(Continuation from the previous chapter but with a NEW twist...)
Elliot swore under his breath.
"Hey—" He took a step forward, voice sharp now. "That's hers."
Julian didn't move. Didn't interrupt. He was watching—carefully, like this confirmed something he'd already suspected.
The man with the bracelet lowered his gaze to Aurelia, studying the way her fingers hovered midair, the way her composure had fractured just enough to show what mattered.
"You run when you're afraid... gorgeous," he observed quietly. "Interesting."
He let the necklace fall—not into her desperate hands—but against his own palm, closing his fingers around it before it could drop.
"You didn't notice when it slipped," he continued. "You notice now. Tsk tsk tsk , how shamefully irresponsible of you beautiful."
Elliot stepped fully between Aurelia's small delicate frame and him this time, shoulders squared.
"Give it back."
The man's eyes flicked to Elliot, "Changing teams now, are we Elliot Hayes?".
His gaze shifted back to Aurelia.
"You met me earlier," he said, as if reminding her rather than the room. "You should know by now—I don't take what isn't returned."
A pause.
Then, softer—but no less dangerous:
"Tell me why this matters."
The room felt smaller.
The colorful bed.The empty fourth space.The boys.
and now.. The pendant.
"Give it back. It's not yours to keep... it's MINE!! You've no right to lay your hands on my property and then tease me about it... whoever you maybe".
She reacts calmly but the edge in her voice spoke for itself, her fists balled at her sides and face a deeper shade of red from the lava boiling inside her that could erupt any moment now, she was glaring at the man as if she'd bolt right up on him and grab him by his hair and toss him down the window... but well let's be real, she wasn't that strong but anyhow, nothing's more dangerous than a woman in anger. Anyhowss...
Her words cut through the room cleanly.
Not loud.Not frantic.
Sharp.
Elliot moved immediately—one step closer behind her, solid, unmistakably there. His presence wasn't loud either, but it was firm, like a line drawn in the floor.
Julian remained where he was, arms loosely folded now, expression unreadable. Observing. Measuring. Uninvested—or pretending to be.
The man with the bracelet didn't flinch.
If anything, her tone seemed to amuse him.
Rude.Uncaring.
Dangerously calm...... like the calm before a storm, but he loved little storms.
He looked down at herr clenched fists, then back to her red and fiesty beautiful face.
"You mistake restraint for teasing," he said evenly. "I'm doing neither."
Elliot's voice snapped, no humor left in it. "You're holding her property. That's enough."
The man's gaze flicked to Elliot at last—cool, assessing.
"And you," he said, "are doing a poor job of hiding how quickly you've chosen sides."
"Oh well id rather choose her side if it meant i would have a calm person to talk to, not some wannabe bandit...tsk". Elliot said with disgust dripping off his tone and he looked away rubbing his temple.
Julian shifted then, just slightly., sensing the unnecessary tension growing just over a necklace.
"Let's not escalate," he said mildly. "This is a room, not a courtroom."
The man exhaled slowly, as if considering whether this situation deserved more effort.
His eyes returned to Aurelia.
"That necklace," he said, holding it lower now—but not releasing it—"was not made for ornament."
The pendant brushed against his knuckles and Aurelia's tone grew impatient with every touch of his, "Give it back you--".
"It doesn't belong somewhere it can be lost so easily."
Aurelia's jaw tightened. "You don't get to decide that."
A beat.
Then the man stepped closer.
Not into her space—but close enough that the air changed.
"You're right," he said quietly. "I don't."
His fingers loosened
The chain slid, cool and sudden, into her palm and her eyes grew wide and soft all of a sudden as she caught it and looked up into his blue eyes with hate.
"But understand this," he added, voice low. "Things like that don't disappear by accident."
Aurelia straightened. "it didn't disappear, i just lost it."
"You didn't lose it," he finished. "You were followed."
Silence dropped like a held breath.
Then he turned toward the door.
"What do you-- nevermind", she lets her question off to avoid talking to him because the thing she was loathing the most right now was HIM.
