Chapter 114
With over a dozen bodyguards flanking her, Selene finally managed to leave the academic building.
Yet the reporters were relentless, trailing her like a swarm of gnats that refused to
scatter.
“Excuse me, who are you people?”
“Who sent you?”
Microphones thrust forward, the journalists peppered the stone–faced bodyguards with questions, their voices a jumble of anxious energy.
Drawn by the commotion, curious students along the way craned their necks, eager to catch a glimpse of Selene and her unusual entourage.
At the rear of the group, one of the bodyguards, clearly fed up with the persistent harassment, pulled out his credentials and displayed them to the reporters.
The moment the journalists caught sight of the words “The Azure Circle” on the badge, they froze in their tracks.
The bodyguard’s warning was low and cold. “You all know what’s fit to print, and what isn’t. If you cross the line, you’ll face the consequences.”
In an instant, the mob of reporters fell silent.
A few quick–thinking cameramen even lowered their cameras and snapped the lens caps back on, as if that alone could shield them from trouble.
Now that they knew these were bodyguards from The Azure Circle, the press didn’t dare stir up more trouble.
A black luxury sedan stood waiting a short distance away. Even at Capital University, where not even the president’s car could cruise the campus grounds at will, this stately vehicle had been allowed to drive right up to the building.
The door swung open, revealing a tall, impeccably dressed young man seated in the dimly lit backseat. His features were mostly hidden in shadow, but the sharp lines of his face hinted at strikingly handsome looks.
The reporters craned their necks, eyes wide with curiosity.
“Is that Harrison–Mr. Vaughn? Looks a bit like him!”
“I thought Mr. Vaughn and Selene were divorced.”
1/2
21:40
Could Mr. Vaughn really mobilize The Azure Circle? Seems unlikely
The bodyguards kept the press at bay, holding them a good six feet from the car
Selene approached the sedan, and as she caught sight of the man inside, she greeted him respectfully. “Uncle.”
The word slipped out before she could stop herself–and suddenly, it didn’t feel right at all.
The air inside the car grew heavy, charged with unspoken tension.
After all, she was divorced from Harrison now. She couldn’t keep calling Leo Vaughn “Uncle” as if nothing had changed.
“Get in.”
The deep, resonant voice that beckoned her was like the low thunder of a church organ–impossible to defy.
Drawn by that commanding presence, Selene slid into the car.
The extended sedan had two wide, plush seats facing each other; instinctively, Selene placed as much space as possible between herself and Leo.
She sat stiffly across from him, but then felt a gentle warmth at her side.
Looking down, she saw a little boy in a crisp suit snuggle against her, his small arms wrapping tightly around her waist.
Selene’s eyes softened, a smile spreading like ripples across a pond. She raised a hand and gently stroked the boy’s soft hair.
“Little Star…”
He answered with a quiet sound, somewhere between a purr and a hum.
He tipped his head up, and in the muted light, his eyes gleamed like black onyx.
This was Leo’s adopted son, Altair Vaughn, five years old. He was nonverbal and had never attended school due to autism.
Still, Altair was always drawn to Selene.
Among all the Vaughn children, aside from Dames, there wasn’t a single one who didn’t adore her.
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