Silence.
The kind that presses on a person's ribs, heavy and unforgiving.
That was what filled Elena's chest as she stood frozen at the bottom of the staircase, watching her sister cling to Adrian like she had been waiting her whole life for his arrival.
Elena's fingers curled at her sides, hidden by the folds of her dress. Her heart beat in slow, painful thuds—each one a reminder of the fragile illusion she had allowed herself to build.
A prince charming.
A chance meeting.
A gentle man with warm eyes and a careful voice.
But life wasn't a fairy tale…
And he wasn't hers.
Sienna's voice sparkled into the air, confident and warm, pulling all attention toward her.
"Everyone," she said proudly, her arm linked with Adrian's, "I want to officially introduce someone very important."
Elena swallowed hard.
Her father leaned forward, curious.
The servants stilled.
Adrian visibly tensed.
Sienna beamed.
"This is Adrian… my boyfriend."
The words sliced through Elena cleanly—like a paper cut, sharp and unexpected, small yet somehow deeply painful.
Her father blinked twice, then smiled broadly. "Boyfriend? Sienna, that's—well, that's surprising news." He turned to Adrian, impressed. "And bold of you to fly here alone. I had no idea! "
Adrian forced a smile.
It didn't reach his eyes.
He spoke carefully, almost too carefully. "It was meant to be a surprise… and I suppose it still is."
Sienna looked delighted, squeezing his arm tighter. "Exactly! I told Adrian not to tell anyone. I wanted to surprise you all."
Elena's breath shook.
A surprise.
That was why he had come here.
That was why he was in this city.
And she…
She had let herself imagine something impossible.
Her fingers brushed her wrist nervously as she forced her expression to stay calm.
Sienna continued, her glow almost blinding. "Let me introduce you properly." She took Adrian's hand and tugged him forward. "This is my father—you already met him on the call."
Her father nodded. "Welcome, son."
Son.
The word felt heavy, settling strangely in the room.
"And this," Sienna said, her smile widening, "is my sister, Elena. I told you about her. Sweet, soft, always reading." She turned to Elena, eyes sparkling. "See? He's finally here."
Adrian's gaze flickered toward Elena.
For a moment—just a single heartbeat—their eyes met.
And Elena felt it.
The unspoken apology.
The guilt.
The confusion.
He looked away almost immediately.
"Yes," he said quietly. "We… met earlier today."
Sienna laughed, not noticing the tension between them. "What? Really? Elena—didn't I tell you he's good with surprises?"
Elena managed a smile, small and thin. "Yes… you did."
Sienna's father patted Adrian's shoulder approvingly. "Well then, Sienna, why don't you show him his room? It must've been a long day."
"Gladly! " she said, delighted. "Adrian, come."
Elena's father turned to her gently. "Elena, sweetheart, you go to your room too. The doctor said you need rest. Dinner will be brought up. And please—no reading late tonight."
She nodded obediently. "Okay, Papa."
But her voice sounded distant even to her own ears.
She turned away slowly, walking toward the staircase as Adrian and Sienna started toward the east wing—but not before she heard their soft whispers echo down the hall.
Sienna's laughter.
Adrian's low reply.
Elena's hands curled into fists.
It hurt.
More than she expected.
More than she wanted to admit.
She climbed the stairs, each step heavier than the last. When she reached her bedroom, she closed the door quietly and stood there for a moment, staring at the soft fairy lights draped across her walls.
Her room—her sanctuary—felt suddenly too small.
Too bright.
Too full of dreams that no longer fit.
She sat on the edge of her bed, staring at her hands.
Why him?
Of all the people in this city…
Why did it have to be him?
Her chest tightened painfully.
But then she whispered to herself, voice trembling, "I'm happy for Sienna… I should be happy for her. She deserves someone good."
It didn't stop the ache.
She hugged her knees and let out a long, shaky breath. Her heart felt fragile, as if the slightest touch would shatter it entirely.
Hours passed.
Dinner came.
She barely touched it.
Her room slowly fell into darkness, and still—sleep refused to come.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the hospital lights.
And his face above hers.
The soft way he had said her name.
The way he held her hand.
The worry in his eyes.
She pressed her hands to her face.
"Stop," she whispered. "Just stop."
But memories didn't stop when called.
Especially not new ones.
Especially not beautiful ones.
Around midnight, she gave up trying to sleep.
She slipped out of bed, wrapped her shawl around her shoulders, and walked slowly toward the balcony window.
The air was cold, carrying the soft scent of rain-soaked earth. Elena pushed the window open gently and leaned against the frame, breathing in.
It helped, a little.
The fresh air.
The quiet.
Her heart felt like a glass ornament someone had dropped but not shattered—cracked, delicate, trembling.
But then—
She heard footsteps.
Soft.
Uneven.
Paired.
Her breath hitched.
She leaned forward slightly, peering down into the moonlit garden below.
And there—
Walking hand in hand beneath the glowing garden lamps—
Sienna and Adrian.
Her sister was laughing quietly as she leaned against him.
Adrian listened, his head slightly bent toward her, his fingers intertwined with hers.
Elena's throat tightened.
It was a beautiful scene.
Heartwarming.
Romantic.
Everything she had dreamed of
…just not meant for her.
She shut the window quietly—too quietly.
As if even the wind didn't deserve to know her breaking.
She stepped backward, her chest aching with something she could no longer name. She climbed back into bed, curling beneath the blanket, trying to shut the world out.
"Stop thinking," she whispered to herself. "Just stop."
But her mind refused to listen.
And somewhere between the pain in her chest
and the exhaustion in her bones
Her eyes finally closed.
