A rush of excitement flooded her chest.
I am going to take control of my life for once, not out of fear, not for anyone else, but for myself.
Remember, you pave your own path, she told herself, with a daring smile.
"Yes," she whispered to no one. "Okay… let's go see what you got me."
Outside, the city had fallen into that velvet quiet between midnight and morning.
Nathan's car waited under the amber glow of the streetlight. When she slipped inside, he offered his hand, palm open — steady, patient.
She hesitated only a second before placing hers in it.
His fingers closed lightly around hers — warm, certain, commanding without force.
"Ready?" he asked, eyes glinting under the dashboard lights.
"More than ever," she said — and for the first time, she meant it.
---
Nathan glanced sideways as the car slid into the quiet stretch of road. "It was quite an evening tonight," he said, his tone light but thoughtful. "You seemed genuinely happy. A rare sight to behold."
Elena smiled, turning toward the window. "I… er, yeah, I am happy."
He chuckled softly. "That speech your brother gave was something. Full of emotions — heartfelt, sentimental."
"He rarely gets emotional," she replied thinking about Nick's lovely message.
"You both appear very close. I mean, I saw that before, but tonight I got a glimpse into your personal world."
She looked at him curiously. "What do you mean? I mean, all siblings are close, more or less."
"Maybe," he said, glancing at her briefly. "But not all connections feel that honest. His eyes when he talked about you…" He trailed off, a faint smile playing on his lips. "He meant every word."
Elena's expression softened. "Yeah… Nicky and I are super close. He's basically the definition of what older brothers shouldn't be like."
Nathan snorted. "Meaning?"
"Well," she said, twisting her fingers in her lap, "most older brothers are rule enforcers, right?They act like second parents — keeping tabs, setting boundaries, reminding you of everything you can't do."
Her smile turned fond. "Nick isn't like that. He's a giver, a helper — my guide when I need him, but never when I don't. He knows when to step in and when to let me figure things out myself."
She paused, looking ahead through the windshield as the city lights flickered past.
Nathan looked at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. "Sounds like he trusts you more than anyone else does."
"Yeah," she said softly, smiling to herself. "He always has."
---
By the time the car stopped, the world outside had turned still — the kind of stillness that carried secrets.
Nathan's penthouse loomed above them, its glass façade catching the soft glow of the streetlights.
When they stepped inside, Elena felt that familiar pull — the kind of beauty that was both comforting and dangerous.
Everything about his space felt… deliberate.
He loosened his tie, walking toward the bar by the window. "Drink?"
She hesitated. "I don't know… I already had a few at the hotel. I'm not sure that's a good idea."
Nathan turned slightly, amusement flickering in his eyes. "You? Saying no to a celebration?"
"I'm just—"
"Come on," he said smoothly, already pouring. "I'm right here if anything happens. You're safe, my girl."
He handed her the glass with that easy smile, the amber liquid catching the soft gold of the city lights.
He's always so stubborn.
"I didn't even get a chance to celebrate your birthday properly back there," he added, voice teasing. "You were the one who asked me to keep things private, remember? The agreement wasn't exactly my idea."
There he goes with the taunts!
She laughed quietly, shaking her head. "Fine. Just one."
He clinked his glass lightly against hers. "To us finally celebrating it… the right way."
He sat beside her on the sofa, close enough that she could feel the faint heat radiating from him.
He's only a few inches away.
Elena took small sips of her drink, trying to ignore how aware she suddenly was of his nearness.
The alcohol burned sweetly down her throat, leaving a quiet warmth in its wake.
This stuff is goood!
Am I drunk?
When she finished, setting the glass down on the table, Nathan's voice broke the silence, low and measured.
"Now stand up."
She blinked, confused. "What?"
He smiled, leaning back against the sofa. "Stand up and show me how you look."
Elena frowned lightly, half laughing. "Nathan, I've been wearing this all day and—"
He cut in before she could finish, his tone smooth but insistent.
"I couldn't take a proper look before. Too many eyes, too many distractions."
He tilted his head, that half-smile deepening. "Come on… don't you want to know what I think about how you look tonight?"
Her heart gave a slow, betraying flutter.
She felt shy for a moment, but the warmth from the drinks loosened something in her chest.
No thinking tonight.
She stood, a daring smile on her lips, and walked a few steps ahead.