"I'll see you again, Miss Ashbourne."
A beat.
"I hope we never meet", Aurelia almost growled.
His eyes sparkled with amusement at this state of hers and he ran a hand through his perfect black hair, gaze flicking back to her and roaming shamelessly over her,"We'll see sweetheart".
Not a question.
Not a promise.
A fact that made Aurelia roll her eyes and curse under her breath,"son of a--".
The moment the door clicked shut after his leave, the room exhaled.
She didn't.
Her fingers closed around the necklace like it might vanish again if she loosened her grip. The metal was cold. Familiar. Real.
She lifted it to her lips without thinking.
A soft, desperate kiss.
Then—realization.
He held it with his filthy hands... YUCKK!!
Her hands were trembling.
She lowered the necklace slowly, jaw tightening as She swallowed whatever was rising in your throat. She turned her face away just enough to blink hard, forcing the burn back into control.
Not here.Not in front of them.
She blinked and held her hair out of her face and spat lightly to the side, more anger than disrespect, grounding herself.
"Unbelievable," she muttered under her breath. "Absolutely… unbelievable."
Silence.
Heavy.
Julian was still by the window, watching the reflection of the room instead of the room itself. His expression hadn't changed—but his eyes were sharper now.
Elliot didn't hesitate.
He stepped closer.
Not too close.
Just enough that she could feel him there—solid, protective, real.
"You okay?" he asked quietly.
She straightened her shoulders and took a deep breath and exhaled, more of a sigh.
"I'm fine," she said. Her voice wavered for half a second—then steadied. "I just don't appreciate strangers deciding what belongs to me."
"Ughhhh...I've never hated anyone..its a strong word but i think i hate whoever this guy is.. does he really not have any name?"
Elliot nodded once, jaw set.
He leaned in then—not obvious, not dramatic—just enough that his voice dropped to a whisper meant only for her.
"That guy," he said softly, "doesn't have a name here."
She frowned slightly, glancing up at him. "Everyone has a name."
Elliot's mouth twitched. Not a smile.
"Not officially," he replied. "People call him a lot of things. None of them to his face."
Julian shifted behind her, placing his hand on Elliot's arm to stop him.
"Elliot," he warned mildly
Elliot ignored him.
"He doesn't live in this university, but does live in our room," Elliot continued under his breath. "He's not a student. Not a professor either. He shows up when something… specific is happening."
She felt a chill creep up her spine.
"What do you mean by that he doesn't live here and isn't anything, then what is he?" she asked in a perplexed tone and her brows creasing as she turned to fully face Elliot.
"A retriever," he said. "When the administration wants something found. Or kept quiet."
"Seriously? A retriever? puh-lease!! Don't insult the masculine retriever energy by making HIM a retriever," she scoffed and folded her arms shaking her head in disbelief, "Do you guys even read romance books, ridiculous. Tsk tsk tsk".
Julian turned then.
"He's not your typical book-coded GOLDEN retriever boy Aurelia! He's more of a hound and well it's better if we don't discuss him",he said calmly and turned his gaze to Elliot who was smiling at her like a fool. "And you Elliot- are scaring her."
She snapped her gaze to him.
"I'm not scared," she said sharply. Then, after a beat, quieter: "I just don't like being watched."
Julian studied her for a moment—really looked this time.
"You won't be," he said. "Not without reason."
That didn't help.
She slipped the necklace back around her neck, fingers lingering at the clasp like it anchored her to herself.
She lifted her chin and saw both of them staring at the necklace, "What now??!!"
She turned slightly toward Elliot, twirling a stray strand around her finger, arms folding in on herself—not defensive, just… thinking. Her voice was low enough that it belonged only to the space between her and him.
"he must have a name elliot ???"
Elliot didn't answer right away.
He glanced toward the door first. Then the window. Then Julian—who was deliberately looking away again, as if giving him permission and warning at the same time.
Elliot leaned closer, his voice barely more than breath and exhaled as if tired with the question.
"He does," he said. "Just not one people here like to say."
