, clutching my bag tighter. For once, Alric hadn’t misunderstood me or mocked me. He had turned on Lyra instead, cutting her down in front of everyone. I never thought I’d see the day.
It was 4 a.m. by the time I finished my shift and dragged myself out of my uniform. The streets were empty, damp with the chill of night. I was half-asleep, ready to collapse into bed, when a sound froze me mid-step.
Breathy. Urgent. “Alric… please… touch me.”
I stopped dead. My chest tightened. Was that—?
I turned my head slowly.
In the dim corner of the street, two figures tangled together in the shadows. A man’s broad shoulders, a woman’s desperate hands tugging at him. Their mouths locked hard, bodies pressed close.
My
