Chapter 5

SUNESIS'S POV

Every muscle in my body felt like it was on fire. I dragged my feet up the creaking stairs of the apartment building, my hand gripping the wooden railing just to keep myself upright.

I had been taking every single extra shift the manager offered at Velvet Eclipse over the past week, dancing until my limbs grew heavy and numb.

Between my daytime exhaustion from Blake's harsh demands at the office and the late-night shifts behind the silver mask, I was running on pure survival instinct.

Working as Blake’s assistant paid decently, but every single cent went straight into a black hole of medical bills.

Even with the massive stack of tied cash I had taken from Blake's table in the alleyway that night, which had thankfully paid off our most urgent debts, Grandmother’s treatments were a never-ending cycle. It was never enough.

It had been a week since my new neighbor, Jay, had moved into apartment 4B. And over the past seven days, he had become a quiet fixture in my thoughts.

Every morning, long before the sun fully broke through the city smog, I would hear the heavy, steady thud of his boots down the hallway as he went out for his morning jog.

Sometimes, I would peek through the small curtain of our window, completely fascinated by him. Even in casual athletic gear, his broad shoulders and powerful stride made him look like a king surveying his territory.

On his second day here, Grandmother had paused over her tea, her weak eyes turning toward the shared wall. "Sunesis, did someone finally move into the empty space next door?"

"Yes, Grandma," I had replied, forcing a soft smile as I adjusted her blankets. "His name is Jay. He keeps to himself, but he seems nice."

Now, standing in the dim hallway after another brutal shift, I reached into my baggy sweater pocket to grab my keys. My fingers were shaking so badly from exhaustion that the metal ring slipped right through my grasp.

The keys hit the floorboard, the loud noise echoing off the narrow walls. I let out a miserable, tired sigh and bent down to reach for them, but a sudden stitch of sharp pain in my lower back made me gasp and freeze.

Right then, a loud click broke the silence of the corridor.

The door to apartment 4B swung open, and Jay stepped out into the hallway. He was dressed in a simple dark t-shirt and sweatpants, his hair slightly damp as if he had just showered. When he saw me hovering painfully over the floor, he stopped.

Our eyes met. For a second, the world seemed to slow down. His unreadable, sharp eyes scanned my face, taking in the dark circles under my eyes, my pale skin, and the way I was holding my side.

The intimidating weight of his presence was still there, but as he looked at me, something in his expression shifted. The coldness melted into something remarkably soft.

Before I could awkwardly explain myself, Jay crossed the distance between us in two long, silent strides. He knelt down effortlessly, his massive frame making the narrow hallway feel incredibly small.

His large, scarred hand closed around my fallen keys.

He stood up, holding them out to me. "You look like you're about to collapse, Sunesis," he said. His deep voice was incredibly smooth, lacking any of the sharpness I usually expected from men in this city.

"I am just... a little tired," I whispered, reaching out to take the keys. My face burned with a sudden flush of embarrassment. "Thank you, Jay."

Instead of dropping the keys into my palm, his fingers gently brushed against mine. His skin was warm, and his touch was shockingly steady.

He looked past me at my apartment door, then quietly took a step forward, sliding the key into the brass lock for me. With a gentle turn of his wrist, the lock clicked open.

"A little tired is an understatement," Jay murmured, turning back to face me. He reached into the wide pocket of his sweatpants and pulled out a small, circular tin made of polished silver. He held it out to me. "Here. Take this."

I blinked, looking at the small tin in confusion. "What is it?"

"It is a specialized herbal muscle balm," he explained, his lips curling into a very faint, gentle shadow of a smile. "I use it after my morning jogs when my muscles get locked up. It helps with the pain. Trust me."

I hesitated, my fingers curling into the long sleeves of my beige sweater. "I... I can't take your things, Jay. I'm sure it's expensive."

"Take it, Sunesis," he insisted quietly, his voice carrying a soft, protective weight that made it impossible to argue.

He gently placed the smooth tin directly into my hand, his fingers completely enveloping mine for a brief, reassuring second. "Rub it on your shoulders before you go to sleep. You work too hard."

