Selina froze.
Her fingers tightened unconsciously around the teacup as the figure below slowly lifted his head.
Silver eyes met hers instantly.
The world seemed to go silent.
Her heartbeat stumbled violently.
It was him.
The man from the night she died.
The man who caught her while she fell through the storm.
For a second, Selina forgot how to breathe.
How was he here?
The stranger stood beside the black car calmly, one hand tucked into the pocket of his dark coat. Even from a distance, there was something terrifying about his presence—
quiet power.
Not loud like Damian.
Not charming like Adrian.
This man felt dangerous without trying.
And yet...
his gaze on her wasn't cold.
It was intense.
Focused.
As though he had finally reached something he had searched for too long.
Selina slowly stood from her chair.
The movement below immediately caught Rowan's attention as he stepped outside onto the lower balcony.
"Oh," Rowan muttered in surprise. "They're already here."
Selina's brows furrowed slightly.
They?
More cars began pulling through the gates one after another. Staff members hurried toward the entrance instantly.
Inside the mansion, Livia's voice echoed downstairs.
"Elara, hurry! They've arrived earlier than expected."
The atmosphere shifted immediately.
Even Damian appeared near the entrance now, adjusting his suit seriously.
Selina looked down again toward the silver-eyed man.
And then she noticed something shocking—
Damian himself walked toward him.
Respectfully.
Not as an equal.
But cautiously.
The realization sent unease through her.
Who exactly was this man?
"Elara!" Livia called excitedly as the front doors opened.
Selina looked up briefly.
Elara descended the staircase elegantly in a pale gold dress, looking nervous for once.
Nervous.
That alone told Selina this meeting mattered.
Very much.
Guests rarely unsettled Elara.
But tonight, even Damian seemed tense.
The silver-eyed man finally stepped inside the mansion.
The moment he entered—
the room changed.
Silence followed him naturally.
Every employee lowered their heads respectfully while Damian himself greeted him personally.
"Mr. Blackwood," Damian said carefully. "It's an honor."
Selina's pulse quickened slightly.
Blackwood.
The name felt familiar.
Dangerously familiar.
The man gave a slight nod, expression unreadable.
Up close, he looked even more striking than she remembered.
Sharp jawline.
Dark hair brushed back neatly.
Black gloves covering large hands.
And those silver eyes—
cold enough to terrify people,
yet strangely softer when they landed on her.
Selina instinctively stepped backward from the balcony railing.
Immediately—
his eyes followed the movement.
Her breath caught.
He noticed everything.
"Selina?"
She blinked quickly as Rowan appeared beside her upstairs.
"You're coming down too, right?"
"No."
Rowan frowned slightly. "Why not?"
Because the moment those silver eyes looked at her—
it felt like he already knew every secret she carried.
Because a stranger shouldn't feel this familiar.
Because some part of her was suddenly afraid.
Not of him.
But of what he might know.
Downstairs, Elara approached the silver-eyed man gracefully.
"It's wonderful to finally meet you, Mr. Blackwood."
The room watched carefully.
Business rumors about the mysterious Blackwood family had spread for years, but very few people had actually met its heir.
He was known for two things:
Power.
And cruelty toward enemies.
Yet now, standing before Elara—
he barely looked at her.
His gaze slowly lifted instead.
Toward the balcony above.
Toward Selina.
The entire room subtly noticed it.
Elara's smile stiffened almost invisibly.
And then—
for the first time—
the silver-eyed man spoke directly to Selina.
"Will you come downstairs," he said calmly, "or should I come up myself?"
The entire mansion fell silent.