Chapter 97 A Different Kind of Happiness

Chapter 97 A Different Kind of Happiness
NYRA

Turned out the night was turning out to be my best since Samantha arrived and she wasn't having any bit of it.

From the subtle comments, to her groan it was easy to say she is the least excited person there at the table.

Finally it felt like she couldn't handle it anymore. I felt it before I even saw her move.

That shift in the air was immediate as Samantha pushed her chair back a little too quickly with the legs of the chair scraping faintly against the floor despite her clear attempt to be subtle.

I didn’t turn immediately. I took my time, lifting my glass, letting the rim hover just beneath my lips as though I hadn’t noticed anything at all. But my eyes followed her from the corner, tracking every movement as she rose.

Her smile was gone now. What replaced it was something dark, that she didn’t care to be concealed anymore.

That look of jealousy on her face made my heart gladdened. Her jaw was tight, her shoulders stiff as she murmured something to the person beside her before stepping away from the table.

I watched her walk away like she was tired even as I could tell it was all pretense. The moment she passed beyond the archway, out of sight, I finally let the glass touch my lips.

It was a small sip but just enough to give myself something to do as the satisfaction settled slowly, deeply, into my chest.

I won this round and it deserved celebrating no matter how petty it sounded. That thought came quietly, but it carried a warmth that spread through me in a way I hadn’t expected.

It wasn’t just victory. It was knowing that she had tried, and failed, and now she was the one walking away while I remained exactly where I was supposed to be there at Rowan’s side…It was something only another woman might understand

My fingers curled slightly around the glass reminding myself that I couldn’t let it show too much.

“Enjoying yourself?”

Rowan’s voice pulled me back, low and close enough that it brushed against my thoughts. I turned my head slightly, meeting his gaze.

“I could ask you the same,” I replied, my tone light.

His lips curved faintly, but his eyes flickered past me for the briefest second, toward the direction Samantha had gone.

Of course. I followed that glance, then looked back at him, already knowing what he was thinking before he even moved.

He shifted in his seat, subtly looking a bit worried. “I should go check on her,” he said.

I set my glass down slowly, letting the soft clink against the table draw just enough attention to calm the moment and at the same time let him know I wasn't enjoying any of this.

Then I turned fully toward him. “You don’t need to,” I said.

He paused, his gaze returning to mine.

“It didn’t look like she was alright,” he replied.

“She’ll be fine.”

There was no hesitation in my voice, no room for argument. Just calm certainty that I was sure he should understand.

Rowan studied me for a second longer than necessary, as though weighing something. I held his gaze, steady and unyielding, letting him see exactly what I meant without saying it outright. ‘Do not go after her!’

Something shifted in his expression then and this time it was not resistance. Not quite agreement either…It was a deep understanding of the situation.

His shoulders eased slightly, and after a brief moment, he leaned back into his chair instead of standing.

“Alright,” he said.

I allowed myself a small smile, barely there, before reaching for my glass again.

“Good choice,” I murmured.

His eyes narrowed slightly, but there was amusement beneath it. “Was it?”

“Yes,” I replied simply.

Certain that the moment he stood up to follow her, everything would have shifted to her favour and I wasn’t about to let that happen.

Dinner continued, though I barely paid attention to it. The conversations resumed, the noise rising again as if nothing had happened, but I felt it all differently now.

Every glance that came my way carried a new weight. Not just curiosity anymore, but acknowledgment and that recognition of being the Luna to be.

The word echoed faintly in my mind, still settling into place. I didn’t realize how much it meant until now. Until I saw the way the room reacted and the way she broke.

By the time dinner ended, I felt it fully. That quiet, dangerous kind of happiness that didn’t need to be loud to be real.

When I stood, Rowan was already beside me.
He didn’t say anything at first, just reached for my hand as though it was the most natural thing in the world.

I let him, watching as our fingers intertwined easily, effortlessly, and for a brief moment, I forgot about everything else. The room, the people, the tension. It was just that simple contact that felt warm and real.

We walked out together, the noise of the dining hall fading behind us as the corridors stretched ahead, quieter and in solemnity. I didn’t pull my hand away all this while neither did he as we walked hand in hand to my room.

“You handled that well,” Rowan said after a while.

I glanced at him. “Handled what?”

He gave me a look. “You know what.”

I smiled faintly. “I usually do.”

A soft huff of amusement left him. “You didn’t seem surprised.”

“I wasn’t.”

