At that moment, without wasting any more time, Soma hurried toward the door, her footsteps light but urgent. Her fingers gripped the doorknob with a quiet tension, and she took a quick breath before slowly turning it open. As the door creaked slightly, her eyes met the familiar face she was expecting Jason.She wasn’t surprised in the slightest. In fact, she had already guessed it would be him the moment the doorbell rang. But what caught her off guard and oddly brought a wave of relief was how he was dressed. Jason stood there in a plain black T-shirt, dark jeans, and sneakers. No flashy chains, no fancy watch, no polished shoes or luxurious cologne that could draw unnecessary attention.Just simple. Casual. Safe.Soma let out a silent sigh of relief. Thank goodness. If Jason had shown up in one of his usual bold outfits gold rings flashing, designer suit glowing under the light her uncle’s hawk-like instincts would’ve gone into full alert. But seeing Jason like this? Calm. Unbothere

At that moment, Jason would let out a quiet scoff, almost as if he was trying to convince himself not to be annoyed.“Oh, so Camilla didn’t call you to threaten you?” he said, leaning back slightly in his chair. His voice carried a faint, sarcastic edge. “So that’s not even the reason you asked me to come up here? You didn’t call me just to talk about her?”He looked at Soma, trying to read her face, trying to figure out where this was going. But what caught him off guard was the way Soma flinched just a little not with fear, but as if he had just touched on something she hadn’t prepared to admit yet.Soma’s lips parted, and for a second, she didn’t speak. Her eyes dropped to the floor. It was like Jason’s guess had brushed too close to the truth but not quite.“Yes,” she finally said, lifting her head again, her tone calm but slightly uneasy. “Camilla did call me. I’m not going to lie about that.”Jason raised his brows sharply, his expression shifting.“But,” Soma continued quickly,

At that moment, Jason stepped in closer, his eyes locked directly on Soma’s face. His tone wasn’t angry it was calm, steady, but there was a weight in his voice, like he needed to understand something deeper. He tilted his head slightly, studying her with quiet intensity.“What exactly is giving you the mindset that we’ll be divided after all of this?” he asked, not harshly, but with genuine confusion. “You think just because you open up, we’re going to fall apart? Is that what’s making you so scared, Soma?”Soma looked away, unable to keep holding his gaze. Her fingers twisted together in front of her, knuckles pale. She didn’t speak right away, but her silence said a lot. Jason didn’t interrupt. He let the silence sit there, thick and heavy, until finally Soma gave a small nod.Then, still not looking at him, she whispered, “Yes.”Jason blinked, caught off guard by how small that word sounded coming from her. She slowly lifted her head, forcing herself to meet his eyes. And then the

At that moment, hearing Jason's voice again, Soma slowly lifted her head. Her eyes fluttered uncertainly, and for a brief second, they met his but only for a heartbeat. Her face flushed pink, and her gaze darted away immediately, as though the intensity of his presence was too much to bear. She bit her lower lip, shyly tucking a few strands of her hair behind her ear. Her heart was pounding so loud in her chest, it echoed in her ears.Jason didn’t move. He didn’t raise his voice. But his tone came again, gentle, firm, and laced with something deeper.“Soma… look at me.”There was something about the way he said it. Not a demand, not a plea but something in between. Something that told her this moment mattered.She turned again, this time slowly, and finally looked at him.Jason didn’t smile. He didn’t blink.“Not just look at me,” he said, voice soft but heavy. “I mean look at me. Eyeball to eyeball.”Soma’s chest rose and fell sharply. Her fingers gripped the bedsheet beneath her lik

At that moment, Soma felt her body tense up. As Jason’s lips pressed softly against hers, her first instinct was to push him away not because she didn’t want it, but because the moment came so suddenly, so unexpectedly, that her mind couldn’t catch up. Her hand moved halfway into the air, trembling, ready to press against his chest and stop what was happening.But then… her hand froze.Just like that, in the middle of the kiss, she couldn’t move it anymore. Her fingers hovered in the air, shaking slightly. Her eyes were still wide, staring at the closeness between them. In that frozen moment, something hit her.Why am I even thinking of pushing him away?This was what she had been waiting for. This was what she had silently wished for prayed for ever since she began falling for him. This was her first kiss. Her very first kiss. The one she always imagined would come from someone who truly cared about her. And Jason… Jason was that someone.The realization softened her.Her hand slowly