The man slowly opened the five-exquisite-ringed case on the glass pavent area. As soon as he did, Lilia gasped at the breathtaking sight. Five stunning rings sat nestled inside, each one crafted with exquisite precision, their beauty nearly overwhelming.
But one, in particular, caught her eye.
It was silver—pure, elegant. A delicate flower sat at the top, its petals carefully sculpted, and at its center rested a black diamond-like gem. Sothing about it stirred sothing deep inside her, an unexplainable familiarity. The design... the dark stone... it reminded her of the black flowers.
Her gaze lingered on it, her fingers twitching slightly, as if she wanted to reach out and touch it. But she refrained.
She didn't know how she had gotten so close to the black flowers over the past few days. It wasn't sothing she had planned, and she refused to believe it was because of them that she wanted this..ring.
Beside her, Zethan noted her reaction, a slow grin forming on his lips, as if he had anticipated her choice all along. His instincts had aligned with hers perfectly. The knowledge seed to amuse him. Then he spoke.
"Wrap that up. Deliver it tomorrow."
The jeweler bowed respectfully before leaving with the case, handling it with extre care.
Lilia's gaze lingered on the man longer than necessary, a flicker of concern stirring within her. She couldn't help but wonder if he was okay.
A woman nearby, presumably an employee, stepped forward with a professional smile. "Mr. Zethan, that will be all for today. Thank you for taking the ti to co in person."
Zethan acknowledged her with a silent nod, his sharp gaze unwavering.
Lilia, standing beside him, added softly, "Thank you."
The woman responded just as respectfully. "You're welco, Miss Lilia."
With that, Zethan stood, Lilia placed a light hand on his as they walked toward the elevator. The mont they stepped inside, a staff mber pressed the button for their destination.
Just as the elevator doors slid shut, Lilia turned to him.
"I think his bone is broken," she murmured, a hint of hesitation in her voice.
Zethan arched a brow, glancing at her. "What bone?"
Hadn't he noticed the bandage on the man's hand? Or was he just being the sa rude and proud Zethan who never seed to care?
"The man you held earlier. I think you broke it." Her expression was tinged with concern.
Zethan tilted his head slightly, his lips curving into sothing unreadable. Then, with a casual ease, he reached out and lifted her chin between his fingers. His touch was firm but not harsh.
"Does it matter if his bone is broken?" His voice was smooth, indifferent.
Lilia couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"Of course, it does!" she exclaid, her brows knitting together in disbelief. "Do you even know what that feels like? Oh, goodness." She shook her head, exhaling sharply before turning away.
A tense silence filled the elevator.
Zethan leaned in, his presence suffocatingly dark. His breath was steady, composed, but the weight of his gaze made her shiver.
"Why are you so worried?" His voice was low, unreadable. "Don't waste your concern on insignificant things."
Lilia clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palm. Insignificant? How could he call a human being insignificant?
A soft ping echoed in the elevator. The doors slid open.
Without another word, they stepped out, walking toward the waiting car. The chauffeur, dressed impeccably in black, opened the door. Lilia hesitated for just a second before slipping inside. Zethan followed, settling into his seat with an effortless grace.
As the car began to speed off, the air between them felt heavier than before.
Lilia sat in stunned silence, her mind still reeling from what had just happened.
Across from her, Zethan turned, his sharp gaze settling on her. He studied her carefully, the displeasure on her face impossible to miss.
After a mont, he exhaled and muttered, "Loris, don't tell you're still worried about that."
'That'
Lilia scoffed before she could stop herself. The words slipped out, unchecked.
"You're so heartless."
Zethan stilled.
The slow grin that had played on his lips monts ago faded into a deep frown. His presence shifted—sothing colder, heavier settling in the space between them.
Zethan was fully aware that he didn't show emotions—he never did. He was unreadable, distant. In fact, he knew he was heartless.
When people said it to him, it often sounded more like a complint than an insult.
But for so unknown reason, the way she said it made him feel... uneasy.
Lilia swallowed, forcing herself to hold his gaze. She still couldn't believe what he had said earlier. How strong was he, for a simple grip to break a man's bones? The thought made her uneasy.
Then, Zethan leaned in, his dark eyes glinting, shadows flickering across his sharp features.
