2:《Playing with Fire》

The morning air was crisp, carrying the lingering scent of rain.

Seraphina stirred her coffee absentmindedly, the ceramic mug warm against her fingers. The café was quiet, save for the occasional chatter of customers and the soft hum of the espresso machine.

It had been a long night.

She hadn't slept well—not after that phone call.

Not after Isadora's voice, low and smooth, had crawled into her thoughts and refused to leave.

"Careful, Seraphina. You're playing with fire."

She took a slow sip, forcing the memory aside.

The door chimed.

Her grip on the cup tightened.

Isadora walked in.

Seraphina didn't react, didn't so much as blink, but she felt it. The shift in the air, the quiet way her body became hyper-aware.

Isadora looked the same as always—elegant but effortless, dark hair pinned back just enough to show the sharp line of her jaw.

She scanned the café before spotting Seraphina.

Their eyes met.

Isadora hesitated for only a fraction of a second before making her way to the counter.

Seraphina smirked slightly to herself.

She hadn't expected Isadora to avoid her.

But she had wondered.

Cassian slid into the seat across from her, oblivious to the silent tension in the air.

"You look like you didn't sleep."

Seraphina raised an eyebrow. "Charming, as always."

He chuckled. "I mean it as a compliment. You look good tired. A little dangerous."

She tilted her head, considering him.

"You like dangerous, don't you?"

He grinned. "You know I do."

Her smirk didn't waver, but her thoughts weren't on Cassian.

They were on the woman at the counter.

Isadora ordered her drink, then leaned against the counter as she waited, her nails tapping idly against the wood.

Seraphina's gaze flicked to her hands.

Red polish today.

Interesting.

Cassian followed her line of sight. "You two ever…?" He trailed off, raising an eyebrow in amusement.

Seraphina exhaled sharply, giving him an unimpressed look.

"No."

He hummed, clearly unconvinced.

"You sure?"

Seraphina rolled her eyes. "You ask that as if I wouldn't know."

Cassian leaned back in his chair, watching her.

"I think you do know."

She frowned slightly. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You get a certain look around her."

Seraphina scoffed. "I have a look?"

"A very specific one," he mused. "Not jealousy, exactly. Possessiveness, maybe. It's fascinating to watch."

Her grip on her mug tightened.

"You're imagining things," she said coolly.

Cassian smirked. "If you say so."

Before she could respond, a shadow fell across the table.

Isadora stood there, her coffee in hand, her expression unreadable.

Seraphina met her gaze evenly. "Isadora."

"Seraphina," Isadora returned smoothly.

Cassian looked between them, amused. "I feel like I should leave you two alone."

Seraphina smiled, sharp. "You should always trust your instincts."

Cassian laughed but didn't move.

Isadora tilted her head slightly, eyes flicking to Cassian before settling back on Seraphina. "You're up early."

Seraphina hummed.

"I could say the same about you."

Isadora took a slow sip of her coffee.

"Couldn't sleep."

Cassian smirked. "Funny. Neither could she."

Seraphina shot him a look. "Cassian."

He grinned, unbothered. "What? Just making an observation."

Isadora studied Seraphina for a long moment, then let out a soft chuckle.

"Interesting."

Seraphina arched an eyebrow. "What is?"

Isadora took a step closer, leaning in slightly.

"You."

Seraphina didn't react—not outwardly—but something about the way Isadora said it made her pulse spike.

She wasn't sure if she liked it.

Or if she hated it.

Cassian watched them with amusement.

"I think I'm third-wheeling something I don't fully understand."

Seraphina smirked, regaining her composure. "That's not unusual for you."

Isadora's lips twitched in amusement.

"Enjoy your coffee, Seraphina."

She turned and walked away, leaving behind the faintest trace of perfume.

Cassian exhaled. "Wow."

Seraphina gave him a flat look. "What?"

He grinned. "I get it now."

She sighed. "Cassian."

"You don't even see it, do you?"

Seraphina frowned, her mood shifting.

"See what?"

He leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand.

"How much she gets under your skin."

She scoffed. "She doesn't."

Cassian smirked. "Liar."

Seraphina exhaled, shaking her head.

"You're imagining things."

Cassian laughed. "You keep telling yourself that."

But as Seraphina took another sip of her coffee, her gaze flicking briefly to where Isadora sat across the café, she couldn't quite shake the uneasy feeling in her chest.

