Just peachy."
Nova smiled tightly as Jericho stepped closer, studying her with quiet intensity. He must have sensed something different in her posture, in the clipped tone of her voice, because the humor in his eyes dimmed.
"You seem... tense," he said.
"Do I? Must be the palace air," she replied and stepped away from him.
Jericho said nothing for a moment. Then he turned and poured more wine into his glass.
"You don't have to stay, you know. I won't hold you hostage."
Nova's eyes flicked to him. She hated how smooth his voice was, how it curled around her like warm smoke. A part of her wanted to scream at him. Another part, a quieter, more dangerous part wanted to stay and find out the truth.
"So, Jericho," she said casually, picking up her half-filled glass. "Do you always charm women with wine and candlelight, or am I special?"
He met her eyes over the rim of his glass. "That depends. Do most women storm into private clubs and pour wine on my floor?"
She chuckled despite herself. "Touché."
They stood in silence for a moment, the only sound being the gentle clink of glass and the wind brushing softly against the windows.
"Tell me something," Nova said suddenly. "Why me? Why invite me here after what I did?"
Jericho tilted his head. "Because I wanted to see you again." That was too simple. Too easy.
Nova narrowed her eyes. "You know, I heard something strange earlier. Two of your men talking about... a stone? And a necklace?"
Jericho went very still. The glass in his hand hovered in the air.
"Did you now?" he asked softly. Nova stepped closer. "Yeah. One of them mentioned how you weren't supposed to get attached. That you told someone you'd lost a necklace... but then gave it to me."
The room darkened, as if the candles dimmed with his expression.
"You were eavesdropping?"
"I overheard," she corrected. "There's a difference."
Jericho placed his glass down on the table, his movements sharp and precise. "Then you should know that some things are not meant for your ears."
"But I heard them anyway," Nova fired back. "And now I want to know the truth. Who are you really? Why do you keep acting like you're not from around here?"
He stared at her. And for the first time, Nova felt the full weight of something behind his gaze, not just arrogance, but history. Secrets. Pain.
He took a step toward her.
"What would you do if I told you I wasn't?" Nova's breath hitched. "Wasn't what?"
"From around here." Her heart slammed in her chest.
He was close now, too close. His scent was intoxicating clean leather, smoke, and something ancient. "You'd think I'm crazy, right?" he whispered.
Nova lifted her chin. "Try me."
He studied her like he was looking into a mirror. Then, with a sharp exhale, he turned away. "Not tonight. You're not ready."
She watched his back, frustration clawing at her ribs.
"Why bring me here at all, then?" she asked.
Jericho faced her again, slower this time. "Because something tells me you're going to matter more than either of us planned."
Before she could respond, a door creaked open behind them. Ethan appeared, dressed in all black, his eyes locked on Nova like she was something beneath his boot. "We have a problem," he said to Jericho.
Jericho tensed. "What is it?"
Ethan hesitated, then flicked his gaze to Nova. "Not in front of her."
"Say it," Jericho ordered.
Ethan sighed. "Those three new recruits from the village? One of them had... the necklace. The one you said you lost." Jericho went cold. Nova's brows lifted. "Wait. What necklace?"Jericho stepped past her. "Where are they now?"
"In the training quarters."
Without another word, Jericho strode toward the door. Ethan gave Nova one last warning glare before following.
Left alone again, Nova stood in the middle of the vast, candlelit room, her heart pounding. That necklace... was it the same one Jericho had given her before?
What the hell was going on? She had come for answers. But it seemed all she was finding were more and more questions.
And something told her... she had just stepped into something far bigger than she imagined.
The storm inside Nova wasn't calming down. It thundered silently in her chest as she tried to keep her expression neutral. Her thoughts raced, spinning out of control. She couldn't get the voices out of her head, especially that one line:
"He gave her the necklace... the one his fiancée gave him."
She glanced discreetly at the delicate chain around her neck. Jericho had given it to her, and she'd thought it was something special—something real. But if what she just overheard was true, then that gift wasn't his to give.
That necklace belonged to someone else.
And Jericho had lied.
Her stomach twisted with a cocktail of confusion and betrayal. Why would he do that? Why would he look her in the eyes with so much intensity and say she reminded him of someone important, when all along he was hiding secrets this deep?
Jericho returned to the room with that same unreadable expression he always wore, but Nova could see now that it wasn't just confidence or mystery. It was control. Every gesture, every word, every look he gave was calculated.
And suddenly, she felt like prey.
"I'm sorry for the interruption," he said, sitting down across from her again. "Something came up."
Nova forced a smile and took her seat. "Nothing serious, I hope?" she asked, testing the waters. Jericho gave her a half-shrug. "Just business matters."
Business, she thought. Was that what she was? A piece of business?
"You look different," he said suddenly, his gaze scanning her face.
