The wind hadn't settled.
Neither had the tension.
For a few seconds after the fall, all three of them stood in a fragile silence—breathing uneven, minds racing, the sound of the party inside now distant… irrelevant.
Then—
"Stop."
Sam's voice cut through it.
Firm.
Clear.
Both of them turned toward him.
He stepped forward, brushing off the last traces of dust from his shirt, his eyes moving between Sami and Leena before settling on Sami.
"She didn't push me," he said.
"She tried to pull me."
The words landed.
Sami's expression didn't soften.
If anything—
It sharpened.
His gaze locked onto Sam, his voice rising slightly, controlled but intense.
"What did I say to you?" he snapped.
"Stay away from office employees."
Sam frowned. "What—?"
"You won't understand it," Sami cut in, stepping closer, his voice dropping but turning colder.
"If I hadn't come here right now—"
A beat.
"You'd be dead."
Silence.
Heavy.
Leena's eyes shifted to Sami.
Slowly.
"And you think I was trying to kill him?" she asked.
Her voice wasn't loud.
But it cut through everything.
Sami didn't look at her immediately.
That hesitation—
Said enough.
Leena let out a quiet, disbelieving breath.
"Sami…" she said, shaking her head slightly,
"you are unbelievable."
There was no anger in her tone.
Just something sharper.
Something disappointed.
Sam stepped in again, irritation rising.
"She's my friend."
The word hung there.
Friend.
Sami's gaze snapped back to him.
"Friend?" he repeated.
A pause.
"Or an employee?"
That did it.
Something in Sami's posture shifted—his control slipping just enough.
He turned abruptly, grabbed Leena's wrist, and pulled her slightly forward toward Sam.
"How long have you known her?" he demanded.
"You met her, what—twice?"
Leena stumbled half a step with the force, her expression tightening—but she didn't pull away.
Sam reacted instantly.
He stepped forward and shoved Sami back.
"Back off."
The push wasn't violent.
But it was clear.
A line drawn.
Sami steadied himself, his eyes flashing with anger now.
"I know her," Sam said, his voice firm.
"Since we were kids."
Silence.
Leena's breath caught slightly.
Her eyes moved to Sam—
Sharp.
Searching.
Surprised.
"You should do your homework before accusing someone," Sam added, his tone colder now.
The words hit.
This time—
Sami didn't respond immediately.
For the first time since this started—
He looked uncertain.
Confused.
His gaze flicked from Sam—
To Leena.
Trying to read something.
Find something.
But Leena wasn't looking at him anymore.
She was still looking at Sam.
As if trying to understand what he had just said.
As if something didn't fit.
Sami exhaled sharply.
Frustration.
Doubt.
Anger—still there, but now mixed with something else.
"You don't know what you're doing," he said to Sam, quieter now—but no less serious.
Then he said
"Let's go."
"Back off."
Sam's voice cut through—
Sharp.
Clear.
Ignored.
Sami didn't even look at him.
His eyes stayed on Leena.
Cold. Focused. Still carrying whatever he had seen .
Before Sam could step in—
Sami moved.
He grabbed Leena's wrist.
Hard.
Final.
"Let's go."
Leena's body shifted slightly with the force—
But she didn't resist.
Didn't question.
Just followed.
Two steps.
Then—
A sharp crack underfoot.
Glass.
A broken wine glass near the edge of the floor.
Leena stepped forward—
Right through it.
A faint sound.
Barely noticeable.
Sami's movement didn't stop.
But his eyes flicked down—
Just once.
Quick.
Calculating.
A thin line of red marked where she had stepped.
He saw it.
Registered it.
And then—
Looked away.
Like it changed nothing.
He stopped anyway.
Turned back.
Walked the two steps he had just taken—
Bent slightly—
Picked up her heels.
Black.
Delicate.
Unnecessary.
For a second—
His jaw tightened.
Not because of the heels.
Not entirely.
Then he stood up.
Held them in one hand—
Grabbed her wrist again with the other.
Stronger this time.
"Move."
Leena didn't react.
Didn't look down.
Didn't acknowledge anything.
And Sami—
Didn't ask.
Didn't slow down.
Didn't mention it.
But—
His grip didn't loosen.
Not once.
Sam stayed where he was.
Eyes following them.
Not the broken glass.
Not the floor.
Not the details.
Just them.
Because something felt off.
Sami was angry.
That was clear.
But the rest—
Didn't fit.
He stopped.
Went back.
Picked up her heels.
Held her like that—
Like she wasn't just another person in the room.
Sam frowned slightly.
Since when…?
In Parking
The silence outside felt heavier.
Sami walked straight to the car.
Opened the door.
"Sit."
Leena started—
"Sami—"
"Don't."
Immediate.
Cut clean.
She got in.
Sami walked around.
Got inside.
For a moment—
Nothing.
Then he leaned forward—
Placed her heels in front of her feet.
Exactly.
His eyes dropped—
Just briefly.
