It wasn't a secret.
But it wasn't a spectacle either.
No Instagram posts. No stories. No big announcement.
Just two names—appearing together.
Quietly.
Consistently.
At first, people assumed it was a one-off.
Sera Marino, stepping out of her armored convoy, soft gold chains over a white blazer, waiting outside the engineering building. Always around 2:15 p.m. Always leaning against her car like time owed her interest.
Then came day two.
Then day three.
The whispers bloomed.
And then Niv walked out. Hoodie. AirPods in. Calm like sunrise.
Straight to her.
She'd kiss him on the cheek—once, barely there—and they'd leave.
No entourage. No performance. Just silence, intention, and a six-foot teddy bear in the backseat.
Students froze.
Professors blinked.
One freshman tripped over their own backpack.
Sera Marino. The ice queen. With him.
And Ethan?
Still in England.
He had no idea.