Morning arrived softly, filtered through pale curtains and the quiet hum of a house still waking up. Eliora had barely slept. Not because of restlessness but because her heart felt too full.
She stood in the kitchen making tea when Ann appeared behind her, hair tousled, eyes sharp with curiosity and mischief.
"So," Ann said slowly, dragging the word out as she leaned against the counter, "are you going to tell me everything… or should I interrogate him myself?"
Eliora nearly dropped the teacup. "Ann!"
Ann grinned. "Relax, tata. I already know you're in deep. I just want to know how deep."
Before Eliora could respond, Alexander entered the room, dressed casually but still impossibly composed dark shirt, sleeves rolled up, watch glinting faintly at his wrist. His presence shifted the air immediately.
Ann turned toward him, eyes narrowing playfully.
"Ah," she said. "The man responsible for this glow."
Alexander raised a brow. "Guilty," he replied calmly.
Ann circled him slowly, pretending to inspect him. "You know," she said, tapping her chin, "I've known Eliora since we were children. I've seen her cry over broken sandals and laugh over burnt noodles. So tell me what exactly are your intentions with my best friend?"
Eliora groaned. "Ann, please
But Alexander didn't flinch. He met Ann's gaze head on.
"My intentions," he said quietly, "are permanent."
The teasing smile on Ann's face faltered just slightly.
She studied him more seriously now. "Permanent is a big word."
"I don't use small ones," Alexander replied.
Ann looked at Eliora then really looked at her and saw it. The way Eliora's eyes softened when she glanced at him. The way her shoulders relaxed in his presence.
Ann exhaled. "Alright," she said, holding up her hands. "I'll stop grilling you. For now."
"For now?" Alexander echoed.
Ann smiled sweetly. "If you hurt her, I'll haunt you emotionally for the rest of your life."
Alexander chuckled once. "Fair."
Eliora laughed, warmth blooming in her chest. For the first time, it felt like her worlds were slowly merging.
But elsewhere, the air was not so warm.
Emilia stood outside the bar where Eliora worked, watching from across the street. Her nails dug into her palm as she stared at the lights inside, at the life Eliora continued to live despite everything.
She had failed once.
She would not fail again.
Her phone buzzed.
A message from an unknown number:
"I heard he's planning to take her abroad."
Emilia's lips curved slowly into something sharp.
"Let him," she murmured. "The higher she rises… the harder she'll fall."
She began to type.
Back at the house, Alexander stood at the window, his expression unreadable. Eliora noticed the shift immediately.
"What is it?" she asked softly.
He turned to her, eyes dark but steady. "Nothing you need to worry about."
"I don't like that answer," she said gently.
Alexander sighed and stepped closer, lowering his voice. "I know Emilia isn't done. People like her never are. And that's why…" He paused. "I'm moving things faster."
Eliora's breath caught. "Faster how?"
"I want to show you the world," he said. "Not to distract you but to strengthen you. To let you see who you are outside fear. Outside her shadow."
Ann, listening quietly from the doorway, felt a chill run down her spine. This wasn't empty talk. Alexander didn't speak lightly.
"And I want you protected," he continued. "Not hidden. Protected."
Eliora searched his face. "And what if danger follows us?"
Alexander's hand lifted, cupping her cheek. His touch was warm, grounding.
"Then it will meet me first."
Something about the way he said it calm, absolute made her shiver.
Ann cleared her throat. "Okay," she said carefully. "Just so we're clear this isn't a fairytale prince situation, is it?"
Alexander met her gaze. "No."
Ann nodded. "Good. Because fairytales lie. Real men don't."
Alexander inclined his head in respect. The house had gone quiet.
The kind of quiet that felt heavy not peaceful. The lights were off, the hallways dim, the clock ticking softly somewhere in the distance like a reminder that time did not stop just because hearts felt overwhelmed.
Eliora lay beside Ann on the bed they were sharing, staring up at the ceiling. The room smelled faintly of lavender and clean sheets, but comfort refused to come. Her body was still, yet her mind felt like it was running in circles, replaying moments, words, glances especially his.
"Then it will meet me first."
Alexander's voice echoed in her head, low and unshaken. Not dramatic. Not loud. Just… final.
Her chest tightened.
She shifted slightly, pulling the blanket closer around herself, but it didn't help. Her thoughts were too loud. Too tangled. She felt restless, like her soul had been pulled in opposite directions one toward safety and familiarity, the other toward danger wrapped in devotion.
Ann stirred beside her, turning to face her. Even in the low light, she noticed it the way Eliora's breathing was uneven, the way her fingers kept twisting the edge of the blanket.
"You're not sleeping," Ann murmured. Eliora exhaled slowly. "Neither are you." Ann smiled faintly. "I was pretending."
Silence settled again, but it didn't last long.
"I keep hearing his words," Eliora whispered suddenly. "Over and over."
Ann's eyes sharpened with concern. "What words?"
Eliora swallowed. "When he said he would meet danger first. Like it was nothing. Like that's just who he is."
Ann propped herself up on one elbow, studying her closely now. "And that scared you?"
Eliora hesitated. "Yes. And no."
She turned onto her side, facing Ann fully. In the faint moonlight spilling through the curtains, her eyes looked glossy heavy with emotion.
"It scares me how much I believe him," she continued softly. "How much I feel safe when I shouldn't. How much I want to trust him completely… even when part of me knows loving him means stepping into something unknown."
Ann reached out and took her hand. "Talk to me, tata. Eliora's voice trembled just slightly. "What if he's too much for me? What if the world he's offering… the protection, the danger, the intensity… what if it swallows me whole?" She paused, then whispered, "And what if I don't care?"
Ann felt her heart ache at the honesty.
"You love him," Ann said quietly. Not a question.
Eliora nodded, tears finally slipping free. "I do. And that's what scares me the most. Because I've never loved anyone like this. I don't know how to love someone who would burn the world down just to keep me safe."
Ann squeezed her hand. "And do you want that kind of love?"
Eliora closed her eyes. Images flooded her mind Alexander watching her from across a room, his quiet patience, his intensity, the way he looked at her like she was something irreplaceable.
"Yes," she whispered. "I do. I just… I don't know if I'm strong enough for it."
Ann shifted closer, pulling Eliora gently into her arms. "Hey. Loving someone like that doesn't mean you stop being yourself. It means you learn who you are when things get hard."
Eliora buried her face briefly against Ann's shoulder. "I don't want to lose myself."
"You won't," Ann said firmly. "And if you ever start to… I'll be right here to remind you who you are."
Eliora let out a shaky laugh through her tears. "You always do."
They lay there quietly for a while, the weight in Eliora's chest slowly easing not gone, but lighter. Her breathing steadied. Her thoughts softened.
After a moment, Ann spoke again, gentler now. "He loves you. That much is obvious. But love like that… it asks for honesty. You don't have to be fearless. You just have to be real."
Eliora nodded slowly. "I want to be."
She stared at the ceiling once more, but this time her thoughts weren't racing. They settled around one truth clear, frightening, and beautiful all at once.
Loving Alexander meant choosing him every day.
Not because he was powerful.
Not because he was dangerous.
But because, somehow, he made her feel seen.
Eventually, sleep came not sudden, but gradual. And as Eliora drifted off beside her best friend, one final thought wrapped itself around her heart like a promise:
Whatever storms were coming…
She would not face them alone.