"No!"
Mr. Rafael's cry echoed through the empty halls, raw with panic. His outstretched hand grasped at nothing but air as Erika's body tumbled toward the open void.
Time slowed. He could hear his heartbeat hammering in his ears, each thump a cruel reminder of what he was about to lose. Everything he had built, everything he had claimed—slipping away in an instant.
But just as the darkness below threatened to swallow her whole, a firm hand shot out.
"Got you."
Ronald's fingers locked around Erika's arm, his grip unyielding as he strained against gravity. They were on the second floor, high enough that a fall could have been fatal. Erika's head smacked against the stone wall in the struggle, a sharp crack splitting the silence. Blood seeped from her forehead, trailing down her pale cheek, but she barely reacted. A weak sigh escaped her lips as her body dangled limply in the air.
Ronald gritted his teeth and pulled, bracing himself against the iron balcony railing. His muscles burned from the effort, but he didn't loosen his hold for a second.
"I'm sorry, sir," Ronald muttered, addressing the older man watching from above. "I didn't mean to bother you."
He finally hoisted Erika up, securing her in his arms before carrying her away.
"Hell no, damn it!" Mr. Rafael cursed, his face twisted with frustration as he pounded his fist against the railing. The elevator had failed him, forcing him to take the stairs, and now Ronald was disappearing into the night with his wife.
"Where the hell does he think he's taking her?" Rafael muttered under his breath, his eyes burning with something dangerously close to desperation.
He bolted after them, only to be stopped in his tracks when Ronald turned, locking eyes with him. The silent challenge in Ronald's gaze was unmistakable: Try and stop me.
Rafael's hands clenched into fists. He was ready to fight for her, to rip her away from the man who dared take her from him. But before he could act, a soft, broken voice reached his ears.
"Leave me alone, Mr. Rafael… I don't want you."
Erika's whisper was barely audible, her last words before her body succumbed to unconsciousness.
Rafael felt something inside him shatter.
Ronald smirked, his lips curling with wicked amusement before disappearing into the house with Erika in his arms.
---
Inside, the tension was thick.
"My God, what happened to her?" Fastino gasped, his face paling at the sight of Erika's blood-streaked forehead.
"Don't ask questions. Just bring me the first aid kit from the top shelf," Ronald ordered, his voice tight with strain. He moved swiftly, placing Erika onto the sofa.
Fastino didn't argue. He rushed off and returned with the kit, but before he could hand it over, his girlfriend, Sabrina, stepped in.
"She's burning up," Sabrina noted, brushing a hand against Erika's clammy skin. "She needs a cold shower to bring her fever down."
Ronald hesitated, glancing at Erika's pale face. He had spent years pulling people out of dangerous situations, but *this*—seeing her like this—unsettled him in ways he wasn't ready to admit.
Sabrina didn't wait for his permission. She left and returned with one of her loose cotton dresses. "I'll change her clothes. You find something to lower her fever."
Ronald reluctantly left to fetch the supplies, his mind clouded with thoughts. When he returned, Erika was already cleaned up and dressed in fresh clothes.
"Thank you, Sabrina," he murmured.
Sabrina gave a knowing smile before stepping away.
The night was long. Ronald sat beside Erika, placing cool compresses on her forehead, watching over her as she trembled in her sleep. He didn't rest, didn't take his eyes off her, not until the fever finally broke.
---
Morning light streamed through the curtains.
Erika stirred, groaning softly as she raised a hand to her head. A dull pain throbbed at her temple. Blinking against the brightness, her gaze landed on the room's walls—on the large portrait of Ronald hanging across from her.
Her heart clenched.
Then she saw him.
Ronald was leaning against the bed, his head resting against the mattress, his breathing deep and even. He looked exhausted, his usual sharp features softened by sleep.
Memories from the night before rushed back. The fall. The arms that caught her. The fever.
Anger swelled inside her.
"Good morning," Ronald murmured, his voice thick with sleep as he lifted his head.
Erika turned away sharply, refusing to meet his piercing blue eyes.
He chuckled. "Is there a sane person who would throw themselves off a balcony over a man who doesn't even deserve it?"
She stiffened but said nothing.
"You owe me now, you know," Ronald continued, stretching as he leaned back in his chair. "That's the fourth time I've saved your life."
Erika's fingers curled around the sheets. Her body ached, but not nearly as much as her pride.
"I didn't ask you to save me," she snapped, yanking the blanket off. She stood, only to sway dangerously as dizziness washed over her.
Ronald was up in an instant, steadying her. "And if I hadn't?" His voice was calm, but there was a sharpness beneath it. "Would it have been worth it? Do you think dying will change him?"
She shoved his hands away. "*Don't*."
His jaw tightened. "You're wasting your time, Erika."
Her lips parted, a retort forming, but she shut her mouth. She didn't want to hear this—not from him.
Without another word, she stormed out, forcing herself to walk steadily despite the pain in her head.
Ronald let out a long breath before sinking back into his chair. He had no right to stop her. No reason to care.
And yet, he did.
---
Back at Ronald's house, Fastino was waiting with arms crossed. "You're going to tell me what the hell happened last night," he demanded the moment Ronald stepped through the door.
Ronald groaned and threw himself onto the sofa, grabbing a pillow and covering his face. "Can we not do this?"
Fastino yanked the pillow away. "No. Talk."
Ronald let out a sigh. "I was on the balcony, as usual. Your brother was making a grand show of apologizing to her—or whatever he thinks an apology is." He clenched his jaw. "Then she stepped closer to the edge."
Fastino sucked in a breath.
"I didn't even think. One second she was falling, and the next, I had her." Ronald's voice was bitter as the memory replayed in his mind.
Fastino sat back, rubbing a hand over his face. "Good thing you were there."
Sabrina, who had been listening, placed a kiss on Fastino's cheek before settling onto his lap. She watched Ronald, her expression unreadable.
Fastino hesitated before asking the question that had been weighing on him.
"And Rafael?"
Ronald exhaled through his nose, a smirk tugging at his lips. "He's furious. Probably plotting my murder right now."
Fastino didn't laugh. His voice turned serious. "You know how dangerous my brother can be."
Ronald stretched, unbothered. "He may know you, but he doesn't know me."
Sabrina chuckled. "This is going to be very interesting."
And for the first time that morning, Ronald smiled.
---