She didn't know what it was.

She didn't want to know.

But it wasn't going away.

And that?

That was a problem.

Seraphina's fingers trembled slightly as she set her mug down, her mind racing.

Cassian's words echoed in her head, and no matter how many times she told herself to brush them off, they stuck.

She wasn't used to being vulnerable,

especially not like this.

"You're quiet now," Cassian said, snapping her out of her thoughts.

He eyed her carefully, his expression no longer playful, but serious, as if he were analyzing her.

"Just thinking," she replied curtly, trying to pull herself back together.

"About her?" Cassian pressed, his gaze unwavering.

Seraphina's heart skipped, but she masked it quickly, her face a perfect mask of indifference.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't you?" His voice softened, but there was no mistaking the challenge in his tone. "I've seen that look before. You're letting her in, whether you want to or not."

Seraphina looked away, focusing on the steam rising from her cup.

She wanted to argue, to shut him down, but the truth lingered in her throat, choking her.

Cassian's chair scraped against the floor as he stood, giving her a sly grin.

"Just remember, I told you so."

He paused at the door, turning to look at her one last time.

"You can't run from it forever."

When the door closed behind him, the café felt too silent.

Too empty.

Seraphina rubbed her temples, trying to calm the storm brewing inside her.

She wasn't going to let it affect her.

She told herself that over and over, even as her thoughts kept circling back to Isadora—her smooth voice, the way her eyes had lingered on Seraphina when she'd leaned in close.

What was it?

Why did her pulse race at the smallest touch, the faintest word?

Seraphina stood abruptly, the chair scraping across the tile with a sharp screech.

Her eyes darted to the window, her gaze scanning the street outside.

She had to shake this feeling, whatever it was.

As if on cue, her phone buzzed again.

"Meet me tonight. I have something I want to show you."

It was Isadora.

The words sent a chill down Seraphina's spine.

Why tonight? What is she planning?

For a moment, she stood frozen, torn between the part of her that wanted to ignore it and the part of her that couldn't wait to see what Isadora wanted.

Every instinct screamed at her to walk away, but she knew, deep down, that she was already too far gone.

She slid her phone back into her pocket, her hand clenched into a fist.

She didn't have the luxury of indecision.

There was no turning back now.

Seraphina made her way to the door, her mind set.

Tonight, things would change.

That night, the air was cooler, the stars barely visible behind the cloud cover.

Seraphina stood outside the café, hands shoved deep in her jacket pockets, waiting for Isadora to appear.

Every minute felt like an hour.

Her thoughts kept slipping back to that afternoon—the way Isadora had looked at her, the way her voice had felt like a command, even when she wasn't speaking.

And now here she was, waiting.

When Isadora finally appeared, it was like the air shifted again.

The weight of her presence settled around Seraphina like a blanket.

"You came," Isadora said softly, her lips curving into that knowing smile that Seraphina had yet to figure out.

"You asked," Seraphina replied, her voice steady, despite the flutter in her chest.

Isadora didn't say anything at first. She simply stepped closer, her gaze never leaving Seraphina's face.

There was something in the air between them now, thick with unspoken words.

"I want to show you something," Isadora said, her voice low, almost seductive.

She turned, motioning for Seraphina to follow her. "Come with me."

Seraphina hesitated for only a moment before following, her mind a swirl of questions.

What was this really about?

Isadora led her through a series of narrow alleyways until they reached an old building. The streetlights cast long shadows across the walls, adding an eerie, almost secretive feel to the scene.

"I've been looking for a place like this," Isadora said, pushing the door open and stepping inside.

Seraphina followed her, the door closing softly behind them.

The place was dimly lit, but Seraphina could make out shelves lining the walls, filled with old books and trinkets.

There was something oddly familiar about the space, yet unsettling.

"Do you like it?" Isadora asked, turning to face her.

"I don't know what I'm supposed to feel," Seraphina replied, her voice guarded.

Isadora's lips curled into a smile, and she took a step closer.

"I think you know exactly what you feel."

Seraphina's pulse quickened, but she held her ground.

"What is this, Isadora? What are you playing at?"

Isadora tilted her head, studying her with an intensity that made Seraphina's breath hitch.

"I'm not playing, Seraphina. I never have been."

And with those words, the distance between them seemed to collapse.