The drive was quiet, but not the awkward kind, it was the kind filled with unspoken questions. The city lights blurred past the windows, soft gold against the night, and Nara could feel the tension humming low between them like electricity waiting to spark.
Keigh drove with one hand on the wheel, the other relaxed against his thigh. He looked composed, too composed, as though he hadn't just turned her world upside down by showing up at her door.
She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "You're really not going to tell me where we're going?"
His lips curved slightly. "No."
"Not even a hint?"
He shook his head. "You'll see soon enough."
When he finally pulled into a discreet alley lined with climbing ivy and warm lantern light, she blinked in surprise. The restaurant looked nothing like the high-end places his family usually frequented, this one was tucked away, almost hidden, with no signboard in sight.
The scent of freshly baked bread and roasted herbs drifted into the car as he turned off the engine.
Nara frowned softly. "I've never heard of this place."
"That's the point," he said, stepping out and moving to open her door. "Not many people have."
She arched a brow as she got out. "A secret restaurant? Sounds very… exclusive."
He smiled, not his usual business smile, but something warmer. "Something like that."
Inside, the lighting was dim and golden, tables spaced wide apart for privacy. Soft jazz played in the background, and the faint clinking of wine glasses filled the air.
The hostess greeted them with a knowing nod. "Good evening, Mr. Dynamite. Your table is ready."
Nara froze slightly at that "Mr. Dynamite?"
She looked at him. "Wait… this is your restaurant?"
He hesitated for a second, then nodded. "One of them."
"One of them?"
He smirked lightly, pulling out her chair. "I like to stay lowkey."
She sat down, a bit dazed. "Lowkey? You own half the city, Keigh. That's not exactly subtle."
"Maybe," he said, settling across from her. "But this one's different. It's mine not my family's. No one knows about it except a few people I trust."
Their waiter appeared, silent and efficient, placing two glasses of wine before vanishing again.
Nara's curiosity got the better of her. "So, why bring me here?"
He met her gaze, and the intensity in his eyes made her heartbeat quicken. "Because it's the only place where I can be me, without eyes watching, without expectations."
She swallowed, unsure how to respond.
He leaned forward slightly, voice low. "And I wanted you to see that part of me."
The words hung between them, heavy and unguarded.
For a moment, all she could do was look at him, the soft light catching the edge of his jaw, the quiet confidence in his posture, the way his shirt clung just right when he reached for his glass.
He looked almost untouchable. And yet here he was, reaching out, not as the businessman, not as the heir to a legacy, but as himself.
"Keigh…" she began softly. "You don't have to...."
"I want to," he interrupted gently. "I'm not here because I should be. I'm here because I need to be."
Her chest tightened. The sincerity in his voice, the calm certainty of his gaze, it was all too much.
So she did what she always did when her emotions felt too loud. She smiled. Lightly. Carefully. "You're a hard man to figure out, you know that?"
His eyes flickered with amusement. "Good. Then I'll keep you guessing."
They both laughed quietly, nervously, but it felt real.
As the night deepened, the walls between them began to fade, piece by piece until what remained wasn't just a dinner. It was the quiet beginning of something they both knew they wouldn't be able to undo.