"Where are we going?" I asked, trying to keep my voice calm.
"You'll see," he answered shortly.
I frowned. Why would I need to follow this guy?
"I need to go home and rest," I said, sounding defeated because I couldn't even yell at him.
"Then you should have done that instead of going to the bookstore," he replied.
The cashier's statement flashed in my mind that Lucca was behind the 'promo thing', so I could get the book for free. He also paid for these books.
"You know I could have paid for the book. You shouldn't have treated me. How did you even know which book I was choosing?" I asked, trying to hide my irritation.
He didn't respond and sped up. I frowned. I had no idea where we were heading, and he didn't even answer my question. Now I totally regret not resting at home. If only I had known he was the owner of that bookstore, if only I had known our paths would cross again, I wouldn't have gone out.
"Thank you for giving me free books, not just today, but also when your bookstore first opened," I said.
That statement made him stop the car. Fortunately, he was driving slowly because of the traffic light. When we came to a complete stop, he looked at me but didn't say a word.
I looked away and stared at the tall buildings outside. I sighed deeply. Why am I trapped in his car? Why won't he let me go on my own? Where are we really heading?
The car moved again, and I glanced at him. I found myself staring at his perfect jawline. Why does this man always look so irritated whenever we talk? If only he were kinder, I might actually want to be his friend.
"Do I have dirt on my face?" he mumbled, making me blush. How many times have I blushed today? I hate myself for acting like this in front of him. He's not even my type.
"How many hours are we going to travel?" I asked sarcastically.
He didn't respond.
I calmed myself and spoke again.
"I want to go home."
As soon as I said those words, the car stopped. Lucca got out, and I followed him. We were standing in front of a mansion. I looked at him, confused. Why are we here?
"Who owns this mansion?" I asked.
"Follow me."
Why would I follow him? But I couldn't voice out my thoughts because he glared at me. And for some reason, I followed him anyway.
What if he kills me? But why would he? My heart started pounding. I don't know if I'm scared or if it's just because I'm with Lucca.
We entered the huge, dark, eerie mansion. I still didn't know who owned it, but I decided to go with the flow.
As we went upstairs, deafening silence filled the place. Expensive paintings hung on the walls. The carpeted stairs, something I had only seen on television, were now beneath my feet. Every corner seemed to shout, "I am expensive!"
Lucca kept walking, and I kept following. I wanted to speak, but I was afraid he might hurt me. If he ever did kill me, I hoped Dominic and Mira would find my body.
He opened a black door at the far corner of the second floor. Why is everything black? Is black the owner's favorite color?
As Lucca opened the door, my eyes caught what was inside. The fear I felt earlier vanished, replaced by excitement. My eyes sparkled, and my mouth fell open.
What I saw was paradise.
This had been my dream since I was a child, but I could never afford something like this.
"Is this a library?" I asked, still staring at the massive bookshelves.
"Yeah. My library."
I stopped staring at the shelves and turned to him.
"This is your house?" I asked.
"How could I get inside if it wasn't mine?" he replied sarcastically.
I tried not to get irritated by his answer. I was itching to explore the perfectly arranged books.
"Choose whatever you want," he said, then turned to leave.
"Where are you going?" I asked.
"To prepare some snacks," he replied before stepping out of the room.
Lucca's POV
I wanted to curse myself for telling Seraphina that I wouldn't be sending her home. I actually had no plan to mingle with her since I was annoyed by her presence. But for some reason, my mind kept reminding me that I needed to get close to her because she was the key for me to live.
"Where are we going?" Seraphina asked, but I didn't answer. Even I didn't know what to say. I stayed quiet and cleared my mind, trying to figure out where to take her.
A restaurant? No. It would definitely look like a date, and I know Seraphina wouldn't like that.
A cinema? Definitely not. What are we, a couple?
Then an idea suddenly came to mind.
She likes books. She would probably spend the whole day just reading. When I saw her earlier struggling to choose between two books, I don't know why, but I felt something in my chest. When she finally chose one and went downstairs, I picked up the other book and looked at it.
Why didn't she get both?
Was she struggling financially? The book only costs 350 pesos, not that much. But I didn't know her reason for deciding not to buy both.
