"Is everything alright, Adonis?" Jethro's voice broke through my bubble of thoughts.
"Y-yes." I barely managed to respond and grasped my spoon with trembling hands. "Samuel Lawson passed in his office, didn't he?"
He smiled at me and turned to face me directly. "Well, that brings us to the next stage of our orientation. The entrance to this Inn is like a portal." He traced his chubby fingers along the edge of the table, revealing an inscription written in elegant cursive.
"Seek and ye shall find."
Clearing his throat, he continued. "The door is open to whomever harbors lust in their heart, especially when it belongs to someone else. Veronica operates with a principle of three strikes: think of it like a plant, seed, root, and sprout. The first strike is when lust is planted; the second is when the subject thinks about acting on that lust—taking her number, hiding calls from a devoted partner, stolen glances, or hidden touches. The third strike is consummation, when they dare to escalate to the final level. That's when redemption falls apart. Only souls are obliterated here, and their deaths are staged in the real world. A subject's soul is lured here when neglect affects their devoted, and that's when the Nightingale seduces and ends them."
My jaw tightened. "And what about cheating women?"
"Of course, they get their retribution," he replied.
"That's not true." My voice had risen.
I was here because of Carrie's betrayal that had ended me. I had to endure all of this because of her—a stupid crush I had developed for someone who only used me for her benefit.
"You can confirm the truth for yourself once you start working with Veronica, Adonis. We maintain a list, a book kept by the Oldest Everling, Matthew. If a name doesn't appear in the book, it means there's nothing to avenge."
"Nothing to avenge?" I scoffed. It sounded absurd, yet it cut painfully through my soul.
Jethro regarded me with a solemn expression. "There wasn't true love in the first place. Real love is rare. Infatuation isn't meant to be avenged; we strive for something strong and lasting. Keep this in mind as Veronica's new assistant."
I grunted, and my spoon finally slipped from my grip, clattering to the floor. I didn't bother to look at it; the rage swelling in my chest consumed me as I struggled to piece everything together. Nothing to avenge? Had I truly only been infatuated with Carrie for an entire year?
I felt the eyes of everyone in the room on me; it was uncomfortable, yet I had no choice but to hold it together. My presence here had rippled through the Inn like wildfire, and everyone had their theories about why I had come.
I rose to leave, needing to clear my head and regain my composure. I ignored the hushed murmurs behind me:
"Handsome but so clumsy."
"I think he's adorable."
"Veronica doesn't like adorable things; I doubt he'll last a day here."
"She's been displeased ever since he arrived yesterday; she wouldn't even step outside her room."
"Maybe it's been ages since she saw a handsome man; he looks like a life-sized Ken doll."
All the voices faded as I shut the dining hall door behind me. I let out a sigh that echoed through the hallway. Life was indeed unfair—stupid, unjust, and fragile. The moment I got my life back, I would ensure Carrie regretted her betrayal. Infatuation or whatever I had felt did not matter.
As I strode through the hallways, I spotted Veronica descending the staircase. I couldn't let her see me like this, even if I had questions about her Inn's policies. She looked remarkable, dressed in a deep red strapless sundress and her signature Louboutins. Walking with her usual air of confidence, I dared not look at her and kept my eyes fixed on the elevator as I passed.
"It stinks," she said, calm and composed, yet as deadly as a venomous snake. I stopped in my tracks. She stood on the last stair, her piercing emerald green eyes boring into my soul. It was oddly relieving to look at her.
She approached me, quietly and confidently, her gaze locked onto mine as she unleashed her venomous words, "That human stench of yours is sickening. Just like the rest of your kind." She halted just inches in front of me, and I held her stare, somehow remaining unflinching. "You shouldn't have come here, Adonis, but now that you are, I'll make you regret every second of it." That wasn't a threat; it was a promise—a solid one I knew she would keep.
The anger from my earlier conversation with Jethro lingered, and I wasn't known for directing my aggression at others. Yet it felt as if she was pushing all my buttons, especially the big red one labeled "Do Not Touch." Like I had been thrown off a cliff, I finally opened my mouth to counter her. "I already regret it. Seems like you're doing a great job."
Fantastic. I was supposed to charm this woman, and this was the best I could do.
"I always deliver exceptional results. You should vacate this place and return to the other bottom feeders called humans."
"I would gladly leave if I could, but if you had been kind enough to stop my cheating girlfriend from ruining my life, then I wouldn't even be here."
She stepped back, a smile curling her lips. She laughed sharply, then quickly switched back to her serious demeanor. "Always blaming others for your misery. Should I take vengeance for your pathetic puppy love, McCallum?" She poked my chest, and my fists slowly clenched. "Let's rephrase that, shall we? If you had focused on your education and ignored feminine distractions, you wouldn't be here."
"Really, I—"
"Not another word." She cut me off and sighed. "Collect today's list from Matthew and bring it to my office." She turned and walked away from me, leaving no room for argument.
I looked up to see a group of Everlings and Nightingales peering with curiosity through the door. Veronica had slipped into the elevator while I stood there dumbfounded. I needed to find Jethro for directions to the library. Maybe she was right.
I had spent years building my academic future, winning awards, and gaining recognition, yet if I hadn't helped Carrie look for her stray cat in the park, I might never have met her. I shouldn't have confessed my feelings for her just a month into our superficial acquaintance.
Now, I was tasked in this place of torment. With the way she regarded me as if I were the most disgusting thing in her world, I knew for certain that I was not going to be the one to fall for her.