Atticus and Sophia's kiss deepened; it was tender, soft, overflowing with emotion and care. Sophia felt the ache she had carried all her life slowly crumble. Her walls, the ones she had built so carefully and guarded so fiercely, trembled and fell away as their lips moved together. Warmth poured into her, filling the hollow space in her chest, an hole, she had always believed would stay empty.
Was this what kissing felt like? she wondered as a single tear slipped down her cheek.
Atticus pulled her closer, his arms tightening around her waist as if he feared the moment would vanish. He wanted—no, he needed to feel this new emotion. He had never known anything like it. It seeped into him, both painful and soothing, like rain that makes a mess as it falls but refreshes the world once it's done.
BANG!
Thunder cracked across the sky as rain suddenly poured down. Atticus slowly pulled back, studying her face. Her eyes were still closed. He smiled softly, almost reverent.
Sophia opened her eyes. Her gaze locked with his. Silence wrapped around them. Rain drenched them, but they didn't notice—they were lost in each other's eyes, in the aftershock of what had just happened. The warmth of their embrace enveloped both.
BANG!
Another thunderclap. The downpour intensified. Atticus looked up at the sky with a sigh, he then felt Sophia's body slacken. He looked down sharply.
She had lost consciousness.
"Sophia." His voice shook as he gathered her into his arms, hissing at the sight of her limp form. She was numb
"Sir!" a voice called out behind them.
A woman walked towards him with an umbrella. Atticus turned. It was the lady who is always around Sophia.
"Hello sir, I'm—"
"Maya, Sophia's secretary," Atticus said flatly. Maya blinked, surprised by his accuracy, then nodded.
"She had too much to drink. She needs rest," Atticus murmured. Maya nodded quickly and led him to her car.
Atticus placed Sophia gently on the back seat. She lay peacefully, her face soft, almost childlike. A smile tugged at his lips as he watched her.
Sophia's face was calm in a way that made Atticus's chest tighten. With her eyes closed, the pain that shadowed her gaze earlier was gone, leaving her features tender and unguarded. A stray strand of hair clung to her cheek, swayed by her gentle breaths. Her lips looked soft and full, he had kissed those lips.
He smirked, then turned to Maya.
"Make sure she rests… I'll resume my post tomorrow."
"Your… post?" Maya repeated, confused.
"I'm her bodyguard," Atticus replied.
"Bodyguard?" she muttered under her breath. He was the new bodyguard she'd been instructed to prepare for? He looked nothing like one. He was too striking—too composed. It didn't fit at all.
Atticus cast one more glance at Sophia. Maya wordlessly handed him her umbrella. He accepted it with a small smile and walked away into the rain.
Maya settled into the driver's seat. She glanced at Sophia through the rear-view mirror and let out a slow, sad sigh.
Sophia's words echoed in her mind.
All those years of loneliness.
All that pain.
Maya admired her deeply—her strength, her independence—but Sophia had always kept people at arm's length. Four years working with her, and still no real bond. Only Jasper had ever been close to her. That was why Maya let him cancel Sophia's schedule earlier, even though she knew Sophia would scold her for it.
"How pitiful…" Maya whispered. "Who knows how long you've carried this alone?"
She sighed and started the engine. The car sped off into the rain.
---
Meanwhile, the man in black had watched everything.
Once the car disappeared, he stepped toward the spot where Atticus and Sophia had kissed. Rain hammered against his umbrella. He crouched, scanning the ground. The mud was messy, but the faint red markings still stained the soil. He exhaled quietly.
"What do we do now, my lord?" the man with the umbrella asked.
The cloaked figure traced a finger along the markings.
A long beat of silence ensued.
"...We play the game along," he muttered.