ra opened her mouth but found herself at a loss for words.


    When she first met him, she was swept away by the torrent of emotions that radiated from him-love, resentment, anger, sorrow. It was this intensity that stopped her from walking away. Her boundaries softened, and before she knew it, they were involved in a rtionship.


    The more she got to know him, the more she felt for him, and her boundaries kept shifting.


    "Z," she whispered.


    He didn''t want to hear it. He pulled her close, a storm of emotions raging between them.


    Afterward, ra heard him murmur, his voice hoarse and raw.


    "That''s why I don''t want you to see this side of me."


    With that, he opened the car door, mmed it shut, and left.


    ray in the backseat, watching his figure fade into the distance. He didn''t even bother to clean up this time; he must be really upset.


    Slowly, she sat up, her mind still spinning from the intensity of their encounter.


    She reached for the tissues beside her, cleaning up in silence, and in that quiet moment, she understood his feelings.


    It reminded her of a line from a poet:


    I offer you barren streets, the despair of sunsets, the moon of deste fields, I offer you a soul gazing long at the solitary moon, I offer you loyalty of one who has never had faith, I offer you my loneliness, my darkness, the hunger of my heart.


    ra tossed the tissue into the car''s trash bin. She got it, but carrying on like this was just too exhausting.


    Maybe it was time to give him some space. In the adult world, love can''t be the only thing. Relying on someone entirely is a scary thought.


    If she wasn''t careful, she might end up hurting him.


    She dragged herself home, washed up quickly, and copsed into bed.


    But that night, sleep was elusive. She dreamt of a hot spring under the night sky, clinging to him.


    He asked her softly if she knew who he was.


    Amidst the steam, her cheeks were flushed, a captivating beauty.


    She didn''t know what her dream self said, but he became agitated. A night of madness.


    When ra woke, she felt nothing but exhaustion, her head throbbing.


    Moving on autopilot, she washed her face and brushed her teeth. As she climbed into her car, she saw a text from Z sent at three in the morning, containing just three words.


    "I''m sorry."


    ra''s heart softened again. She didn''t know why, but she couldn''t stay angry with him.


    People are funny that way, easily swayed by emotions that don''t make sense.


    She had nned to take a hard look at their rtionship today, maybe even consider a break to cool off. But knowing he was awake at three, sending such a message, she couldn''t bring herself to be tough.


    Maybe this rtionship still had some life in it; maybe he''d change.


    Yet, she didn''t reply immediately. Instead, she drove straight to Ferguson Corporation.


    Once at her desk, she picked up the materials for the Dawson family coboration and was about to leave when she spotted Eden talking to Dn.


    Eden''s eyes sparkled, and she bounced around like an energetic bunny. She was adorable, and if not for her ruthless streak, she''d be quite popr.


    Already in a bad mood, ra felt even worse seeing this. With her files in hand, she was ready to meet Jackson when Eden approached.


    "Oh, off to see your darling Jackson? Congrats, maybe you''ll end up in the hospital today."


    ra wasn''t a fan of Eden''s sharp tongue, but with Dn backing her, she felt stuck.


    She forced a smile and tried to leave, but Eden wouldn''t let up, yanking ra''s hair, making her wince.


    Eden reveled in her difort.


    "ra, you were lucky not to get hitst night. You dare go back and seduce my brother? You''re pathetic. Let me tell you, my brother doesn''t want you. You''ve been with others; no man will want you."


    ra swatted Eden''s hand away, rubbing her sore scalp. "Are you done?"


    Eden hade to provoke her, and ra''s calm only fueled her annoyance.