The next few days unsettled everyone in the Vale mansion.
Because Selina had changed.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
But in small ways that felt almost disturbing.
She stopped waiting for Elara before breakfast.
Stopped reminding Rowan about meetings.
Stopped fixing Damian's forgotten files late at night.
Stopped staying awake to help with presentations that were never credited to her anyway.
And most shocking of all—
she stopped trying.
The old Selina had moved through the mansion quietly, always useful, always dependable.
This Selina simply existed.
Cold.
Distant.
Untouchable.
"Did something happen at the hospital?" Rowan finally asked one evening.
They sat in the living room while Elara prepared for an investor dinner upstairs. Damian remained buried in paperwork nearby while Livia flipped through magazines absentmindedly.
Selina looked up from her book calmly.
"No."
Rowan frowned. "Then why are you acting like this?"
Acting.
The word almost made her smile bitterly.
Because for years, she had been the one pretending.
Pretending their favoritism didn't hurt.
Pretending neglect felt normal.
Pretending scraps of affection were enough.
Now she was simply tired.
"I'm not acting differently," she replied quietly.
"You are," Elara said suddenly from the staircase.
Selina lifted her gaze.
Elara descended slowly in a white dress, elegant as always. The entire room naturally shifted toward her presence.
It had always been that way.
Even now, Selina noticed how Livia's eyes softened proudly looking at Elara.
How Damian actually paid attention when she spoke.
The difference was—
this time Selina no longer cared.
Elara stopped near the couch, studying her carefully.
"You've barely spoken to me since the accident."
Selina closed her book calmly. "Maybe I just don't have anything to say."
A strange silence followed.
Because Selina had never spoken to Elara like that before.
Ever.
Rowan exchanged an uneasy glance with Livia.
Damian finally looked up from his documents. "If you have a problem, say it directly instead of creating tension in the house."
Selina stared at him quietly.
In her previous life, those words would've crushed her instantly. She would've apologized even if she had done nothing wrong.
But now?
All she felt was exhaustion.
"I'm not creating anything," she said softly. "I'm simply minding my own business."
Elara's brows furrowed slightly.
Something about Selina's calmness unsettled her more than anger ever could.
Because anger meant emotion.
And emotion meant attachment.
But this version of Selina...
felt far away.
Later that night, Selina sat alone on the balcony outside her room.
The city glowed beneath the darkness while cool wind brushed against her skin.
Her fingers curled loosely around a cup of untouched tea.
Silence surrounded her comfortably.
For once, she wasn't solving problems for someone else.
Wasn't sacrificing sleep for the family business.
Wasn't chasing love that would never belong to her.
And yet—
her thoughts drifted back to silver eyes again.
"I finally found you."
The words echoed endlessly in her mind.
Selina frowned slightly.
Who was he?
No matter how hard she thought, she couldn't remember seeing him before the rooftop that night.
But his voice...
it hadn't sounded unfamiliar.
It sounded relieved.
Almost like someone who had spent years searching for something precious.
Her heartbeat slowed uneasily.
Why would a stranger search for her?
Unless—
he knew something about her past.
The thought made her stomach twist slightly.
Before she could think further, movement below caught her attention.
A black car slowly stopped outside the mansion gates.
Selina's eyes narrowed faintly.
The car was unfamiliar.
Expensive.
Elegant.
Dangerously quiet.
A man stepped out first in a dark suit before opening the rear door respectfully.
And then—
someone emerged from the shadows.
Tall.
Broad shoulders.
Black coat moving lightly in the wind.
Selina's breath caught instantly.
Even from this distance—
she recognized those silver eyes