On Sunday, in Aveline's apartment, Aveline woke up at her usual time and returned to her routine. She practiced yoga, arranged flowers in the vases, and took a shower.

Alaric sat by the wide glass window, morning light spilling through the hall. A cup of untouched coffee was cooling beside him while his attention was focused on his iPad with the latest headlines, the words irritatingly repetitive.

'Marston & Co makes waves with Aveline Laurent's floral art.'

It wasn't the first headline he had read that morning. Every media house had a variation of the same phrase. Marston & Co. was basking in attention, Aveline's name tied to theirs like a brand campaign.

His jaw tightened. If it was only about Aveline's floral art, the coverage could have easily focused on Aveline alone. Yet, somehow, the Marston company had found its way into every headline, standing shoulder to shoulder with her.

Coincidence? Or an intentional push to ride on her coattails?

Alaric leaned back, his eyes narrowing at the headline. Growing up in the Lancaster family, with his father being a business tycoon, he knew the media game too well. Names didn't appear beside each other so often without someone pulling strings.

'Is Marston taking advantage of her? Or is someone deliberately placing Marston under the spotlight to distract them?'

Aveline being in the news wasn't the problem. Aveline's name being used without her consent was.

His thumb hovered for a moment before he typed out a message to Ezra.

[Look into the Marston coverage. See if anyone's feeding her name to the press purposefully. I want every angle.]

He set the phone down beside the ignored coffee cup. The city outside was bustling into life, but his thoughts lingered stubbornly on that single possibility, Aveline was being used.

And if someone thought she was an easy pawn, they hadn't considered the danger of crossing him.

He exhaled, controlled and quiet, when Aveline stepped out in a pretty dress with an overcoat on her arm.

They had breakfast together, but he could feel it, she was forcing everything. Even her smile was tainted by her unasked questions and confusion.

"I'm off to Ivy orphanage." Aveline kissed his cheek and turned to leave.

He tugged her back into his arms. He wanted to go with her, but she wanted to be alone, not act strong and normal in his presence. He wanted to comfort her, but he didn't know how. Whether he believed her or not, they could do nothing until tomorrow.

"I will pick you up for lunch," he said.

Aveline hummed, tightening her arms around him. She didn't know if she was overthinking or what was happening around her. The more she tried to be normal, the quieter it made him, even her efforts to crack a joke earned only her own awkward smile.

Instead of forcing herself to get rid of thoughts of Damien, she tried to focus on Alaric. "A date?"

He hadn't thought of it that way. Anyway, he caressed her cheek, looking at her expectant gaze. "A date it is."

Once she left the Ivory Towers with the chauffeur, the security vehicle followed the car very closely while keeping watch outside.

…

At Ivy Orphanage, Alaric leaned against the car, watching her rush all the kids back inside after the morning exercise with the other staff. Once everyone went inside, she abruptly paused and turned around. Her eyes looked around before narrowing at him.

He saw her lips curl into a soft, mesmerizing smile. Though far from there, he knew it was genuine. His mobile started buzzing in his pocket, and he answered the call, watching her keep the mobile to her ear.

"Mr. Lancaster, now I know how you were stalking me." She giggled, realizing he had always seen her at the orphanage. That's how he knew about her.

Alaric, however, swallowed his sigh. All these years, she had never been so guarded as to notice him, but today she was all eyes, wary and restless.

"My secret is out," he mused, watching her cue him to come to her.

"Come inside. Don't stand in the cold," she said, but he insisted on waiting for her.

Aveline completed her work faster than usual. On the first floor, children crowded her with bright chatter, and they shrieked together, "Alaric!"

He lifted his head from his phone, surprised, only to find Aveline laughing among the group. The kids called his name again, louder, and a smile broke across his face as he waved back.

By the time he reached the entrance, he stood still for a moment, watching them send her off with reluctant goodbyes, new gloves in their hands.

…

It was still early for lunch, so he steered the wheel to the ice rink, hoping to cheer her up and distract her from thinking of Damien.

He laced her skates, Aveline's eyes glinting with mischief as she teased, "A teenager's date!?" She could see more teenagers and fewer adults there. "I haven't tried this in a long time."

"Then it's time you caught up," Alaric replied smoothly, helping her to her feet.

They stepped onto the ice, laughter echoing around them. She wobbled at first, then glided forward with surprising ease, cheeks flushed, eyes bright. They went around the rink a few times; she even glided backward, holding his hand.

Hearing the laughter of a teenage girl being chased by her partner, she raised her brows at Alaric. He gave her a head start of ten seconds before chasing her, and she shrieked with laughter, weaving away from him.

But suddenly, her attention flicked toward the emergency exit. Her smile faltered, stride quickening.

Alaric didn't get to follow her line of sight. "Sunshine!" His voice snapped across the rink, warning, but he was too late.

Aveline crashed into another girl and tumbled onto the ice. She had no time to feel the pain; her heart raced as her gaze darted back toward the emergency door.

Nothing. There was no shadow; she didn't see that face. The door was shut as if it had never been open.

Hearing the girl's groan, she scrambled to apologize to her, over and over. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you. It was my mistake. Are you alright? I'm really sorry… Shall I take you to the hospital?"

Alaric bent down, helping her to her feet, steadying her with silent strength. He glanced at the couple, who awkwardly smiled, insisting she was fine, and glided away.

Alaric didn't say a word as he helped Aveline out of the rink. His silence was bone-chilling, and Aveline didn't dare utter a word.

What would she even say?

That she saw Damien, and in a blink, he disappeared?

Even she found herself obsessed with Damien. How could she say that to Alaric?

They were supposed to be enjoying their date, and here she was, ruining it.

She followed him when he held her hand and began walking. She looked as though she were guilty, waiting for the final judgment.

Alaric went straight to the manager and demanded the footage. The manager hesitated for a moment, but one look at Alaric, and he played the footage. Only one camera caught the emergency exit.

Alaric's eyes narrowed when the door opened; he could see the faint movement of a shadow. But the man lingered just far enough to stay faceless, out of reach.

"That's him," Aveline whispered, her voice fading when she wasn't able to see the face.

Alaric didn't move, didn't speak. What could he say, looking at the shadow?

His men were around; they would have notified him if Damien had appeared. Then who had appeared at the door?

Yet, he gently held her shoulder, but his silence was louder than his actions.

The manager glanced between them and the video with a look of uncertainty. "That should be the cleaner. Do you want me to..."

"Yes," Alaric cut in sharply. His gaze stayed fixed on the frozen frame of the half-open door.

He didn't know if it was Damien or somebody else. He wanted to learn whether she was stressed or somebody was tricking her.

Aveline's throat tightened. She glanced at him. His profile was unreadable, but his eyes… They were frosty.

And when he finally spoke to her, it was only for her ears. "Tomorrow can't come fast enough." He asked her to wait a little longer.

Aveline could only bite her lip, having no words to respond.

Shortly, a man arrived and greeted the manager. Aveline opened her mouth to say he wasn't the one, in fact, his jacket was also different. But she only closed her mouth and walked out.

Thus, their lunch ended with her head down, barely eating anything.

Alaric took her back to the apartment to let her rest. But she sat on the couch, lost in thought, staring out of the window.

Every flicker of joy she had carried from the orphanage and the rink felt stolen, leaving only a single thought she couldn't shake…

What was happening to her?

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