Se-Ri's POV
I heard a sharp sound of glass shattering.
I moved toward the study, footsteps light.
"You always do whatever you want," I heard her say, voice cold and cutting. "Just like your father."
Leo stood with his back to me, fists clenched, trembling. Shards of glass glittered around his feet.
He was still — not cold, but folded in.
I stepped inside.
"Leo," I said quietly, my fingers brushing his. "We should go."
He didn't speak.
But when I slipped my hand into his, he didn't pull away either. His palm was clammy, his shoulders tense — like his whole body was bracing for impact.
Behind us, the sharp sound of heels struck the polished floor.
"Leo!" his mother called, voice cutting through the air like glass — poised, commanding, and cold.
He flinched.
But I didn't stop.
I turned, guiding him with quiet insistence. Step by step, away from the broken glass and the woman who had shattered more than dishes.
He followed.
Not because he didn't hear her — but because, for once, he chose not to.
Lupu Bridge
I didn't speak until we reached the bridge. I'd found it a few days ago while exploring. It was quiet here — wind off the river, lights glittering like distant wishes.
Leo leaned against the railing, arms braced. He hadn't looked at me since we left.
"Is she always like that?" I asked gently, touching his hand.
A single tear slid down his cheek. It landed on my fingers.
"She never wanted me," he said. "She told me that every day."
He didn't stop.
"She threw things. Plates. Glass. Words. My dad used to cover for her until he stopped trying. Then she left."
"Later, when I got older… she tried to control everything. My life. My marriage."
I didn't say anything. I just pulled him in.
Held him.
And when he finally let go — when he cried into my shoulder, breath hitching, body shaking — I held on tighter.
Letting him fall apart.
Not out of weakness.
But because sometimes breaking is the bravest thing.
We stood there for a long time, the city lights flickering below us like tiny promises.
Tomorrow could wait.
Tonight, he was allowed to fall apart.