Then Xan leaned back in his chair with effortless calm, saving her before she could drown.
"We're here to celebrate the project being completed," he said lightly, voice smooth. "Not interrogate Nicole about other projects."
Someone laughed awkwardly.
Conversation stumbled forward again.
Nicole exhaled, hands trembling beneath the table where no one could see.
⸻
Outside — A Moment That Shouldn't Exist
When dinner finally ended, Nicole stepped outside into the cool night air, needing space before she broke again.
City lights glittered like distant stars.
The night felt too wide.
Too quiet.
Footsteps followed.
Xan stopped a respectful distance away.
"You okay?" he asked.
Nicole nodded automatically… then shook her head. "I hate that question."
Xan's lips twitched. "Fair."
She glanced up at him. "Thank you… for bailing me out."
His gaze softened. "You don't owe them anything."
Nicole swallowed hard, voice quieter now. "You keep… saving me."
Xan's voice dropped, low enough to feel like a secret.
"Only because you let me."
Silence stretched between them—loaded, dangerous, alive.
Nicole became painfully aware of how close he was… how his attention felt like heat against her skin. Like if she moved wrong, the air would ignite.
Xan stepped half a pace closer—slow enough to give her time to move away.
She didn't.
"Nicole…" he murmured, her name sounding like a question.
Her breath caught.
The space between them became thin. Fragile.
And for a moment, she couldn't tell if she wanted him to close it…
Or if she was terrified that he would.
⸻
The Next Day — Reliving the Rescue
Nicole woke up feeling like her body belonged to someone else.
Her sheets were clean, but she still smelled the ocean.
Still felt the phantom weight of waves on her chest.
Her hand lifted slowly to her wrist where faint bruising remained—not just from the yacht, but from fear itself leaving fingerprints on her skin.
She blinked at the ceiling for long seconds before remembering where she was.
Ash's apartment.
Rain tapped softly against the window, a drizzle whispering across the glass.
Nicole pushed herself up, rubbing her face.
Then she heard it.
A knock at the door.
Not aggressive.
Not urgent.
Just… careful.
Ash stirred with a groggy groan. "Who is knocking this early—"
Nicole's stomach tightened.
She already knew.
Ash cracked the door open.
And there Xan stood in the hallway.
His sleeves were rolled up, hair slightly disheveled like he hadn't slept. A faint bruise lined his jaw—evidence Nicole didn't want to ask about yet. His expression was calm, but his eyes looked like they'd been through war.
Ash stared at him, wide-eyed.
"Xan?"
He nodded once. "Is she okay?"
Nicole stepped into view, wrapped in an oversized hoodie and uncertainty.
Their eyes met.
And something passed between them instantly—
Relief.
Heat.
And tension sharp enough to hurt.
"I'm fine," Nicole said quietly, though they both knew it wasn't true.
Xan's gaze dipped briefly to her trembling hands before returning to her face.
"You shouldn't be alone today," he said softly.
Ash crossed her arms, defensive. "She's not alone. She has me."
Xan didn't argue. He respected Ash too much.
Instead, he stepped back slightly, voice gentler.
"I'm not here to pressure you," he told Nicole. "I just needed to see you with my own eyes."
Nicole swallowed, throat tight. "Thank you."
A pause.
Then Xan reached into his pocket and pulled out a sealed envelope.
"Your report," he said, offering it. "Everything is documented. The client is blacklisted permanently. Legal will handle it. He will never come near you again."
Nicole stared at the envelope like it was proof she hadn't imagined anything.
"I didn't want you to wake up and feel like nobody did anything," Xan added, voice low. "I did."
Nicole's breath shook. "I know."
Their fingers brushed when she took it.
Too brief.
Too warm.
Xan's eyes lingered on hers like he wanted to say more—but held himself back.
And Nicole hated how safe she felt.
Because safety with Xan felt dangerous in a completely different way.
Ash cleared her throat loudly.
"Okay," she said. "We're doing breakfast. You can join if you want."
Xan hesitated, then nodded. "Alright."
Nicole watched him step inside—into her life, into her safe space.
And for the first time, the truth settled in her chest like a slow burn:
Gu Sean wasn't the only storm she had to face.
Xan was becoming one too.
And she wasn't sure she wanted to run from it.