Back at the Sutherland Mansion, Charlie and Serena are having dinner.

"So, how was your day?" Serena asked.

"You won't believe what they're calling me at school," Charlie chuckled.

"What?"

"They call me a gold digger and say that I seduced you for your money," Charlie laughed.

Serena couldn't help but chuckle at Charlie's story. "Well, that's not nice... It's not like there's a lot of Churchills in the country... don't they even have a clue of who you are?"

Charlie laughed softly. "Well, it's probably better if no one knew who I really am. That would just be a hassle."

Serena smiled, shaking her head in amusement.

After dinner, Charlie retreated to her office study, intending to update her lesson plans and review some papers. However, her mind was preoccupied with thoughts of the poor teacher from her department.

She couldn't shake off the weight of it, and a heavy sigh escaped her lips.

Serena, entering the room with a bowl of grapes, noticed Charlie's troubled expression. "What's on your mind, Teacher Charlie, to prompt such a heavy sigh?" Serena teased, playfully rearranging the papers on Charlie's desk.

Charlie bit the grapes on Serena's hand, her lips brushing against Serena's slender fingers as she did so, leaving a faint impression.

Then, pulling Serena towards her, Charlie settled Serena in her lap and confessed, "Just thinking about what I heard this afternoon. It's been bothering me."

"We have a teacher in our math department. Today we learned that after her husband's business failed, he often abused her, and now he even beats their children. This kind of person is really disgusting. It's obvious that he can't cope, yet the blame falls on the wife and children. I'm really ashamed to be an Alpha," Charlie explained, her voice tinged with heaviness.

Serena felt a pang of discomfort at Charlie's words, understanding the weight of the situation.

"Do you plan to help her? Is there anything I can do?" Serena asked, her concern evident.

Charlie shook her head, her expression resolute. "I want to help her, but this time I won't trouble you to intervene."

"I've reached out to Atty. Campbell to handle her case... She's been focusing on cases of domestic violence against omegas these past few years," Charlie continued.

Serena nodded in agreement. "It's encouraging to see improvements in our country's Omega protection regulations. Hopefully, cases of domestic violence will be judged more fairly than before."

"The more comprehensive the law, the better the protection of Omega rights and interests. If Miss Celina had encountered such an ordeal in the past, it would have been truly bleak," Charlie remarked, wrapping her arms around Serena's waist.

She pulled Serena closer, their fingers intertwined, finding solace in each other's embrace. With each hug, the scent of marshmallow and woods enveloped Serena, bringing them closer together.

Serena picked up a grape and gently placed it against Charlie's lips, a subtle smile gracing her usually composed face.

"Aren't you afraid that you'll be adding more and more restrictions to all the Alphas?" Serena teased.

"Are you planning to put on a bite guard to me eventually?" Charlie quipped back, raising an eyebrow playfully as she leaned back in her chair, the grape between her teeth.

Serena couldn't help but chuckle at the mental image Charlie's words conjured.

In her mind, she pictures Charlie encased in a black cage, the rough bands leaving faint imprints on her skin. Despite her Alpha aura, there was a hint of vulnerability in her eyes, like a beast reluctantly submitting to its captor.

As Serena regarded Charlie, a mischievous glint danced in her ocean blue eyes. She turned in Charlie's embrace, her arms resting gently on Charlie's shoulders.

Though taken aback by Serena's sudden movement, Charlie sensed a playful edge to her gaze.

Serena's voice, cool yet tinged with sweetness and a hint of mischief, whispered against Charlie's ear. "Then I'll give you a collar as a ring."

The statement was both straightforward and tantalizing.

Without hesitation, Charlie straightened up, her arm encircling Serena's waist.

Instinctively, Serena leaned into the touch, feeling Charlie's palm against her waist, the contact reassuring and familiar.

Charlie met Serena's gaze, a hint of amusement in her eyes. "A collar? Isn't that a bit ? But if you give it to me... I suppose I'll have to wear it," she chuckled, her voice laced with humor.

Back at St. Mary's High School,

Charlie couldn't help but smile at her students' enthusiasm for the upcoming camping trip at Mt. Freely. It seemed like that was all anyone could think about, and she couldn't blame them. After all, not too long ago, she was in their shoes, eagerly anticipating school trips and adventures.

As she looked around the classroom, she noticed that her words were falling on deaf ears. Her students were too caught up in their excitement to pay attention to her. With a shake of her head, she couldn't help but feel a sense of fondness for their youthful energy.

"Alright, let's wrap up class for today," Charlie announced, trying to regain their attention. "Remember, be here bright and early on saturday. We don't want anyone getting left behind!"

"Got it, Teacher!" Her students chorused eagerly, already buzzing with anticipation for the adventure ahead.

Charlie walked out of the campus under the soft glow of dimly lit yellow streetlights, memories of her and Serena's nervous excitement from years ago flooding back.

Back then, she could never have imagined that one day Serena would be waiting for her in a car, ready to drive her home.

As Charlie approached the Maybach parked under the old locust tree, she reflected on how much had changed.

With the sound of closing doors, the car began to move, the light refracting through the windshield casting a serene glow over everything.

Serena looked at the smile in Charlie's eyes and asked, "Are you in a good mood?"

Charlie nodded, "Yes, Miss Celina contacted Atty. Campbell after work, and it seems to be going well."

As they spoke, Charlie noticed the shopping bags Serena had placed in the back of the car and inquired, "Did you go shopping? Did you visit the jewelry store?"

The car continued on its steady path, and Serena quickly regained her composure. She replied in her usual indifferent tone, "You were working overtime, so I went shopping at the mall. There were some new arrivals that caught my eye, so I bought a few things."

When Charlie heard Serena's response, a pang of guilt washed over her.

