SOMETHING SOFT

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: SOMETHING SOFT

CASPIAN'S POV

I stayed with her.

I didn’t plan to. When we first arrived at the hospital, I only meant to make sure Serena was safe and that the doctor had everything under control. But the moment I saw her face when she held her brother’s hand, something inside me refused to leave. I couldn't bare to leave her alone.

I stood near the wall of Lucas’s room for a long time. Serena sat on the edge of the bed, talking to him in a soft voice I had never heard before. She brushed his hair back. She smiled even when her eyes looked tired. She kept telling him everything would be okay.

I watched her.

This was a different Serena. Not the woman who cursed me in bed. Not the woman who glared at me across the dinner table. This version was gentle, protective and full of love so pure it made my chest feel tight.

Helena’s voice tried to push into my head again.

Emotions are weaknesses. Attachment destroys men like us.

I pushed the voice away.

Hours passed. Nurses came and went. The machines kept their steady beeping. Serena never left her brother’s side. When Lucas finally fell asleep, she still held his hand.

I walked over and placed a chair behind her.

“Sit properly, Serena” I said quietly.

She looked up at me, surprised, then sat down without arguing. I stayed standing beside her. After a while, I brought her a bottle of water from the hallway. She took it without looking at me, but her fingers brushed mine for a second.

The night grew long.

I didn’t leave. I didn't want to.

Around two in the morning, Serena’s head started to drop. She was fighting sleep. I pulled another chair close and sat beside her. When her eyes closed completely, her head slowly leaned toward my shoulder. I stayed still. I didn’t move away.

For the first time in years, I let someone rest against me without turning it into control or desire. It felt strange and dangerous. It was…soft.

I looked at her sleeping face. The same face that usually looked at me with anger or heat. Right now it looked peaceful. I wanted to protect that peace. I wanted her to be peaceful around me. The thought scared me more than any business rival ever had.

Morning light slowly entered the room through the blinds.

Serena woke up with a small jolt. She blinked, realized her head had been on my shoulder, and quickly sat up straight. Her cheeks turned pink.

“You stayed the whole night?” she asked, her voice rough from sleep.

“Yes.”

She stared at me for a long moment, like she didn’t know what to do with that answer.

“I'm sorry for putting you in this condition.” She eventually said. Her voice soft.

Lucas was still sleeping.

Before I could respond, a nurse came in, checked his monitors, and gave us a quiet nod. Everything was stable.

Serena still looked worried. She kept glancing at her brother every few seconds.

I stood up and walked to the door. “I’ll speak with the doctor again. Just to make sure.”

Dr. Ramirez was already in the hallway with a clipboard. I asked him the same questions I had asked the night before. He answered patiently.

“Lucas is stable. The reaction was controlled. The specialist will arrive next week as planned. There is no immediate danger. He was fine.”

I thanked him and went back into the room.

Serena was standing beside the bed now, still watching her brother.

“He’s fine,” I told her. “The doctor confirmed it again. Everything is totally under control.”

She nodded, but her eyes still looked unsure.

I stepped closer. “Serena. He’s okay. You can go home and rest. We’ll come back later if you want.”

She looked at Lucas one more time, then at me. After a long pause, she finally nodded.

“Okay.”

I drove her home.

The morning traffic was light. Serena sat quietly in the passenger seat, her hands folded on her lap. She looked exhausted. I kept my eyes on the road, but every few minutes I glanced at her.

Something had shifted between us last night. I could feel it. The usual sharp tension was still there, but underneath it was something softer. Something I didn’t have a name for yet.

When we reached the mansion, I parked the car and walked around to open her door. She stepped out slowly. We walked inside together. The house was quiet. The private chef was supposed to come in later in the day.

Serena stopped in the middle of the living room. She turned to face me.

“Thank you,” she said softly. “For staying. And for… everything with Lucas.”

I looked at her. Really looked at her. Her tired eyes. The soft expression she rarely showed me. The way she stood there without her usual armor.

I took a step closer.

Then another.

She didn’t move away.

My hand rose slowly. I brushed a strand of hair away from her face. My fingers rested lightly against her cheek. Her skin was warm. Her eyes lifted to mine.

I leaned in.

Our faces were close. I could feel her soft breath. My heart was beating harder than it should. I wanted to kiss her. Not the rough, claiming kisses we always shared. This was something slower. Something more.

Just before my lips touched hers, my phone rang.

The sharp sound cut through the quiet like a knife.

I closed my eyes for a second, my jaw tightening. Then I pulled back and took the phone from my pocket.

Nathan’s name was on the screen.

I answered, still looking at Serena.

“Yes?”

Nathan’s voice came through, serious and urgent.

“Sir. We found something. You need to see this.”

I stayed silent for a moment, the tension still hanging in the air between us.

Serena watched me, her expression unreadable.

I lowered the phone slightly and met her eyes.

Something had started between us this morning.

And something dangerous was about to interrupt it.