𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧- 𝐄.𝐌

31. Seriously?

(While Elijah is talking to Maeve and Finn)

The night stretched endlessly above the city, deep and unyielding, a velvet sky scattered with faint stars that struggled to outshine the electric glow below. New Orleans pulsed with life—music spilling into the streets, laughter curling through the warm air, the distant hum of something always alive, always moving. But up there, on the balcony, it felt like a different world entirely. Still. Suspended.

Caroline stood at the railing, her fingers wrapped tightly around the cold iron, as though grounding herself in something solid might keep everything else at bay. Her gaze was fixed somewhere far beyond the skyline, unfocused, distant—like she was looking at something no one else could see. Or refusing to see anything at all. She didn't need to turn to know he was there.

She felt it the moment he arrived—the subtle shift in the air, the quiet weight of his presence, familiar in a way that unsettled her more than she cared to admit. "I was beginning to think you'd taken to avoiding me entirely."

His voice broke through the silence, low and smooth, but softer than usual. There was no teasing edge, no sharp amusement—just something measured, careful, like he was stepping into unfamiliar territory.

Caroline exhaled slowly, her grip on the railing tightening just slightly before she forced it to relax.

"I don't avoid people, Klaus," she said coolly, her voice steady in a way that felt practiced. "I just lose interest."

Behind her, she heard the faintest shift of movement—his footsteps, slow and deliberate against the fllor, closing the distance between them.

"And yet," he replied, a quiet note of curiosity threading through his tone, "you seemed rather invested earlier."

Caroline closed her eyes for the briefest moment, irritation flickering beneath the surface. "If this is about what I said to Mikael—"

"It is." He didn't raise his voice. He didn't need to. There was something in the way he said it—firm, certain—that made it impossible to dismiss.

Caroline turned then, leaning back against the railing as though she needed the support, folding her arms across her chest. It wasn't defensive. Not entirely. But it was something to hold onto. "It wasn't that deep." she said, lifting her chin slightly.

Klaus studied her, his gaze steady, unwavering. There was a quiet intensity in it tonight—less guarded, more searching. "No?" he murmured after a moment, tilting his head slightly. "You stood before the man who has spent centuries trying to destroy me... and told him I was kind."

The word lingered. "Compassionate," he continued, his voice softer now. "Loving."

Caroline's expression didn't change, but something in her posture stiffened. She shrugged, too quickly. "Maybe I felt like lying."

Klaus took a step closer, unhurried, his movements almost deceptively calm. "You've never been particularly skilled at that," he said quietly. "Not when it matters."

Her jaw tightened, irritation flashing through her eyes. "Don't do that."

"Do what, love?"

"Act like you know me." For a moment, something flickered across his face—something faint, almost wistful.

"I did once," he said, his voice lower now, softer in a way that felt unfamiliar. "Or at least... I should very much have liked to."

Caroline let out a short, disbelieving breath. "Right," she said, a hint of sarcasm creeping in. "Because you enjoy me."

"I do." The simplicity of it caught her off guard. There was no manipulation in it. No charm. No calculated intent. Just truth.

Caroline looked away first, her composure slipping for just a second before she forced it back into place. "Well," she said lightly, though it rang hollow, "I'm too smart to be seduced by you, remember?"