Cecilia finally managed to pull herself together, pushing the swirl of emotions to the back of her mind and forcing herself to focus on the stack of papers in front of her. She needed to concentrate—this project was critical. But just as she began making progress, a sudden knock on the door echoed through her office.
Without looking up, she casually said, "Yes?"
The door clicked open, and a smooth, charming voice reached her ears. "How are you doing, Cecilia?"
Her heart skipped a beat as her eyes shot toward the door. There he was—a devilishly handso man, tall and self-assured, wearing a half-sleeved white shirt that fit snugly over his muscular fra, and black jeans that gave him an effortlessly charming look. In one hand, he held a large dark blue rectangular box.
"A-Ash?" Cecilia stamred, her face flushing slightly as she quickly stood up, "What are you doing here?"
Asher chuckled, his smile playful yet with a hint of sothing deeper, "Why so shocked? I'm here to work for you, of course. Or did you forget I'm still your security advisor for the Junction Towers?"
Cecilia winced internally. How could she forget? She had been aning to relieve him of the position—he already had a job at the WHA, and she didn't want to risk stirring up anything between them. But this project was too important. With Derek involved and the Junction Tower's security at stake, she couldn't afford another disaster. Not with Ash being one of the best.
Clearing her throat, she composed herself, "I appreciate that you've arrived on ti, but there's no need for you to co all the way here. From now on, you can consult my secretary if you have anything to discuss regarding work. I have so important matters to attend to," she added, her voice clipped as she sat back down, pretending to focus on the docunts in front of her.
Asher's smile faded slightly, replaced by a look of mock hurt. He approached her desk, his gaze locked on hers. "So, you're pushing away now, huh? After using ? Do I really an nothing to you? Is it because I'm just a lowly cripple?"
Cecilia's heart sank at his words. She looked up, her eyes wide with disbelief, "What? No, Ash. I never used you, and I certainly never thought less of you because of what happened. That's not it at all. But you're old enough to understand that I'm a married woman. We can't continue to have these…inappropriate interactions."
Asher chuckled softly, the sound low and warm, but with a bite of bitterness, "Inappropriate interactions? Since when is it inappropriate for two adults to enjoy each other's company? You might not care about , but I care about you. I can see how much you're suffering, even if no one else does. That… that is what upsets . I just want to make you happy."
Cecilia felt a prick in her chest, her emotions a tangled ss. She sighed, running a hand through her hair, "Ash, please. Don't do this. You still have a bright future ahead of you. You're charming, kind, and more than capable of finding soone who's perfect for you. Don't waste your ti on soone like . I'm old, married… it won't end well for both of us."
Asher took a step closer, his presence suddenly overwhelming. She unconsciously shifted back in her chair, her breath hitching as his voice lowered, "A perfect woman? I don't need anyone else. Even if you think you're flawed, you're the only one I want. My heart… it beats only for you, Cecilia. If you think you're old, then every young woman on this planet should consider themselves old."
Her eyelashes fluttered at his words, and she could feel the warmth creeping into her cheeks. She looked away, her voice shaky as she mumbled, "Y-You should save those complints for young won."
Asher smiled, his voice steady but soft, "You are young in my eyes, Cecilia. That's why I saved those words for you. And as for being married… isn't that what's causing you so much pain? Isn't it stopping you from being happy? In my eyes, the only thing that won't end well is if you keep punishing yourself like this."
Cecilia felt her heart twist, his words striking a chord deep within her.
She'd been struggling, trapped between duty and her own desires, but hearing Ash speak so openly, so earnestly, was like salt in an open wound.
"Please, Ash…" she whispered, her voice cracking slightly. She didn't know whether she was begging him to stop or to continue, but either way, the lines she'd drawn to protect herself were blurring.
Asher leaned in slightly, his expression softening as he added, "I'm not asking you for anything more than your happiness. That's all I've ever wanted for you. Can you really look at and say you're happy with the way things are?"
