The Unspoken Confessions...

Sarah lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep. The engagement was public now. There was no turning back. Her mind replayed the night's events—her dress, William's lingering gaze, the way he had draped his coat over her shoulders. The way his touch, for the first time, didn't feel cold.

And then, a thought she never expected to have crossed her mind.

"William is… handsome."

Her brows furrowed immediately, and she turned to her side, scolding herself. No, no, no. He's annoying. Smug. Arrogant. Just because he looked good in a suit doesn't mean anything!

Still, the image of him leaning against the pillar, watching her with those sharp eyes, refused to leave her mind.

Meanwhile, William sat in his balcony, his book open but untouched. The night breeze was cool, but his thoughts were anything but calm.

"I lost control today."

Seeing Sarah in that dress, watching every guy in the room eye her—it had made his blood boil. He told himself he gave her his coat because she might catch a cold, but the truth? He hadn't liked seeing others look at her like that. She was his fiancée.

The word felt foreign, yet oddly right.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. Why does she always get under my skin?

Neither of them knew that, miles apart, they were both thinking about the same night—and about each other.

Sarah had just reached the college parking lot when a familiar voice called her name.

"Sarah."

She turned, heart stopping for a moment. Kane.

Before she could react, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her to the side. His touch was warm, familiar, yet it sent a different kind of shiver down her spine—one that wasn't comforting.

"Are you really happy?" His voice was low, filled with something unreadable.

Sarah swallowed. "Why does it matter to you?"

Kane sighed, his hand coming up to touch her cheek, thumb brushing lightly against her skin. "Because I still—"

His words were cut off by the sudden crack of a punch.

Sarah gasped. Kane stumbled back, clutching his jaw.

William stood there, breathing hard, eyes dark with fury. His knuckles were red from the impact, but he didn't seem to care. His entire body radiated anger.

Sarah had never seen him like this before.

Kane recovered quickly, wiping the corner of his mouth. He smirked, though his eyes flickered with something else. "What's wrong, William? Afraid she still has feelings for me?"

William didn't respond with words. His hand shot out, grabbing Kane's collar.

"If I ever see you touching her again, I won't stop at just one punch." His voice was calm, but the threat was clear.

Kane chuckled, raising his hands in surrender. "Noted."

Sarah stood frozen, watching as William let go of Kane and turned to her. For a second, she thought he might say something—but instead, he simply took her wrist and pulled her away, walking toward the campus without looking back.

She let him.

After dropping Sarah off at her class, William stormed into the library, needing space. His hands were still trembling, his pulse still racing.

"What the hell was that?"

He had never been the type to lose control. He wasn't the jealous, possessive type. But today? The moment he saw Kane touching Sarah's face, everything had gone black.

His grip tightened around the book in front of him.

"She's mine now. Why does that idiot still think he has a chance?"

But then another thought crept in, one that made his chest tighten.

"Does she still have feelings for him?"

Sarah had barely settled in class when Olivia and Sophia leaned in, smirking.

"So…" Olivia started, her voice dripping with amusement. "Your emotionless fiancé just punched Kane in front of everyone."

Sophia grinned. "Seems like Mr. Iceberg is melting."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "He just didn't want Kane to touch me. That's all."

Olivia nudged her. "Uh-huh. Sure. He looked ready to kill for you."

Sophia giggled. "Honestly, it was kind of hot."

Sarah groaned. "You guys are impossible."

But as she turned away, her fingers unconsciously brushed the wrist William had grabbed earlier.

Maybe, just maybe… her friends weren't entirely wrong.

That night, Lucas sat in a dimly lit bar, his fingers wrapped around a glass of whiskey.

He had never been a drinker. But today, after watching Sarah with William, after seeing the way William looked at her—like she was his and no one else's—something inside him cracked.

He took another sip, the alcohol burning his throat.

A soft voice broke through his thoughts. "Lucas?"

He turned, vision slightly blurred. A familiar face stared at him. Long hair, warm eyes… Sarah.

He smiled, reaching out to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. "You're here…"

Ava blinked. "Lucas, it's me. Ava."

His smile faded. The haze lifted slightly, and reality hit him like a punch to the gut.

He had mistaken her for Sarah.

Ava's eyes softened. "You love her, don't you?"

Lucas swallowed hard, looking down at his drink. "I… I don't know anymore."

Ava placed a hand on his, squeezing gently. "Maybe it's time to let go."

Lucas closed his eyes, exhaling. Maybe she was right.

Maybe it was time to stop chasing someone who would never be his.