Chapter Twenty-Eight: A Dangerous Pull
The next morning, Lu Xiao woke with Lei Han's words echoing in her mind. The love I have for you is so much that even if I die, I can't let it go. She had turned them over endlessly in her thoughts, replaying the sincerity in his eyes, the gravity of his voice.
It scared her. It thrilled her. And worst of all, it made her wonder what it would feel like to finally give in.
But she couldn't. She had three siblings who depended on her. She couldn't afford to lose focus, couldn't allow her heart to gamble with something that might cost them stability.
She tried to bury herself in her work, but the moment she walked into the office, there he was again. Lei Han looked as composed as always, yet the faint curve of his lips when their eyes met suggested he hadn't forgotten last night either.
"Morning," he said, his voice low, intimate in a way that made her pulse quicken.
"Morning," she replied, forcing herself to look down at her desk.
---
Throughout the day, she felt his presence everywhere. In the meeting room, his gaze lingered on her a fraction too long. In the hallway, his hand brushed against hers as they passed each other, and though it could have been an accident, the warmth it left made her chest tighten.
By the afternoon, her nerves were stretched thin. She retreated to the break room, needing a few minutes to breathe. But of course, Lei Han found her there too.
"You're avoiding me again," he said casually, pouring himself a cup of coffee.
"I'm working," she replied quickly, arms folded across her chest.
He leaned against the counter, sipping his coffee, his eyes never leaving hers. "Working doesn't usually involve hiding in the break room."
Her cheeks burned. "You're impossible."
"And you're terrified of what you're feeling," he said softly.
Her breath hitched. "You don't know what I'm feeling."
"I do," he countered, his voice firm but not unkind. "I see it in your eyes every time you look at me."
She wanted to deny it, to shut him down, but the truth pressed against her lips, begging to be spoken. Instead, she turned away, gripping the counter to steady herself.
"Even if… even if I do feel something," she whispered, "what then? What happens when the world finds out? What happens when people start whispering behind my back, calling me names, accusing me of climbing my way up by—"
"Stop," Lei Han interrupted, his voice sharp. He set down his cup and closed the distance between them in two strides. His hand came to rest on the counter beside hers, caging her in without touching her. His presence was overwhelming, his scent intoxicating.
"I don't care what the world says," he said, his tone low, deliberate. "I care about you. And I won't let anyone shame you for feelings you have every right to."
Her heart hammered in her chest, his words stripping away the last of her defenses. She looked up at him, and for a moment, their faces were inches apart, the air between them heavy with unspoken desire.
"Lei Han…" she whispered, her lips trembling.
His gaze flickered to her mouth, then back to her eyes. For a heartbeat, she thought he would close the distance. She almost wanted him to.
But then he drew back, his jaw tight, his restraint palpable.
"I promised I wouldn't push you," he said, his voice hoarse. "But know this, Lu Xiao—you're not the only one fighting this. Every moment I'm near you, I have to stop myself from taking what I want."
And with that, he turned and walked away, leaving her breathless and trembling in the break room.
---
That night, Lu Xiao lay awake staring at the ceiling. She couldn't erase the memory of his nearness, the intensity in his eyes, the way his words had stripped her bare.
She told herself it was dangerous, that nothing good could come from surrendering to him. But her heart betrayed her, thundering with the truth she could no longer deny.
She was falling for Lei Han.
And she didn't know how to stop.
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