91

The Coleman-Hartmann drawing room's candlelight flirted with walls hung with family portraits, casting Ruth's face in golden warm light. She stood behind an extremely small cake sitting on top of a Venetian glass platter—white frosting, sugar-dusted violet petals, and sixteen taper candles glowing. At the table, a handful of close friends and colleagues of the foundation: Dr. Elena Vargas, Marissa Chen, and Simone Park among them. Their laughter and gentle toasts wove a fragile thread of normalcy into the tension that had wrapped the family for these weeks.

Liana sat beside her mother, her sapphire dress a radiant contrast to the ivory softness of the room. She grappled for a bright smile as each guest rose to offer birthday wishes, to celebrate the woman who had borne so much on young shoulders. Leo stood at the edge of the room, his eyes both haunted and proud, looking at his daughter with tenderness and fear. With each round of applause, Liana experienced a pang of guilt—her birthday should have been a joyous celebration of her entry into womanhood, not a subdued marker in a war she never wanted to fight.

After the last guest had departed and the kitchen staff intercepted what was left of the cake, Ruth dragged Liana away. "Close your eyes," she whispered with a wicked smile. Liana closed them, heart racing at the strange flash of maternal distress. Ruth led her by the hand through the quiet corridors of the estate to the isolated boathouse. As Liana's eyes opened, the blackness was broken by the gentle light of lanterns that dangled from the rafters on the ceiling. The yacht of the family floated silently on its moorings, the shining teak deck burnished to the color of bronze by the light of lanterns.

"It's yours tonight," Ruth said to Liana, giving her a small bunch of lavender. "A birthday gift—just you and Alex." The sound of his name made Liana's heart pound. She had arranged the meeting that morning: a secret meeting with Alex to finalize the last phase of their case strategy—and to recapture a moment of lost joy. She nodded, fighting her nervousness, and glided down the deck steps.

Alex stood at the bow in a white linen shirt with a sharp crease and dark trousers, his eyes scanning the water as if memorizing the gentle swell of the harbor. He turned at her approach, and the light of the lanterns fell on the silver at his temples. His grey eyes relaxed at the sight of her, a soft spreading of his lips into a smile. “Happy birthday,” he said, voice husky with relief and something deeper.

Liana stepped forward, her cheeks flush with gratitude. “Thank you—for everything.” She placed the lavender at his feet and turned to regard the yacht’s expanse: a polished wooden deck, a curved steering wheel of brass, and the wide, dark stretch of water beyond. “I’ve never been on a yacht alone at night,” she admitted.

Alex stretched out his arm. "Then the privilege is mine." He guided her aft, where a plush bench padded in navy pillows framed a view out over the harbor. The overhead lanterns pooled golden light and the city skyline glittered beyond them. It smelled of salt and orchids, the wave's soft lap a lullaby.

They huddled together, shoulders brushing. Alex leaned close, his hand trembling as he traced the dip of Liana's shoulder. The touch shook through her, her breath holding at the electricity in his fingertip. He turned her back to him, his voice rough. "Liana," he breathed, "I never thought I'd have peace in all this craziness. But with you…tonight, here, I see I've fallen—for you."

Liana’s heart pounded. She searched his eyes—so earnest, so vulnerable. The world of lawsuits, threats, and midnight strategy sessions slipped away under the vast dome of stars. She lay a hand over his. “I’ve fallen, too,” she whispered. “Despite everything—and because of everything.”

Alex's hand wrapped around hers. He leaned forward, paused as if expecting a final permission, then closed the distance. They kissed, his lips tender and electric at the same time. Liana replied, arms around his neck as the yacht glided on the tide of night. The light of the lantern cavorted about them, fingers of flame illuminating the contours of their faces as they succumbed to the warmth of one another's grip.

As they broke away, gasping, Alex grinned against her mouth. "You're everything I never knew I needed." He brushed aside her hair, lips tracing the back of her neck. Liana's pulse faltered under his soft burden of love. Their kiss deepened, wild in its urgency but gentle with hope—a mix of longing and redemption.

They ascended to pass below, closing the hatch after them. By the light of the cabin, they discovered sanctuary: silken sheets, plush pillows, a universe removed from the tempest awaiting their loved ones. Wood-panelled walls closed over them as their night passed—whispered caresses, smoldering kisses, laughter stained with surprise at the freedom they'd found. Time lost itself in gasping moments and breaths, until the first flush of dawn bathed the cabin in pale gold.

Morning light streamed through the port window as they hugged, hearts still pounding with passion and adrenaline. Liana traced gooseflesh along the length of Alex's arm, huddling up close to feel his slow heartbeat. He brushed a fingertip along her collar, drowsy and half-asleep, and found her eyes in the quiet. "Last night was…" he began, his voice thick.

She rested her head on his chest, sensing the rhythmic pounding of his heart. "Perfect," she whispered, and then her words lodged. Guilt seared her chest. "But we have a promise—to my family, to our cause. I can't be distracted." Her words trembled under the weight of responsibility.

Alex's features clouded with concern. "Liana, I—" He leaned toward her, but she moved back under his arm, gathering up her clothes. Soft clinking of buttons and folds broke the silence.

She got dressed in haste, each motion a barrier between herself and the desire within. "I must return to the estate," she stated, voice firm though her heart was weighted. "They'll start without me."

Alex stood looking at her, set jaw with helplessness and something else—protectiveness. "Take care," he whispered. "I'll be there as fast as I can."

She turned her gaze on him, and they were filled with tears. "Thank you—for making me feel alive for a moment."

He stood and kissed her one last, hurting kiss—soft and desperate. Then he stepped back, watching her go through the cabin door and up to the deck.

Liana lingered at the hatch, savoring crisp air scented with the astringent tingle of salt and dawn. She willed her shoulders to relax, drinking in courage. "I'll be with you soon," she shouted down. And then moved out onto the deck, bearing in her chest love and compunction entangled.

A few seconds later, as she was to retract the boarding ramp, a muffled thump vibrated through the hull of the yacht. Liana's heart leapt. She glanced aft, pounding heart, as a spark spat and ignited close to the starboard. A crawling fire consumed the teak, black smoke billowing under the light of the lanterns.

"Fire!" she screamed.

Alex's voice came from below, commanding. He charged up the stairs, features etched in shock and determination. Without moment's hesitation, he grabbed a coiled fire hose by the hatch, twisting open the valve. A blast of water swept into the fire, steam bursting as scalding droplets mingled with the flame.

Liana moved forward to help, holding the hose alongside him. They doused the fire, water spouting across the deck in glittering veils. The flames starved out on a final desperate hiss, dead, blackened streaks and a warm acrid scent of burned varnish hanging in the air.

Alex drew the hose aside, gasping. He walked to her, relief and concern etched on his face. "Are you all right?"

She nodded, her legs shaking. "I—I think so." Her gown clung wetly to her skin where water had splattered against her. She brushed ash from her cheek. "Who would do this?"

He sat her down on a flipped crate, wrapping a protective arm around her shoulders. "Malachi's message," he muttered. "There's no place to hide." His thumb stroked her arm comfortingly. "But as long as we're together—"