With a light laugh, she gave herself a playful twirl, the soft pink fabric catching the light before she dropped back onto the couch.
Yeah! Good enough I think.
Nathan watched her quietly. Something flickered across his face. His mouth parted slightly, then closed again, as though he were searching for the right words.
Did I mess it up somehow?
She tilted her head. "Do I look that bad? You actually don't have words?"
He smirked. "Oh, I have words. I'm just polishing them so you don't get offended."
What?
"Offended?" she echoed, amused.
"Yes," he said, his voice dipping lower. "You always find a way to be offended. Then you retreat, and I'm left wondering what I said wrong."
Oh! He's not talking about my walk or my dress.
She looked down, biting her lip.
Is he a mind reader? How does he always look right through me?
He stood slowly, the sound of his footsteps soft against the floor. "Elena."
She glanced up.
"Darling," he said, the word effortless on his tongue, "you have such poise. You're the definition of ethereal beauty."
He paused, eyes tracing her face. "Most girls your age chase loud attention, dress to demand it. But you…" His gaze softened. "But you chose elegance. Grace."
She swallowed, unsure how to respond. "Oh."
Ask him his real thoughts!
Elena's smile deepened, a trace of teasing in it. "Now, may I hear your unfiltered thoughts? The ones you took so long to filter?"
His expressions darkened, "Actual thoughts? I might scare you away again."
"Excuse me?" She made a serious face. "I don't get scared that easily."
"Okay then," he said, narrowing his eyes playfully. "I'll give you a glimpse. Let's see if you survive it."
He must be bluffing with me!
"Fine," she replied confidently . "Try me."
Normally, Elena wouldn't have asked for it, wouldn't have even dared to play this close to the edge.
But the drinks had loosened her guard, her mind delightfully fuzzy. Tonight, her voice was free,vocal, unfiltered, and unbothered by consequences.
Nathan tilted his head, studying her. "Alright," he said, his tone dipping lower, smoother. "You asked for honesty, so here it is."
He shifted forward slightly, elbows resting on his knees, gaze fixed on her like she was the only thing in the room.
"When I saw you standing there earlier, modelling for me without even realizing it—my first thought was how much restraint I'd need to keep my hands off you."
Her breath caught.
He didn't stop. "That dress of yours…" His eyes swept over her slowly, unhurried. "It draws attention to your long, slender legs… your small waist… and the way it mirrors your curves."
He leaned back again, that faint smirk returning. "So no, I didn't miss anything tonight, Elena. I just didn't allow myself to react to it."
Elena's heart skipped uneven beats as his words sank in. Heat rushed to her cheeks, her breath catching somewhere between flustered and flattered.
He is flawless with his words!
She tried to hold her composure, tilting her chin slightly. "See? I don't get scared easily."
Nathan's smile full of mischief, eyes glinting under the soft amber light. "Too early to say that."
He got up ,turned his palm upward and held it out toward her. "Want me to show you what I meant?"
Her mind stumbled over the words, sluggish from the alcohol.
Show me what? she wondered, blinking at his hand. But she placed hers in his anyway, trusting him without thinking why.
The moment her fingers touched his, his expression changed.
Something darker, heavier flickered across his face.
"Tell me when you want me to stop, okay?" he said softly.
Stop what?
She barely registered what he meant before he guided her forward, his grip steady but careful.
And then—he pulled her closer.
Too close.
Her pulse raced, the air between them tightening until it felt charged, alive.
Nathan's fingers curled gently around hers, his touch warm and steady. He drew her forward, not forcefully, but with a quiet certainty that made her breath catch.
He didn't speak.
Instead, he turned her hand over in his, letting his thumb trace the faint lines of her palm. Then, slowly, achingly slow, his fingertips drifted upward, brushing the inside of her wrist, gliding along the soft skin of her forearm. The satin of her dress ended just above her shoulder, leaving a bare path for him to follow.
Elena's breath hitched.She felt shivers down her spine.
His touch was featherlight. Reverent. He reached her shoulder and trailed across her collarbone, where the sweetheart neckline dipped low, exposing the gentle slope of her chest. His fingers lingered there, tracing the hollow between her collarbones, before rising along the side of her neck.
She trembled.
Not from fear but from the unbearable tenderness of it.