So I brought the book downstairs and told the cashier to add it to the bill. I knew she would refuse, but I didn't give her the chance. One glare from me, and she would shut her mouth.
When we arrived at my mansion, yes, I brought her here because I have a huge library, and I thought she would like it. I don't even understand myself. I couldn't stand her presence, yet here I was, letting her see my personal library.
You need the ring…
My mind kept reminding me.
I left the room and let her explore. Then I went downstairs, heading straight to the kitchen. I opened the fridge to see what snacks I could prepare. I decided on a ham sandwich paired with natural orange juice.
In my entire life, I had never done something like this for a woman. I never even thought about doing it. But here I was, doing something I usually hated, especially for the opposite sex.
I had a girlfriend before, but I never treated her the way other boyfriends treated theirs.
"You're lucky I'm serving you, little fragile woman," I muttered to myself while cooking the ham.
Ever since I saw her collapse and brought her to the hospital, something about her made me curious. Especially when I found out she was seeing a psychiatrist.
After fifteen minutes of preparing the snacks, I went upstairs. I opened the door, and silence filled the room.
I looked around and saw Seraphina sitting on the sofa, smiling.
It was the first time I had seen her smile.
She looked innocent, relaxed, and comfortable while reading her book. She looked at ease, completely lost in her own world.
How could I disturb her?
But the food might get cold.
I gave a fake cough to get her attention, and it worked. She looked at me, but her smile immediately faded.
"Snacks," I said as I walked toward her and placed the tray on the table.
"You didn't have to," she said, but I insisted.
"I'll order us some lunch later," I added.
She looked at me, confused. "Won't you let me go home?" she asked.
"Do you want to go home already?" I asked back.
She didn't answer right away. Instead, she looked around at the bookshelves.
"What?" I asked.
She gave me a fake smile, not like the genuine one I saw earlier.
"Is it okay if I stay here a little longer?" she asked.
I wanted to smirk, but I forced myself to keep a poker face.
Now I know her weakness—books.
"Eat first before you continue reading," I said, then turned away and grabbed a book to distract myself. I sat on the sofa across from her.
I watched as she ate the sandwich I made. She seemed to like it; she took quick bites, then sipped the orange juice. I quietly observed her while pretending to read.
"Thank you, Lucca," she said, looking at me.
I gave her a blank expression. I didn't know how to respond.
"Can I borrow some of your books?" she asked.
"Take whatever you want," I replied.
"Wouldn't that be too much? You already treated me earlier," she said.
"I have a lot of books here. I can't even read them all. Just take them."
"I didn't know you liked books."
"You didn't ask," I said sarcastically. It was my way of defending myself, of hiding my emotions.
"Tsk," she muttered.
She didn't ask anything else and focused on reading. After finishing the snacks, she stood up and went to the shelves, picking out several books and placing them on the table.
Meanwhile, I scrolled through my phone, browsing a food app. Since she had just recovered from being sick, she shouldn't eat anything greasy or oily.
I ordered a chicken salad for myself and chicken soup with plain rice for her. The delivery would arrive in an hour.
I stood up, picked up the tray, and headed downstairs to the kitchen. But before leaving the room, I glanced back at her.
She was still completely absorbed in choosing books.
Seraphina's POV
I felt a little regretful for thinking that Lucca would kill me, especially since he had let me into his mansion. Never in my life had I imagined that he would allow me to see his home. We weren't close, not even friends, so I still wondered why he brought me here.
If Dominic and Mira found out about this, I'm sure they would have a lot of questions.
Lucca prepared a snack for me, and I really liked it. It was simple and easy to make, but I appreciated the gesture. A killer wouldn't do this… right? Or am I wrong?
I shook my head as I saw Lucca leave, carrying the tray.
If Lucca were going to kill me, what would be his reason? Because I mocked him at the beach? Or because he almost hit me with his car when I was being careless?
I don't know.
But if he does… at least I got to see this paradise.
I couldn't help but smile the whole time. Books made me feel comfortable, even if the person who brought me here didn't. I had always dreamed of having a place like this, but I could never afford it. If I had to guess, there were probably hundreds of thousands of books here. I wouldn't be able to finish them all in a year.
