The warm, bright morning sun filtering through the sheer curtains was what finally stirred Lucas from his sleep. As his consciousness slowly returned, still half-asleep and nursing a heavy hangover, he immediately felt an unfamiliar warmth pressed against him.
He looked down.
There, tucked securely against his chest, was Elara. She was sleeping soundly, her breathing deep and even, as if his arms were the safest place on the entire earth. Lucas froze, his mind trying to catch up with his senses. He realized his left arm was wrapped firmly around her waist, while her head was pillowed comfortably on his right arm. Beneath the heavy blanket, his leg was lazily draped over hers, pinning her small frame to the mattress.
For several long minutes, Lucas simply stared. He was completely mesmerized, watching the young girl who looked so profoundly at peace sleeping in his embrace.
Closing his eyes, he squeezed his temples, trying to piece together the fragmented memories of how they had ended up like this. His mind only offered him broken images. He vaguely recalled the front door opening, the blinding lights hitting the suite, and the sight of Elara on the floor—crawling on her hands and knees in those ridiculous pink pajamas, looking back at him with absolute terror in her eyes. Riven had been the one assisting him back to the room because the alcohol had hit him hard at the event. In truth, Lucas was usually the last man standing among his business partners, but last night happened to be the birthday celebration of a prominent Japanese investor and key partner. He had been forced to drink more than usual.
He never imagined that his late-night return would trigger such profound terror in her.
A sharp pang of guilt pierced through his chest. Through the haze of his hangover, he could faintly recall the raw panic in her voice, and worse, the reckless promises he had slurred to her in his drunken state. He shook his head slightly against the pillow.
I actually told her I'd update her whenever I'm coming home late.
He had already said it; there was no taking it back now. He couldn't even remember at what point Riven had slipped out of the suite, or how he and Elara had managed to cross the threshold into his bedroom.
All he knew was that she had offered to walk him to his bed, and somewhere in his drunken stupor, he must have pulled her down with him. Lucas had a deeply ingrained habit of needing to hold onto a pillow to fall asleep—a habit he had developed ever since Kael passed away, leaving his bed empty. Instinct must have taken over last night, and his mind had simply substituted Elara for his missing comfort.
Looking down at her soft, sleeping face, he didn't have the heart to wake her up.
I guess I'll just wait for her to wake up on her own, he thought, adjusting his posture slightly.
As if reacting to his subtle shift, Elara stirred in her sleep. Instead of pulling away, she instinctively snuggled closer, burying her face deeper into the crook of his chest.
Immediately, her sweet, delicate scent washed over his senses. It wasn't a heavy perfume; it was a natural, clean fragrance that belonged entirely to her—the same scent he had caught the very first time they met back in China. To be completely honest with himself, her scent had a strange, undeniable way of calming his chaotic mind.
When was the last time he had held someone like this in his sleep?
She felt incredibly small against him. She was petite, yet underneath his heavy frame, she felt remarkably soft—so delicate that he felt as if he might break her if he squeezed too tightly. She was softer than any pillow he had ever held, and that sweetness, combined with the warmth of her body, was beginning to stir a dangerous, unfamiliar emotion deep within his chest.
Ever since he had visited Kael’s grave to ask his brother for permission to finally move forward with his life, Elara had been having an unexplainable effect on him. He had found himself becoming easily irritated lately over the smallest things—like when the doctor had come to treat her injury. That day, Lucas had felt a visceral urge to poke the man's eyes out just for looking at Elara the wrong way.
A fierce, possessive protectiveness had taken root in his heart, and he was entirely powerless to stop it.
Without even realizing what he was doing, Lucas tightened his grip, pulling her just a fraction closer into his chest. He rested his chin gently on the crown of her head, inhaling deeply, letting her scent fill his lungs.
But that sudden movement was what finally broke her slumber. Elara shifted, her body tensing as she instinctively tried to break free from the hold.
Realizing he had accidentally woken her, Lucas quickly closed his eyes, pretending he had only just opened them.
"Lucas?"
Her voice was incredibly soft, thick with sleep. To his ears, it was the sweetest morning voice he had ever heard in his entire life.
"Lucas?" she tried again, her body twisting slightly within his arms.
Lucas let out a low, feigned groan, acting as if he were just waking up, and slowly released his tight grip on her waist.
"Hmmm?" he mumbled, his voice gravelly as he looked down at her.
Elara immediately planted both of her hands flat against his broad chest, bracing herself as they lay sideways, face-to-face on the mattress. Even though his grip had loosened, his left arm was still loosely resting over her side.
"Good morning," Lucas said quietly, his dark eyes locking onto hers.
A deep, furious blush instantly rushed to Elara's cheeks. She offered a terribly shy, flustered smile.
"Go-good morning, too."
With a final, lingering reluctance, Lucas completely withdrew his arm, releasing her. Elara wasted no time, scrambling into a sitting position on the edge of his bed, a deeply awkward, mortified smile plastered across her pretty face.
"Uhmmm... you see," she stammered, her eyes darting everywhere but at him.
"You were way too heavy last night... and I couldn't move you when you pulled me down. That's why..." She trailed off, completely unable to find the right words to finish her sentence.
Lucas sat up as well, resting his back against the headboard. His expression remained entirely calm, masking the rapid thudding of his own chest.
"It's okay," he explained smoothly, his voice cool and collected.
"I usually sleep hugging a pillow, so my drunken brain probably thought you were it. I'm sorry."
Hearing his logical excuse, Elara let out a visible sigh of relief. She nodded quickly, forcing a smile.
"Right. Of course."
Without wasting another second, she slid off the mattress and stood up, smoothing down her wrinkled pink pajamas.
"I'll... I'll go back to my room now."
Lucas simply offered a single, controlled nod in response.
"Alright."
The moment he gave his permission, Elara practically bolted, scrambling out of his bedroom as fast as her legs could carry her, slamming the door softly behind her.
Sitting alone in the sudden silence of his sunlit room, Lucas stared at the empty space beside him where her warmth still lingered. A genuine, unbidden smile slowly spread across his face, breaking his usual icy mask completely.
"Elara," he murmured to the empty room, her name tasting like a sweet, permanent promise on his lips.