It might''vested a blink, but it felt like forever. Then Raven broke


    into


    That cool, detached look in hopp


    a smile.


    eyes


    up, soft


    "Hey, sweetheart," she said, "miss me?"


    Her voice came out, heavy with affection that could pull


    thaw anything.


    Mder.


    The moment her wordsnded, every Valor family member whipped their heads toward her.


    They''d been buzzing about Regalhold Academy''s top beautynding a dream guy. But now? Total curveball.


    Shock shed through their wide eyes.


    Someone scratched their ear, like they weren''t sure they heard right.


    Sweetheart. A bit sappy, yeah.


    But that little nickname... it said it all.


    They started piecing it together-looked like the military hotshot had just fallen hard for the guy in the doorway.


    Still, no matter how high she climbed, she couldn''t just waltz in and snag I''s man like that-it wasn''t cool.


    Plus, honestly, her looks didn''t evene close to I''s. No way she was in this guy''s league.


    I, meanwhile, went still for a se


    second before her face turned cold.


    She shot Raven a re, her pretty eyes burning with anger.


    "Watch it,dy," she snapped, her voice cutting.


    But Raven didn''t even look at her she just started walking straight toward Cassian.


    Cassian, snapping out of it, clocked hering his way.


    And just like that, his usual frosty face brightened, like sunlight breaking through clouds,


    Then, slow and easy, a smile spread across his face stunning enough to make the whole room stop breathing.


    Everyone watching, guy or girl, sucked in a sharp breath at the sight.


    In that moment, one thought bounced around every head in the room.


    They thought, ''Man, how''s a guy this perfect even a thing?"


    I noticed the odd looks flickering across the Valor family''s faces and instantly nced


    at


    Cassian


    o read his expression.


    =


    59%


    +13


    But she was stuck behind him, and before she could even move closer, Raven had already crossed the room, wrapping her arms around him.


    Cassian felt the gentle warmth of her hug and let a small, lopsided smile pull at his lips.


    Then he leaned in, brushing his near-perfect lips against Raven''s ear, His voice was soft and simple-but it hit her so deep she almost melted right there.


    "I missed you so much," he whispered.


    Raven''s hold on his arm tightened just a bit.


    A secondter, she pulled back, only to swoop in and drop a quick peck on his lips.


    Cassian blinked, caught off guard, and she shot him a warm,id-back grin. "Call that your reward," she teased.


    Some of the older Valor family members, seeing Raven act like no one else was there, awkwardly looked away.


    Those two were way toofortable-practically sparking in front of everybody.


    If they weren''t so spooked by who these two were, they''d have shouted, ''Get a room already!''


    I, still smarting from her shot-down confession, had just been telling herself no one but her could crack Cassian''s cold shell.


    Seeing this, she went still, glued to the floor.


    Then, in an instant, her eyes snapped to Raven, burning with raw anger.


    This average-looking nobody dared to mess with her dream guy? No way she''d let her.


    Knowing how icy Cassian had been with her, she was dead sure he''d push Raven away.


    He might even lose it and take her down in a sh of anger.


    In her mind, I could already see it-Raven t on the ground, pleading with Cassian not to walk away, looking totally pitiful.


    But just as that smug picture formed, her jaw dropped like she''d seen a ghost,


    Her wide eyes caught something unreal.


    There it was-


    Cassian, far from mad at Raven''s "move," leaned in closer and pulled her into a long, deep kiss.