I was busy picking the books I planned to borrow. Yes, just borrow, and return them when I am done. I didn't want to be spoiled by him. I didn't want to take advantage of his collection.
I went back to the sofa and gathered the books I had chosen. My hands itched to read all of them. I picked twenty books that I planned to borrow.
If Lucca came back, I would ask if I could borrow a paper bag for them.
But an hour passed, and Lucca still hadn't returned.
Maybe he was busy in his room… or his office? I didn't know. I didn't even want to step outside because I might get lost.
So I stayed there, enjoying the place and the books. I couldn't help but smile and even laugh as I read the synopses.
After a while, the door opened, and I quickly composed myself. Lucca walked in and stared at me.
"Let's have lunch downstairs," he said.
So that's why he hadn't come back earlier, he was preparing lunch.
I wanted to say I wasn't hungry, but since he prepared it, I knew he wouldn't like that answer. I simply nodded and followed him.
As we went downstairs, my eyes wandered around. Does he live alone in this huge, eerie place? Why does he prefer everything so dark?
We entered the kitchen, and the atmosphere was the same, black everywhere. He really likes that color.
"Do you need help?" I asked.
He didn't answer. Instead, he placed the chicken soup and rice on the table. Then he brought over the chicken salad and a pitcher of water.
"Sit down," he said.
So he prepared chicken soup for me.
"Thank you," I said again. I kept repeating it because I truly appreciated his gesture. Does this mean he wants to be my friend?
He silently ate his chicken salad while I focused on my soup. It tasted good, and the chicken was tender. Paired with rice, it was perfect.
"I didn't know you could cook," I said, trying to ease the awkwardness. I could stay quiet for a long time, but not here.
"I didn't cook it. I ordered it," he replied.
I wasn't disappointed. I still appreciated that he took the time to order food for us.
"Can I ask you something?" I said, hoping he'd allow it.
"You're already doing that, aren't you?"
His answer made me feel awkward, but I ignored it.
"Do you live alone?" I asked.
He stopped eating and looked at me. I couldn't read his expression, but his stare made me even more uncomfortable.
"What do you think?" he answered.
I wanted to ask about his family, but I held myself back. I didn't want to make him angry.
After this, I'll try to avoid him.
But you borrowed his books.
Right… how can I avoid someone who let me borrow his books?
I sighed.
Now he knows my weakness. If he offers me books, I'll definitely accept.
We continued eating in silence. I glanced at him from time to time, trying to read his emotions, but found nothing. If people say I'm nonchalant, then he's the master of it.
The buzzing of my phone broke the silence. It was Mira.
"Where are you?" she asked when I answered.
I hesitated. I didn't know what to say.
"Hey, are you there?"
"Why are you asking?" I replied defensively.
"Because I'm in front of your house, thinking you're inside," she said, already sounding like she was about to nag me.
"I'm at the library," I said, a half-truth. It was true I was in a library, but I didn't mention whose.
"Where is that? I'll pick you up. Dominic and I are going somewhere," she said.
"Where?"
"He didn't tell me. He said it's a secret."
I sighed. "Just go without me. I'm still here."
"I thought you were resting. Why did you go out without me?"
I bit my lower lip. Why do I always lie to her? But I couldn't tell her I was at Lucca's house; she would interrogate me endlessly.
"I'm sorry, Mira. I'll call you later when I get home," I said before ending the call.
"You lied," Lucca said.
"Do you want them to know we're together?"
"Why not?"
"We're not even friends. They'll interrogate me."
He didn't reply.
I finished eating before asking permission to leave.
"I appreciate what you did today. Thank you… and thank you for letting me borrow your books," I said.
He just stared at me like I was a painting.
"Do you have a paper bag? I need one for the books."
"Yeah."
We went back to the library in silence. Lucca handed me a paper bag, and I carefully arranged the books inside.
"I'll return these," I said.
"What did I tell you earlier?"
"They're part of your collection. I can't just take them. I'll give them back."
He didn't respond.
He opened the door, ready to send me home.
"Lucca? Sera?" Mira blurted out in shock.