As I called her, she turned her back to me, and when she saw me, she gasped, her eyes widening. She put her left hand over her mouth to stop herself from reacting in shock. But I was even more shocked when I saw a familiar thing I had been looking for—the black ring!
"Lucca?" she called my name, but I became deaf to everything around me. I was staring at the thing that instantly made my mood lighter. All this time, I had been looking for the ring. Damian and Dominic had even contacted jewellers abroad just to find it, but it had been near us all along. Very near. Why hadn't I discovered it earlier when we were together? Why didn't Dominic even notice it? Why?
"Lucca," Seraphina called again, and this time I heard her.
"Why are you here?" I asked.
"I visited my grandmother. How about you?" she asked, still looking at me confusingly.
The puzzle was finally starting to fit together. Seraphina was Celina Morgan's granddaughter. The reason I felt something whenever I saw her was because the ring I had been looking for was with her.
Suddenly, I grabbed her left hand, catching her off guard. I wasn't even aware that I had grabbed it so forcefully that I hurt her. I was blinded by the black ring I was staring at.
"What are you doing to me, Lucca?" Seraphina said, fear in her voice. She tried to pull her hand away from me, but my grip tightened.
"Lucca, let go of me!" she shouted.
Suddenly, someone's hand forced me to release Seraphina's hand. It was Dominic, looking at me with wide eyes. I saw Seraphina holding her left hand, and that made me realize what I had just done. But I wasn't able to say sorry to Seraphina. Dominic immediately pulled me away from her. We went inside my car, and Dominic shouted at me.
"What are you doing to her?" Dominic asked angrily.
"I saw the black ring!"
"Yeah, I saw it too. But you startled Seraphina."
"I was shocked. That's why I startled her."
"Go back to your mansion. I'll follow you. Let's continue this conversation there. I have to get Seraphina first," Dominic said before immediately getting out. I wasn't able to stop him.
Seraphina's POV
After we went to the bookstore, I told Mira that I was going to visit my grandma in the cemetery. She agreed and told me she would come with me, but I refused and told her to go home. It was getting dark too, and I didn't want her to spend the night with me again. Not that I didn't want her with me now; I just knew she was a bit tired today since she had been yawning often. She didn't insist, and after buying the books we chose, we both parted ways.
I booked a taxi and waited for five minutes before it arrived. When I arrived at the cemetery, I excitedly went to my grandma's tomb to tell her about the things that had been happening to me. I even shared with her that my biological mother had gone to my house just to get the black ring she gave me. I stared at the black ring I was wearing. Every time I looked at it, I still remembered the moments I spent with my grandma when she was still alive.
After ranting, I also told her about going to Dr. Keith's clinic and taking a leave because I was not emotionally okay. I even shared that Mira and I were getting closer after she caught me leaving Dr. Keith's clinic. I shared stories as if my grandma were still alive. I felt like she was with me, even though not physically.
I tried not to cry when I told her that I already missed her. There was no day that I didn't miss her. If I could go back to the past, I would definitely spend more time with her, sleep beside her, and be with her as much as possible.
After telling her everything, I decided to go home. As I was walking away, someone called my name.
"Seraphina?"
When I turned around to see who was calling me, I gasped. My eyes widened, and my mouth opened.
"Lucca?" I uttered. Why was he here? Had someone from his family died and been laid to rest here, too?
"Why are you here?" he asked.
"I visited my grandmother. How about you?" I asked, waiting for him to answer that someone from his family was buried here. But he didn't speak. Instead, he stared at my hand.
What was wrong with my hand? Why was he looking at it?
I gasped again when he suddenly grabbed my hand forcefully without even asking for my consent. I tried to pull it away, but my strength was not enough to fight against his grip.
"What are you doing to me, Lucca?" I asked, but he wasn't listening. He was still staring at my hand.
"Lucca, let go of me!" I shouted.
Suddenly, someone pulled Lucca's hand away, and I felt relieved. When I looked at the person, it was Dominic. He looked annoyed and immediately pulled Lucca away from me. I watched them walk away and get into a car.
I sighed. Why did Lucca do that? Was there something wrong with my hand?
I massaged it a little before deciding to leave the cemetery. Lucca was really a mysterious guy. In the bookstore, he was sarcastic. Now he was grabbing my hand. Was he trying to hurt me?
"Seraphina!" someone called.
When I looked, Dominic was calling me while driving his car. I stopped, and he stopped too.