The same faint red line.
Now clearer.
His expression didn't change.
Not even slightly.
But his hand paused mid-air—
For half a second longer than necessary.
Then he pulled it back.
Sat straight.
Started the engine.
"You enjoy that?" he said.
Low.
Controlled.
Leena turned.
"Enjoy what?"
"That."
A beat.
"Whatever that was."
She held his gaze.
"You're assuming things again."
"I don't assume," he said flatly.
"I observe."
Leena leaned back.
"Then observe better."
Silence.
But this time—
It carried more.
Because both of them knew—
He had already seen more than he was saying.
The car stopped.
"You're here."
Leena stepped out.
Barefoot again.
The ground colder now.
Sharper.
She took two steps—
Then stopped.
The car door opened behind her.
Sami walked up.
Stopped in front of her.
Bent down.
Placed her heels in front of her feet.
Leena looked down at them.
Then up at him.
Neither of them spoke.
For a moment—
Time seemed to freeze.
Leena broke the silence first.
Her eyes locked on his.
"Why…"
Her voice was quiet.
Controlled.
"…are you doing this?"
A beat.
"You don't have to."
Her gaze didn't waver.
"Everything you showed tonight—"
A slight pause.
"—it only proves one thing."
Sami's jaw tightened.
"You burn in anger," she continued, stepping a little closer now,
"because again…"
Her voice sharpened slightly.
"…what you saw didn't fit your assumption about me."
Her eyes searched his face.
"You needed to be right."
Sami tilted his head slightly.
Just a fraction.
Like he was studying her.
But the tension in his body—
was no longer calm.
It snapped.
In one sharp motion—
he stepped forward.
Grabbing both her shoulders.
Firm.
Controlling.
And before she could react—
he pushed her back.
Hard.
Her back hit the parking pillar.
The impact echoed slightly in the quiet space.
Her purse slipped from her hand.
Falling to the ground.
Her head hit the pillar as well—just enough to jolt her.
For a split second—
everything blurred.
Sami's grip didn't loosen.
Leena's breath hitched as she struggled against his hold.
His face was close now.
Too close.
Her hair fell loose, strands brushing against his face.
The air between them—
tight.
heated.
dangerously close.
"What are you trying to do?" he said, his voice low—dangerously controlled but strained.
Leena pushed against his chest.
Trying to create space.
"You really enjoy questioning me…" she said, breath uneven but still steady,
"…did you ever try finding the answer yourself?"
Her eyes met his.
No fear.
No panic.
Only control.
"And you…" she added,
"…always jump to conclusions too early."
That—
hit.
Sami's expression shifted.
A flicker of something unstable.
Leena turned.
Trying to walk away.
She had taken just two steps—
When Sami grabbed her hand.
And pulled her back.
Her back hit his chest this time.
His arm came around her—
locking her in place.
His breath near her ear.
Close.
Too close.
"Don't test my patience," he said, voice low and tense.
"Don't play your mind games with me."
Leena struggled.
"Let me go, Sami—"
Again.
"Let me go—"
But he didn't.
His grip tightened.
Too tight.
Until suddenly—
Leena twisted sharply—
And slapped him.
The sound cut through the parking lot.
Sharp.
For a split second—
everything froze.
Sami went still.
Then—
his control snapped.
His grip shifted—
faster than before—
and he pulled her back toward him.
This time—
closer.
Too close.
One hand at the back of her neck.
Forcing her face toward his.
The other around her back—
keeping her body pressed against his.
Their bodies nearly aligned.
Too close to ignore.
Leena's eyes widened for a split second.
"Sami—let me go."
But his grip didn't ease.
"You'll regret that," he said, voice low—dangerously quiet.
Leena pushed against his chest.
Trying to create distance.
But she couldn't.
His grip held.
Her breathing turned uneven.
The pressure—
too much.
Her voice softened.
"Stop…"
But he didn't listen.
His hand at her neck guided her face closer—
So close—
she could feel his breath.
So close—
the space between them disappeared.
And then—
A car entered the parking area.
The sound cut through everything.
Sami froze.
Just for a second.
His grip loosened.
Just slightly.
And that moment—
was enough.
Leena pushed him with everything she had.
Sami stumbled back two steps.
But the sudden force—
made Leena lose her balance—
She fell to the ground.
Her heels slipping off her feet.
Her breath shaky.
Her body trembling.
Sami stood there.
Watching.
Not moving.
For the first time—
He looked like he had just realized something.
What he did.
Leena didn't wait.
She scrambled up quickly—
grabbed her bag—
and ran toward the elevator.
Bare feet hitting the ground.
Fast.
Urgent.
Sami remained standing there.
Still.
Silent.
His hand slowly lowered.
His expression changed.
The anger—
was gone.
But what replaced it—
was something heavier.
Something he couldn't ignore anymore.
And for the first time—
Sami realized—
he didn't just lose control.
He crossed a line.