The familiar outline of Vale Mansion's main gate filled Severine's vision, and bit by bit, it filled the hollowness inside her chest.
Home.
She parked her car outside the doorway and handed the keys to the servant.
"Young lady is back? What do you want to eat? I'll have the kitchen prepare it." Aunt May asked with a delightful voice.
When she smiled, her eyes crinkled. Even the wrinkles around the corners of her eyes were soft and pleasant.
However, her smile faltered when she noticed the sling on Severine's arm.
"Oh my god! What happened? Should I call the doctor?" she stepped forward in a fluster, careful not to hurt the young lady.
Severine let out a soft sigh. She had put the sling back on just before stepping out of her car.
Going to the basketball court with a sling would have been a dead giveaway. Her arm wasn't too painful anyway.
That was until she had to drag Damien out of his car and give him first aid.
The ache in her shoulder had flared up all over again.
"I'm fine, Aunt May. Is father home?"
Though worried, the housekeeper didn't dare cross the line between master and servant.
She helped Severine with the sling, adjusting it properly while calmly answering, "Master went on a business trip in country C. He won't be back for the entire week. Do you want me to..."
"No need." Severine waved her hand, dismissing Aunt May.
It was a good thing her father wasn't home.
She didn't want him to see her like this—nor did she think something so foolish was worth mentioning.
As she was about to enter her room on the second floor, the door of the opposite room opened.
What greeted her sight was a boy, a year younger than her. Austin Lockwood.
From their hair color to facial features, there was nothing alike.
Severine's hair was dark like an abyss. Meanwhile, Austin's was platinum blonde. Paired with his striking blue eyes, he looked very much like a model.
The fact that he was also an Awakener only added to his charm.
But to Severine, those blue eyes reminded her of Damien. Neither of these two was worth her time.
"Sister, you are back! How was your class... what happened to your arm?" Austin hurried toward her.
His fingers were just about to touch the bound arm when Severine took a step back.
Her expression remained calm, without the slightest ripple.
"None of your business," she said before shutting the door of her room, leaving her half-brother outside.
Austin opened his lips and then closed them. His eyelashes dropped as he stood in front of the closed door.
"Who hurt you?"
He raised his hand, wanting to knock, but recalling the indifferent attitude of his elder sister, he halted. His tongue darted to lick the sharp fangs.
Eleven years.
It had been more than a decade since he had entered this household, and yet he couldn't make Severine like him.
When he returned to his room, he subconsciously picked up a gift box. Pursing his lips, he put it near the pile of other gifts that had never left his cupboard.
"I will make sure you receive all of these gifts one day."
Severine had no clue what Austin was up to. Even if she did, she wouldn't have cared.
That was how it had always been.
She still remembered that day when little Austin had stepped inside her home.
It was raining that night, and the boy was shivering. His clothes were clinging to his fragile frame, making his small stature appear pitiful.
The first thought that appeared in her mind was to... protect Austin.
She was too naive back then, not understanding the implications of Austin's identity.
If not for him, her mother wouldn't have fallen into such deep depression—one that left her confined to a nursing center.
The various tricks the boy had done came rushing to her mind.
Ring. Ring.
Before her mood could take a dive for the worse, the ringtone diverted her attention.
It was her assistant, Samuel, but for some reason, he preferred to be called Sam.
As soon as she answered the call, Sam's excited voice echoed in her ears.
The more she listened, the better she felt. By the end of the call, there was even a smile on her pink lips, softening her face.
"I understand. You continue the previous arrangements."
The money she had invested had managed to gain 300% results!
For a relatively new investment company, this result was nothing short of a miracle.
Two months of preparations... In a short time, she had managed to increase her profit to such a degree.
How could she not be happy?
The earlier unpleasantness of meeting Austin and the troublesome Damien swept away just like that.
I can acquire all the sites that I previously couldn't. With that, she would have better leverage against Rhodes.
Thanks to her prophetic dreams, she could predict the bigger crisis for the next five years. It was enough for her to build her own foundation of power.
The only issue was what happened earlier.
She pulled an old phone from her purse, removed the sim card, and broke it.
This was the last link she had with that student who replaced the gripping powder.
That student would not be stupid enough to reveal the truth. So as long as nothing unexpected happened, she was safe.