Chapter 42

Chapter 42

A few hours had passed before the school doors opened again.

Zamiel Van Zendt had finally arrived.

But instead of heading to the teacher's office to report his attendance, he made a direct beeline toward the one person who occupied his every thought—Athasia.

The moment he spotted her, his usual indifferent expression softened, and without hesitation, he reached out, intending to take her hand.

But just as his fingers were about to graze her skin—

Athasia took a step back.

The movement was small but deliberate, and it was enough to make his hand freeze midair.

A flicker of something flashed across Zamiel's face—hesitation, disbelief, and maybe even hurt.

Before he could say anything, a new figure suddenly moved between them.

To Celeste's utter shock, it was none other than Mira Caldwell.

The number one socialite in their entire circle. The one person whose words carried weight, even in the presence of the most powerful families.

Mira tilted her head slightly, her piercing gaze locking onto Zamiel's. Then, with an unmistakable authority in her tone, she said, "Zamiel, I thought I told you not to touch Athasia."

The air around them grew tense.

Celeste, who had been watching from the side, felt her confidence waver. Why was Mira—someone as prestigious as herself—standing in Athasia's defense?

Zamiel's jaw tightened, his hands clenching slightly before he turned his full attention back to Athasia.

His dark eyes softened, and with a quiet plea in his voice, he murmured, "Fenice Oscura…"

His tone held a quiet desperation, as if calling out to something—or someone—far beyond what the others could comprehend.

But Athasia didn't even spare him a glance.

She simply turned her head away, her expression unreadable.

And in that moment, as silence stretched between them, it became painfully clear to everyone watching—

Zamiel Van Zendt, the heir to the most powerful conglomerate, was being utterly ignored.

The classroom had fallen into hushed silence, every student watching as he approached her with a look they had never seen before. Desperation.

Then, before anyone could react, he pulled her into his arms.

The embrace was tight, almost suffocating, his scent overwhelming her senses.

"I'm sorry," he murmured against her hair, his voice trembling slightly.

Athasia's eyes darkened as she tried to break free. "You don't even know what you did."

Zamiel held her closer, his grip unrelenting. "For not speaking to you. For not refuting the rumors. For not—"

"That's not the reason," she interrupted coldly.

His body tensed at her words. The silence in the room became deafening. Celeste, who had been standing nearby, clenched her fists so tightly her nails dug into her palm.

Then, Zamiel lowered his head, whispering something against Athasia's ear—something that made Celeste's blood boil.

Japanese.

The entire class gasped. Zamiel Van Zendt was speaking Japanese? And more than that—to her?

Celeste's expression twisted into jealousy. She didn't understand a single word, but the way he spoke to Athasia, the raw emotion in his voice, made her stomach churn.

Athasia stiffened slightly before narrowing her eyes. "What?"

Zamiel exhaled slowly. His lips brushed against her temple as he leaned in closer, his voice now barely above a whisper.

Then, he pulled back just enough for her to see—his teeth.

Not fangs, but something was off. They were sharper than before, but to everyone else, it was unnoticeable. Only Mira and Athasia saw it.

"I'm trying to keep away my desire for your blood," he murmured, his voice thick with restraint.

Athasia's breath hitched for just a second, her gaze locking onto his.

The class was dead silent.

Even without understanding their words, everyone felt it.

The raw intimacy. The pleading in Zamiel's voice. The way Athasia was the only one who could hear it.

And Celeste?

She felt something she never had before—pure, unfiltered hatred.