Breakfast had ended, but the tension lingered like a secret melody humming beneath the sunlight. Carl had gone quiet, his usual unreadable mask slipping now and then—especially when Maika wasn't looking. But he was always watching her.
And Maika… Maika noticed everything.
The way his eyes would soften when Caveen laughed. The way he always placed himself between her and anything that could be remotely dangerous—even the edge of a table. The way his voice lowered when he spoke her name, as if it were something sacred.
She caught herself glancing at him more often than she should—long, lingering stares when he wasn't looking. But when their eyes did meet, a jolt would shoot through her chest like lightning cracking open her ribcage.
Carl never looked away first.
And each time he held her gaze, something inside her quivered. It wasn't fear.
It was something far more dangerous.
---
NOON
The island's private beach shimmered under the golden sun. Waves lazily kissed the shoreline, the air warm with the scent of salt and wild orchids.
Caveen squealed with excitement, already kicking off his slippers and running barefoot into the wet sand. "Lady Maika! Daddy! Come on!"
Maika stepped out from the shaded villa veranda, barefoot and hesitant.
Carl had just finished setting up the picnic area when he turned—and stopped breathing.
She stood there, sunlight kissing her skin, long hair falling in soft waves over her bare shoulders. The light blue bikini she wore clung perfectly to her figure, both elegant and daring. His gaze trailed down her body before he caught himself and looked away quickly—too quickly.
It was the very bikini he had bought for her, when he first brought her here days ago in hopes bringing back her memories.
She looked like a vision. A siren meant to shatter all his walls.
Maika didn't miss the way his throat moved when he swallowed hard.
She hadn't meant to wear this one—but it had been on top of the drawer, and Caveen had chosen it with an innocent smile, saying, "Lady Maika will look like a mermaid in this one!"
Her heart raced as Carl turned away, hiding his expression. But she'd seen it. The way his amber eyes burned. The way his lips parted slightly, then clenched shut.
A part of her—just a sliver—felt beautiful under his gaze.
---
MOMENTS LATER
The three of them waded into the water. Caveen clung to Maika's hand as they splashed around in the shallows, giggling and squealing. Carl followed slowly behind, always keeping an eye on them, even when he pretended not to.
Maika let herself laugh, truly laugh, as Caveen splashed her. The water was cool, cleansing, freeing.
"Let's go a little farther, Lady Maika!" Caveen said, tugging gently.
Maika nodded. "Just a bit, alright?"
They drifted farther, but Maika misjudged the slope of the seafloor. Her foot slipped, and suddenly the ground vanished beneath her. She gasped, trying to find her footing, but the tide had changed. A strong undercurrent pulled at her, panic surging through her chest as saltwater filled her lungs.
Her arms flailed.
Caveen screamed, "Daddy!"
Carl's head snapped up—and in an instant, he was gone from the shore.
---
UNDERWATER – SECONDS LATER
Maika's vision blurred, lungs screaming for air. Panic turned to fear.
Then—strong arms.
She was yanked upward in a surge of motion and water.
---
Maika coughed, water pouring from her mouth as she collapsed into Carl's arms. He carried her to the shore with desperation in every step, holding her as if letting go would kill him.
"Maika! Look at me!" he commanded, shaking her gently.
Her eyes fluttered open, unfocused. Then she saw him—soaked, breathless, and terrified.
He looked… broken.
"You idiot," he whispered, pressing his forehead against hers. "Don't do that. Don't—don't scare me like that."
She could barely breathe, not just from the water—but from the way he held her. As if she mattered more than anything else in this world.
As if losing her would destroy him.
Their eyes met, inches apart.
Something shifted.
Maika's breath hitched—not from fear, but from the overwhelming heat pooling in her chest. Carl's gaze searched hers, raw and vulnerable, as though he'd torn off every mask he'd ever worn.
His voice dropped to a whisper. "I thought I lost you… again."
Again?
She didn't ask what he meant. She couldn't. Her heart was racing too fast, matching the thunder she felt in his chest as he held her tighter.
Maika looked away, cheeks flushed, throat dry.
"I'm okay," she said softly.
But neither of them moved.
Caveen rushed over and clung to her side, sobbing, "Lady Maika, you scared me!"
She held him close, but her eyes kept flicking to Carl.
Something had cracked open between them—raw and undeniable.
And in that moment, Maika felt it.
She was falling.
And this time, not into water.
But into the one man beside her.