Sherina's POV
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And once again, the family gathered in the dining hall for breakfast. Leon was already at the table—looking perfectly composed, as if last night's events had never happened.
I let out a quiet sigh and lifted my cup, taking a slow sip of tea.
Last night had been... something.
Two rich men, both drunk in their own ways—Landon, loud and endlessly talkative, while Leon simply drifted into drowsiness.
Mr. Kang had driven Leon and me back to the house, while Landon was escorted separately by the family butler.
The ride had been silent, but not peaceful—just quietly tense. Leon sat beside me, arms folded, eyes closed, his head tilting as if sleep was slowly winning. That must be how he handled alcohol—not with slurred words or clumsy steps, but by surrendering to it in silence.
And somehow, it was... endearing.
Watching a man like him fall quietly to sleep felt like seeing a side of him no one else ever would.
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"Sherina, I heard you received a scholarship grant from the most prestigious university in Edenia, right? Congratulations!" Lilliana's voice snapped me back to the present.
"Oh my! Winston University? Congratulations, Sherina!" Delaila exclaimed softly, her delicate hands coming together in a graceful clap.
"Thank you," I replied, lips curving into a polite smile. My eyes, however, couldn't resist drifting toward Leon. He sat a few chairs away, holding his coffee with elegant ease, dark lashes lowered as he took a slow sip.
"What's your major?" Aunt Donna asked from across the table, her tone warm and inviting.
"Uh... Psychology," I answered, my voice soft but steady.
"Oh my! You must be very smart — getting in through pure hard work. How many years do you have left?" Lilliana said, her eyes twinkling.
"I'm in my last year."
"Well, if you need help with anything, don't hesitate to reach out to us," Delaila offered kindly.
Across the table, I couldn't help but notice the elderly couple exchange glances — a fleeting moment that carried years of quiet understanding.
"Sherina, we'd like to know... how is Delliana on the island? Does she have any problems? Is she eating properly?" Grandma Delaila's concern was tender, but her voice carried something deeper — something unspoken.
I hesitated for a heartbeat before smiling reassuringly.
"She's full of energy and enjoying her life there. She's actually quite popular at school on the island."
"Does she... have a lover now?" Grandma Delaila asked, her tone careful, almost hesitant.
"Delly isn't interested in love for now, Grandma," I replied gently.
"I see..." The elder woman's lips curved faintly, though her eyes seemed to search for more. She took a slow sip of her tea.
"I wonder when she'll come back. Has she said anything about it?" Grandpa Dawei asked, his voice deep and rumbling like distant thunder.
"She hasn't, Grandpa. And I think... she doesn't want to return just yet." I said, my fingers absently tracing the rim of my cup.
"She needs to get married soon," Donna remarked — her tone light, but her words weighted.
"She needs to come back."
The air thickened, as if an invisible thread had been pulled taut across the table. The conversation hung heavy, pressing down like a storm waiting to break.
"Enough. Just let her be." Leon's voice cut through the tension — deep, sharp, and edged with steel. He exhaled, long and deliberate, before adding in Italian,
"Delliana ha già sopportato abbastanza... non illuderti che farà ritorno."
("Delliana has already endured enough... don't fool yourself into thinking she'll come back.")
His chair scraped lightly against the marble floor as he rose, his tall frame casting a fleeting shadow over the table before he strode out — without looking back.
Grandpa sighed heavily, the sound carrying both resignation and fatigue.
"Forgive his manners," he said at last.
Grandma Delaila turned to me with a kind, almost motherly smile.
"We're grateful you've taken care of our Delliana while she's been away from us."
I returned the smile, though my mind was already miles away from the elegant breakfast spread.
What had happened between Delly and her family that made her want to stay away?'
"Anyway," Liliana began brightly, her voice breaking through the quiet,
"tomorrow will be sunny. Would you all like to go out on the ocean?"
"Ocean?" I repeated, almost questioning the thought.
'Oh, I remember, There's one right behind the villa. I did saw it while walking around yesterday—it's breathtaking.
Landon set his cup of tea down with a quiet click and released a sigh. "I have business to deal with tomorrow."
Across the table, the elderly woman nodded with a calm, composed grace. "We will be away tomorrow as well."
Aunt Donna turned her gaze towards me. "What about Leon and Sherina?"
I offered a faint smile, fingers brushing the rim of my teacup. "I didn't bring any swimming clothes."
Liliana propped her chin in her palms, her elbows pressing into the tablecloth."I heard Mr. Kang already delivered the bags of clothes Leon bought for you yesterday. You did pick some swimwear, right?" she asked with a teasing grin.
"Ah, right…" I chuckled softly. I had actually forgotten that the boutique had included swimwear in the selection that day.
I guess Leon already knew Liliana would insist on a trip to the ocean.
"Well then, there's no problem at all!" Liliana said brightly.
"Let's enjoy tomorrow's sunshine."
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And that planned day... was today.
"Sherina! Let's go!"
The voice jolted me out of bed. I swung the door open to find Liliana and Don standing there—both dressed in swimsuits, Liliana clutching a bright beach ball while Don grinned like the morning sun.
"Rise and shine!" Liliana chirped, slipping inside the room, Don trailing after her with small, eager steps.
Liliana's gaze drifted toward the maroon swimsuit lying neatly on Delly's bed.
"Oh my, that boutique always does its job well," she said with a soft chuckle.
Then another knock caught our attention. The boy rushed to the door and swung it open.
"Uncle!" he squealed, stretching his little arms upward.
