[HE DOESN'T SEE HER . SHE LEAVES BEFORE HE WAKES ]
The room still smelled like water.
And something softer… warmer.
Lina stood near the edge of the bed, her fingers gripping her bag so tightly the leather creased under her hold.
She shouldn't still be here.
She knew that.
But her feet wouldn't move.
Not yet.
Behind her, the sound of running water had long faded, replaced by something quieter—his breathing.
Slower now.
Uneven, but calmer than before.
She turned slightly.
Adrian was asleep.
Fully this time.
Half-covered by the sheets, his arm resting loosely across his chest, his face turned just enough that the sharpness of him softened into something almost… unguarded.
It didn't look like him.
Not the man she knew.
Not the one who walked through glass offices like he owned the world.
This version of him felt—
Human.
And that made everything worse.
Her chest tightened.
Fragments kept flashing through her mind, unwanted and incomplete.
The heat of the bathroom.
His voice, rough and low.
The way he had looked at her—not clearly, not fully aware, but like he needed something… something she hadn't been strong enough to refuse.
Lina squeezed her eyes shut for a second.
"Stop," she whispered under her breath.
But it didn't stop.
She looked down at herself, then quickly away again.
Her heartbeat picked up, uneven now.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
She wasn't supposed to be here.
She was just delivering documents.
That was it.
That was all.
A shaky breath left her lips.
"I should've left…"
The words felt heavy.
Too late now.
She moved quickly after that.
Not rushing—but not lingering either.
She gathered her things in silence, careful not to make noise.
Every small movement felt louder than it should have, like the room was listening.
Her shoes. Her bag.
The documents—still untouched.
Of course.
Of course that part didn't matter anymore.
At the door, she paused.
Just for a second.
Her hand hovered over the handle.
Don't look back.
She knew better.
She really did.
But—
She turned anyway.
He hadn't moved.
Still asleep.
Still unaware.
And something about that… something about the fact that he would wake up and not know—
It twisted inside her chest.
A strange mix of relief and something heavier.
Something she didn't want to name.
Her gaze dropped briefly.
To him.
Then lower.
And that's when she remembered.
The lotus.
Her breath caught.
It was faint now, almost gone, but she could still feel it—the warmth beneath her skin, the place just below her shoulder blade where the mark rested. Always hidden. Always hers alone.
Except… not entirely anymore.
Not after tonight.
Lina swallowed hard and looked away quickly.
No.
She couldn't think about that.
Not now.
Not ever.
Without another second, she opened the door and slipped out.
Quiet.
Unnoticed.
Like she had never been there.
The hallway felt colder.
Brighter.
Real.
She walked fast this time, her steps uneven at first before settling into something steadier.
By the time she reached the elevator, her breathing had finally started to calm.
But her chest still felt tight.
Too tight.
As the doors slid open, she stepped inside and pressed the button without looking back.
Not once.
Because if she did—
She wasn't sure she would leave.
And upstairs, in the quiet room she had just left—
Adrian stirred.
Only slightly.
A shift of his arm.
A faint crease forming between his brows.
Something was off.
Even in sleep, his body knew it.
He inhaled slowly.
Then again.
And paused.
There it was.
That scent.
Soft.
Sweet.
Not strong—but distinct enough to linger.
It clung to the air.
To the sheets.
To him.
His brows pulled together faintly, even as his eyes stayed closed.
Something about it felt—
Familiar.
Not in memory.
In feeling.
His fingers tightened slightly against the fabric beneath him.
And then he exhaled again.
Deeper this time.
Like he was unconsciously trying to hold onto it.
But sleep pulled him under again.
And the room fell still.