"You've lived like this for years," Jade said quietly.
"Writing your days down. Pretending nothing is wrong. Building an empire while losing your memory every night."
She looked at him differently now.
Not with fear.
With something else.
"You built Ooman Group. You expanded internationally. You manage negotiations, contracts, political pressure…"
Her eyes softened.
"And you wake up every morning having to read about your own life."
Silence.
"That's insane."
He raised an eyebrow slightly.
"In a bad way?"
She shook her head slowly.
"In an impressive way."
He didn't expect that.
"You're… terrifyingly intelligent, Daniel."
She gave a small smile.
"Most people can't manage one lifetime properly. You manage yours one day at a time."
He looked at her, surprised by the warmth in her tone.
Then she smiled faintly.
"But I'm also impressed."
She stepped closer.
"You didn't collapse. You didn't give up. You didn't become bitter."
Her voice softened.
"You adapted."
For a moment, something vulnerable flickered in his eyes.
"You see me as a tragedy," he said.
She shook her head.
"No."
She held his gaze.
"I see you as someone who refused to be defeated by time."
Silence lingered between them.
Jade looked at him for a long moment.
Then she let out a slow breath.
"You know what's funny?"
Daniel raised an eyebrow slightly.
"When people said you were cursed…" she continued,
"I imagined something much worse."
He waited.
"I thought maybe you turned into some kind of monster at night. Or that demons showed up at midnight. Or that you had violent episodes."
A faint smile touched her lips.
"I even imagined you howling at the moon or something dramatic like that."
He almost exhaled in amusement.
"A werewolf?" he asked dryly.
She shrugged.
"You're tall, intense, rich, mysterious. It was possible."
For the first time that night, the tension shifted slightly.
"But this?" she continued softly.
"This is… different."
He studied her expression carefully.
"You're not afraid?"
She paused.
"I am."
Honest.
"But not in the way you think."
She looked around the dark room, then back at him.
"I'm not afraid of you."
Her voice was steady.
"I'm afraid of what it does to you."
That landed differently.
She crossed her arms lightly.
"I thought a curse meant chaos. Fire. Blood. Something explosive."
She looked at him again.
"This is quiet."
"Yes," he said.
"Quiet… and cruel."
She nodded slowly.
"It's subtle. It doesn't destroy you loudly. It just… steals pieces."
Daniel didn't answer.
She tilted her head slightly.
"But it's not something that makes you dangerous."
Her eyes met his.
"It makes you human."
That surprised him.
"You lose time," she continued, "but you still built everything. You still think ahead. You still outsmart people who have their full memory."
A faint smile curved her lips.
"So no, I'm not scared of some supernatural horror version of you."
She stepped a little closer.
"If anything, I'm annoyed."
He blinked slightly.
"Annoyed?"
"Yes."
"You've been carrying this alone for years."
Her tone wasn't dramatic. Just firm.
"That part bothers me."
Silence.
The air between them softened.
Then she added quietly:
"And if there's madness at the end of it…"
Her eyes didn't waver.
"Then we'll deal with that when we get there."
He looked at her carefully.
"You say that very easily."
"I don't scare easily," she replied.
A small pause.
"Besides," she added lightly,
"if you ever start talking to walls or confusing me with a lamp, I'll just correct you."
"If there's death, I would not allow you to die so easily, Mr. Midnight"
He let out the faintest breath of a laugh.
The heaviness didn't disappear.
But it shifted.
.
.
.
Daniel was still looking at her.
Something in his expression had changed.
"You're… unexpected," he said quietly.
Jade tilted her head slightly.
"That's supposed to be a compliment?"
"For the first time," he continued, ignoring her sarcasm,
"I told someone everything."
His voice was lower now.
"And you didn't look at me like I was broken."
Her heart softened.
"You're not broken."
He stepped closer.
"I thought you would be afraid."
"I told you," she murmured,
"I imagined something worse. Glowing eyes. Demons. Not… this."
A faint breath escaped him.
He lifted his hand slowly, almost hesitating, and brushed a strand of hair away from her face.
She didn't move.
For once, she didn't make a joke.
"You lived like this alone," she said softly.
"You don't have to anymore."
That did it.
Something in his composure cracked — not dramatically, but deeply.
He moved closer.
Close enough that she could feel his breath.
"Careful," he murmured.
"You're saying dangerous things."
Her voice dropped.
"I'm not scared."
Then he kissed her.
Slow at first.
Testing.
Not demanding.
She froze for half a second — not in fear, but because this felt different.
Real.
Her fingers curled slightly into his shirt.
He deepened the kiss gradually, one hand firm at her waist, the other resting at the back of her neck.
It wasn't rushed.
It wasn't calculated.
When he pulled back slightly, his voice was low.
"I won't force you," he said softly.
"If you want me to stop… say it."
There it was.
That teasing edge in his tone.
Confident. Controlled. Dangerous.
Her cheeks flushed.
"You really choose your timing for arrogance."
A faint smirk curved his lips.
"So?"
His thumb brushed lightly along her jaw.
"Do I continue?"
She looked at him — really looked at him.
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
"Continue."
When she whispered, "Continue"…
Something shifted in his eyes.
Daniel didn't smile this time.
He looked at her carefully — as if making sure she meant it.
Then he kissed her again.
Slower.
Deeper.
His hand slid from her waist to the small of her back, pulling her closer — not roughly, but firmly. Confidently.
She felt the control in him.
And it made her lose hers.
Her fingers gripped his shirt, pulling him closer as she responded this time — fully.
The kiss grew heavier. Warmer. Less hesitant.
He guided her backward until her back touched the wooden shelf behind her. The contrast between the cool surface and the heat between them made her breath hitch.
He paused.
Forehead against hers.
Voice low.
"Tell me to stop if you change your mind."
There was teasing in his tone.
But beneath it — sincerity.
She lifted her eyes to his.
"Why do you talk so much?"
A faint smirk curved his lips.
"Because I like when you choose."
His fingers traced slowly down her arm, deliberate, unhurried. He kissed her again — deeper now, more demanding.
His lips moved from hers to her jaw… then to her neck.
A soft gasp escaped her.
"Daniel…"
He stopped immediately.
"Hmm?"
She swallowed softly.
"Continue."
That was all he needed.
He lifted her effortlessly and sat her on the edge of the desk behind them, stepping between her knees. The movement was smooth, natural.
Dominant — but never forcing.
His hands rested on her waist, thumbs pressing gently into her hips through the fabric as he looked at her — really looked at her.
As if memorizing her before midnight.
"You're not a clause anymore," he murmured.
"You're my choice."
Her heart pounded.
This time, she kissed him first.
And the kiss changed.
It wasn't careful anymore.
It wasn't calculated.
It was heat. Want. Years of restraint breaking quietly in one moment.
His hands moved with intention, slow and certain. Every touch deliberate. Every breath shared.
The candles flickered.