Adrian held Elise tightly, as if afraid she might vanish from his embrace once more. His palm gently stroked her back, the warmth seeping through the fabric, carrying emotions too deep to put into words. He didn't rush to speak, only lowered his head and looked at her carefully, as though engraving her image into his very soul.
Elise's face was still streaked with tears, her reddened eyes making her look like a delicate fawn that had just cried. She turned her face slightly away, lowering her head in embarrassment, her voice carrying a faint sob, "Don't… don't look at me like that…"
Adrian let out a soft chuckle, his tone tender yet tinged with indulgence. "Why shouldn't I? You don't even know… what I'm thinking." His voice was deep and hoarse, laced with exhaustion. "Do you have any idea how terrified I was when I heard what Livia said?"
Elise's heart clenched at his words. She reached out and clutched his sleeve, her eyes flashing with guilt. "I'm sorry… I never meant to deceive you…"
"Fool." Adrian cupped her face in his hands, gently wiping away her lingering tears. "I'm not blaming you. I just…" He paused, searching for the right words, then finally sighed. "I just want to be with you, always."
Elise saw the sincerity in his eyes, and a mix of sorrow and sweetness filled her heart. She bit her lip and leaned into his embrace, feeling the warmth of his arms and the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
Adrian rested his chin lightly atop her head, his voice steady and gentle. "From now on, no matter what happens, you must believe in me. Alright?"
Elise nodded slightly, responding in a soft whisper, "Alright."
The two remained in their quiet embrace, basking in the warmth of their reunion.
After a while, Elise suddenly recalled something and gently pushed away from him just enough to meet his gaze. Summoning her courage, she looked at him earnestly, her eyes filled with determination. "Adrian, I don't want to be a burden to you… If one day you have to choose between your family and me—"
Before she could finish, Adrian pressed a finger to her lips, his brows furrowing slightly, his voice firm and unwavering. "Don't ever ask that question again."
His gaze locked onto hers, piercing through to her very soul. "Family, power—I can fight for them, I can give them up. But you… you are the one thing I can never lose."
Elise stared at him in a daze, her heartbeat growing erratic. She had always thought of herself as his weakness, an obstacle in his path. But only now did she realize that in Adrian's eyes, she was not a burden—she was his reason to move forward.
Her eyes burned with emotion, and she once again threw herself into his arms, her voice trembling, "I understand now…"
Adrian chuckled lowly, tightening his embrace, his fingers gently stroking her hair. His tone carried both indulgence and helplessness. "You're just realizing this now, you silly little fool."
Elise buried her face against his chest, but the corners of her lips curled up slightly.
Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a golden glow over their tightly entwined figures, as if sealing this moment in eternity.
Just as they were wrapped in each other's warmth, the door suddenly swung open.
Ahem.
A deliberately exaggerated cough shattered the tender atmosphere. Elise instinctively jolted out of Adrian's arms, her cheeks instantly flushing crimson. She lowered her head in a panic, fidgeting with the hem of her clothes, looking every bit like a child caught doing something mischievous.
Livia stood at the doorway with her arms crossed, leaning against the frame, her lips curved into a knowing smile. "Looks like I should've waited a little longer before coming in?"
Beside her, Elias sighed in mock exasperation. "Sigh. I am the owner of this house, you know. And yet, here I am, watching two juniors shamelessly flaunt their affection in my own home…"
Elise's face turned an even deeper shade of red, right to the tips of her ears. She stammered, flustered, "I… we… it's not… we weren't…" But she couldn't find the words to explain and could only bite her lip, wishing the floor would swallow her whole.
In stark contrast, Adrian remained completely unfazed. His expression darkened slightly, his gaze locking onto Livia with a trace of displeasure. "You planned all of this, didn't you?"
Livia nodded unapologetically. "Of course."
Adrian's brows knitted tighter, his voice carrying a chill. "So you deliberately kept it from me? You don't trust me that much?"
Livia shrugged, looking innocent. "I was just testing you. If you had chosen your family over Elise, wouldn't that have hurt her even more? If I had told you beforehand that she was here, wouldn't you have instinctively changed your answer?"
Adrian let out a cold scoff, crossing his arms, his expression unreadable. "So this was all just a test to you?"
Livia tilted her head, smiling nonchalantly. "But in the end, you made the right choice, didn't you? So instead of being mad, shouldn't you be thanking me?"
Adrian clenched his jaw, clearly irritated, but he knew there was no arguing with his sister's maddening logic.
Elise sneaked a glance at Adrian, then at Livia, growing anxious that the two might start an argument. She quickly interjected, her voice soft yet earnest. "Livia… I know you meant well, but… next time, please tell Adrian earlier."
Livia raised an eyebrow, the corners of her lips curling into a playful smirk. "Alright, alright. For Elise's sake, I'll let him know next time." Then, glancing at Adrian, she added slyly, "But only if you stop being so dense and quit making your poor fiancée sad."
Adrian: "…"
Elias couldn't hold back a chuckle and shook his head. "Alright, now that the misunderstanding is cleared up, shouldn't we discuss our next steps?"
Livia clapped her hands together and grinned. "That's right, we have more important things to deal with."
Adrian sighed in resignation. Though still somewhat displeased with Livia's test, he knew that Elise's safety was the top priority now. Choosing not to argue further, he instead took Elise's hand in his own, his voice gentle yet resolute. "No matter what happens, I won't let you leave me again."
Elise blinked in surprise, then tightened her grip on his hand, nodding firmly. "Mm."
Livia, satisfied, smiled knowingly. Clapping her hands together once more, she teased, "Alright, that's enough romance for one day. Time to get back to business."
The group exchanged smiles, finally turning their attention to the matters at hand.