The next day, Elara could not sleep. It was the first night Adrian had not called. She kept staring at her phone, waiting for the screen to light up. It never did. By morning, her heart felt heavy, the quiet of her room echoing too loudly.
When she arrived at the office, she forced a smile.
"Good morning, Elara," Eric said cheerfully as she walked past his desk.
"Morning," she replied softly, taking her seat. She tried to focus on her tasks, but her thoughts refused to settle. Every sound, the ring of a phone or footsteps in the hallway, made her glance toward the door, hoping for something she could not name.
Near the end of the day, her phone rang. Rowen's name flashed on the screen.
"Elara, can you go up to Adrian's office? I need a document, and I can't leave my desk right now," he said.
"What document?" she asked.
"You'll know when you get there," he replied, his tone oddly light.
The request was strange, but she agreed. After shutting down her computer, she packed her bag and headed to the top floor. The hallway felt unusually quiet.
When she opened the office door, the air shifted. Someone was standing by the window, tall and still.
The man turned at the sound.
"Boss," Elara whispered, disbelief in her voice.
"Elara," Adrian said, and a faint smile curved his lips.
Her heart leapt. Before she could think, she ran to him and threw her arms around him. "You're back. I missed you."
His arms came around her, firm and sure. "I missed you too," he said softly.
For a moment, she stayed like that, breathing him in, feeling the warmth of his body and the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. She had not realized how much she had missed it until now.
When she finally stepped back, her voice trembled. "You didn't call last night. I couldn't sleep. You sounded upset before. I thought you didn't want to talk to me."
Adrian's expression softened. "I was angry," he said quietly.
Her brows drew together. "Angry? At me?"
He nodded once. "You said you might find a boyfriend. I know you didn't mean to upset me, but I couldn't stop thinking about it. I realized I didn't want you to belong to anyone else."
Elara blinked, stunned. "Boss, you flew home because of that?"
"Yes," he said simply. "Because if I had stayed away, I might have lost you."
She stood frozen, unable to look away from him. The honesty in his voice shook her more than anything else could have.
Her pulse quickened. "What are you saying?"
"I like you, Elara," he said. "I have for some time. I didn't want to admit it before, but being away made me realize it."
Her breath caught. "You… like me?"
He gave a small smile. "Do you really need me to say it again?"
She lowered her gaze, her cheeks warm. "I'm only your caregiver," she murmured.
"That doesn't change how I feel," he said, reaching out until his hand brushed hers. His fingers lingered there, tracing the edge of her palm as if memorizing it.
"I don't know what to say," she whispered. "I never thought you…"
"I didn't want to say it over the phone," he said softly. "I wanted to tell you in person. That's why I came back."
Elara swallowed hard, searching his face. "I still can't believe you're saying this."
He smiled faintly, his voice gentle. "Then come home with me. We can talk there."
For a long moment, she said nothing. Her heart was pounding too fast, her thoughts too scattered. Then she nodded.
"All right," she said quietly.
Adrian's hand tightened around hers. "Good. Let's go."
Together they walked out of the office. Elara guided him carefully, her hand resting lightly against his arm. The warmth of his skin beneath her fingers made her pulse flutter.
As the elevator doors closed, she stole one last glance at him and her heart whispered what her lips could not yet say.
*****
At the house, the moment they stepped inside, Adrian reached for her. His hand found her waist, then moved upward, his fingertips brushing her jaw until his palm cupped her cheek.
"Elara," he murmured softly.
Before she could speak, he leaned in and kissed her. The world seemed to still. His lips were warm, steady, and full of quiet longing. It was a kiss that held everything he had kept unspoken.
Her eyes fluttered closed as she felt the heat of his breath and the gentle press of his mouth on hers. Her hands rose to his chest, feeling the rhythm of his heartbeat beneath her palms. Slowly, her arms slid around his waist, drawing him closer until the space between them disappeared.
When the kiss broke, their breaths mingled in the quiet.
"Elara," he asked in a low voice, "if I never see clearly again, would you still stay?"
She looked up at him, her voice trembling but certain. "I do not care whether you can see me or not. If you will have me, I will stay."
He pulled her closer and brushed a kiss against her temple. "Thank you," he whispered. "I thought I would never find something real."
She smiled faintly. "You are just picky. There are plenty of women who like you."
"None of them ever reached me the way you do," he said.
Her cheeks warmed. "You must like me a lot to kiss a woman you have never seen," she said, half shy, half teasing.
"You are right," he said with a quiet laugh, gently pinching her cheek.
She laughed softly, her heart swelling with warmth.
*****
They talked late into the evening, their voices soft in the quiet house.
Adrian told her about the surgery. "It was successful, but my vision is still blurry. The doctor said I may need more time or another graft."
Elara smiled faintly, her fingers brushing the back of his hand. "I am glad the first step went well. Tell me the truth, Adrian. Did you really come back just because I went out with a guy?"
"Yes," he said without hesitation. "I did not want to lose my chance with you. I wanted to confess after my full recovery, so I could bring you happiness and not weight."
Her eyes softened. "You are not a weight to me. I want to stay by your side. Sometimes I feel we come from different worlds. I am afraid I am not enough," she said, her voice low and honest. "This is the first time I have felt this way about someone. I tried to hide it. I tried to deny it."
He reached out, finding her hand and guiding it to his chest. "After the accident, I learned that status and shine mean very little. What matters is family and the people we care about. Your background does not matter to me."
He drew her into his arms, his touch firm but full of tenderness.
She hesitated, then asked softly, "What if my looks are not what you expected?"
His lips curved into a smile. "I like you for who you are. And by the way, people have told me I have a beautiful caregiver, so I am curious," he said with quiet amusement.
Her laugh came out soft and breathless. "Then you might be disappointed when you can finally see me."
"I doubt that," he said, brushing his thumb along her cheek.
Elara hesitated for a moment, then took his hands in hers. "Do you want to know what I look like?" she asked softly.
Adrian nodded once.
She guided his hands upward, her fingers steady though her heart raced. "These are my eyebrows," she said, placing his fingertips above her brow. "My eyes… my nose…" Her voice grew quieter with every word. "And my lips."
His touch was careful, reverent, tracing the gentle map of her face as if committing every line to memory. She closed her eyes, her breath catching as his fingers lingered against her mouth.
The closeness pulled them together again. He bent toward her, and she rose to meet him, her arms sliding around his neck. Their lips met, and the kiss deepened, slow and full of feeling.
When he drew back slightly, his breath was unsteady. "Tell me if you want to stop," he murmured.
She rested her forehead against his, her voice trembling with emotion. "I am with you," she whispered.
He exhaled, the sound soft and full of relief, before finding her lips again, this time with quiet certainty.
Adrian's hands found her waist, steady and sure, while Elara held on to him, her fingers tightening at his shoulders.
Without speaking, he reached for her hand, and together they moved through the quiet house toward his room.