Leon filled the doorway—broad, tall, effortlessly composed. He carried a picnic basket in one hand and lifted Don onto his shoulder with the other as if it took no effort at all. His swimming trunks were black—simple, understated, and yet impossible to ignore—because his physique did all the talking. Broad shoulders. Sculpted chest. Defined abs catching the soft morning light.
I looked away quickly, heat creeping up my neck.
"You can go first with Don. Sherina still needs to change," Liliana said when Leon asked if we were ready.
Leon gave a small nod and left without a word as Don perched on his shoulder like a tiny king,.
Twenty-six... and built like that? What did this man eat growing up?
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When Liliana and I reached the ocean, the sea shimmered under the late-morning sun. Don and Leon were already in the shallows, water sparkling around them. Mr. Kang stood near a wide umbrella, the picnic basket and our things neatly arranged.
"Good morning, Ms. Sze," he greeted as I sat down, smoothing sunblock onto my legs.
"Good morning, Mr. Kang. You're not going to swim?" I asked lightly, slipping off my jacket as I tried to reach my back with the lotion.
He looked as if he wanted to say something but hesitated, his gaze flicking toward the ocean.
I followed his glance—Leon was making his way toward us, droplets clinging to his skin, each step slow, unhurried, almost deliberate.
Mr. Kang handed him a towel. Leon wiped his face, glancing between us.
"What is it?" he asked, his voice calm against the sound of the waves.
"Ms. Sze needs help putting lotion on her back," Mr. Kang replied, tone even.
I jolted at his words, heat curling low in my stomach.
"It's fine," I stammered, forcing a small laugh. "I'll ask Liliana later."
Leon didn't say anything at first. He reached into the cooler, pulled out a bottle of water, and drank, the motion drawing my eyes despite myself.
Then, quietly, he asked, "Would you hate it if I did it for you?"
I hesitated, my fingers tightening around the lotion before I slowly offered it to him.
"Is it… okay?"
His mouth curved faintly as he took it. I turned away, one hand holding the front ties of my bikini.
Mr. Kang discreetly stepped away, leaving us in the soft hum of the sea. Leon's hands were warm as they brushed my shoulders, the cool lotion tracing a path across my skin. His touch was steady—careful—but something beneath it felt deliberate, as though he was memorizing the shape of what he touched.
"You shouldn't let just anyone do this," he murmured.
"It's just lotion," I said lightly, reaching for a popsicle from the cooler.
"And you're like a brother to me—Delly's brother."
"Brother?" he echoed, his voice low, almost amused.
I offered the popsicle over my shoulder. "Want some?"
He didn't answer right away. There was only the sound of the tide, the quiet rush of wind—and then, a quiet breath near my nape.
"Stay still," he said softly, the words brushing my ear.
I froze, caught between the coolness of the sea breeze and the heat that curled unexpectedly beneath my skin. His hands moved again, slower this time, until finally, he tied the strings at my back.
When he leaned closer, his breath grazed the curve of my shoulder.
"You shouldn't call me your little brother," he said, almost too quietly.
And then his hands were gone.
My heart was unsteady, my thoughts tangled.
"Th—thank you," I murmured, barely audible, grabbing my things.
Without looking back, I stripped off my wrap skirt and ran toward the water—away from his touch, away from the quiet storm he'd left behind.
I hate it... how he keeps finding ways to make my heart forget its rhythm.
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END OF POV
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Leon smirked faintly as he sank into the chair, posture casual—but his heartbeat anything but. Resting an elbow on the armrest, he brought his hand to his face, fingers curling lightly over his lips as if deep in thought.
Yet his real purpose was far more indulgent.
Eyes half-closed, he drew in a slow, deliberate breath. The faint trace of her lotion still clung to his skin—warm from her body, mingled with the ghost of her perfume and the sun.
It was intoxicating in a way he didn't care to explain.
"Did you see?" His voice was quiet but edged with something dangerous, like a secret he dared someone to catch.
Mr. Kang, who had returned and now stood a respectful distance behind him, cleared his throat.
"No, young master. I didn't see anything." His gaze stayed fixed on the ocean.
"Good," Leon murmured, his smirk returning, softer this time.
His eyes lifted to where Sherina stood in the water, laughing as she tossed a beach ball to Don.
"Nobody should lay eyes on what's mine."
It wasn't just a claim—it was a vow, lingering in the air like the fading warmth of a touch you never wanted to lose.
As Leon watched her, the sunlight wove threads of gold through her raven-black hair, her laughter rippling through the air like the echo of a half-forgotten memory.
And yet, she would not remember him. She was the kind of woman who left no room for strangers in her heart—a fortress with gates sealed shut.
Stonehearted, perhaps... or simply a soul that had learned too well how to survive.
But he remembered. He remembered the first time he saw her as if it had been carved into his bones—the quiet defiance in her gaze, the way the world blurred around her, the way her eyes carried an entire fortress within them.
Four years had passed since then, and he often wondered what life had done to her. What storms she had endured, what walls had grown higher, what pieces of herself she had buried too deep for anyone to reach.
A faint ache curled in his chest, sharp and unwelcome. Regret—for the moment he'd let her walk away, for the cowardice that had kept him from pulling her closer.
If only he had dared back then—dared to take her hand, to fight for her before the world could take more from her.
But this time... his eyes no longer held regret. They burned with resolve.
This time, he would not hesitate.
This time, nothing would stop him from claiming what had always been his—
even from the very beginning.
He lingered there for a while, watching her the way one watches a flame—drawn in, knowing it could burn, but unable to look away. Then, as if nothing had passed between them, he rose and strode into the waves, letting the water swallow him as he joined their laughter.
They stayed there until the horizon bled into the sea, waiting for the sun to set.
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