Sherina's POV
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A sharp knock rattled my door.
"Sherina! Let's go for a swim!"
The voice jolted me out of bed. I swung the door open to find Liliana and Don standing there—both dressed in swimsuits, Liliana holding a bright beach ball while Don grinned like the morning sun.
"Rise and shine!" Liliana chirped, slipping inside without waiting for an invitation, Don trailing after her with small, eager steps.
My mind flickered back to yesterday—how Leon had taken me shopping, choosing clothes with the kind of quiet decisiveness that made me follow his lead without thinking. He'd insisted on paying, saying it was his way of thanking me for helping him that first day we met.
Another knock drew me back to the present. Don scrambled to the door and opened it.
"Uncle!" he squealed, stretching his arms upward.
Leon filled the doorway—broad, tall, carrying a picnic basket in one hand and effortlessly lifting Don to perch on his shoulder with the other. His swimming trunks were black, understated, and completely at odds with how boldly his physique spoke for him—broad shoulders, sculpted chest, defined abs catching the light.
I looked away quickly, heat creeping up my neck.
"Not yet," Liliana answered when Leon asked if we were ready. "You can go first with Don. Sherina still needs to change."
Leon gave a small nod and left without a word, Don riding on his shoulder like a tiny king, picnic basket swinging at his side.
Twenty-five... and built like that? What did this man eat growing up? I shook the thought away, tied my hair in a high ponytail, and changed into the red bikini I'd deliberately hidden from Leon yesterday. A loose white wrap skirt and a lightweight jacket softened the boldness of it.
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When Liliana and I reached the beach, the sea shimmered under the late-morning sun. Don and Leon were already in the shallows, water sparkling around them. Mr. Kang stood near a wide umbrella, the picnic basket and our things neatly arranged.
"Good morning, Ms. Sze," he greeted as I sat down, smoothing sunblock onto my legs.
"Good morning, Mr. Kang. Would you mind helping me with the lotion?" I asked lightly, slipping off my jacket and holding out the bottle of lotion.
He hesitated, his eyes darting toward the water. I followed his glance—Leon was making his way toward us, droplets clinging to his skin, a slow, unhurried stride that drew my eyes no matter how hard I tried to look away.
Mr. Kang handed him a towel. Leon wiped his face, glancing between us.
"What is it?" he asked, his voice deep against the sound of the waves.
"Ms. Sze needs help putting lotion on her back," Mr. Kang replied, tone even.
I snatched the bottle back, heat curling in my stomach. "It's fine. I'll ask Liliana later."
Leon opened the cooler, pulled out a bottle of water, and drank deeply, the motion drawing my eyes again. "Would you hate it if I did it for you?"
I hesitated for a moment, but then I held the lotion out to him slowly. "Is it okay?"
His mouth curved—just slightly—as he took the bottle. I turned, loosening the knot at my back, holding the bikini's front in place with one hand.
Mr. Kang walked away, and then Leon's hands were on me—warm, steady, the lotion a cool contrast against my skin. His touch was deliberate, smoothing over my shoulders, down the curve of my spine.
"You shouldn't ask just anyone to do this," he murmured.
"It's just lotion," I said, reaching for a popsicle from the cooler. The heat was melting it fast, and I took a quick lick before it dripped. "Besides, Mr. Kang is a butler. It's nothing to him."
"And me?" His voice was lower now, almost quiet enough to be lost under the sea breeze.
"Like Delly is a sister to me, you're... like a little brother."
I offered the popsicle over my shoulder. "Want some?"
He didn't answer my offer right away. I was about to pull it back when I felt a faint warmth near my fingers—his breath. It lingered there, deliberate, before the slow, unexpected heat of his mouth closed over the melted candy clinging to my skin.
My breath caught. The gentle pressure of his lips lingered, his tongue tracing unhurriedly along each knuckle, collecting every drop in a way that felt far too intentional for something so simple.
"Stay still," he murmured near my ear, his voice rich and low. "The best part is when it's already melting... softer... sweeter... easier to taste."
The words weren't just about the popsicle.
Heat curled low in my stomach, the ocean breeze doing nothing to cool it. His hands continued their slow path across my back, spreading lotion with a touch that was both careful and claiming, fingertips brushing the tender curve of my ribs as though he knew exactly where my breath faltered.
When he finally tied the strings at my back, his hands lingered a moment longer than necessary. He leaned close enough that his breath grazed my skin.
"You shouldn't call me your little brother," he said, almost too softly as he gently squeezed my waist before letting go. "Not after this."
I froze, my heart thudding so loudly it almost drowned the rush of the tide.
By the time I found my words, he was already straightening, watching me with that unreadable, dangerous calm.
"T...thank you." I managed, grabbing my things.
Without looking back, I stripped off my wrap skirt and ran toward the water—away from his touch, away from the challenge he had just left hanging in the air.
I hate it... how he keeps finding ways to make my heart forget its rhythm.
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END OF POV
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Leon smirked faintly as he sank into the chair, his posture casual but his heartbeat anything but. Resting his elbow on the armrest, he brought his hand to his face—fingers curling lightly over his lips as if deep in thought—yet his real purpose was far more indulgent.
Eyes half-closed, he drew in a slow, deliberate breath. The faint trace of her lotion still clung to his skin, warm from her body, mingled with the ghost of her perfume and the sun. It was intoxicating in a way he didn't want to explain.
