(Steven Sy's POV)
He shouldn't have touched her.
The second his fingers closed around Michelle's arm — gently, instinctively, without thinking — he knew he shouldn't have.
But seeing her knees wobble made his chest squeeze in a way he couldn't ignore.
Not because she was fragile.
Michelle Lui was not fragile.
She wasn't the type to need someone else to catch her.
But tonight… she looked tired.
Tired in a way that pulled at something deep in him.
She blinked up at him as he steadied her, eyes wide, lips parted.
Soft.
Surprised.
And god help him —
he froze.
Her warmth traveled through his fingertips straight into his bloodstream, a jolt of electricity running up his spine.
He let go immediately.
Too fast.
Too abruptly.
"Sorry," he said under his breath. "I didn't mean—"
"It's fine," she whispered, brushing her hair behind her ear. "I was just… dizzy."
Her tone wasn't irritated.
If anything… she sounded embarrassed.
And that made his chest feel wrong again.
