Bright had always been in control of everything. He was the one who dictated the terms, set the boundaries, and operated with a cool, calculated detachment that had always kept people at a distance. He didn't let anyone get too close. He didn't need anyone.
But Sea…
Sea was different.
She was a whirlwind. Wild, unpredictable, and reckless in a way that made Bright's usual precision feel insignificant. She challenged him, wore him down, and had somehow managed to slip past all his defenses in a way that no one had ever been able to do. And now, sitting in his office, staring at her empty chair across from him, he realized that maybe… maybe he wasn't the one in control anymore.
He tried not to think about it. He couldn't afford to. He had to stay focused. He had a job to do, a reputation to maintain. But when he closed his eyes, all he could see was her. Her wild energy, her fiery gaze, her defiance, and yet—her vulnerability, too. The way she had looked at him after they had crossed that line, her face a mix of confusion and something else he hadn't quite understood at the time.
And damn it, her voice. The way she had said she didn't want to be here, yet her eyes had told him everything he needed to know. Sea wasn't immune to this. To him. No matter how much she wanted to deny it, she couldn't escape the pull between them. Not anymore.
He gripped the edge of the desk, leaning forward as his thoughts swirled around him, chasing the feeling of her. The soft weight of her body beneath his touch, the breathless gasps she had made when he had kissed her… When they had touched each other in a way that had blurred all the lines they'd carefully drawn around themselves.
There was no escaping it. No denying it.
And Bright hated that. He hated that she was the first person who had managed to get under his skin.
---
It had been days since Sea walked out of his office, and Bright hadn't heard a word from her. It was driving him insane. She was avoiding him. And that only made him want her more. Every text, every call he sent her went unanswered. Each time his phone buzzed with a notification, his stomach churned with the possibility that it might be her—only for it to be some work-related message or a random update from one of his men.
What was it about Sea that did this to him? Why did he suddenly feel like he was losing his grip?
He leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowed as he watched the rain tapping against the window. The thought of Sea out there—out of his reach, out of his control—gnawed at him. He didn't like this. He didn't like *her* making him feel this way.
Bright's phone buzzed again, and this time, it was a message from one of his men: *"She's at the club. With Kolly."*
A flash of anger flickered inside of him at the mention of Kolly. His ex. The woman he'd been with before Sea had walked into his life, bringing chaos with her.
He stood abruptly, pacing around the office, his mind racing. He couldn't let this go on. He needed to see Sea. To confront her. He couldn't let Kolly—of all people—be the one she turned to.
---
The club was loud, the bass pounding through the walls, vibrating the very air around him. Bright wasn't in the mood for this. He didn't do these kinds of places. But tonight, nothing else mattered. Sea mattered.
He pushed his way through the crowd, ignoring the eyes that followed him. When he finally saw her, his chest tightened. She was at the bar, laughing with Kolly. Her head thrown back, her lips parted in that wild, carefree way she had when she was drunk or high or both. Kolly was draped across the bar, all fake charm and smiles, as if she was trying to make up for the past.
Bright couldn't stand it. He didn't want anyone else touching her, not like that.
He made his way toward them, his presence commanding attention, even in a place as loud as this.
"Sea," he said, his voice low but laced with something that made her stop mid-laugh and turn toward him.
Her eyes flicked over him with an almost surprised expression, but then, just as quickly, she masked it with indifference. She took a slow sip of her drink, her eyes not quite meeting his.
"Bright," she replied, her voice sharp, but he could hear the hesitation there. He could always hear it.
"I've been looking for you," he said, his voice controlled but carrying an edge she knew all too well.
Her lips curled into a half-smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I'm right here."
He stepped closer, ignoring Kolly's presence completely. The ex-girlfriend didn't matter right now. She never had, not really. It was always Sea. Always her.
"You've been avoiding me," Bright said, his tone just the right amount of challenging.
"I've been busy," she replied, her voice clipped. But there was something in the way she said it, something that hinted at something deeper.
He tilted his head, watching her closely, the air between them thick with unspoken words. "Is that so? Or are you just trying to pretend it didn't happen?"
Her jaw tightened at his words, and Bright could see the little cracks forming in her armor. He wasn't going to let it slide. Not this time.
Sea didn't respond immediately. Instead, she looked down at her drink, swirling it absentmindedly. Bright was about to speak again when he saw it—a faint blush creeping up her neck. The same blush she had tried to hide that night in his office. The one that gave away everything.
She wasn't as unaffected as she wanted to seem.
Without saying anything more, he moved closer. His voice was barely a whisper as he said, "You know, I'm not going to give up on this. On you. You can run, but it won't change anything."
Her eyes met his then, the sharp defiance in them softening ever so slightly. "What if I don't want you to?"
Bright smirked, the answer already clear in his mind. He didn't care what she said. He knew what she wanted. He knew what she was too afraid to admit.
"You will," he said simply. "I'll make sure of it."
And with that, he turned on his heel, leaving Sea with her thoughts, and her own feelings she refused to admit even to herself.