L nodded, expecting Kieran to scold them or at least say something about how reckless they had been.


    To her surprise, he simply nodded knowingly and said nothing more.


    L sat quietly across from him, eyes on her phone. But her gaze kept drifting in his direction.


    Kieran''s expression was cool and focused as he worked on hisptop.


    It felt like an eternity had passed, and L wondered what was taking Noah so long to finish cleaning up. But when she nced at the clock, only five minutes had gone by.


    Maybe she could pretend to be busy and slip away to her room for a bit.


    Just as she was about to make her move, Kieran''s smooth, deep voice broke the silence.


    "Aren''t you tired of sitting so stiffly?" he asked, his eyes lifting from the screen. "Huh?" She looked up, blinking in confusion, then realized what he meant.


    "I''m... I''m fine." L rubbed her lower back awkwardly.


    "Isn''t thepany keeping you busy these days?" she asked.


    L hadn''t expected Kieran to be home at this hour.


    He wasn''t in his usual suit. Instead, he wore a simple ck T-shirt and ck casual pants. The sharp coldness he usually carried was softened, like winter''s chill touched by the first hint of spring warmth.


    L couldn''t help but admire how perfect he looked, every detail wless.


    Kieran took a sip of water, then poured a ss for her.


    He slid it over.


    L''s eyes darted to his slender, well-defined fingers before she shook her head.


    "I''m not thirsty."


    She had never been one for drinking water.


    Without a word, Kieran grabbed a jar of honey from the shelf and stirred a spoonful into her ss.


    He pushed the cup back toward her.


    "It''s sweet."


    His voice held a subtle tenderness. It was like a breeze rustling gently through the trees, soothing and warm.


    It was as if he were coaxing a child. L''s heart fluttered, skipping a beat before pounding wildly in her chest.


    The odd sensation left her dazed. She quickly grabbed the cup and drank it all in one go.


    The warm honey water slid down her throat, easing the flutter in her chest.


    L exhaled softly. Maybe she was just exhausted from work andck of sleep, making her heart act strangely.


    She set the cup back on the table and met Kieran''s slightly amused gaze.


    "I guess I was thirsty after all. You know I can''t resist sweet things."


    L rambled, feeling flustered. "I''ll go rinse the cup."


    She stood up in a hurry and identally tripped over the table leg.


    L fell forward into Kieran. He caught her, but his bnce slipped, and they tumbled onto the sofa.


    Kieran''s arm instinctively wrapped


    around her waist. The soft scent of


    jasmine from her hair filled his


    senses, making him pause for a moment.


    Had they ever been this close before?


    Kieran looked down at her face. His eyes


    delicated her furrowed brows, the


    curve of her nose, and her


    lips, Still glistening slightly from the honey water.


    His gaze darkened. The thought of pulling her close, pressing her against the wall, and kissing her deeply felt dangerously real, testing his self-control.


    Just then, Noah came downstairs. As he rounded the corner, he stopped dead.


    On the sofa, he saw the two of them tangled together.


    His foot, halfway forward, froze. He quickly stepped back and hid behind the wall, rubbing his eyes in disbelief.


    Who were those two people downstairs?