Her breath caught in her throat, and for a brief mont, she couldn't speak. She couldn't lie, not to him. But at the sa ti, she can't let this continue lest she ends up in a dangerous situation again. Asher carefully placed the dark blue rectangular box on Cecilia's desk, its presence almost ominous in the quiet tension of the room. His voice, however, remained gentle. "You don't have to answer . But I want to gift you sothing first... Why don't you open it?"
Cecilia blinked, caught off guard by his words. Her gaze shifted to the box, her curiosity piqued despite the warning bells ringing in her mind.
What kind of gift had he brought her? What was this supposed to an?
With hesitant fingers, she unclasped the box, feeling an odd mix of excitent and dread. When the lid lifted, her breath caught in her throat.
Inside, resting on soft velvet, was a white lily—its petals shimring as if woven from stardust, glowing faintly with an ethereal light.
The flower seed to hum with mana, a radiant, soothing energy filling the air around it. It was impossible to look away.
"This... This is—" Cecilia mumbled, her voice trembling with disbelief.
Asher's smile was subtle but warm, "Yes. It's the Starlight Blossom, famous for emitting a soothing, radiant fragrance that can heal wounds, calm the heart, and help one rember happy mories."
Her gaze remained transfixed on the flower, but her mind was far away—pulled into long-buried mories. She saw herself as a little girl, running through sunlit adows, her father's laughter echoing in the air as they played. Her heart clenched, and her eyes glistened with unshed tears. Those mories had been forcibly suppressed by her family, along with every trace of her father. She couldn't even attend his funeral. She couldn't even rember him when it mattered.
She wasn't even allowed to procure this flower lest it endangered the honor of her family.
And then suddenly, another mory fragnt flashed in her mind. She was laughing and talking with Cedric as she listened to him intently. When did this mory get suppressed?
But rembering his face made her eyes quiver as she sohow swam out of her thoughts.
"How... How did you know this was my favorite flower?" Cecilia asked, her voice breaking as her radiant blue eyes shimred with tears. The weight of the past, of loss, hung heavy on her heart.
Asher's gaze softened, his voice quiet but steady, "I didn't. I only wanted to give you sothing that would remind you how it feels to be happy."
But in truth, Asher knew. Cecilia had once told him when he was Cedric that the only flower in this world she liked was the Starlight Blossom.
He never knew such a fact she confided in him would co in handy now.
Cecilia's chin quivered as she gripped the flower's stem tightly, as if she feared letting it go would erase the fragile connection to her past.
The mories flooded in, bittersweet, overwhelming. Her heart felt heavy, but for the first ti in a long ti, she felt sothing else—sothing close to warmth.
Without thinking, Asher reached out, his hand gently cupping her face. His touch was warm, firm, yet tender as he tilted her head up, guiding her to et his eyes. His voice was a whisper, but it carried the weight of his longing, "Now do you realize how much you've been forced to sacrifice? Why don't you allow to make it so that you don't have to sacrifice anything anymore?"
And before Cecilia could respond, before her mind could catch up with her emotions, Asher leaned in, his lips brushing hers with a deliberate slowness, the heat of his kiss washing over her like a wave.
Her eyelashes fluttered, her body stiffening at first, but as the warmth of his lips lted into hers, a buried part of her heart seed to stir. She felt a strange kind of peace, a soothing balm for the pain she had kept locked away for so long.
Her hand twitched, her grip on the Starlight Blossom tightening.
Her fingers slowly curled around the fabric of Ash's shirt, her heart beating in her chest as if awakening after years of being numb. The flower's aura bathed her, its mana stirring her emotions, making her feel as if her very soul was lting into his warmth.
Her walls were crumbling, and she didn't know whether she had the strength to rebuild them again.
Before she knew it, her lips began to move against his, as if seeking the solace only his kiss could offer. Her hand clutched his shirt tighter, pulling him closer as she surrendered to the quiet storm building in her heart.
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