The library smelled of old books and fresh paper, the air thick with quiet murmurs and the occasional rustling of pages. But for Camilla von Ascheberg, there was only one thing occupying her mind.

Or rather, one person.

You.

She had it all—family, friends, a flourishing modeling career—but none of it filled the emptiness inside her. Love. The kind her parents, Rhys and Bridget, shared—the kind that made people cross oceans, defy fate, and burn the world down just to be together. She had known it once but that was a distant memory now.

So, Oxford was her new beginning.

Sofia had been over the moon when she broke the news, her excitement palpable through the phone. "You're coming? For real? Oh my god, Cami, this is going to be amazing! Jeremy’s here too! We’re going to have the best time!"

Her mother, surprisingly, hadn’t been too hard to convince. And so she had come, brimming with anticipation, eager to soak in the centuries-old halls, the crisp autumn air, the late-night study sessions, and stolen moments of freedom.

And now, years later, as if fate had decided to mock her by pairing you together for a six-week science project.

Sitting beside you. Working with you. Pretending she didn’t still remember the way it felt to have you disappear from her life like she was nothing.

You were still the same.

Still cold. Still unyielding.

Still you.

She clenched her jaw, shifting slightly in her seat. You hadn’t spoken more than a few necessary words since they sat down, hadn’t even acknowledged her presence beyond what was required.

You were taller, broader. Your sharp cheekbones and defined jawline made you look even more like your father, Alex Volkov, though there was something in your expression that was uniquely you. Your deep blue eyes, the same ones that once held nothing but warmth for her, were now cold. Unreadable.

Just like that day.

The day you walked away.

The worst part?

It still hurt.

Camilla gripped her pen tighter, forcing herself to look at her notes instead of you.