"Let me drive you," he offered.
I shook my head. "I'll commute."
"It's getting dark now."
I looked at the sky. He was right, and it seemed like it was about to rain. I hadn't brought my umbrella.
I sighed and decided to accept Dominic's offer. I put on my seatbelt before Dominic started driving.
"I'm sorry about what Lucca did," he said.
"Your friend is weird."
He laughed. "I agree. He is weird, and I can't even understand his mood."
"How did he become your friend? Clearly, you have different personalities."
"We shared the same master."
"Master?" I asked curiously.
"We shared the same uncle," he corrected.
"You are cousins?"
"No. We're not blood-related."
I nodded. I wanted to ask more, but I stopped myself. I didn't want him to think I was a nosy person because I actually wasn't.
"Does your hand hurt?" he asked, looking at me when the traffic light turned red. He was so quick to grab it that I wasn't able to stop him. Why do people keep holding my hands? What's with my hand?
Dominic stared at it for a few seconds before letting go and focusing on driving again when the traffic light turned green.
"I like your ring," Dominic uttered. He wasn't looking at me; he was looking at the road.
I stared at the black ring that my grandma had given me. I smiled even though he couldn't see it.
"It was a gift from my grandma."
"Where is your grandma?" Dominic asked.
"She died three years ago."
Dominic didn't respond. When I looked at him, he had become serious and quiet. After a long pause, he finally spoke.
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"This ring reminds me of my memories with her. I treasure it a lot, and I never remove it from my hand. Before she died, I promised her not to misplace this ring and never sell it to anyone. I don't know why Grandma told me that. Maybe she just wanted me to remember her until I grow old."
While I was sharing, I didn't realize that we had already arrived at my place. Dominic was looking at me with worry and hesitation.
"Don't say sorry. It's not your fault," I jokingly said. I didn't know why I joked with him. I don't usually do that with people I'm not close to. Dominic is my friend, but I don't treat him as a close friend yet.
"You treasure that ring a lot. Your grandma must be proud of you," he said with a sad expression. He probably remembered someone similar to my grandma.
"Are you okay?" I asked because his face couldn't hide his worry.
"Ah, yeah. I'm fine. Good night," he said.
I nodded and thanked him for bringing me safely home.
Dominic's POV
As Seraphina was sharing about her grandma and the black ring, I couldn't help but feel worried and hurt at the same time.
When I first saw the black ring, I was happy because Lucca would finally not die, and he could simply buy the ring from Seraphina. But after hearing her story, I couldn't help but feel sad.
Sad because I didn't know that her grandma had already died, and that ring was the memory she had of her.
How could I let Lucca take it when Seraphina was holding onto it as a precious memory of her grandma?
I could already see the conflict between the two. Lucca wouldn't be able to get it as easily as he thought, just because he had money.
When I arrived at Lucca's black mansion, I got out of the car and immediately entered the house. When I walked into the room, I saw Lucca and Damian drinking.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
Lucca was smiling, something he rarely did. Damian was smiling too.
"Celebrating Lucca's success. What's with the long face?" Damian asked when he noticed that I didn't look happy about the current situation.
I sat on the sofa, deep in thought. Lucca and Damian were already celebrating, but I couldn't. I kept thinking about Seraphina.
"Hey, what are you thinking about? Aren't you happy that Lucca already found the black ring?" Damian said.
"What if it isn't the ring we're looking for?" I reasoned.
"Are you dumb? Our master already told us that he gave the ring to Celina Morgan," Damian answered.
Yeah, he had a point. When I inspected the ring earlier, it was the same as the one in the picture.
"I found it, yet you're showing us that long face. What's the matter, Dominic?" Lucca finally spoke.
I sighed deeply. If only I could help both of them.
"Help me talk to Seraphina tomorrow. I'll offer her a huge amount of money," Lucca said, confident that Seraphina would sell it.
I bit my lower lip. How could I explain to him that it wasn't as easy as he thought?
"I can't," I said about helping Lucca talk to Seraphina.
"Dude, you look weird today," Damian noticed.
I looked at him with sad eyes, hoping he could see that I needed his help. But he just shrugged it off.
"What did you say? You don't want to help me?" Lucca frowned, trying to examine why I was acting weird. "Damian was right. You look weird."
"The black ring that Seraphina has..." I started, but paused for a moment because I was searching for the right words. Both of them waited for me to continue.