She felt his hesitation before he spoke again.
"Names give power," Elliot continued quietly. "And that guy?"A pause."He already has enough."
Julian finally turned back, his tone lighter—but his eyes weren't.
"You're asking the wrong question," he said. "It's not what his name is."
He met her gaze.
"It's why he already knows yours."
Silence settled again—thicker now, heavier.
"okay okay! no more identity questions!!". Aurelia said in mock surrender and annoyance.
Elliot straightened, forcing casual back into his posture.
"Good. You should finish unpacking," he said gently. "Orientation starts soon."
But his eyes lingered on the necklace once more. Aurelia noticed but of course she was also waiting for either of them to ask about it, she was never good at starting conversations.
She turned away from them before She'd say something awkward, shoulders tight, fingers already tugging open a suitcase with far more force than necessary.
"anyways..but i do know one thing for sure..he's at the top my most-hated-people for touching my moms--- ughhh..."
She cut herself off, frustration spilling over as she stomped once against the floor, the sound sharp in the otherwise quiet room. Fabric rustled as she pulled out neatly folded clothes, stacking them with precision that didn't quite hide the agitation beneath.
The sentence hung there.
Incomplete.
Dangerous.
Elliot froze.
Just for a second—but it was enough.
Julian's head lifted slowly.
Neither of them spoke at first.
Then Elliot turned, voice careful now, too careful.
"…your mom's what?"
She could feel it—the shift in the air, the way attention sharpened behind her. She kept her back to them, sliding hangers along the rail, aligning sleeves, pretending her heartbeat wasn't suddenly louder than the room.
Julian stepped closer, stopping a respectful distance away.
"You don't strike me as someone who misspeaks," he said calmly. "Especially not about family."
Julian's tone softened, but there was steel underneath it now.
"And he didn't just touch it, did he," he said quietly. "He recognized it."
Another pause.
Longer.
From the corner of her eye, she saw Julian's fingers tighten slightly around his sleeve cuff. "recognized??... my mom's necklace?"
"That necklace," Julian continued, measured, thoughtful, "isn't sentimental jewelry."
Elliot nodded once, eyes still on her.
"It's a marker."
The word settled heavy. Her breath hitched and she instinctively clutched her necklace as if holding onto dear life.
Julian glanced toward the door, then back to Aurelia.
"You may want to tell us," he said, sharp brown eyes soft and a smile on his lips "before someone else decides to finish that sentence for you."
She lets out a long breath—defeated, tired of circling around it—and turned back toward them.
"okay fine...sit...i'll tell..", she said, resignation in her voice.
She moved first, crossing the small space and sitting down on the edge of her bed, shoulders rounding slightly as if the weight of the story had already settled there. Her head dipped forward, fingers threading through her hair without thought—silky waves slipping between them, catching the light as they fell back over her shoulders.
Both of them noticed.
yes they noticed.
Elliot looked away almost immediately, swallowing as he pulled out the chair opposite to Aurelia and sat, elbows resting on his knees, posture attentive now. Serious.
Julian, however, paused for a fraction longer—eyes flicking over the way her hair framed her face, the way her usual composure had softened. Then he sat on the edge of the other bed, back straight, hands loosely clasped.
Elliot spoke first, gently. "Take your time."
Julian nodded once. "We're listening."
The dorm noises outside faded into something distant, irrelevant. The white sheets beneath her hands felt cool and grounding.
She lifted the necklace with trembling fingers, the chain catching faintly in the light as it slipped between them.
"so...this necklace..here..our third roomie just teased me with..is my...my...de...deceased...mothers...heirloom.....,,,...i..i...its...you...i...you see..she...we...i...---"
Her voice fractured.
It just… gave up.
The words stalled somewhere between her chest and her throat, tangled in memory, in grief she clearly didn't let surface often. Her lips parted like you might force them out anyway—but nothing came.
She lowered your hand.
Silence wrapped around them.
Elliot didn't speak.
