The moment Nivara stepped inside—
She stopped.
Completely.
Her fingers loosened slightly around her bag as her eyes moved slowly across the restaurant.
It was… empty.
Not entirely—no.
A few staff members stood quietly at a distance, as if instructed not to interrupt.
Soft golden lights filled the space, warmer than usual. Subtle decorations hung across the walls—nothing extravagant, just enough to make it feel intimate.
And then it hit her—
This wasn't just a quiet evening.
This wasn't coincidence.
Sorven had booked the entire restaurant.
For her.
And in the center—
A table.
Decorated.
A cake placed perfectly on top.
Candles unlit.
Waiting.
And beside it—
Sorven.
Her breath caught.
"…what is this…" she whispered under her breath.
Her eyes moved again.
No friends.
No family.
No one.
Just him.
Something inside her shifted.
Not softly.
Not gently.
But sharply.
--------------------------
The door opened—
And the world stilled.
He had been waiting.
Calm. Composed.
Certain.
But the moment she walked in—
Everything else faded.
Nivara.
She looked…
Breathtaking.
The soft golden lights wrapped around her like they belonged to her. The lilac sari flowed effortlessly with each step, delicate yet striking, catching the light in the most subtle way.
His gaze lowered slightly—
Taking in her height.
She was around 5'6.
But with the heels—
Closer to 5'7.
And for a fleeting second—
A thought crossed his mind.
Uninvited.
Natural.
6'2 and 5'6…
That would look right.
The thought lingered longer than it should have.
His eyes lifted again—
Back to her face.
Her eyes.
Those wide, doe-like eyes.
Ocean blue.
Deep enough to lose yourself in.
The liner shaped them perfectly.
The mascara made them darker, fuller—
Impossible to ignore.
Her nose—sharp, almost sculpted—caught the light gently, the highlighter tracing along it like quiet perfection.
And her lips—
Full.
Soft.
Colored just enough to make them stand out.
She didn't look like she was part of the moment.
She looked like the moment had been made for her.
Sorven didn't move.
Didn't speak.
Didn't even blink.
For a second—
He forgot everything.
Then—
A thought hit him.
Sharp.
Sudden.
His gaze snapped back fully.
And that's when he saw it.
Tears.
His breath faltered.
"…Nivara?"
Her expression had changed.
Completely.
Not confusion.
Not surprise.
Hurt.
Her lips trembled.
Her eyes searched the room again—
As if hoping she had missed something.
Someone.
But there was nothing.
"No one's here…" she whispered.
Silence.
"You said…" her voice cracked slightly, "your friends… your family…"
Sorven didn't answer immediately.
And that silence—
Her chest tightened.
Her fingers curled.
"You lied."
It wasn't loud.
But it hit harder than anything else.
Said everything.
He stepped forward slightly. "Nivara, I—"
But she shook her head.
Tears finally spilling.
"You could've just told me the truth," she said, her voice breaking. "Why would you say that if it wasn't real?"
For the first time—
Sorven didn't have an immediate answer.
And that was enough.
She turned—
And ran.
---------------------------
The door pushed open harshly as she stepped out—
And the sky had changed.
Rain.
Heavy.
Relentless.
Within seconds, she was soaked.
Her sari clung to her, her hair damp against her face, her breath uneven as she kept walking forward.
Why did that hurt so much?
It wasn't just the lie.
It was what it meant.
Everything about him felt real.
Careful.
Intentional.
And yet—
That wasn't.
Behind her—
Footsteps.
Fast.
Then—
A hand caught her wrist.
"Nivara—stop."
She did.
Not willingly.
But she did.
She turned.
Rain falling between them.
His grip was firm—
But not forceful.
"Why did you leave?" he asked, breath slightly uneven.
Nivara stared at him for a moment.
Disbelief slowly replaced the hurt in her eyes.
A small, broken laugh escaped her lips.
"Are you serious right now?"
Her voice wasn't loud.
But it carried something sharp enough to cut through the sound of rain.
Sorven frowned slightly, confusion flickering across his face.
"I asked you something."
"And I heard you," she replied instantly. "I'm just trying to understand how you don't already know the answer."
Rain dripped from her hair, tracing along her jawline, slipping past her neck. Her sari clung to her frame, heavy and soaked, but she didn't move.
Didn't care.
"You lied to me," she said again, slower this time.
As if making sure he truly heard it.
