The tension in the air felt heavier than usual that evening. Sea had been avoiding Bright for days now, her emotions a tangled mess of confusion, frustration, and something else—something that was starting to become too overwhelming to ignore. But now, standing in front of him, with his dark eyes watching her so closely, she couldn't deny it anymore.
Sea had tried to play it cool, tried to convince herself that this whole thing with Bright was just a game—a dangerous, twisted game where she was the prize. But every time she caught herself thinking about him, the idea of him slipping away, of letting go of this madness, felt like a betrayal to everything inside her.
She couldn't keep running from it.
"Bright," she started, her voice trembling slightly despite her best efforts to remain composed, "I need to talk to you."
He had been quiet since she entered his office, his usual calm demeanor in place, but there was something in his eyes—something that told her he knew exactly what this conversation was going to be about.
She stepped forward, her heart pounding in her chest as the words swirled in her mind, but she had to speak them. She *had* to.
"Why do you make me feel like this?" Sea asked, looking up at him, her voice raw. "Why do you make me feel so… so *lost*?"
Bright's gaze softened slightly, and he reached out, gently touching her arm in a way that made her shiver. His touch was always so controlled, yet she could feel the warmth in it—like a spark waiting to ignite something deeper between them.
"I never meant to make you feel lost," he said, his voice low but sincere. "But I can't deny it anymore, Sea. The truth is, you *are* my world now. I didn't expect it, but I'm not going to lie to myself about it."
Her breath caught in her throat, her eyes searching his face for any hint of insincerity. But there was none. He was being honest—his usual composed exterior had cracked just enough to reveal the raw emotion lurking beneath.
"Bright," Sea whispered, her hands trembling as she clenched them by her sides. "I didn't ask for any of this. You kidnapped me, you put me in a situation I didn't choose, and yet…" She paused, her voice faltering. "And yet, here I am. Here I am, feeling something for you that I can't explain. I don't know what to do with it. It doesn't make sense."
Bright's expression shifted, his gaze steady as he stepped closer, his presence a comforting yet intense force. "You don't have to understand it," he said softly, his hand now cupping her cheek gently. "Feelings don't always make sense. But they are real. And I can't deny that the moment I saw you, I knew something changed. I can't explain it either, but I know that I've never felt this way before."
Sea's heart skipped a beat, and she took a step back, needing space, needing time to process. But Bright followed her, not letting the distance grow too much between them.
"I never wanted this to be a game, Sea," Bright continued, his voice softer now, the vulnerability in it catching her off guard. "I thought it was about control, about making sure you understood who I was, but it's not. I'm here, right now, because I want you to understand *me*." His hand dropped to his side for a moment before he reached for her again, this time taking her hands in his. "I want to change for you."
Sea felt a jolt at his words. She had heard him talk about his mafia world, his need for dominance, but now—now he was talking about change. For her.
"You want to change?" she repeated, almost disbelieving. She had never imagined hearing such words from someone like him, someone who thrived in the shadows, someone who controlled everything with iron-clad precision.
Bright nodded slowly, his gaze locked on hers. "I've been living a life that doesn't leave room for anyone else. But with you… I would burn it all down if it meant I could have you beside me. I've already changed, Sea. You just didn't notice."
She stared at him, the weight of his words sinking in, and the realization that he wasn't just talking about his actions or his mafia ties. He was talking about himself—about what he would do for her.
"You really think you can change?" Sea asked quietly, her voice small, even though her heart was pounding in her chest. "For me?"
"I've already changed," he repeated, stepping even closer now, his lips barely inches from hers. "I was a man who never believed in love, not in the way people talked about it. But when I saw you… I knew that I would do anything for you. And I'm not asking for your forgiveness. I'm not asking for anything from you that you're not willing to give. But I need you to know the truth. The truth that I've been hiding from myself."
Sea's breath caught in her throat, and before she could stop herself, she reached out, pulling Bright toward her, closing the space between them. His lips met hers with the same intensity, the same fire that had been building between them for what felt like forever.
It was different this time. There was no game, no power struggle, no hesitation. Just two people who had been circling each other for far too long, and now, finally, they were together—fully and completely.
When they pulled apart, their foreheads rested against each other, both of them breathing heavily, as though the kiss had stolen all the air from their lungs.
"I don't know what happens next," Sea whispered, her voice shaky as she looked into his eyes. "But I know this: I want to try. I want to try to understand what this is, what we are. I want to try with you."
Bright's lips lifted into a smile that was both tender and full of the kind of raw emotion he had never allowed himself to show. "You don't have to understand it all now," he said softly, brushing his thumb over her cheek. "All I know is that I'm not going to let you go. Not now. Not ever."
And in that moment, Sea realized that maybe—just maybe—she was starting to believe him.