I take a deep breath as I walk into the café - the one that used to be my favorite. It felt warm once. Safe. Now it's just a reminder of everything that happened. Everything they did to me.
Still, I walk in calmly and take a seat.
Eyes follow me. I can feel them - whispering, judging, curious. Like I committed a crime instead of surviving one. But I ignore them.
I'm not the fragile girl I once was.
Calm is my weapon now.
If I want revenge, I have to watch. Listen. Remember. Every detail matters.
I order my usual - black coffee and a cookie - and just as I lift the cup, I see him.
Alex.
Walking in like this city still belongs to him. Like he didn't destroy me. For a moment, my blood heats - but fear? No. That part of me died already.
He sees me. Our eyes lock.
I don't flinch. I don't blink.
I don't smile like I used to - the obedient, grateful sister-that-wasn't-supposed-to-exist.
He smirks - that same smirk he wore when we were kids and Dad scolded me while praising him. I was the hidden mistake. He was the golden heir. I bled to hold that family up, but only his name ever mattered.
And for a moment, I see it -
Not fear.
Not shock.
Something worse.
Impossible. She couldn't rise.
But I did.
"Selene… Selene."
I jolt slightly. Josh Jules stands beside me - Alex's closest friend. The one people whispered liked me. I never believed it; Josh is everything rich, strong, and polished, right down to his sharp jaw and black-brown hair. The kind of man no one thinks would choose the quiet, unwanted girl.
He sits across from me, smiling. "How have you been? It's nice to see you. Where were you?"
For a moment, I forget how to lie.
I can't exactly say, I've been preparing to ruin your best friend.
"I was out of town," I say calmly, "figuring some things out. And yes… I'm fine. Thank you."
Fine.
They don't even know what fine looks like.
Josh studies me. "And what kind of things require leaving town?"
That's it. The calm cracks for a second - just enough.
"I didn't come back to be seen.
I came back to be remembered."
His eyes widen, confused but intrigued.
Then he smiles, soft and dangerous.
"I think I'd like to remember you."
I return the smile - steady, polite, unreadable.
We speak lightly after that, but my mind isn't in the conversation.
I didn't come here for peace.
I came here for war.
And this time, I won't lose.