That caught his attention. He slowed slightly, turning his head toward me.

“You weren’t?”

I met his gaze. “You don’t make decisions like that lightly. If you said it, you’ve already thought it through.”

He watched me for a moment, something thoughtful settling in his expression.

“Still,” he said, “most people would have reacted more.”

“Should I have?” I asked.

“Maybe.” He shrugged.

I shrugged lightly. “I prefer to think first.”

He didn’t respond immediately, but the way his hand tightened just slightly around mine told me enough. He liked that answer.

By the time we reached my door, the corridor was empty. I turned to face him fully then, our hands still joined between us.

For a moment, neither of us spoke… Then the weight of everything from tonight settled back in, not as pressure, but as something heavier.

“I need to say something,” I said.

His expression shifted, attentive. “Go on.”

I hesitated briefly, choosing my words carefully.

“Not everyone at that table was happy,” I said.
It was obvious, but it needed to be said.

Rowan didn’t even look surprised. “I know.”

“That’s not something to ignore,” I added.

His jaw tightened slightly, but his gaze remained steady on mine. “It doesn’t matter.”

“It does,” I said quietly.

A flicker of something crossed his eyes then.

“I don’t care what they think,” he said. “This was my decision.”

“And their reaction will still affect things,” I replied.

He stepped a little closer, closing the small space between us.

“Let it,” he said. “I’m not changing anything because of it.”

There was no hesitation in his voice, there was
no doubt. Just certainty that he wanted this much as I did

I held his gaze, searching for any sign of uncertainty, but there was none to find.

He meant it…Completely.

Something in my chest shifted at that as I exhaled slowly.
“You’re stubborn.” I muttered.

A faint smile touched his lips. “You noticed.”

I shook my head slightly, but I couldn’t stop the small smile that followed.

“Dangerously so,” I added.

“Only when it matters.”

Silence settled between us again, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It felt… full.

Heavy in a way that made everything else fade.
I became aware of how close he was. Of the way his hand still held mine, of the warmth of it.

My gaze dropped briefly to his lips before I could stop myself. When I looked back up, he was already watching me with that same look from earlier and at this time, neither of us looked away.

He moved first.It wasn’t rushed. Just a slow, deliberate step closer, his free hand lifting to rest lightly against my jaw.

I didn’t pull back when his lips met mine, it wasn’t overwhelming or forceful. It was steady like everything else about him.

For a second, the world narrowed down to just that moment. The quiet, the warmth, the way my fingers tightened slightly around his hand without me even realizing it. I leaned into it just slightly. Enough to feel it fully.

Enough to let it happen without overthinking it. Just then a sound broke through.

I froze at the small polite cough and Rowan pulled back just enough for both of us to turn.

Aria stood a few steps away, her arms crossed, one brow raised ever so slightly. Her expression was calm with a smile on her face that she couldn't hide.

Heat rushed to my face before I could stop it.
I straightened immediately, pulling my hand from Rowan’s as though I had just remembered where we were.

Aria’s lips twitched faintly.

“Am I interrupting something?” she asked, her tone perfectly neutral.

“No,” I said quickly.

At the exact same time Rowan said, “Yes.”

I shot him a look. He didn’t even try to hide the faint amusement in his expression.

Aria noticed.

“Good,” she said. “Then I’ll pretend I didn’t see anything.”

“That would be ideal,” I muttered.

Her eyes flickered to me, just for a second, and there was something there dangerously close to amusement.

“I’ll leave you two to it,” she added, though she made no move to actually leave.

Rowan exhaled softly beside me, then stepped back.

“I should go,” he said.

I glanced at him. “You don’t have to.”

“I do,” he replied, though his gaze lingered on me for a second longer.

Then he turned, nodding once to Aria before walking down the corridor without another word.

I watched him go. Only when he disappeared around the corner did I realize I was still standing there, still feeling the faint warmth of where he had been.

Aria stepped closer. “Interesting night,” she said.

I let out a slow breath, finally turning toward her. “That’s one way to put it.”

Her eyes studied my face briefly, sharp and observant as always.

“You’re blushing,” she pointed out.

“I am not.” I giggled.

“You are.”

I exhaled, pressing my lips together. “It’s irrelevant.”

A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. “If you say so.”

I reached for the door, pushing it open before she could say anything else.

“Come inside,” I said.

She followed without another word, but I could still feel it. That quiet shift in everything.

That whisper that this was a game and it was
far from over. But tonight…

Tonight, I was ahead.