ANCHOR OF HEARTS

His touch was clinical and efficient, yet beneath it was an unspoken gentleness as he tended to her injury. As he wrapped bandages around her arm, curiosity got the better of him.



“Why take such a painful step?” he asked, his voice steady, concealing his intrigue.



Selina's gaze fell on his expressionless face, observing the gentleness and concentration with which he cared for her injury. Sadly, she couldn't tell if this was a concern or pity because she never expected him to tend to her at all.



“I don't want to be broken in your revenge,” Selina answered softly.



“You owe me your life, and for that, you can’t dictate your fate.”



Absolutely.



Selina couldn't understand why he had to save her when he desired her death.



"You should've let me die then and get your wish fulfilled. If I died, it would erase your pain. And maybe... maybe it would bring you peace," she muttered, contrasting her pain with the weight of his suffering.



Her reply hung in the air, momentarily halting his clinical movements as he lifted his cold eyes to meet her sad and remorseful gaze. Her words still echoed in his mind—unexpected and troubling.



Was this guilt a burden she carried from her father's actions? How could she be so brave to take such a selfless yet immoral act?



Earlier, he had marveled at her bravery. However, he reminded himself not to be swayed by her actions, as he couldn't tell if this was yet another trick of hers to earn his mercy.



"I won’t let you die so easily. Not while I’m still breathing," Zane declared in his usual frosty yet calm tone as it lingered in the air with great significance.



Instead of feeling frightened by those solemn, eerie words, her heart betrayed her, racing in sync with the emotions his voice stirred. Emotions she couldn’t name, yet they lingered deep down.



They sounded like a lifelong promise to her. Maybe.. something quite protective.



***



As the outcast daughter of the Everett family, Selina lives an ordinary life while fighting to rebuild herself into a prestigious figure—one whose name will echo through the world for decades to come.



She also yearns for a romantic connection with the man she’s secretly admired for years.



But her hopes crumble when that very man, Zane, returns not with affection, but with a ruthless vendetta against her and her family. His vengeance nearly costs her everything: her dreams, her future, even her life.



Caught in the storm of his revenge and the cold rejection of those she once called family, Selina finds herself heartbroken and isolated.



Then, one night changes everything.



After a single, unforgettable encounter at Zane’s welcome banquet, Selina discovers she’s pregnant. With nothing left but her resolve, she strikes a desperate deal: she will carry their child, in exchange for something momentarily precious to him.