Elian sat still in the water, the sky above his mansion painted in quiet hues of dusk. Steam rose gently from the heated pool, curling around his sculpted frame. His eyes were blank, fixed on nothing and everything all at once.
He'd been there for hours.
Ever since he returned from the hospital, something inside him had stayed frozen. The world kept spinning, people kept talking, but he remained somewhere in between—half in reality, half in memory. He remembered the beeping of the monitors, the sterile scent of antiseptic, the way his chest felt too heavy to rise. He remembered the loneliness.
He remembered the voices. And the one that didn't come—his twin's.
Not even Kian had been able to reach him.
He ran a hand through his soaked long hair, letting the water drip down his temples. Maybe if he stayed under long enough, the thoughts would dissolve.
Outside the mansion gates, Ava adjusted the strap of her bag. She hadn't planned to be here—not really. She told herself she was just passing by. But when she saw the delivery man walking up the long stone path, holding a bottle of perfume and a bouquet of white gardenias, her heart paused.
"For Elian Storm?" she asked casually.
The man nodded.
"I'll deliver it," she said quickly, flashing her work ID. "I'm his secretary."
Before he could argue, she'd swapped the package for a little cash and a forced smile.
Ava didn't know what exactly compelled her to do it. Elian hated her. He never hid it. And she'd made peace with not caring. But ever since he got out of the hospital, something about him felt… off. Darker. Colder. She heard he hadn't spoken to Kian. Had barely said a word to Red, his friend.He was isolating himself like a wounded animal.
It wasn't like her to care. But somehow, she did.
As she stepped inside the sprawling mansion, the silence greeted her like a wave. The scent of chlorine and expensive cologne lingered in the air. She followed the sound of rippling water to the back terrace.
And there he was.
Elian Storm. In the pool, half-submerged, hair slicked back, jaw clenched. His skin shimmered under the fading light. His body was all hard lines and restrained power.
He looked like something out of a myth—untouchable, carved by the gods.
Ava's breath caught. She shook her head and adjusted the cap on her head, hoping the brim would hide her staring.
She walked toward him quietly, but the floor betrayed her. Her foot hit a slick patch of water and slipped out from under her.
There was no time to scream.
She crashed into the pool with a splash, her head hitting the tiled edge on the way down. The cold water swallowed her. She gasped and flailed, momentarily disoriented.
Elian didn't move at first. His expression didn't even change.
But then, with a sigh so faint it was almost a growl, he swam toward her, cutting through the water effortlessly. He grabbed her arm and pulled her to the surface.
"What are you doing here?" His voice was low, almost bored, as if dragging someone from drowning was a daily inconvenience.
Ava blinked at him, water streaming from her lashes. "Delivering flowers," she muttered with a sheepish smile.
He rolled his eyes and hoisted her out of the pool like she weighed nothing. "Leave," he said simply.
She nodded and staggered to her feet, trying to maintain whatever shred of dignity she had left. But the world around her tilted. Her knees buckled. The pain in her head blossomed behind her eyes, and before she could touch the doorknob
Darkness.
She fainted.
Elian caught her before she hit the floor.
For a moment, he just stood there, holding her against him. Water dripped from her clothes onto his bare chest. She was unconscious, fragile in a way she never allowed herself to be when awake.
With a low grunt, he lifted her into his arms and carried her inside.
He told himself it was just to avoid a lawsuit.