As Seraphina disappeared into the distance, the tension she left behind lingered only for a moment before dissolving.
Irina exhaled sharply, rolling her shoulders as if shaking off the encounter.
She felt Astron's gaze on her, quiet but watchful, before he finally spoke.
"You did quite well."
Irina smirked. "Of course I did."
She turned to him, crossing her arms lazily. "I don't really care much about things like this anymore."
Astron's expression remained unreadable. "Really?"
"Yeah."
He tilted his head slightly, watching her with quiet calculation. "Since when?"
Irina blinked at the question.
Then—
Her smirk widened.
She leaned in slightly, voice carrying the faintest trace of mischief. "Since the moment you entered my life."
Astron didn't react.
Not outwardly.
But she saw it.
That fraction of a second where his body stilled, the briefest pause before he responded.
"Don't act cheeky."
Irina grinned, tilting her head. "Why? Your heart fluttered."
"It did not."
