At that moment, Damien pulled back a little, creating just the smallest distance between them but not letting go of her completely. He looked directly at Sophia, their faces so close that their lips were barely an inch away from each other. She could still feel his breath against her mouth, warm and steady, and her own breathing was coming out in short, quick bursts that she couldn't control. His eyes searched hers with an intensity that made her feel like he could see right through her, like he was reading every thought running through her mind.Then Damien's expression shifted, becoming softer, more serious. “Well, I really want to apologize to you, Sophia.” His voice was low and sincere, the teasing edge from before completely gone now. “I know that you would definitely be worried when you saw me on the TV.” He paused, his thumb gently stroking her back where his hand still held her. “I know that you were worried sick and I am very, very sorry for making you go through that.”Sop

It was already two days since the disastrous attack that had shaken the entire city, two days since Damien had stepped forward and saved the day when everyone else had been paralyzed by fear and chaos. The news reports were still running stories about the mysterious hero who had appeared seemingly out of nowhere, but Damien paid little attention to the media frenzy surrounding his actions. His mind was occupied with far more pressing matters, matters that weighed heavily on his shoulders like an invisible burden he couldn't shake off.And it had been two days already since Damien and Sophia had started living together, two days since that night when everything between them had changed forever. The small apartment had taken on a different energy with both of them there, a warmth and intimacy that made even the most mundane moments feel significant. Sophia would hum softly while making coffee in the morning, and Damien would watch her from the doorway, marveling at how natural it felt t

Immediately, the Brain nodded on his end of the line, a gesture of acknowledgment even though she couldn't see it, and his voice took on a more businesslike tone as he continued speaking. “Well, that is actually a good thing to hear. I'm glad you're recovered and back to full strength.” He paused for just a moment, as if choosing his next words carefully, and when he spoke again there was a directness to his tone that cut through any lingering confusion. “For your information, I know that you must be wondering why I actually called you out of the blue like this, and you must be finding my call actually weird and unexpected and all of that. But just know that I didn't actually call you solely for the purpose of checking out on you or anything like that.”There was another brief pause, and Serenity found herself leaning forward slightly, her curiosity now fully piqued despite her earlier confusion. The Brain's voice continued, steady and measured. “I did genuinely want to make sure

At that moment, the Brain started pacing up and down in his room, his footsteps creating a rhythmic pattern on the floor as his mind raced with possibilities and plans. His heart was beating faster than usual, and there was an energy coursing through him that he hadn't felt in a very long time. Yes, this was exactly the opportunity that he had been waiting for, perhaps without even fully realizing he'd been waiting for it until now. A perfect opportunity like this didn't come along often - a legitimate, professional reason for him to actually get closer to Serenity, to spend extended time with her, to be in her presence without it seeming suspicious or inappropriate.But it wasn't just about getting closer to her professionally, and he knew that if he was being honest with himself. This was also his chance to confess his feelings to her, to finally be open about emotions he had been keeping carefully locked away for far too long. Yes, he liked Serenity - more than liked her, if he was

Knowing fully well what Penelope actually wanted from this encounter, recognizing the trap that was being laid out before her with careful precision, Sophia knew instinctively that it would be of great disadvantage to her if she actually played directly into Penelope's hands. This was how their rivalry had always functioned - subtle verbal sparring disguised as polite conversation, each woman looking for weaknesses to exploit, for opportunities to assert dominance over the other. Sophia had no intention of giving Penelope that satisfaction today.Then she cleared her throat delicately, composing herself and putting on her own mask of polite civility as she responded. “Well, I've been extremely busy with school and everything related to that - you know how demanding academic pursuits can be. And then there's the family responsibilities and all the obligations that come with that, so I haven't really been out and about in society all that much lately.” She paused, then delivered what