Chapter 23 – Crossing Lines (Part 1)

POV: Elena 

Three days passed without another note.

No mysterious packages appeared at the Calloway estate. No anonymous calls interrupted dinner. The greenhouse remained sealed off while Richard's security team combed through every inch of it, insisting they would eventually find something useful.

They didn't.

Life, somehow, continued. Classes resumed, basketball practices filled Jace's afternoons, and the campus gradually found a new scandal to obsess over.

People still stared whenever we walked together, but the curiosity had lost some of its intensity. Our engagement was no longer breaking news. It had simply become another part of university life.

I should have been relieved. Instead, the silence unsettled me more than the threats had. Whoever had been watching us hadn't disappeared. They had simply stopped reminding us they were there.

The library was unusually crowded that afternoon. 

Final projects had turned every table into a battlefield of laptops, textbooks, and half-empty coffee cups. Aiden and I finally found two seats tucked into a quiet corner near the windows, far enough from the chatter that we could actually hear ourselves think.

He dropped a stack of journals onto the table and sighed dramatically.

"If I read one more article about cognitive development, I might start forgetting my own name. " I laughed as I opened my notebook. "I thought you liked this topic."

"I do. I just don't like researchers who take three pages to say one sentence." "That's called academic writing." "It's called showing off." I smiled and shook my head before pulling out the outline I'd spent most of the previous night organising. Aiden leant over to look at it. "You colour-coded everything." "It helps." "It also makes me feel like I've done absolutely nothing." "You've done plenty." "I highlighted two paragraphs." "You highlighted them in three different colours."

"Exactly."

I couldn't help laughing. Working with Aiden was effortless in a way I hadn't expected. There was no competition between us, no need to prove who was smarter or louder. We simply... worked. When one of us got stuck, the other explained. When one of us grew frustrated, the other cracked a joke. It was uncomplicated. For someone whose life had become anything but uncomplicated, that felt strangely comforting.

"You've been distracted today," Aiden observed after a while. I looked up from my notes. "Have I?" "You've read the same page four times." "I didn't realise." He hesitated before speaking again. "You don't have to answer if it's none of my business, but... are you okay?"

The question caught me off guard. Not because he'd asked it. Because there was no hidden agenda behind it. No curiosity about the engagement. No gossip disguised as concern. He simply wanted to know.

"I'm just tired," I admitted. His expression told me he didn't entirely believe me, but he didn't press. Instead, he slid one of the research articles towards me. "Then let's finish this before your brain declares mutiny."

By the time we packed up, the afternoon sun had begun to sink lower in the sky. Students drifted across the courtyard in small groups, laughing as they made their way towards cafés, dormitories, and evening classes. I checked my phone.

Two missed messages from Jace.

Practice ended early.

A second message followed a few minutes later.

Still in the library?

I frowned. I hadn't told him where I was. "You look worried," Aiden said as we stepped outside. "I'm not." "You've been staring at your phone for thirty seconds." "I was just thinking." "Dangerous habit", I smiled. "So I've been told."

As we reached the front steps of the library, a familiar black SUV came into view. Jace stood besides it with one shoulder resting against the driver's door, dressed in grey sweatpants and a black team hoodie. His practice bag lay at his feet, and although he looked relaxed from a distance, I recognised the stiffness in his posture immediately.

He'd seen us.

Aiden followed my gaze.

"Your fiancee's here?" I nodded thoughtfully. "I've only ever seen him on the court and on media day, if I'm not wrong."

"Yeah…trust me," I muttered. "He's louder off it," Aiden laughed. "I'll keep that in mind."

The moment we approached, Jace straightened. His eyes flicked briefly towards Aiden before settling on me. "Finished?" "We made more progress than I expected." "Good." His answer was polite enough, but something in his tone felt... clipped. Aiden extended a hand. "I don't think we've properly met." Jace looked at it for a brief second before shaking it. 

"Aiden."

"Jace."

The exchange lasted barely two seconds, yet the air somehow grew heavier. "I'm in Elena's research group," Aiden explained.

"I know." "You do?" "I've heard your name." Aiden smiled politely. "I hope that's a good thing." Jace's expression remained unreadable. "I haven't decided yet."

For a split second, I thought Aiden might take offence. Instead, he chuckled. "Fair enough." He adjusted the strap of his backpack before looking at me. "I'll send you the revised outline tonight." "I'll look over it after dinner." "Try not to spend all night correcting my grammar." "No promises." He grinned before giving us a small wave and heading towards the parking lot.

I waited until he was out of earshot before turning to Jace. "What was that?" Jace frowned. "What was what?" "The interrogation." "I asked him two questions."

"You practically challenged him to a duel."

"I did no such thing." "You were one sentence away." His mouth twitched despite himself. "I think you're exaggerating." "I think you're impossible."

He bent to pick up his gym bag before opening the passenger door for me. "Get in." I slid into the seat, still shaking my head. As he climbed behind the wheel, I glanced sideways at him.

"You know, most people would thank their fiancée's project partner for helping her." "I could." "But?" "But I don't like him." I blinked. "You've known him for approximately forty-five seconds." "Long enough." I stared at him, trying to decide whether he was joking. His face remained perfectly serious. "You are unbelievable." "I've been told."

For the first time all day, I laughed so hard that I had to lean back against the seat. Jace didn't laugh with me. But I caught the smallest hint of satisfaction on his face.

As though making me smile had somehow become the best part of his afternoon.