Shattered Bonds: A Second Chance Mate - Chapter 51: Chapter 51

It was another ordinary afternoon on campus. The sun filtered gently through the courtyard trees, their branches dancing in the breeze like slow waves on a quiet sea. The buzz of conversation and laughter from students filled the air, blending with the clatter of trays in the outdoor cafeteria. I sat beneath a shaded umbrella with Jose, Angela, and Katrina, our plates nearly empty, the table covered with opened books and notes. Finals were coming, and even our lazy lunches had become study sessions.
“I swear, if Professor Bianchi adds one more reading to the syllabus, I’ll just melt into a puddle of overdue assignments,” Jose muttered, flipping a page in frustration.
Angela and Katrina weren’t paying attention.
“Oh my God, that’s him! That’s him!!” Angela squealed, nearly dropping her fork.
Katrina practically bounced in her seat. “He’s even hotter up close!”
Jose and I looked up from our textbooks in confusion. “Who?” I asked.
“That’s Mario,” Katrina whispered with starry eyes. “The new student exchange guy who arrived last week. From Spain, I think? Or Brazil? Anyway, that accent, that jawline...”
Jose rolled his eyes so hard I thought they might get stuck. “Yeah, yeah, the new guy everyone’s obsessed with. It’s like campus has turned into a Mario fan club overnight.”
I followed their gaze. There, just a few tables away, sat a guy I hadn’t noticed before. Tall, lean, with sun-kissed skin and dark, slightly tousled hair that seemed to fall perfectly without effort. His clothes were stylish but understated—he didn’t try too hard. He looked around with a calm ease, his lips tugged into a gentle smile as he nodded at someone who waved at him.
He looked... normal. Human.
But something about him made me pause.
‘He smells like rogues,’ Mika’s voice suddenly echoed in my mind, sharp and protective.
My stomach tightened.
What? I asked silently, my eyes narrowing.
‘I know that scent. Masked… faint… but I’m sure. He’s not what he appears to be.’
I glanced again, trying to keep my face neutral. He looked up right at that moment—his dark eyes met mine.
My heart skipped.
Not out of attraction.
Out of instinct.
His gaze lingered a bit too long. A flicker of something unreadable passed across his face. I quickly looked down at my notebook, pretending to reread a sentence. When I peeked again, he was no longer at his table.
"Hey there," a voice came from my left.
I turned and nearly jumped. There he was. Standing beside our table. So close I could see the flecks of gold in his brown eyes.
Angela and Katrina froze in place, their mouths parted in silent glee. Jose sighed under his breath.
“Mario,” he greeted stiffly.
Mario nodded politely to the group, but his gaze fixed on me like a magnet.
“I don’t believe we’ve met,” he said, his voice smooth, tinged with a faint European lilt. “I’m Mario. New here.”
I hesitated, unsure. Mika growled faintly in the back of my mind.
“Ellaine,” I said cautiously.
“Ellaine,” he repeated, like he was testing the feel of my name on his tongue. “Beautiful name. Is it Italian?”
Katrina practically swooned. “She’s an art student. Super talented.”
“I figured,” he said with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “There’s something... thoughtful in your face.”
I blinked, unsure how to respond. His gaze made me uncomfortable—not in an overtly threatening way. It was... too observant. Too focused. Like he wasn’t admiring me. Like he was studying me.
“I should go,” I said quickly, collecting my things.
Just then, as if summoned by the tension thickening around us, I spotted Audrey walking across the courtyard. A welcome sight.
“Time to head to the library,” I added, slipping my bag over my shoulder. “See you guys later.”
Mario stepped slightly to the side to let me pass, but he didn’t move away. As I brushed past him, I could feel the weight of his eyes following me. I didn’t turn back.
But something told me this wouldn’t be the last time we crossed paths.
The days that followed only proved Mika right.
Mario was... persistent.
He started showing up at the library, always in the same general area I studied, offering smiles and casual hellos. When I walked to class, he somehow happened to be heading the same way. One day, I found him waiting outside the studio after my painting workshop, claiming he was curious about art and “wanted to see what inspired me.”
He never crossed any obvious lines. Never touched me. Never raised his voice.
But his interest was too sharp. Too curated. Like someone with a plan.
“I think he likes you,” Angela whispered one afternoon as Mario waved to me across the hallway.
“He’s cute, and honestly, kind of sweet,” Katrina added. “You could give him a chance.”
I didn’t know how to explain the dread curling in my stomach every time he was near.
‘He’s watching you, El. Not just with eyes. With purpose,’ Mika warned one night.
I trusted her. My instincts had rarely failed me before.
But how could I explain to my human friends that a charming, well-dressed, apparently human guy was setting off alarms in my head?
Especially when he was so... normal?
Everything changed the day Francesco came.
It was subtle—his presence. But to someone like me, it was like a force field had entered the courtyard. The moment his car parked at the edge of the university square, the energy shifted. Students didn’t know why they suddenly stood straighter or grew quiet. But I knew.
So did Mario.
I saw him stiffen just slightly as Francesco stepped out of the black car, dressed in casual elegance but exuding unshakable power. His eyes immediately found mine.
He didn’t smile. He didn’t need to.
Francesco didn’t waste a second walking across the courtyard. He didn’t stop for the curious stares. He moved with purpose—like a king reclaiming his queen.
Mario stood frozen nearby, books in hand, still pretending to wait near the benches where I often passed.
I felt his gaze burn into the side of my face as Francesco reached me.
“Ellaine,” Francesco’s voice was low, only for me. “Ready?”
I nodded.
He gently placed his hand on the small of my back and guided me away, without a second glance at Mario.
Students watched with wide eyes and whispered questions. They didn’t know who Francesco was. They only knew that whoever he was, he was important. Untouchable. The kind of man who changed the atmosphere of a room by simply existing.
And he had come for me.
But even as we walked away, I made the mistake of glancing back.
Mario was still there.
But he wasn’t watching Francesco.
He was watching me.
And for the first time, the warmth was gone from his eyes.
In its place was a sharpness. A flash of something raw.
Something dangerous.
Later that night, I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to piece everything together.
“Why do you think he’s here, Mika?” I asked quietly.
‘He’s not a rogue. Not exactly. But he’s connected to them. Hiding in plain sight. I think... he came here for you.’
I swallowed hard.
Me?
But why?
What did I have that someone like him wanted?
Whatever it was, Mario had masked himself well. The campus loved him. He blended into the human world like he belonged. No one else suspected a thing. Not even Audrey, who had brushed him off as “just a student.”
But I’d seen his face when Francesco appeared.
And Francesco... I wondered if he had sensed it too.
Somehow, I knew this wasn’t over.
Mario wasn’t just some guy with a crush.
He was watching.
Waiting.
And beneath that polished smile and charming voice...
Was a threat no one else could see.
Yet.