When Kayden stepped into the room, Hana rose from her chair, her steady gaze locking onto his.
Their eyes met, and for a fleeting second, memories buried for over a decade surfaced between them like ghosts from another lifetime.
“Hana!” Brodie called out, his voice bright with enthusiasm as he gestured to the man beside him. “This is Kayden! Do you remember him?”
Hana didn’t answer. Her wide, luminous eyes stayed fixed on Kayden, shimmering as though tears might spill at any moment.
“Kayden,” she said suddenly, his name escaping her lips like it had been waiting there all this time.
Kayden’s expression remained unreadable. He gave a small nod, his voice cool and detached, just as it had been when he spoke to Brodie earlier. “Congratulations on your engagement.”
Hana blinked, her gaze shifting briefly to Brodie before returning to Kayden. Her voice was calm when she finally spoke again. “It’s been so long. Where have you been all these years?”
But she already knew the answer, and it showed in her eyes.
Brodie, sensing the tension and eager to avoid it, jumped in with a nervous laugh. “Hana, if it weren’t for Kayden showing up today, our engagement ceremony might have-”
“-I know,” Hana interrupted, her voice steady but soft. She turned to Brodie briefly, her expression warm yet distant. “Without him, this might not have even happened. No matter what, we owe him our gratitude.”
Her gaze flicked back to Kayden as she stepped toward him.
Every movement she made was deliberate, graceful. Dressed in a traditional wedding gown that seemed to carry generations of legacy, she looked almost ethereal. Her presence was magnetic, and it was hard to look away.
“Thank you, Kayden,” she said with a faint smile. “I told Brodie you’d come. I knew you wouldn’t miss our engagement ceremony. After all, you’ve watched us grow up.”
Kayden’s lips curved into the faintest trace of a smile before his usual stoic expression took over.
Brodie chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. “Hana, of course, Kayden remembers! Don’t forget, he used to protect you from me all the time. He’s always treated you like a little sister.”
Before anyone could respond, Brodie’s phone buzzed loudly, breaking the moment.
“Ah, sorry, I’ve got to take this,” Brodie said, already answering the call. “Hello? Yeah, I’m in the room. Alright, I’ll be right there.”
He hung up and turned to the two of them with an apologetic grin. “Hana, Kayden, you two catch up for a bit. I need to go handle something.”
With that, Brodie left, gesturing for the servants in the room to follow him out.
The door closed softly behind them, and the room grew still.
Hana’s gaze remained unwavering, fixed on Kayden.
She couldn’t help it. There was something about him-something intangible that pulled her in. Maybe it was the quiet intensity he carried, or the way his presence seemed to fill the room without effort.
It wasn’t just his appearance, though his sharp features and commanding posture demanded attention. It was his aura-the quiet but undeniable sense of danger that clung to him, like the shadow of someone who had walked through fire and blood and survived.
And yet, there was warmth there too, buried beneath layers of ice.
Hana didn’t know why, but she couldn’t look away. Her initial surprise and curiosity softened into something gentler as she took a step closer to him.
“Kayden,” she said quietly, her voice carrying a touch of emotion. “I never thought I’d see you again.”
Standing in front of him now, she realized how little had changed. At 5’7″, Hana stood almost eye-to-eye with him, her flat shoes only slightly closing the gap between her and Kayden’s 5’9″ frame.
Her eyes, bright and misty, searched his face for something-an answer, a reaction, anything.
Kayden let out a dry, humorless laugh. “Yeah, I didn’t think I’d still be alive to see you either.”
His words were sharp, cutting through the air like a blade.
Hana frowned slightly, confused, but chose not to press him. Instead, she sighed, her voice growing softer. “I didn’t expect things to change so much. I didn’t think that when we met again, it would be like this. It’s… bittersweet.”
The weight of her words hung between them, heavy with all the years and unspoken things that separated them.
Kayden, clearly uninterested in delving into the past, scoffed lightly. “There’s nothing bittersweet about it. Everyone has their own path.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, delicately wrapped box. “Anyway, I have something for you.”
Hana hesitated before taking the box, her curiosity piqued.
She had received countless gifts today-extravagant tokens of goodwill from all corners of her new family. But somehow, this small box felt different.
Carefully, she opened it. Inside was a butterfly, woven from blades of grass, its delicate form so fragile it looked as though it might crumble at a touch.
Hana’s breath caught. Her fingers trembled slightly as she picked up the butterfly, her expression shifting to one of disbelief.
“This…” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “This is the best gift I’ve received today. The one that makes me happiest. Thank you, Kayden.”
She had seen wealth, jewels, and treasures beyond imagining. But this simple handmade gift-a relic of their childhood-meant more to her than anything else.
Kayden’s face remained impassive. “It’s nothing. Just a worthless grass butterfly.” He turned, as if to leave. “Take care, Hana. I have other things to do.”
But before he could take a step, Hana’s hand shot out, grabbing his.
Her grip was firm yet unassuming, like the way children hold on without hesitation or fear.
“No,” she said softly, shaking her head. “To me, this is priceless. It’s the most precious gift I’ve received today.”
Clutching the butterfly to her chest, she smiled-a genuine, radiant smile that lit up her face.
Then, as if gathering all her courage, she said, “Kayden, I don’t have feelings for Brodie. The one I like… is you.”
Kayden froze, her words hitting him like a sharp blow to the chest. Slowly, he turned to face her, his expression hardening.
Their eyes met again, but this time, Hana’s gaze was different. It was warm, soft, filled with an emotion she couldn’t contain any longer.
Her voice trembled as she repeated, “I like you. Not Brodie. The only reason I agreed to marry him is because… he reminds me of you.”
She paused, as if afraid he might misunderstand, and then said it again, more clearly this time.
Kayden stared at her, his emotions hidden behind a mask of cold detachment.
They had only been children the last time they’d been together-barely seven or eight years old. What could a child possibly know about love?
Still, her words left him shaken, uncertain of what to say or how to react.
What did Hana mean by this confession?