And now, when they were sold for barely anything to strangers, they suddenly seemed valuable?
Things that weren’t cherished were simply misplaced treasures.
Raiden’s silence seemed to scream frustration, but Norella’s voice cut through the tension, laced with guilt.
"Forget it, Raiden," she said, her voice filled with remorse. "Astrella’s clearly upset with me. This is my fault. I shouldn’t have gotten so close to you two."
Astrella’s words rippled through the crowd, sparking hushed whispers.
"A man caught between two women, what’s that about?"
"He seems so polished, but who knew he was such a charmer?"
Raiden’s face darkened at once, his jaw tightening as he grabbed Reaghan’s hand. Without sparing a glance, he stormed off, his steps heavy and fast.
Norella, on the edge of tears, hesitated for a moment before scrambling to follow him, her heels clicking nervously against the pavement. But the rush caught her off guard. She stumbled, losing her balance and falling hard.
Raiden turned in an instant, his instincts kicking in. He shot a quick, pointed glance at Astrella, then hurried to Norella’s side, lifting her effortlessly into his arms. With one last look at Astrella, he walked away, the tension between them as thick as ever.
As Raiden and Norella disappeared from view, Astrella calmly finished selling the last of her items. She paused for a moment, her gaze steady as the crowd began to disperse and then, with two boxes of steaming buns in hand, she made her way toward the residential compound for faculty families.
It was a place she’d visited often, a second home of sorts, where the retired professors lived quietly, relying on each other for support. Many had no families to care for them and the simplest tasks became increasingly difficult with age. Astrella had seen their struggles and stepped in without a second thought, bringing meals, doing laundry and helping with the day-to-day chores. One of them had even been the mentor of her late coach, a connection that had always stayed with her.
With her departure looming, she felt a deep urge to see if there was anything more she could do for them one last time.
To her surprise, as soon as Astrella stepped into the building, her eyes were drawn to the funeral wreaths that lined the entrance. A chill ran through her as she knocked on the door, waiting through a long silence before it finally creaked open.