"Do I?" she asked, her tone lightly amused but masking her internal chaos. He leaned in a bit closer. "You're not like other women in this city. Most people bend... or break. You don't."
She swallowed. Don't fall for it again.
"Maybe I'm just good at pretending," she said.
Jericho studied her a moment longer, then smiled. "Even better. Pretending is an art."
The food came, and for the next few minutes, silence blanketed the room, filled only by the clinking of cutlery. But inside Nova, that storm kept swelling.
She had a decision to make: walk away from this strange, powerful man and forget about the mystery behind the necklace… or dig deeper, even if it meant getting hurt. And Nova had never been good at walking away.
Back at the Palace - Private Quarters
Ethan threw his glass against the wall. "She overheard us! I'm telling you, she did."
Kade, the youngest of the three brothers, sat in a leather chair, arms folded.
"She's a human. She can't possibly understand what the stone really is. Even if she suspects something, there's no proof."
"That girl isn't ordinary," Ethan growled. "Jericho's getting too close. This wasn't part of the mission."
"We got the stone already. Let him play with his toy," Kade said with a smirk.
Ethan shot him a look. You think this is a game? If Father finds out what he's done with that necklace "Then we make sure he doesn't," Kade cut in. "Let Jericho handle his mess. If Nova becomes a problem... we know what to do."
Later That Night
Nova was already in her apartment, lying on the bed, fully clothed, unable to sleep.
The weight of the necklace on her chest felt heavier now. Her fingers brushed the stone lightly.
What are you hiding, Jericho? Suddenly, her phone buzzed. A message.
Jericho: Meet me tomorrow. 10AM. I need to tell you something. Nova stared at it, heart pounding. Whatever he had to say, it better be the truth. Because she was done playing games.
Nova's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts as she descended the grand staircase of the palace. Everything felt like a dream gone slightly off course. Her instincts screamed at her to leave—to vanish into the real world and never look back. But her heart, her curiosity, her pride, they all pulled her deeper. She had come to confront the man who had shaken her to her core. But now? There was something more pressing. That conversation she had overheard it wasn't a coincidence. It meant something. Jericho, the mysterious A-Boy with smoke-laced secrets, was hiding far more than charm and danger.
And that necklace?
Nova clutched the small pendant around her neck. Jericho had noticed it earlier, his gaze lingering a second too long. But he hadn't asked. Did he recognize it? Was he pretending not to? As she paced the garden in her heels, the moon bathing her in silver, Nova heard someone approach. She turned, expecting Jericho.
But it wasn't him. It was the calmer one from the trio, the one she remembered being called Kai.
"You're not safe here," Kai said in a low voice.
Nova stiffened. "Excuse me?"
He looked over his shoulder before stepping closer. "You need to go. Leave the estate tonight. Forget Jericho. Forget everything you heard."
"Why? What's really going on here?" she asked, pulse racing.
Kai didn't answer. Instead, he handed her a small folded slip of paper. "If you care about your life, read this and burn it."
Then he turned and walked off.
Nova stood there, trembling slightly. She opened the slip.
Inside was a single line: He isn't from here. None of us are. And you're not supposed to be part of this.
Her chest tightened. It confirmed everything her gut had been screaming. But the question now was, what exactly were they?
She turned, only to find Jericho standing a few feet away, watching her. Her breath caught. "You look like you've seen a ghost," he said softly.
Nova took a breath and folded the paper tightly behind her back.
"Maybe I have."
Jericho studied her for a long moment. Then he walked toward her slowly, his hand reaching out to gently lift her chin.
"You keep poking where you shouldn't. You're going to find things you won't be able to forget," he whispered. His touch was cold and electric. "Try me," she replied.
A slow smile curled his lips. "You're playing a dangerous game, Nova Bianchi."
She pulled away from his touch. "And you? You're the one hiding behind charm and shadows. But I see you, Jericho." For a second, something shifted in his eyes. But before either of them could say another word, a loud bang echoed from inside the palace. Then shouting. Jericho stiffened. He turned quickly.
"Stay here," he commanded and stormed off. Nova, of course, didn't listen.
She followed the noise to the east wing of the palace. Servants scrambled around. A vase had shattered on the floor. And someone, a girl, maybe a staff was sobbing. Nova hid behind a pillar, trying to see. She watched Jericho walk up to a woman dressed in crimson silk, stunning and fierce. She was the source of the chaos.
"Calista," Jericho muttered. "What did you do?"
Calista. His fiancée. She was beautiful in the cruelest way possible.
"I told her to bring me my tea, and she spilled it," Calista hissed, pointing at the trembling maid. "I want her punished."
Jericho's jaw tensed. She's a child. It was a mistake. "Mistake or not, I won't tolerate stupidity in the palace. Not after everything we've done." Everything you've done?