He stood instead—slowly, deliberately—and crossed the room. He didn't touch her, didn't crowd her. He simply crouched in front of her so his eyes were level with hers, grounding, steady.
"I'm sorry Aurelia and," he said quietly. "You don't have to finish."
Julian's usual composure had softened. His voice, when he spoke, was low and respectful.
"We're really sorry Aurelia. Some histories don't like being summoned," he said. "Especially the ones tied to loss."
She stared at the floor, lashes casting shadows on her cheeks, fingers curling into the fabric of her trouser like it might anchor her and she shook her head,"It's okay guys... It was meant to happen, some things can't be controlled by humans".
Elliot glanced at the necklace.
"An heirloom," he repeated softly. "That explains a lot".
"Yes Julian, that explains why he recognized it," Elliot spoke after a deep thought.
Julian's jaw tightened—just slightly.
The connections were forming now. Quietly. Inevitably.
Elliot's voice was careful when he spoke again.
"Was your mother," he asked, "associated with this place?"
No pressure.
"I don't know guys... and I don't know how it slipped off my neck..ouff," Aurelia added while spacing out watching the window.
She suddenly looks up and her eyes clash with Julian.
Julian didn't look away.
Not when her hypnotizing green eyes locked onto his. Not when the air between them sharpened, charged by the sudden turn.
For the first time since she'd met him, his composure… slipped.
Elliot straightened instantly. "Julian."
But Julian's attention never left her, "Beautiful things are rarely left alone," he said without blinking as if he were zoned out in the eye contact.
"JULIAN WHITTAKER??!!," Aurelia and Elliot say together to snap him out of whatever state he was in right now.
"I'm sorry yes?- did something happen?-," he suddenly snapped out of it and looked at Elliot now.
Aurelia's brows crase and she bites her bottom lip, "Julian?? What did u mean by BEAUTIFUL THINGS ARE RARELY LEFT ALONE??"
"that..... well nothing special, nevermind it. Now where were we??" Julian changed the subject with ease and started thinking.
"As for him," Julian continued, voice careful now, "he didn't recognize the necklace because it was valuable."
"Then how Julian?" Aurelia seemed more curious.
"He recognized it because he's seen it before."
Elliot and Aurelia exchanged confused glances and both shrugged.
Julian shifted his gaze briefly to Elliot, then back to Aurelia.
"And the woman," Julian added, " Miss Anne, she escorted you to your room because she knew exactly whose daughter you were the moment she saw it."
The room felt very still.
Julian's eyes softened—not kindly, but honestly.
"How do you guys know so much?? Julian??" This was all a lot for Aurelia to absorb but she wasn't backing off either.
"There aren't many people who could carry that heirloom," he said. "Fewer still whose children would be walking into this dorm."
"You mean?? It's not a family heirloom my that passed down from my mom?? It's related to...Blackwell?" She tried searching for answers in Julian's eyes.
"You weren't supposed to find out this fast," he muttered.
Julian exhaled slowly.
"But now you have," he said. "Which means you deserve the truth."
Another beat.
Julian met her gaze fully.
"Your mother," he said carefully,
Her breath seemed to get uneven, heart beating faster. She immediately reacted because this was too much for her to take in at once.
"Mom?? But...She died when she gave birth to me...I have lived without a mother... So I don't believe this as her history and Dad barely had time for me..You can consider me a brought-up-without-parental-love-and guidance kind of girl for the record..Anyways..i don't wanna dig into more history..ugh..its frying my brain.." Aurelia grabbed her head in her hands and shook it.
"Aure-,' Elliot decided to anchor her but remained silent.
She stood, pacing the length of the room like the walls themselves were closing in. Her fingers brushed her lips absently as she thought, the movement unguarded, instinctive. Controlled chaos wrapped in composure.
Both of them noticed.
Julian rose halfway from his seat, then stopped himself, hands flexing at his sides.
"Hey," he said gently. "You don't have to decide anything right now."
Julian remained seated—but his eyes followed her anxious movements, sharp, thoughtful, unreadable. If there was something he knew, he was very deliberately locking it away.
