The morning light spilled into the apartment as Selene zipped up her bag in silence. Evan was beside her, folding his things into a duffel like he had done it a hundred times before. Neither of them had spoken much since sunrise. There was a kind of quiet understanding between them now—heavy, but soft. Something had shifted last night. They weren't running anymore—not separately, at least.
Evan looked at her as he picked up his backpack. "You sure?"
Selene nodded.
Evan smiled and reached for her hand.
The train ride to Cassis was calm, like the universe had finally granted them a moment of peace. Selene sat by the window, her head resting lightly against Evan's shoulder. His fingers wrapped around hers like a promise he hadn't made out loud yet. The movement of the train was rhythmic, hypnotic, almost dreamlike. Evan would glance at her every few minutes—not to check if she was okay, but just to memorize how she looked when she was finally breathing.
Selene turned her head. "What?"
"Nothing," Evan said, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Just… this."
"This?"
He smiled. "Yeah. You. Us. This silence."
She chuckled under her breath. "You always say cheesy things when you're sleepy."
"I'm not sleepy. I'm finally awake."
Selene leaned in, kissing his cheek.
Two hours vanished like they never existed. They stepped off the train in Cassis with the sun above them and the salt of the sea on the air. The coastal town greeted them with its pastel buildings, narrow lanes, and gentle buzz of tourists and locals alike. Evan and Selene walked hand in hand through the winding streets until they found a small hotel near the beach. The windows opened to a view of the Mediterranean, and Selene couldn't stop smiling.
They had lunch at a little terrace café, both laughing over cold drinks and fresh seafood. Evan was taking pictures between bites—of the view, the sky, the street… and Selene, when she wasn't looking. She caught him once and playfully kicked his foot under the table.
"What, you're pretty" he said, eyes twinkling.
"Obviously."
They walked along the beach after that, barefoot in the sand, the sea brushing against their toes. She pulled him into a kiss beneath a fig tree near the cliffs, and he held her like she was made of glass and fire all at once.
At one point, as Selene stopped to look at shells, Evan checked his phone.
He scrolled up through their messages,
Evan:"Need your help. Can you send me a photo of your boyfriend? It's important."
Still nothing from Lena.
He locked the phone and slipped it into his pocket, trying not to let it ruin the moment. He looked up and saw Selene spinning in the sand, her arms raised, eyes closed, the wind catching the hem of her dress.
He walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. She leaned into him naturally, like she belonged there.
"I don't remember the last time I felt like this," she whispered.
"Like what?"
"Free."
Evan kissed her cheek. "You are."
She turned in his arms, looking into his eyes. "As long as I'm with you."
They walked back to the hotel with sun-warmed skin and sea-kissed hair.
The room was dim, lit only by the soft golden glow of the lamp on the nightstand. Outside, the sea whispered to the shore, the sound barely brushing the windows. Selene was curled up in bed, her hair fanned across the pillow, one arm stretched toward Evan. She looked peaceful, finally. For once, she wasn't haunted.
Evan sat beside her, his laptop on his knees, a quiet frown carved between his brows. He had refreshed Lena's messages at least twenty times, but still nothing. Her read receipts were on. She had seen his texts. No reply.
He sighed and switched tabs—search engines, social profiles, old online directories. He had searched "Julien M.", "Julien and Lena Lyon," "Liam Selene engagement," even tried "Liam Dupont"—but nothing connected. No photos. No articles. No history.
The man was a ghost.
Evan looked at Selene again. The moonlight touched her face now. She shifted in her sleep slightly, murmuring something unintelligible. A soft smile tugged at Evan's lips. He leaned down, kissed her shoulder lightly.
The morning sun filtered through sheer curtains, casting soft lines of light across the bed. The sea shimmered in the distance, wind brushing the balcony doors with a peaceful sigh.
Evan stirred first. Selene was still asleep beside him, curled close, her breath soft against his chest. He didn't move for a while—just lay there, one arm wrapped around her, the other scrolling again through his phone.
Still no message from Lena.
The silence only made the pieces in his mind grow louder.
He kissed Selene's forehead gently. "Morning."
She stirred, eyes fluttering open slowly. "Mmm… did we oversleep?"
"No. Still early." He smiled. "Want to go get breakfast?"
She yawned and nodded. "Only if there's croissants involved."
Fifteen minutes later, they were walking through Cassis—Selene in a loose cardigan over one of Evan's t-shirts, hair still wild from sleep, and Evan in yesterday's linen shirt and sunglasses. They found a small café near the port, open-air and quiet, the sea stretching behind it like a painting.
They sat close, laughing softly about the older couple at the next table feeding each other too dramatically.
Evan got up to grab sunscreen from the pharmacy across the street—and a charger cable he'd forgotten to pack.
"Don't flirt with the waiter while I'm gone," he teased.
Selene laughed.
He gave her a smile and crossed the street.
She watched him disappear inside, took a sip of her espresso, and smiled to herself.
And then—
A shadow.
A voice behind her.
"Your two days are up, Princess."
Her blood turned cold. Her heart dropped into her stomach.
She turned around, already knowing the voice.
Liam.
He was in a crisp shirt, sunglasses, and the same arrogant smirk that made her skin crawl. Beside him stood a man—broad, silent, clearly not here for breakfast.
Selene stood up instantly, her chair scraping loudly against the pavement.
"I'm not going with you." she whispered, panic creeping in.
"Now shut up and walk." Liam said
"Get away from me."
The man next to him moved fast—grabbing her arm, twisting it just enough to make her gasp.
"Let go!" she screamed.
Liam stepped closer, dropping his voice so only she could hear. "You think you can fuck around with that loser and run from me? I warned you. Selene. I gave you a choice."
"You don't own me!" she hissed.
"Your dad's in the hospital, remember? One call and he's gone. You think I'm bluffing?"
Tears sprang to her eyes, not from fear—but from fury. "You bastard."
"Say that again and I'll drag you by the hair," Liam growled. "Now move."
Across the street, Evan stepped out of the pharmacy, still smiling, holding a small paper bag.
And then he saw her.
Being shoved into a black car.
His heart stopped.
"Selene!"
He ran—full speed, heart in his throat, dodging a motorbike, his feet slamming into the pavement.
"Selene!" he screamed again.
She looked back from the backseat window—eyes wide, face pale, a bruise blooming on her wrist where the man had grabbed her.
Evan reached the car just as it pulled away.
"No! Stop! Selene!"
She reached toward the glass, her fingers brushing against the window—then the car turned the corner and vanished.
Evan stood there in the middle of the street, shaking, panting, frozen.
A man on a scooter yelled at him for blocking traffic. A dog barked somewhere in the distance.
But all he could hear was the sound of her scream in his head.