The genuine warmth of his gesture struck a chord deep inside my chest, causing a sudden flutter in my heart.

In a world where my boss treated me like trash and the night club treated me like an object, this intimidating stranger was showing me a piece of pure, expected kindness.

But one thought crossed my mind. How did he know I was working so hard? Was he spying on me? I brushed the thought aside, still staring at the tin in my hand.

"Thank you," I breathed, looking up at him and finally meeting his gaze fully. "That is... really kind of you."

"Get some rest, neighbor," Jay said softly. He gave me one last, lingering look before turning around and walking back toward his own door.

I slipped into my apartment, closing the door gently behind me. I pressed my back against the wood, clutching the small silver tin tightly against my chest.

My body still ached, but as I listened to the quiet silence of the apartment, the suffocating weight of my secrets felt just a little bit lighter.

As much as my body screamed for me to crawl into bed and sleep for days, I couldn't. I walked into the kitchen and opened the cupboards, my heart sinking slightly.

We were running dangerously low on basic provisions. There was barely enough rice for tomorrow, and most of the tins were completely empty.

I tiptoed to Grandmother’s bedroom door and pushed it open an inch. She was fast asleep, her breathing shallow but steady, her face peaceful beneath the worn quilt. At least she was resting.

Relieved, I went into my own small room. I took a quick, warm bath, letting the water wash away the dust of the corporate office. I didn't have a shift that night at the club so I would use that and rest.

Once dry, I opened the silver tin Jay had given me. A rich, soothing scent of eucalyptus and mint filled the room. I carefully rubbed the smooth cream over my aching shoulders and lower back.

Almost instantly, a cooling, numbing warmth spread through my skin, melting the sharpest knots of pain away. It worked beautifully.

A small smile graced my lips as I pulled on a fresh, oversized black hoodie and my usual loose trousers. I made a firm mental note to thank him properly the next time I saw him.

I grabbed my cloth grocery bag, quietly slipped out of the apartment, and locked the door behind me. I turned around, expecting the hallway to be empty, but I froze in surprise.

Jay had come back outside.

He was leaning against the railing near the top of the stairs, a dark jacket thrown over his t-shirt. He looked like he had been waiting for someone, or perhaps just taking in the cool evening air.

When the click of my lock echoed, his sharp eyes instantly snapped to me. His brow furrowed slightly as he took in my shoes and the grocery bag in my hand.

"Are you not going to rest?" Jay asked, his deep voice cutting through the quiet corridor. There was a genuine note of disapproval in his tone, as if he couldn't comprehend why someone so exhausted was heading back out into the harsh city.

"I—I have to go to the grocery shop to get some things.” I stuttered, my cheeks burning instantly under his intense gaze. I gripped the handles of my cloth bag tighter, suddenly feeling incredibly small under his towering shadow.

Jay stared down at me, his dark eyes assessing my exhausted face for a long, quiet moment.

"Where is the shop?" he asked. "I need to get a few things for my place, too."

I blinked up at him, my mind scrambling to process his sudden question. The thought of walking down the street with this massive, imposing man made my stomach do a strange little flip.

"Um..." I murmured, shifting my weight from one foot to the other. "It is just down the street. It is about a five-minute walk from here."

Jay gave a firm, decisive nod. He didn't hesitate for a single second. "Since you are already headed there, then I will go with you."

I stood frozen, completely stunned. My mouth opened slightly, but no words came out. I was used to being completely invisible, a shadow that people walked right past without a second glance.

Yet here was this incredibly intimidating, strikingly handsome man, adjusting his jacket and waiting for me to lead the way as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

On a normal day, I would have said no. I didn't like walking with anyone but he had been kind enough to give me the balm which worked by the way and he was new here. One time wouldn't hurt at all.

"Is that a problem, neighbor?" Jay asked, his deep voice snapping me out of my thoughts. His voice carried a faint, teasing undertone that sent a sudden ripple of warmth straight down my spine.

"N-no," I stuttered out quickly, my face burning red as I finally found my voice. "No problem at all. Let's go.”