The air in the private elevator felt thin.
Like it might crack under pressure.
As the numbers climbed toward the eighty-fourth floor, the silence between Leon and Merlin stretched tight—sharp, watchful, alive.
Not awkward.
Not uncertain.
Predatory.
The doors slid open.
The penthouse didn't feel like a home.
It felt like a glass cage suspended in the sky.
Floor-to-ceiling windows wrapped around the space, revealing a jagged sea of city lights below. The wind pressed faintly against the glass, a constant low hum filling the silence.
At the centre of the vast concrete floor—
A single table.
Set for two.
Dimly lit.
No music.
No staff.
No escape.
Merlin stepped out first, her heels echoing too loudly in the open space.
She forced a small smile.
"Well… I guess they really want us to appreciate the view."
A pause.
"Or jump off it."
Leon didn't react.
No smile.
No acknowledgment.
He walked past her, his coat shifting slightly with the movement, and pulled out her chair with precise, effortless control.
"Sit down, Merlin."
His voice was calm.
Not raised.
Not harsh.
But final.
"The view isn't the point," he added."And you don't joke unless you're looking for a way out."
Merlin sat.
Slowly.
Dinner was placed before them in quiet, perfectly arranged courses.
Neither of them touched it.
Merlin tried.
"The lighting here is… interesting," she said, lifting her glass slightly."Very dramatic."
"Stop."
Leon's voice cut through the space.
He set his glass down with a soft, deliberate sound.
Then leaned forward.
"Why did you hesitate in the booth?"
The question hit instantly.
Merlin straightened.
"I didn't hesitate."
"I made my choice."
"You took four minutes and twelve seconds."
Her breath paused.
Leon's gaze didn't waver.
"I watched the timer."
Silence.
"You sat there," he continued,"staring at two names like one of them would disappear for you."
Merlin's grip tightened around her glass.
"You didn't choose Jisoo because you wanted him," Leon said quietly."You chose him because it felt easier than choosing me."
"That's not true."
But her voice lacked certainty.
Leon didn't raise his voice.
Didn't push.
"You prefer control," he said."Predictability."
A pause.
"But you're not predictable, Merlin."
His eyes moved slightly—
just enough to hold hers more firmly.
"You're only pretending to be."
The space between them shifted.
Merlin set her glass down.
"You're very sure of yourself."
"I'm observant."
"And arrogant."
"Maybe."
A beat.
"But I'm not wrong."
The words lingered.
They moved to the balcony.
The night air was colder.
Sharper.
But Merlin barely felt it.
She stood at the railing, gripping it lightly.
"The city looks different from here."
"Everything looks smaller from above."
Leon's voice came from behind her.
Closer.
He stepped forward.
Not touching.
But close enough that she could feel the heat of him.
Her breath slowed.
Then didn't.
His hand moved past her shoulder.
She froze.
But he didn't grab her.
Didn't pull her closer.
His fingers brushed lightly against her wrist.
Her bracelet had caught on the lace of her sleeve.
His touch was slow.
Deliberate.
The soft drag of his knuckles against her skin sent a sharp, quiet reaction through her.
He freed the clasp without rushing.
Without breaking the moment.
"You're shaking," he murmured.
"It's the wind."
A pause.
"Liar."
His voice dropped.
Not mocking.
Certain.
His hand didn't leave immediately.
It lingered.
Then moved slightly—just enough to guide her to turn.
Merlin turned.
Slowly.
Until her back met the cold glass railing.
And Leon stood in front of her.
Close.
Too close.
The space between them disappeared.
"You keep talking," he said quietly,"like it will keep distance between us."
His gaze dropped—briefly—to her lips.
Then returned to her eyes.
"But you're not trying very hard anymore."
Merlin didn't answer.
The words weren't there.
The version of her that joked, deflected, controlled—
was gone.
"What do you want from me?" she asked finally.
Her voice was quieter now.
Unsteady.
Leon's hand moved to the small of her back.
Not forceful.
But firm enough to hold her there.
"I want you to stop thinking."
A pause.
"You're not afraid of me."
His voice softened—
but didn't lose its weight.
"You're afraid of what you'll choose if you stop pretending you don't feel anything."
Silence.
The city moved below them.
Unnoticed.
Inside the mansion—
Kiara sat close to Jisoo on the sofa.
Too close.
Her hand rested easily on his thigh as she leaned in, speaking in a low voice.
She laughed softly, her confidence unshaken.
Jisoo smiled.
But it didn't reach his eyes.
His attention drifted.
Again.
And again.
Toward the door.
Back to the penthouse.
Back to Merlin.
Back on the balcony—
Leon leaned in.
Not enough to touch.
Just enough to make the space impossible to ignore.
He didn't move further.
Didn't close the distance.
He waited.
Gave her time.
A choice.
Merlin looked at him.
Then at his lips.
Then back at his eyes.
Her hand lifted.
Rested against his chest.
For a moment—
It felt like she might push him away.
But she didn't.
Her fingers curled into the fabric of his coat instead.
And pulled.
Closer.
Leon's eyes darkened.
Something sharp—uncontrolled—breaking through.
And in that moment—
Merlin understood.
The safety she had held onto—
was gone.
And what replaced it—
was something she didn't know how to step away from.
For the first time—
She didn't move back.
And that terrified her more than anything Leon had said.