"Digging too fast usually burns more than it reveals." Elliot finally said as he and Julian exchanged known glances.
She passed the window, light catching in her hair, her presence commanding the room without you trying. Julian's gaze flickered away for a brief moment—rare restraint.
Her perfect figure covered in just a simple fitted Tee shirt and elegant trousers made her look effortless even without trying and it was easy to admit, she looked HOT in any state...and by any state, it means ANY state. If you know you know.
Elliot cleared his throat. "For what it's worth… no one here thinks you're just some legacy story."
Julian added, carefully, "And whatever your mother was involved in—"
Aurelia immediately shot Julian a look.
He stopped himself.
A deliberate pause.
"—it's not something that expires with death."
'Yes.. you're right Julian" she added with a nod although the word DEATH was a harsh one to use.
The words lingered, but he didn't explain them.
Instead, he stood. Watching her anxiously pace under the sunlight despite knowing he's holding onto every last thread of his self restraint.
Elliot walked forward and nudged Julian by the elbow and whispered just for him to hear, his breath tingling on Julian's ear,"Hey julian, stop staring so much... ur visibly red and very much controlling yourself".
"W...what??...Shut up idiot", Julian looked at Elliot like he'd accused him of a crime.. well THIS was lowkey a crime, but not in his dictionary.
Aurelia looked up,"What's with you guys?" she looked at both of them.
"Nothing Aurelia... hehehe! Just guys talk you know?" Elliot said as he side hugged Julian and they both flashed the fakest smiles at her.
"Well okay...?" She said although she wasn't half convinced and she sat down on her chair and gazed out the window.. sitting under the sun like that, she was playing with both their hearts.
after a few seconds of awkward silence and staring hard Julian cleared his throat and smoothed his shirt.
"You should go to orientation," Julian said evenly. "Blend in. Observe. Let the place show itself to you."
Elliot nodded. "And keep the necklace hidden."
"Not because it's dangerous," Elliot added quietly. "Because it's valuable."
The bell rang again outside,
She stopped mid sentence and turned back toward them, chin lifting just a little, decision already made.
"well..I'm not going alone. One of you has to come with me! Maybe you Elliot??"
Elliot blinked.
For a split second, he actually looked relieved—then something crossed his face. Hesitation. Calculation.
He scratched the back of his neck. "I—uh—can't."
She frowned. "Can't?"
"Prior commitment," he said quickly. Too quickly. "Faculty thing. I'll catch up later."
Julian watched the exchange in silence, head tilted slightly, as if the outcome had already been obvious to him.
Aurelia narrowed her gaze, pointing a finger at Elliot,"You sure about that Elliot Hayes??!"
Elliot shifted his weight, clearly uncomfortable under her gaze. "It's just for today," he added. "You won't be alone long."
That's when Julian stood.
Because he knew Elliot was refusing thanks to his flustered state.
"I'll go," he said simply.
Both Aurelia and Elliot looked at him.
Julian straightened his cuffs, calm as ever. "Orientation is public. Harmless. And," he added, glancing briefly at Elliot, brown eyes darkening a fraction, "it's better if she's not unattended."
Elliot's jaw tightened. "Julian—"
"She asked for company," Julian replied smoothly. "I'm offering."
Then his attention returned fully to Aurelia. Aurelia's breath hitched and she tapped her thigh and shrugged, lost for words as if he was prince charming offering her a dance.
(well let's be real.. he is)
"If that's acceptable," he said, tone polite but unreadable, "I'll escort you."
Not walk with.Not tag along.
Escort.
Julian looked at Elliot and shook his finger in a NO sign.
Elliot exhaled slowly, defeated. "Fine. Just—" He looked at her, "Text me. When your done.."
"Yeah..pinky promise Elliot...Don't be bored without...us!", Aurelia added mischievously and waved at Eliot while smiling teasingly.
Elliot rolled his eyes and exhaled, he had knew he lost a good offer.
Julian picked up his jacket.
"Shall we?" he asked.
"Yes."she answered.
The door waited.
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