C-7

"Did you really just kick that door in?" the man barked as he strode into the dim room. Ada's eyes widened in shock. She had barely recovered from the chaos when the same stranger—her mysterious rescuer—stepped forward again. His strong presence, as if pulled from the pages of one of her dark romance novels, made her pulse quicken.

"Every time you save me, I wonder if you even know my name," Ada managed, her voice trembling between gratitude and a secret yearning. "You're making a habit of rescuing me from danger… and I still don't know who you are."

The man's eyes softened briefly, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "Call me your knight in the dark," he replied coolly. "At least until you learn my real name."

Ada's heart fluttered. She was a self-confessed book girl—enchanted by handsome heroes who risked everything for their ladies. And here he was, performing the very act that made her swoon. His soft touches, the tender way he'd pulled her from peril the previous time, sent sparks racing through her mind. Yet, despite the surge of emotion, a stubborn part of her recoiled at vulnerability. She had built walls, hoping to hide her weakness, but he had shattered them already.

Before Ada could gather her swirling thoughts, the knight's tone shifted, sharp and accusatory. "Are you related by blood to that scum?" he demanded, his eyes narrowing with anger. He was referring to her brother, Stephen—a troubled soul whose misdeeds had haunted her for far too long.

Ada's cheeks flushed hot. "You don't get to insult my brother," she snapped, though her voice wavered with both defiance and sorrow. She always defended him, even when his actions were unforgivable. "He's all I have left."

The knight scoffed. "You're proud to call that person your brother? Didn't you hear what the gang just said? They claim he sold you to them, and you still stand by him. This isn't the first time, is it? You keep defending him, even though he's nothing but a lost cause."

Her eyes glistened with unshed tears as she fought back the urge to cry. "What am I supposed to do?" Ada pleaded, her voice cracking. "Leave him out in the cold with no one to love him? I'm his only family, and you wouldn't understand."

He sighed, his fierce expression softening as he stepped closer. "I understand, Ada," he murmured gently. "But tell me—does he cherish you the same way? There's no true happiness unless the love you give is returned. You care about him, but does he care about you?"

Ada blinked, momentarily taken aback by the unexpected tenderness in his words. "You call me 'coffee girl' sometimes," she thought, a bittersweet smile tugging at her lips despite the heaviness in her heart. "I—I can't help it. Stephen is everything I have left. I can't let him feel alone."

The knight's gaze softened further, and without another word, he wrapped his strong arms around her. In that embrace, Ada felt her carefully guarded barriers crumble. For the first time, she allowed herself to be vulnerable, letting tears spill over as she broke down in his arms. The sensation of being cared for, of being treated like a precious child, both pained and comforted her.

After a long, silent moment, the knight pulled away slightly and said, "It's fine, Ada. I'm sorry for insulting him." His voice was low, tinged with regret, as he clenched his fist in a quiet promise of retribution against those who dared disrespect what she held dear.

Ada sniffled and managed a shaky laugh. "You've never apologized to anyone before, have you?" she teased softly, wiping her tears with the back of her hand.

He grunted with a half-smile. "Nope," he admitted, his tone almost embarrassed. "That's the first time I've ever apologized."

Ada's eyes danced with a mixture of amusement and relief as she adjusted her torn dress. "I guess that makes today pretty special," she said, a playful glimmer emerging amid her lingering sorrow.

A vibration from his phone broke the tender moment. The knight frowned as he glanced at the screen, which had been pinging relentlessly with messages since he'd arrived. "You'll get used to it," Ada teased, noting how his mood lifted at her lighthearted banter.

"Oh no. I don't ever want to get used to that," he sang in a low, unexpected melody that drew a genuine chuckle from Ada. "You've got a nice voice," she complimented, watching him grin at her remark.

He leaned in, his eyes warm yet teasing. "I never thought you'd laugh or even talk much. I only ever saw that grumpy face of yours." His comment made Ada's heart skip a beat; the memory of his smile from earlier made her feel as if her insides were doing somersaults.

In a hushed tone, he murmured, "I seem to do abnormal things when it comes to you, pretty girl." The words, though meant to be private, echoed in Ada's ears like a secret confession.

"Huh?" Ada replied, feigning nonchalance, though the secret smile on her face betrayed her amusement.

As Ada adjusted her dress—thankfully not in shreds—she noticed a change in his demeanor. "Shouldn't I get you new clothes?" he asked, his eyes scanning her torn attire with a hint of concern.

Before she could answer, she sensed a subtle shift in his expression. His eyes darkened like a predator's, and his body language turned mysterious, almost off. "Are you okay?" she asked, watching him ruffle his hair as if trying to shake off an unseen burden.

He groaned softly, not answering, only turning away with his hand still in his hair. Ada forced a smile. "I can walk out here just fine," she insisted, though inwardly, she knew her dress left much to be desired.