Serena was busier than ever, yet she still found time to wait for her to finish work before going shopping. She couldn't help but feel remorseful for not being there with her.

Placing her hand gently on the back of Serena's, Charlie expressed her apology, "I'm sorry. Next time, I'll make sure to accompany you."

But Serena shook her head, signaling that Charlie didn't need to apologize. "It's alright. I happened to need to run some errands at the mall anyway. It would've been inconvenient for you to come with me."

As the lights on the roadside flashed past in a blur of orange, Charlie shared her experiences from the day with Serena. Before they knew it, they had arrivednear the Mansion area.

The summer night enveloped them, with lush greenery surrounding them. A locust tree at the turn loomed, its branches casting shadows in the quiet night.

Suddenly, without warning, a bright light flashed before them.

A sports car, gleaming silver in the night, appeared at the intersection, its emergency brake screeching loudly.

Serena reacted quickly, applying the brakes just in time to avoid a collision with the speeding vehicle.

"Are you alright?" Serena asked anxiously, concern evident in her voice.

The impact of the sudden braking caused Charlie to be jolted forward, her forehead colliding with the table in front of her.

She shook her head in disbelief, feeling a sharp pain emanating from her forehead.

In the bright light of the car, Serena noticed the redness and swelling on Charlie's forehead.

"Wait for me," Serena said before opening the door and walking towards the trunk of the car.

Realizing they were not far from home, Charlie wanted to reach out to Serena, but noticed that the storage box had inadvertently opened due to the impact.

Inside, she found a small cube box delicately wrapped in black velvet cloth.

As she lifted the box, a mechanical sound emanated from the trunk. Charlie held it close to her chest, feeling a surge of emotions wash over her.

In that moment, she understood Serena's earlier remark about it being inconvenient for her to be there.

Charlie raised her eyes slightly in disbelief, catching sight of Serena taking medicine in the trunk through the rearview mirror.

The breeze tousled Serena's long hair, and her cold white skin exuded a faint glow in the night.

Clad in an off-white suit, she looked cool and gentle, a familiar sight for Charlie in this world.

Over the years, Charlie and Serena had developed a silent understanding and awareness of each other's unspoken thoughts.

She gently rubbed the small black box in her hand, a sense of anticipation pulsing through her. The need to uncover secrets, especially when they concerned oneself, was irresistible.

The black velvet shimmered in Charlie's sight as she hesitated, eventually opening the delicate black box.

Inside lay a peacock blue cloth, soft and lustrous. But it wasn't this that caused Charlie's eyes to widen.

—On the luxurious fabric lay two pairs of almost identical rings.

A small card nestled between them, bearing a line of poetry penned by Serena in delicate handwriting:

"Bound in life and death, together we'll speak to the stars. Hold my hand, and age with me, my love."

Charlie's heart thudded in her chest as she read the beautiful lines of text, her eyes misting over with emotion.

The warm yellow glow of the streetlight bathed the car, casting a surreal aura over the scene. Charlie sat in the passenger seat, feeling as if she were in a dream, yet unable to shake the overwhelming sense of reality.

Was this truly an engagement ring nestled within the box?

The diamond's brilliance danced before Charlie's eyes, leaving her momentarily spellbound.

She couldn't fathom any other interpretation for Serena's words than a marriage proposal, beautifully encapsulated in the pair of rings before her.

The moon shone brightly overhead, casting Serena's form in a radiant glow, akin to a celestial being draped in a veil of light.

Serena returned to the car after retrieving the medicine from the trunk.

A few minutes had passed, and the pain in Charlie's forehead had long since subsided, no longer requiring immediate attention. 

The streetlamp's glow illuminated the girl's poised figure, casting a dazzling light that unexpectedly caught Serena's eye.

As Charlie took the medicine in her hand, Serena noticed a familiar ring adorning Charlie's left ring finger.

The night had begun to deepen, and the mansion area was enveloped in tranquility.

Seated beside Charlie, Serena could hear the steady rhythm of her heartbeat.

She couldn't believe what she was seeing and asked in a vague tone, "Do you know the significance of that ring?"

Charlie nodded.

In the dim surroundings,  Charlie's calm voice resonated, "Serena, let's get married."

Serena felt as though the world had fallen silent, with Charlie's proposal echoing in her ears.

She gazed at the girl before her, who had disrupted her plans. There was a hint of resentment in her hazy eyes as her voice trembled, "That was supposed to be my line."

As Charlie retrieved the ring from her pocket and gently lifted Serena's left hand, she said, "Then can you deliver my lines?"

The simple ring shimmered in the pale light, resembling stars descending from the heavens.

Serena looked at the ring she had personally selected and nodded at Charlie. "Alright."

With a tender expression, Serena's lips parted slightly as she gazed into Charlie's eyes, and she softly recited, "I will marry you."

It felt as though a myriad of celebratory fireworks erupted within their hearts.

Charlie's hands were trembling with excitement as she put Serena's ring cautiously.

"Charlie, from now on, let's live a life without fear of the future," Serena said earnestly, her voice filled with conviction. "I don't care about the world you come from, or if the gods are playing some kind of game with us. Even if loving you is deemed a crime in the eyes of heaven, then let God punish me, for all I care."

Charlie smiled softly at Serena's words, her heart swelling with love. "But I won't let the heavens punish you, my love," she replied tenderly, before leaning in to kiss Serena on the lips with all the affection in her heart.

The dimly lit night enveloped them, casting a soft glow on the two rings that now adorned their hands hands. Charlie couldn't help but feel deeply moved by the sight before her.

"I never thought that we would propose to each other in this way," Serena murmured, her voice tinged with a hint of surprise.

Charlie listened intently as Serena continued, expressing her initial plans for a grand surprise. But before she could finish, Charlie gently shook her head and interjected, "I'm not disappo