Sleep came
not with dreams
but with a soft, silent surrender.
And for the first time in years
Elena wished her fairy tale dreams would fade.
Morning sunlight leaked softly through Elena's bedroom curtains, brushing her face with a gentle warmth that slowly pulled her out of sleep. For a moment she simply lay there, breathing in the familiar scent of lavender from her pillows. Her heart felt heavier than usual, but she pushed herself up anyway. Habit was the one thing she could rely on.
As always, she began her morning quietly—opening her windows, letting the fresh air slip inside, placing her feet on the cold wooden floor, grounding herself. Her body still felt fragile from yesterday's fainting episode, but her mind needed air more than rest. So she wrapped a soft shawl around her shoulders and stepped out of her room, moving silently through the hallway like she always did.
The mansion was calm at this hour. Servants moved quietly; the world still waking up. Elena walked down the grand staircase and slipped into the garden through the glass doors. Dew clung to the grass like hundred tiny diamonds, and the scent of wet soil from last night's rain lingered beautifully in the air. Birds hopped across branches, chirping like they were greeting her.
This was her comfort place. Her healing space.
But today… today it felt different.
She walked further, brushing her fingers against the tops of the flowers. Then she froze.
There—near the marble fountain—was Adrian.
He wasn't dressed formally like last night. No button-down shirt, no jacket. Just a sleeveless black workout top and athletic joggers. His broad back glistened faintly under the morning sun, muscles shifting and tightening as he moved. His shoulders were sculpted, firm, his arms strong and defined. He was doing push-ups, each slow, controlled movement revealing exactly how much discipline and strength he carried.
Elena's breath hitched.
She'd seen handsome men before.
On screens.
In magazines.
In books.
But never in real life.
Never this close.
Never someone like him.
Heat rushed up her neck as she stared, unable to stop herself. His hair was slightly messy, damp with sweat, falling onto his forehead in the most effortless way. He pushed himself up again, exhaling deeply, and Elena found herself stepping back instinctively, as if his presence alone was too intense to handle.
Her heart fluttered uncontrollably.
Butterflies.
Everywhere.
She'd read about this feeling.
Dreamed about this feeling.
But she never thought it would be so… overwhelming.
Before she could gather herself or quietly run away, Adrian suddenly spoke without turning around.
"Are you done gawking?"
Elena inhaled sharply, mortified.
He had noticed?
He had known she was staring?
Her cheeks exploded with heat. She immediately turned away, pressing her hands over her burning face.
"I— I wasn't gawking," she stammered pathetically, wishing the ground would swallow her whole. "I-I mean… I didn't mean to stare."
Adrian chuckled—a low, warm sound that made her pulse trip. He stood up slowly and wiped his face with a small towel, finally turning to look at her.
His eyes held a teasing spark.
"You know," he said, lifting a brow, "you're really bad at hiding things."
Elena wanted to run. Escape. Hide behind a tree. Disappear.
"I'm sorry," she blurted, her voice embarrassingly soft. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. It's just…" She dropped her gaze to the ground, fingers fidgeting nervously. "It's just the first time I've seen someone so…"
She stopped.
Adrian stepped closer, curiosity flickering through his eyes. "Someone so…?"
She swallowed hard, forcing herself to look up at him. He stood tall and relaxed, arms crossed slightly, waiting for her to finish.
Elena took a breath, her voice trembling. "Handsome."
The word hung between them like a fragile confession.
Adrian blinked—genuinely startled.
For a second, something changed in his expression. The teasing faded. His features softened in a way that made Elena's chest tighten. He looked almost… taken aback. As if he hadn't heard anything like that in a long time. Or maybe ever.
A moment passed where neither spoke.
Adrian's eyes dropped briefly, then lifted again, studying her face with an intensity she wasn't prepared for. He wasn't smiling. He wasn't teasing. He was just… looking at her. Really looking.
Elena felt her heartbeat echo in her ears.
She stepped back instinctively, overwhelmed by the sudden closeness of the moment. "I mean— I didn't say it to embarrass you. It just came out. Please forget I said anything."
Adrian shook his head slightly. "No… it's fine. I just wasn't expecting that."
She twisted her shawl nervously. "I'm sorry."
"You apologize too much," he said quietly.
Elena blinked. "I… do?"
He nodded. "But don't. Not for that."
Her cheeks warmed again. She didn't know what to say. She'd never had a moment like this with a man—especially not one who looked like him, spoke like him, stood so confidently in his own presence.
Adrian exhaled, looking away for a brief moment, as if trying to steady himself. "You surprised me, that's all."
Elena felt her heart flutter at the honesty in his tone.
But before she could understand the softness she saw in his eyes, Adrian cleared his throat and grabbed his water bottle.
"You're early," he said, shifting back into a neutral tone. "Do you always walk in the garden at this hour?"
"Yes," Elena said softly. "Every morning."
He nodded. "It's peaceful here."
"It is," she whispered.
They stood like that for a moment—quiet, awkward, warm, confusing. The air felt different now, charged with something Elena didn't know how to name.
Finally, Adrian gave her a small nod. "You should go inside. You're still recovering."
"Yes," she said, though her feet refused to move.
He watched her for another heartbeat, then began packing up his things.
Elena turned away, trying to calm her racing heart.
And as she walked back toward the house, she couldn't help but press her hand over her chest, where her heart refused to behave.
Why did he have this effect on her?
Why did one moment with him feel like a thousand pages of her favorite romance novel?
She didn't know.
But as she stepped inside, one thing was painfully, beautifully clear:
Elena was falling for someone she was never allowed to love.