Sorven's grip loosened slightly around her wrist.
Not enough to let go.
Just enough to show he wasn't unaware anymore.
"I told you it was my birthday dinner," he said, his tone quieter now. "That wasn't a lie."
Nivara shook her head immediately.
"That's not the part that matters."
Her eyes locked onto his.
"You said your family would be there. Your friends. You made it sound normal."
Her voice cracked slightly on the last word.
"And then I walked in and—" she paused, her chest tightening, "—it was just you."
Silence.
The rain filled the space between them again.
Louder now.
Heavier.
Sorven inhaled slowly, his jaw tightening.
"I didn't think it would matter that much."
That did it.
Nivara pulled her hand free this time.
Completely.
"It matters," she said, her voice low but firm.
"It matters because you made a choice for me without asking."
She took a small step back.
Creating distance.
Even if it was just a little.
"You decided what I should feel. What I should walk into. What I should accept," she continued. "And you didn't even think I deserved the truth first."
Sorven didn't interrupt.
Didn't argue.
He just watched her.
But something in his expression shifted.
Subtle.
Tighter.
"I wasn't trying to hurt you," he said finally.
"I know," she replied instantly.
And that was the problem.
Her shoulders dropped slightly, exhaustion creeping into her posture.
"That's what makes it worse."
Because if it had been intentional—
She could've been angry.
She could've walked away easily.
But this?
This confusion.
This intensity.
This… whatever he was doing—
It didn't feel careless.
It felt calculated.
And that scared her more.
"I don't understand you," she whispered, almost to herself.
Sorven's gaze softened—
Just slightly.
"You don't have to."
Her eyes snapped back to him.
"That's not how this works."
Another step back.
Another inch of space between them.
"You don't get to pull me into something this intense and then act like I'm not supposed to question it," she said.
The rain slowed slightly.
Or maybe time did.
Sorven ran a hand through his damp hair, exhaling quietly.
For the first time—
He looked… unsure.
Not weak.
Not hesitant.
Just—
Careful.
"I know I should've told you," he admitted.
The words came slower this time.
Less controlled.
Nivara didn't respond.
But she didn't walk away either.
"I just…" he paused, searching for something, "…I didn't want anything to interrupt tonight."
Her brows furrowed.
"Interrupt what?"
His gaze met hers again.
And there it was—
That intensity.
Stronger now.
Unfiltered.
"You."
Her breath caught.
"I didn't want noise. Or people. Or anything else taking your attention away," he continued. "I wanted it to be just us."
Silence.
The kind that wasn't empty.
But full.
Heavy.
Nivara swallowed slowly.
Her heart reacted before her mind could stop it.
And she hated that.
"That doesn't make it better," she said quietly.
"I know," he replied.
And for once—
He didn't try to twist it.
Didn't try to charm his way out of it.
That… made her pause.
For a moment, they just stood there.
Rain soaking through everything.
Neither stepping closer.
Neither walking away.
Then—
His voice changed again.
Lower.
More serious.
"I think…" he started slowly,
"…you deserve to know something."
Her heart skipped.
Again.
Despite everything.
She didn't want it to.
But it did.
His gaze held hers.
Steady.
Unmoving.
"I'm not who you think I am."
Her breath hitched slightly.
"And the reason I know you…" he continued,
softer now,
"…isn't something simple."
The world around them faded again.
Just slightly.
Nivara didn't speak.
Didn't interrupt.
Because something in his tone—
Told her this wasn't another half-truth.
This was something else.
Something heavier.
He took a step closer.
Slowly.
Carefully.
As if giving her time to stop him.
She didn't.
Rain slid down his face, his voice barely above a whisper now—
"But if I tell you…"
A pause.
Long enough to matter.
"…you won't be able to walk away from me again."
Her heartbeat echoed in her ears.
Loud.
Unsteady.
And this time—
She understood what he meant.
Not as a warning.
Not fully.
But as something that felt inevitable.
Her fingers tightened slightly at her sides.
Her breath uneven.
Her thoughts—
A mess.
Because she should say no.
She should walk away.
She should protect herself from whatever this was turning into.
But instead—
She stood there.
Still.
Listening.
And somewhere deep inside—
A quiet, dangerous thought surfaced.
What if I don't want to walk away?
Her eyes met his again.
This time without pulling back.
And for the first time—
She didn't know which scared her more.
The truth he was about to tell—
Or the fact that she might stay to hear it.