Nathan's hand rose to her jaw, his thumb brushing the curve of her chin, then the corner of her mouth. He didn't kiss her. He simply looked at her, really looked and said, voice low and rough:
"God, you are so beautiful."
His fingers moved again, down the side of her neck, following the exposed line between the folds of silk. He paused just above the swell of her breasts. His touch was never hurried, never greedy, only deliberate.
Then he continued, tracing the line of her sternum, down her stomach, where the fabric clung to her like a second skin.
Elena's eyes fluttered shut. She just loved the feel of his fingers on her bare skin.
When his hand slid lower, curving around her waist, then down to the small of her back, she felt the warmth of his palm through the thin silk. He was taking his time. He simply held her there close, his other hand still cradling her face.
The city lights shimmered behind them, but Elena only saw him. It felt like the world paused for them.
Her heart threatened to burst—each beat louder than the last, echoing in her ears like a drumroll.
Her eyes stayed closed, lips parted slightly, trembling with anticipation.
Nathan leaned in.
His lips brushed her closed eyelids, soft and fleeting. Then the tip of her nose. Then her cheeks, one after the other, as if memorizing her face with the gentlest of touches.
Each kiss was a whisper.
A tease.
Elena's breath grew shallow, her skin alive with sensation.
His restraint was maddening, and yet it made her want him more. She could feel the heat of him, the steadiness of his hand still resting at her back but he didn't move further.
She wanted him to.
She needed him to.
But then he stopped.
Wouldn't he kiss me?
His grip loosened. His lips retreated. The space between them stretched just enough to make her open her eyes, confused by this abrupt ending.
Nathan was watching her.
That same soft smile on his lips, but his eyes held something deeper—something restrained, stormlike, barely contained.
"Do you understand it now?" he asked.
She blinked, breath unsteady. "Understand? Wh-what?"
"My first thought," he said quietly, "was about how much restraint I'd need to keep my hands off you."
His tone dropped, threaded with something raw. "Elena, what you felt just now… it's nothing compared to what I felt the moment you walked into that room. I couldn't look away. I wanted to hold you right then, to keep you close, to make the world stop."
He stepped closer until the air between them disappeared, his voice barely a whisper. "I wanted you to be mine."
The words hung between them, fragile, electric, before the silence folded around them once more.
"Want to see your present?" He asked, changing the topic.
Elena could only nod, her voice lost somewhere between anticipation and the remnants of his last words.
He disappeared into the adjoining room. She tried to steady her breathing, palms pressed to her sides.
The mirror across from her caught her reflection, flushed cheeks, widened eyes, a heartbeat that refused to slow.
Then his voice called out, calm and certain.
"Okay, sweetheart. You can come in now."
She stepped through the doorway.
Nathan stood near the window, city lights glinting off a small velvet box in his hand.
She walked across the room to see what's inside.
When he opened it, the room seemed to breathe blue: a sapphire pendant, set in a delicate platinum chain so fine it was almost invisible until the big round-cut gem caught the light.
Elena's breath faltered. "It's beautiful," she whispered.
He smiled, slow and deliberate. "It should be. It reminded me of you."
He came closer, the faintest sound of the chain sliding through his fingers.
"It's a blue sapphire. They say it stands for truth, loyalty… and judgment."
His tone lowered, almost thoughtful.
"Strong stone. Harder than anything but a diamond. It doesn't bend easily."
She looked up at him, uncertain. "Judgment?"
Nathan's eyes met hers, and for a moment there was warmth – until something colder flickered underneath.
"Judgment can be fair. It can also be… personal."
He turned the pendant slightly so the gem caught the lamplight.
"See the color? Calm on the surface, but if you look close, there are storms inside. I thought that suited you." Referring to the different shades of lights that immersed through it.
He stepped behind her, pulled her hair to one side, draping the chain around her neck. The metal was cool against her skin.
"Hold still," he murmured. The clasp clicked a quiet, final sound.
When she faced him again, he studied her like he was memorizing the sight.
"It looks perfect," he said. "Exactly where it belongs."
Elena touched the pendant, tracing its smooth edge. "It feels like… it's part of me," she said softly.
Nathan's smile deepened.
"That's the idea."
"Thank you!" She could only whisper in an emotion-filled voice. She was touched by the thought behind it.