He nodded, and Ada prepared to leave. She told herself the lie that she was unbothered by her appearance, though she secretly hoped he wouldn't notice the tatters. Just as she reached for the door, a sudden force pulled her back, slamming her against it. In an instant, before she could protest, a rough kiss assaulted her lips.

At first, Ada stood frozen in shock, her mind racing as she tried to process the unexpected contact. The kiss was rough—almost aggressive—and for a moment, she couldn't return it. But then he nibbled gently on her lower lip, and all her defenses crumbled. With every fiber of her being, she threw caution aside and kissed him back passionately. It was, without a doubt, the sweetest taste she had ever experienced—a heady mix of danger, tenderness, and unspoken promise.

They broke apart, breathless and disoriented, the air between them charged with raw emotion. Ada's eyes shone with a mixture of wonder and vulnerability. "You… you saved me again," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

He gave a small, enigmatic smile. "I couldn't let you face this world alone, Ada," he murmured softly. His tone was both protective and tender—a stark contrast to the earlier fire in his eyes when he defended her family.

Ada's gaze shifted, a flicker of uncertainty mingling with the warmth in her chest. "But what about my brother?" she asked, her voice trembling as she recalled his earlier words. "What if… what if he never learns to love me the way I love him?"

Her knight's expression hardened for a split second, then softened again. "You deserve love that's returned, Ada," he said gently. "I care about you—truly. But you have to wonder: does Stephen care about you the same way you do about him?" His words, though blunt, carried the weight of painful truth.

Tears welled in Ada's eyes as she struggled with conflicting emotions. "I—I can't just abandon him," she managed, her voice breaking. "He's all I have left."

He pulled her into another embrace, this time gentler, as if to shield her from the harshness of the world. "I know," he whispered. "But you must take care of yourself too. You deserve happiness, Ada. The love you give should be returned." His hand stroked her hair softly.

For a long, silent moment, Ada allowed herself to be vulnerable, letting her tears flow freely in his arms. It was the first time she'd let someone see her unguarded, fragile self. In that moment, the knight's presence felt like both a shield and a promise of a better future.

When they finally pulled apart, Ada tried to compose herself. "I'm sorry for defending him," she said haltingly, still choked by emotion.

He shook his head, a rueful smile touching his lips. "You've never apologized to anyone before, have you?" he teased lightly, though his eyes remained earnest.

"No," she admitted softly, wiping her cheeks with trembling fingers. "That's the first time… and I hate that I'm weak enough to do it."

He chuckled, then his phone buzzed again, drawing their attention away. "You'll get used to this constant interruption," Ada teased, watching as he reluctantly glanced at the screen.

"Oh no, I don't ever want to get used to that," he replied, half singing a silly refrain that made Ada laugh despite herself.

Their playful banter lightened the heavy air, and for a brief while, Ada forgot the harsh realities of her world. "You've got a nice voice," she complimented, genuinely pleased by the unexpected musical side of him.

He grinned, his earlier sternness dissolving into warmth. "I didn't think you ever laughed or even talked," he said, his tone softening. "I always saw that grumpy face, Ada."

At that, Ada's heart did a somersault. "I seem to do abnormal things when it comes to you, pretty girl," he muttered under his breath. Though he tried to hide it, Ada caught every word.

"Nothing," he quickly added, shaking his head as she turned away with a secret smile.

Just then, he noticed her torn dress. "Should I get you new clothes?" he asked, his tone shifting with concern as his eyes locked onto hers. But before she could answer, his expression darkened. His eyes took on a predator's intensity, and his posture grew mysterious and distant.

"Are you okay?" Ada asked, noticing his sudden groan as he ruffled his hair in frustration.

He didn't reply, merely turning away with his hand still tangled in his hair. "I can walk out here just fine," she insisted, though internally she was mortified by her state.

As she reached for the door, a sudden, unseen force pulled her back, slamming her against it. In that breathless instant, rough lips captured hers once more. Ada's heart pounded as shock gave way to passion; initially, she hesitated, then as his tender nibbles coaxed her defenses aside, she returned the kiss with fervor.

Their lips met in a fervent collision—wild, rough, and impossibly sweet. In that moment, all her doubts melted away, replaced by the overwhelming taste of desire and salvation.

"Stay with me," he murmured between kisses, his voice rough yet sincere.

Ada's voice trembled as she replied, "I—I won't ever let you go."

And so, amid whispered promises and lingering touches, their voices became the final note in the charged dialogue of the night—a declaration of shared rescue, of vulnerability laid bare, and of a love that might just heal the broken pieces of their past.

"Don't ever leave me," Ada whispered, eyes locked on his as the night deepened around them.

"Not as long as I'm your knight in the dark," he replied, his voice echoing like a vow in the stillness.