BOUNDARIES.

Chapter: 10

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SORA:

I stood there like a sculpture, just watching.

My heart was racing so fast it hurt, but I didn’t move. It felt like if I did, it would shatter everything. Beauty sat close to him, laughing, happy, her cheeks full of food.

I loved seeing her like this, but I wasn’t just scared, I was terrified. I didn’t want to lose this job. I've had it for only a week now.

I couldn’t afford to lose it.

Why didn’t she just stay in the room? Why did she choose to wander off? My mind kept going back to the day we got thrown out of where we lived. That day I held her in my arms in the rain. No, I couldn’t go back to that.

But then I saw her smile again. It was genuine, peaceful, and so beautiful. My heart fluttered at the sight of my daughter happy.

“Don’t worry, she’s safe with me.”

I blinked. That was when I realized Zane was actually speaking to me.

“You should get back to work,” he said calmly. “I’ll keep an eye on her, and I will take her back to your quarters.”

My mouth opened as I tried to think of something to say. “Sir… I–”

“No.”

He shut me down instantly.

There was no anger in the way he spoke to me, but he made it clear it wasn’t a request.

“I’m… I’m sorry, sir, for the inconvenience. Please, just let me take her back to the room.”

“She’s not inconveniencing me,” he said again, this time firmer.

I still hesitated.

“Papa,” she called, her voice cutting through the panic. My eyes quickly found hers.

She got off the chair and wrapped her little arms around my leg. “It’s okay, Papa. I’ll stay. You go back to work okay.”

My heart cracked.

“I’ll come get you soon, okay?” I said, crouching down in front of her.

“Okay,” she replied, and I placed a kiss on her forehead.

I stood slowly, my gaze finding Zane again. He gave me a small, reassuring nod. I never left my daughter with anyone if it wasn’t the daycare, but there was a strange trust I felt for him.

The kitchen was massive. I’m pretty sure it was bigger than Mrs. Cheng’s entire restaurant.

My mop moved over the floor of the kitchen, but my mind wasn’t there. It kept going back to Beauty and to him, and the way he looked at my daughter like she wasn’t the child of a common servant.

His voice played back in my head, low and calming.

There was something about that — something I couldn’t place my hands on. It was like my mind was refusing me from remembering it. It was too persistent, and I didn’t like it.

So I refused to dwell on it.

“Soup,” one of the kitchen staff told me. “Sir Zane wants it in an hour.”

I nodded and immediately went to work, chopping up some vegetables, trying to concentrate on the food I was making, but it felt impossible.

The hours dragged, but the day eventually ended, and nightfall came.

By the time I was dismissed, every part of my body ached so badly, but it wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle. This wasn’t considered pain compared to what I’d been through.

At this point, all I wanted was my daughter.

I walked back toward our room. I was sure she would have been back there a long time ago and would probably be asleep. I rehearsed the scolding she was going to receive when she woke up tomorrow.

But when I stepped in, Zane was there.

I froze.

He held Beauty in his arms. She was asleep, her head resting on his chest, her little fingers fisting in his shirt.

All the air in my lungs left me all at once. How was he able to open the door without a key?

“Sir, I–” I said before I could stop myself. “How did you…”

“Shhh,” he said in a low voice. “Don’t wake her up.”

My mouth snapped tight, like they had been stitched up.

“I own the estate, Sora. Keys aren’t really a problem for me,” he said in a low voice, but the amusement in his tone wasn’t unmistakable.

I stared at him for an awkward moment, still trying to process.

“She fell asleep. I didn’t want to wake her, and I didn’t want to worry you. That’s why I brought her.”

I nodded, and watched as he slowly placed her on the bed, ever so gently, like she was made of glass and any wrong move could break her. As he covered her with the blanket, that strange pull came back.

It was stronger this time, and it felt so hard to ignore.

Zane straightened after tucking her in. His movements were slow, careful. Who knew the richest man in the city knew how to take care of a child?

For a moment, he just stood there, staring down at her.

Then he turned to me.

He was about to leave, but when he got to the door, he paused.

“What happened to her father?” he asked quietly.

That was supposed to be a simple question that deserved a simple answer, but it hit me in a way it shouldn’t have. Everything came back at once — the heat, the party, the stranger in the mask.

“He’s dead,” I said quickly.

Zane stilled. His face didn’t really give off anything, but I felt it from his body language, and there was both surprise and pity in his eyes.

I hated it. I didn’t need anyone’s pity.

“She’s all I have,” I added, looking at my daughter who was sleeping peacefully. My tone was defensive without me meaning for it to be like that.

He nodded like he understood exactly what I was talking about.

“She’s brilliant,” he said after a moment, and I saw how the thought of her made him smile. “She’s sharp, very curious.”

“I’ll arrange a private tutor for her.”

“No… no, sir,” I said quickly. “You don’t have to do that. I can’t afford it, at least not now.”

“It won’t come out of your pay. Don’t worry about that.”

“Sir, please, I can’t accept that. It’s too much, please.”

“Sora.”

He said my name, not sharp or cold. It was just steady.

“My mind is already made up.”

Silence suddenly settled between us.

My gaze lifted to his face. I tried to stop myself, but I couldn’t. His face was well-defined, like he was sculpted by the Goddess herself.

When my eyes found his lips, I swallowed hard.

I couldn’t stop myself from wondering how soft his lips would feel pressed against mine.

The realization jolted me.

At the same time, his expression changed, as if he was snapping out of a haze too.

And for a split second, our eyes locked.

Zane stepped back quickly, like he’d just crossed a line, and he walked toward the door.

“Good night, Sora,” were the last words he said before leaving.