"Did you see it?" His voice was quiet but edged with something dangerous, like a secret he was daring someone to catch.
Mr. Kang, who had returned and was now standing a respectful distance behind, cleared his throat.
"No, young master. I didn't see anything." His gaze stayed fixed on the ocean.
"Good," Leon murmured, his smirk returning, softer this time. His eyes lifted to where Sherina stood in the water, laughing as she tossed a beach ball to Don. "Because that's mine... only mine."
It wasn't just a claim—it was a quiet vow, one that lingered in the air like the fading warmth of a touch you never wanted to lose.
As Leon watched her, The sunlight wove threads of gold through her raven-black hair, and her laughter rippled through the air like the faint echo of a memory he could never forget. And yet—she would not remember him. She was the kind of woman who left no room for strangers in her heart, a fortress with gates sealed shut. Stonehearted, perhaps... or simply a heart that had learned too well how to survive.
But he remembered. He remembered the first time he saw her as if it were etched into his very bones. The quiet defiance in her gaze, the way the world seemed to blur at the edges when she entered the room, the way her eyes carried an entire fortress around them.
Four years had passed since then, and he couldn't stop wondering what life had done to her in that time. What storms she had weathered, what walls had grown higher, what pieces of herself she'd buried so deep no one could reach them.
A faint ache curled in his chest, sharp and unwelcome. Regret for the moment he'd let her walk away, for the cowardice that had kept him from reaching out and pulling her into a different life.
If only, back then, he'd had the courage to tear her away from the world she clung to. If only he'd been reckless enough to fight for her, instead of letting her disappear into the shadows she called home. if only he had dared to make her his before the world could take more from her.
But this time... his eyes no longer held regret—they burned with determination.
This time, he would not hesitate.
This time, nothing would stop him from taking what had always been his,
even from the very beginning.
He lingered there a while, watching her the way one watches a flame—drawn in, knowing it could burn but unable to look away. Then, as if nothing had passed between them, he rose and strode into the waves, letting the water swallow him as he joined their game, stealing moments with her in the fading gold of the afternoon.
They stayed there until the horizon bled into the sea, waiting for the sun to set.
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SHERINA'S FLASHBACK
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I sank into the couch, my gaze fixed on the woman standing by the tall glass window. The late afternoon light spilled across her sharp silhouette, smoke curling from the cigarette between her fingers like thin threads of silver in the air.
"Boss Lea, I need money." My voice came out steady—too steady for the storm inside me.
She didn't turn right away. "How much?"
"A million."
Her eyes flickered toward me for a second, then away, her back facing me once more. "Why do you need so much?"
I drew in a long, shaky breath, staring down at my trembling hands.
"The debt collectors... they're harassing Jino. His life's in danger. I need the money fast. I'll sell whatever I can—anything—to get it."
The words tasted like ash in my mouth, but I knew she understood the truth behind them. Slowly, Boss Lea crossed the room, her heels tapping against the polished floor. She crushed the cigarette into the ashtray on her desk, sat down in her leather chair, and fixed me with an unblinking stare.
Her voice was smooth, almost silky, but the steel underneath was unmistakable. "What about him? Is he even lifting a finger to save himself? Does he work? Does he help you? Or is it only you who's bleeding yourself dry for him?"
I rose, walking toward her, my chest tight.
"This is my choice. He has nothing to do with it. I've decided—I'll sell myself if that's what it takes to keep him alive."
Her expression froze for a heartbeat before she exhaled heavily.
"There's an auction in three days. Paintings, rare items... and sometimes, other valuables." Her eyes swept over me from head to toe. "I can put you in. Someone will pay that amount—for the right treasure."
She paused, and a faint, almost nostalgic smile curved her lips.
"Do you remember the first time we met?"
I blinked at her, unsure where this was going.
"You were standing outside my club like a stray, begging for a job as if you had starving children at home. I was going to turn you away the moment I learned you were a pure, untouched woman—because women like that don't survive in my world. And then you made me a promise. You told me you'd become the finest woman in my club without ever seducing a man. I was curious... so I let you try. And you were right. You rose to the top." She gave a short laugh at the memory.
"That day, I decided you'd be untouchable. I kept you out of reach from the worst men, rejected offers from those who wanted to buy you. You became the most precious jewel in my collection."
Her eyes hardened.
"I protected your purity like it was my own pride. And now? You'll throw yourself into the pit for a jobless, narcissistic fiancé? As if all I've done was a waste."
My lips trembled. "I'm... sorry." The words came out broken, my throat tightening as heat welled in my eyes.
She was right. For three years, I had clung to my self-respect, guarding it from every man, even from the fiancé who claimed to love me. And now I was about to hand it to a stranger—just to save him. I prayed he would forgive me... I prayed he'd still want me.
"Are you certain?" Lea's voice softened slightly. "Once I set your name in that auction, there's no turning back."
I wiped my tears quickly, inhaled deeply, and nodded.
"Yes. Thank you."
I bowed before turning for the door, but her voice stopped me.
"By the way, we have a VIP guest coming tonight. Serve the most expensive champagne to their table before you go to Mr. Gang."
I gave a small nod and walked out.
Each step felt heavier. I couldn't believe I had sunk this far—for a man who didn't even care enough to save himself. I felt hollow, like I was drowning at the bottom of an ocean—mute, motionless, unseen.
If anyone can hear me... if anyone can reach me... please, save me before I drown.