The storm of the gala still lingered in Li Na's chest. Han Rui Sheng's words replayed like a curse: *contracts don't last.* She told herself she was strong enough to ignore it, but doubt clung to her, heavier than the evening gown she had yet to take off.
In the car ride home, Yen Rui had been silent, his hand still wrapped firmly around hers. He hadn't let go, not even when they stepped through the mansion's towering doors. Now, in the stillness of the dimly lit living room, the air between them pulsed with unspoken words.
"You handled him well tonight," Yen Rui said finally, loosening his tie, his gaze fixed on her. "Han Rui Sheng wanted to rattle you. Instead, you rattled him."
Li Na tried to keep her voice steady. "I only did what anyone would have."
"No." He took a step closer, his eyes sharp, unreadable. "Not anyone. You."
Her breath caught, heat rushing to her cheeks. She turned, pretending to fuss with the clasp of her necklace. "Don't give me credit for something small. It doesn't change what they're saying about us."
In two strides, he was behind her, his hands brushing hers as he unfastened the clasp effortlessly. The necklace slid into his palm, his breath warm against her ear.
"Let them talk," he murmured. "They don't matter."
Li Na's chest tightened. The proximity was unbearable, the calm weight of his presence unraveling her carefully guarded resolve. "Yen Rui…"
She meant to stop him, to remind him of the rules she had set. But when she turned, his face was already so close, his gaze locked on hers, fire hidden beneath all that steel composure.
The world seemed to still the ticking clock, the hum of electricity, even her heartbeat and then his lips brushed hers.
Soft, searching, restrained… but devastating.
She froze, torn between every vow she had made and the truth unraveling inside her. Her mind screamed *no*, but her body betrayed her, leaning into the warmth of him, her fingers clutching his sleeve.
The kiss deepened, no longer careful but certain, breaking every line she had drawn. When he finally pulled away, his eyes burned with something fierce, something dangerous.
"So much for boundaries," he whispered, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
Li Na's breath trembled as she stepped back, heart racing. She wanted to scream at him, to remind him of her conditions, but all she could whisper was:
"You weren't supposed to."
"And yet," Yen Rui replied, his voice low, steady, "you didn't stop me."
Silence engulfed them once more, but it wasn't the silence of distance it was the silence of strings pulled too tight, ready to snap or bind them forever.