"It is an important thing for Seraphina. It was given to her by her grandma, and she promised her that she would never sell it or lose it," I finally blurted out.
Damian and Lucca remained emotionless, trying to absorb what I had said. When they finally processed it, Damian spoke.
"What? But it wasn't hers in the first place. It belonged to our master."
I looked at Lucca and ignored Damian's statement.
"You can't just ask to buy it from her. It's dear to her, just as much as it is important to you."
Lucca became serious and finished his drink in one shot. The smile that had been on his face faded. He wasn't happy anymore.
"Money will always talk, Dominic," Damian said.
"But not to Seraphina," I replied. Though I didn't know her well yet, I felt like she was different. She wasn't the kind of person who chased money or broke promises.
I looked at Lucca again.
"You can't just open up about your situation to her. You already forced her earlier. Her hand was hurt. She even called you weird," I said. If it had been another situation, I would have teased him and laughed about it.
"What should Lucca do then?" Damian asked.
"Let's not bring it up to her. We should just wait until she gives it to Lucca willingly."
"But we don't have time," Damian blurted out.
"So what's your plan? Just take the ring by force?" I said sarcastically.
Lucca looked at me with a blank expression. I didn't know what he was thinking. Knowing him, he wouldn't even bother to care about other people's feelings. He wouldn't care if someone got hurt. But Seraphina was different, and I didn't want him to hurt her.
"Who cares?" Lucca asked sarcastically.
This was exactly what I was talking about. Lucca—the most dangerous man I had ever known—spoke as if he didn't care about the world.
"She's a woman, for Pete's sake, Lucca. You nearly broke her hand earlier. Have you forgotten how strong you are?"
"I have killed people without mercy. Do you think I can't do it to just one woman?"
"Are you saying that you will kill my friend just to get the ring?" I asked in horror.
"Why not?" he replied coldly.
My eyes widened. Damian wasn't even bothered. It felt like two against one in this situation. No one sided with me. They were focused on the goal—the ring.
"Do you hear yourself, Lucca? Are you going to kill an innocent person?" I tried to appeal to his conscience, hoping he would feel something.
He didn't answer me and finished another glass in one shot.
I was bothered. I was afraid that Seraphina might actually be killed by this heartless devil.
"Damian, aren't you going to convince him?" I asked.
Damian just looked at me, unbothered.
"You like Seraphina. I know about it. But we should always choose our friend, Lucca. I will always choose Lucca's life over anyone else's."
Damian was as clear as the sky. He would always side with Lucca. With their similar personalities and beliefs, it wasn't surprising that I was left alone.
"Fine. Get the ring and become immortal. I just hope guilt will haunt you forever," I said.
I stood up and looked at them one last time.
"I'll protect Seraphina no matter what, even if it costs our friendship. You're strong, I get it. If you're going to kill her, kill me first."
After saying that, I walked out.
I was so bothered that I wanted to stay with Seraphina 24/7. But I couldn't do that because she might question it. I couldn't even tell her that Lucca was planning to kill her.
Out of frustration, I drove straight to our master's house. It was already night, but I hoped he was still awake.
I knocked on the door. It didn't take long before it opened. Our master was already wearing his sleeping shirt and pants.
"I'm sorry for coming without notice, especially this late at night," I said while panting.
"It seems like an important matter," he said, letting me in.
I sat on the sofa. He asked if I wanted some tea, but I refused and told him that I had something important to say.
"What is it?" our master asked.
"We found the ring," I said directly.
That made him even more interested in what I was about to say next.
"You found my ring?" He looked happy, just like Lucca had earlier.
"But the ring is being worn by Celina Morgan's granddaughter. She gave it to her and told her granddaughter to promise that she would never lose it or sell it."
"What? How do you know all of this?"
"Her granddaughter is my friend, my master."
My master fell into deep thought. He was carefully considering the situation.
"Lucca is planning to use force to get the ring from her. Damian is supporting Lucca's plan too. Master, would you allow Lucca to hurt an innocent person?"
Master didn't respond immediately. He was deep in thought, which made me even more curious about what he was thinking.
"I know Lucca will not do that," he finally said.
"Will not do what?" I asked.
"Lucca has killed many people, but they were all his enemies. I have never heard that he killed or hurt an innocent one."
"But what if he actually kills her? What should I do?" I asked hysterically.
My master remained calm. He was about to speak when someone suddenly barged into his house without knocking on the door.