Nova narrowed her eyes. Jericho motioned to another staff. "Take her away and make sure she's okay." Calista stormed off in anger, but before she left, she turned her sharp eyes toward Jericho. "Don't forget who you're promised to."
Nova gripped the column tighter. She was standing in a palace of secrets, entangled in a web of deception. And she had only begun to scratch the surface. Nova didn't sleep that night. Every second since she'd returned from Jericho's mansion had been a swirl of chaotic thoughts. His words, the overheard conversation in the hallway, the mention of some "stone," the necklace, the mystery behind his fiancée, all of it felt like puzzle pieces scattered in the dark. And somehow, she was right in the middle of it.
She sat on the edge of her bed, legs crossed, wearing one of Lina's oversized hoodies. Her phone sat idle beside her, the screen black, no new messages from Jericho.
Why did she care? Why did he affect her this way? She clutched the edge of the necklace she'd been wearing since last week—the obsidian one he gave her. "He said it reminded him of someone," she muttered to herself. "But they think I have no idea..." She looked at her reflection in the mirror, trying to find answers in her own eyes. But none came.
At the palace in Arensville....
Jericho stood by the moonlit window in his chambers, a cigarette burning between his fingers.
His thoughts weren't quiet either.
The way she looked at him before he left the dining room. The suspicion in her voice when she said, "Just peachy." He knew she overheard something. Ethan stepped in, uninvited as usual.
"So, what are we doing now? She's not dumb, Jericho." Jericho didn't respond.
Ethan scoffed. "If you keep playing this game, she'll dig up the whole truth before you can blink."
"Let her dig," Jericho finally said, his voice low. "She deserves the truth... even if it breaks her."
Ethan narrowed his eyes. "You better not be falling for this Earth girl. You remember who gave you that necklace, right?"
Jericho turned sharply. "Don't mention her."
"I'm just reminding you. Actions have consequences. Especially when you lie to a royal fiancée." Jericho extinguished the cigarette and walked out without a word.
Back at Nova's place...
Lina stirred from the couch and padded into the kitchen, finding Nova still awake.
"You're obsessed," she said bluntly, pulling out a juice box. Nova raised a brow. I am not. "You're wearing his necklace. You haven't stopped thinking about him for days. And you came home tonight looking like someone who saw a ghost."
Nova sighed. "I overheard something... something big. But it doesn't make sense."
Lina leaned on the kitchen counter. "Spill."
"It was about a stone. And how Jericho gave me this necklace even though it apparently belonged to his fiancée. They think I don't know." Lina blinked. "Wait, wait. Did you say fiancée?" Nova nodded, rubbing her temples. "Apparently." Girl, this is messy. What kind of mafia drama have you gotten us into? I don't think it's mafia, Lina. It's something else. Something... otherworldly.
Lina froze. "You're not high, right?"
Nova laughed bitterly. "No. But I have a feeling Jericho isn't who he says he is. And neither are his brothers." The next day, Nova decided she couldn't sit idle anymore. If she wanted the truth, she had to chase it. She got dressed in a black leather jacket, ripped jeans, and combat boots. Her hair was tied up in a bun, her eyes lined with determination. She texted Lina: "I'm going back to the mansion. Alone."
Lina replied instantly: "At least take a taser. Or pepper spray. Or me. Nova didn't respond.
Back at the palace...
Jericho was in the garden, dressed in his usual black. His mind was a storm, but his face gave nothing away. A servant approached. "Sir, the girl is back. Alone."
Jericho's brows lifted faintly. "Bring her to the greenhouse." The servant nodded and left.
Moments later, Nova was escorted through the golden halls again. She didn't speak, but her eyes took in every detail, the patterns on the walls, the paintings, the faint hum of something ancient in the air. She reached the greenhouse and found Jericho waiting there, his back to her as he examined a white glowing flower. "You're not going to offer me wine this time?" she asked, folding her arms. He turned, slowly. "I figured you weren't here for wine."
Nova walked closer, stopping just a few feet from him. "Who are you, Jericho? Really." He stared at her. Then took a breath. You don't want the truth. "Try me." He looked her over, slowly. Then said, "Fine. But remember this moment, Nova. Remember you asked for it." The wind blew lightly through the greenhouse. The flowers shimmered faintly. He stepped closer.
"I'm not from here. Neither are my brothers." Nova's chest rose and fell with anticipation. "We come from a world called Auroria. A place far beyond your skies." Her lips parted slightly. "You're not serious." He held up his hand. In his palm, a flicker of violet light spun like a galaxy. Nova stumbled back.
"Holy..."
"We came here for something stolen. A stone. Powerful. Dangerous. And while we were searching for it... I met you." She felt like the floor beneath her had vanished. "Why me?" Jericho stepped closer again. "Because, Nova... you're part of this story in a way you can't even imagine."
To be continued.....