"So tell , Loris," his voice dropped to a near whisper, "why are you so worried about him? He can have his bones fixed. It's just broken."
Lilia stared at him, barely masking her disbelief.
"You think that's just?" Her voice trembled slightly. "Wow." She shook her head, unable to comprehend his indifference.
Zethan exhaled, then slowly reached out, to brush a strand of hair from her face.
But before his fingers could make contact—
Lilia flinched.
His movents halted instantly.
A dark cloud passed over his expression as he withdrew his hand, his lips pressing into a thin line as his jaw worked. Then, to her shock, he chuckled softly—but there was no humor in it.
"Did you think I was going to hit you?" His voice was eerily calm.
Lilia tensed, unable to answer.
'Why did I flinch?'
She hadn't even realized she had done it until it was too late. But deep down, she knew.
It was instinct. A reaction forged from years of being struck—by her own parents.
But Zethan was different. Wasn't he?
Then why had she flinched?
Zethan exhaled sharply, shaking his head in disbelief as he leaned back against the seat.
Just as he thought everything was returning to normal, a sudden realization hit him—sothing was off.
His entire body tensed.
"Fucking hell," he cursed under his breath, his grip tightening. "Shit."
Without warning, he yanked Lilia toward him, his arms wrapping securely around her.
She barely had ti to react before his voice dropped to a commanding tone.
"Shut your eyes."
Lilia blinked, confusion flickering in her eyes as her heart hamred against her ribs. "What—?"
"Lilia." His voice turned sharper, firr. "Shut your damn eyes."
The urgency in his tone sent a chill down her spine.
Sothing was wrong. Very wrong.
She imdiately closed her eyes as she felt his body wrap around her protectively, as if shielding her from sothing. His scent surrounded her, warm and familiar.
Then, before she could process it—
The world lurched.
The car spun violently.
A choked gasp tore from her lips as the force of the motion sent her mind reeling. Dizzy. Disoriented. She squeezed her eyes shut, the chaos blurring her senses until she couldn't tell up from down.
Then she felt it—Zethan's hands, pressing firmly over her ears.
A second later, she was yanked against his chest.
A shattering impact tore through the air.
CRASH.
The deafening screech of tal twisting, the sharp explosion of glass fracturing into a thousand deadly shards—it surrounded them. Swallowed them. But Lilia?
She felt nothing.
She wasn't flung forward. Wasn't crushed beneath the violence of it all.
She was held.
Zethan's arms caged her, his body an unyielding shield against the chaos. The car groaned, its wreckage settling into a brutal, motionless hush, but his grip never wavered.
A sharp hiss escaped him.
Then—
A voice, crackling through the wreckage.
"Boss, they're after us!"
Lilia's breath caught in her throat.
They?
Zethan didn't answer. Not right away. His focus was elsewhere—on her. On keeping her safe.
Her skin prickled with dread, a bone-deep chill settling in. She could hear her heartbeat, rapid and erratic, feel the tremor in her own body despite the heat of Zethan's hold.
Sothing wasn't right.
Then—
Sothing warm dripped onto her forehead.
Sticky. Thick.
Her breathing faltered.
Blood.
Her fingers twitched, hesitant. She barely dared to move. But the second she did—
The realization struck like lightning.
Zethan's blood.
Her lips parted, a silent horror creeping into her chest.
His voice ca, low and strained.
"Shit, Loris." His breath was ragged, his grip still firm. "I told you to shut your eyes."
Lilia's breath hitched.
Her stomach twisted into painful knots as her gaze locked onto the deep crimson streak trailing down Zethan's face.
"You don't have to worry about . Just shut your eyes—don't be stub—" His words faltered, his eyes widening as he noticed the silent tears slipping down her cheeks.
"You... you're c-clearly injured, and you're t-telling not to worry?" Her lips trembled, her voice breaking as the tears continued to fall, unstoppable, like an endless ocean.
Zethan fell silent. He didn't know what to do. His breath caught, his body turning rigid.
Then—
CRASH.
The sound shattered the tension, sharp and jarring.
Lilia barely had ti to react before she heard sothing she rarely ever did—Zethan cursing this much.
"Shit! No. Shit! Turn the f*cking car around, now!" he spoke, his voice laced with urgency.
Before she could process what was happening, darkness swallowed her whole.
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