As Yael placed the flower crown on my head, I noticed Whitney moving quietly in the distance. She was walking toward Vito with slow, careful steps.
Vito stood with his back to us, smoking near the edge of the field. The wind carried the faint scent of tobacco across the grass. Whitney slipped her arms around him from behind, pressing herself against his back.
The mont I saw it, my stomach dropped.
I understood imdiately what she was trying to do.
Whitney was sacrificing her pride. She was trying to get the antidote from Vito for .
That fool.
She had already suffered so much in this place. I couldn’t let her humiliate herself again just because of .
Vito looked startled. He dropped the cigarette at once and turned around, pulling Whitney into his arms as if reacting on instinct.
My view was suddenly blocked.
Yael stepped in front of .
His eyes were strange—soft and intense at the sa ti, like soone guarding sothing precious. "Elena," he said quietly, "could you not look at anyone else? Just look at , okay?"
His tone was polite. Almost gentle.
But sothing in his gaze made my skin tighten. I had the feeling that if I refused him, the sweetness would vanish instantly.
Reluctantly, I looked back at him.
Yael opened his palm.
Inside was a tiny grasshopper woven from fresh blades of grass.
"Do you like it, Elena?" he asked.
I nodded.
His hands really were skillful.
The mont I showed approval, his whole face lit up with childlike happiness. "I can also make rabbits, bears... Elena, what do you like? I’ll make them all for you."
Before I could respond, he gently tugged toward a grassy patch near the edge of the cliff and urged to sit.
Behind us, the land dropped sharply into open air. In front of us, the grass sloped down the valley like green waves rolling under the wind.
The place was wide and peaceful.
Too peaceful.
The valley was nearly empty except for our group. The air was quiet and warm, and the flowers swayed softly in the breeze.
It should have been beautiful.
But the only thought in my mind was one thing.
Why wasn’t Lewis here to see this with ?
Yael picked several strands of fresh grass and placed them in my palm. "Elena, let teach you how to make a rabbit."
I glanced again toward Whitney and Vito.
Vito had pulled out his phone and was taking selfies with her. Whitney looked stiff and uncomfortable, but she forced a smile for the cara. Her eyes were dull, like she was acting in a play she didn’t want to be part of.
My chest felt heavy.
Whitney was already living such a miserable life here, yet she was willing to lower herself further just to win favor from a man she clearly hated—all for my sake.
"Elena," Yael said softly beside , "making a rabbit is simple. Just weave it like this."
I sighed quietly.
Since I was already here, I might as well cooperate. For now, I was safe.
So I focused on the grass in my hands and copied his movents.
His fingers moved slowly, patiently guiding through the steps. Before long, I managed to weave a small rabbit.
A smile escaped before I realized it.
I lifted it proudly in my palm and showed him.
Yael’s eyes sparkled like a child seeing fireworks. "Elena, you’re amazing!" he said excitedly. "Let’s make a basket next."
Watching him like this, I couldn’t help thinking sothing strange.
Yael would probably make an excellent kindergarten teacher.
Nothing about him felt like a grown man.
The last ti we were together, he dragged around to build sandcastles and wander through night markets like two carefree teenagers. Now he had spent an entire afternoon teaching how to weave tiny grass animals.
Through it all, he kept smiling at .
There was no hunger in his eyes.
No possessive heat.
Just a strange brightness.
He really was an odd person.
By the ti the sun began sinking below the horizon, my stomach was growling loudly. I felt like I hadn’t eaten in days.
Yael, on the other hand, looked completely satisfied. He stared at the pile of little crafts we had made, clearly pleased.
"Elena," he said happily, "it’s getting dark. Let’s stay here tonight. The stars in the valley are beautiful. You’ll love them."
Right then my stomach let out another loud rumble.
Yael blinked, then scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Elena... I’m sorry. I lost track of ti. Let’s go eat."
I stood and carefully gathered the crafts we had made.
An idea crossed my mind.
I wanted to send so of them to Lewis, Whitney, and Riley.
I quickly typed a ssage on my phone asking Yael to arrange for soone to deliver them.
Yael’s expression darkened slightly.
"Elena..."
My heart sank.
I had pushed too far.
Why would he run errands for ?
But then his face twisted in mild annoyance. "Elena, did you not think of giving one to ?"
I froze.
His way of thinking was truly different from everyone else’s.
Reminding myself to treat him more like a child than a dangerous man, I picked up a small grass duck and placed it in his hand.
His eyes lit up instantly.
"Elena... you’re giving this to ?"
I nodded.
He studied the little duck closely, then frowned slightly. "Why a duck? I thought you’d see as sothing more fierce."
I quickly typed another ssage and showed it to him.
This is the ugly duckling.
It was born in the wrong place, but it has its own special talents.
Yael read the ssage several tis.
When he looked up again, I noticed a faint shimr in his eyes.
"As a thank-you gift," he said softly, "I’ll have soone deliver these for you."
I wasn’t surprised.
Yael didn’t have the jealousy of a romantic rival toward Lewis.
In many ways, he still hadn’t grown up.
What he wanted from wasn’t really love.
It was sothing closer to a child’s deep craving for warmth... for acceptance.
Suddenly, a strange thought appeared in my mind.
Maybe this dangerous boy could be guided.
"Elena, let’s go."
He took my hand and led toward a small guesthouse at the foot of the mountain.
The path was lined with flowers in full bloom. At the entrance of the guesthouse, a large Alaskan Malamute lay lazily on the ground. A butterfly rested on its nose, but the dog didn’t even react.
I kept two of the grass crafts for myself and handed the rest to Yael, asking him to send them to Lewis.
He happily arranged the delivery without hesitation.
After washing up, I held the grasshopper and rabbit in my hands and went looking for Whitney.
As I walked around the back of the house, I stopped suddenly.
Whitney was there.
She had Vito pressed against the wall.
Standing on her toes, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a kiss.
Vito didn’t resist.
Instead, a low groan escaped him as he tightened his hold around her.
Embarrassed, I turned to leave.
But then I heard Whitney’s voice.
"Vito..." she said softly.
His arms locked around her even tighter.
"Camilla..." he murmured, using her real na instead of the alias everyone else knew. His voice was rough with emotion. "You’re going to be the death of ..."
Whitney gently stroked his face, her smile slow and deliberate.
Then she said the words that made my chest tighten.
"Do you want ?" she whispered. "Give the antidote... and I’m yours tonight."
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