The planners welcomed them into a resplendent hall. Five gowns shimmered on mannequins like stars waiting to be claimed: the Diamond Whisper, Rose Empress, Moonlit Siren, Celestial Veil, and Imperial Crown.
Hana's breath caught. Her fingers hovered near the satin skirts, afraid to touch. "This is… someone else's dream."
"Correction," Nari muttered, smirking. "Your dream. And trust me, I'll fight anyone who says otherwise."
Hana bit back a laugh, but her chest tightened all the same.
The planner ushered her toward the Moonlit Siren—a satin mermaid gown with a scandalous low back. The veil softened its daring lines, concealing her shoulders.
When Hana stepped out, the room went silent.
Kai's phone slipped mid-call, clattering onto the glass table. His composure—always flawless, untouchable—fractured. His gaze devoured her.
His eyes raked down the length of her body, trailing over pale skin and curves that suddenly felt too exposed.
Hana shifted, uneasy under his stare. But Kai didn't move—until he did.
Slow, deliberate, he circled behind her. Fingers brushed the veil.
Her heart thundered. He wouldn't—
But he did.
The fabric slid from her shoulders in one fluid motion, drifting like snow to the marble floor.
"Kai—" she gasped, spinning slightly, panic and something hotter flashing in her eyes. "You ruined the—"
And then she saw his face.
Not mischief. Not arrogance. Something rawer. His gaze locked on her back, where the veil had revealed the tiny tattoo—an inked baby panda laughing as it clutched a bouquet.
The sight hit him like lightning.
"Kai, I—"
His voice dropped, so low she barely caught it. "Can I touch it?"
The whisper brushed her ear, deep and hushed, burning her skin hotter than flame.
Her breath hitched, heat crawling up her neck. "What?"
"Can I?"
Every nerve screamed no, but her body betrayed her. Hana's thighs pressed together as she whispered, "Yes."
His hand rose, steady despite the fire in his veins. Fingers traced the ink, reverent, lingering.
She trembled.
He'd seen tattoos before, meaningless ink and careless lines. But this… this was Hana. Intimate. Playful. The girl who once swore she'd adopt ten pandas if the world allowed it.
She still loves them.
His lips almost curved—almost. Instead, desire roared in his chest, vicious and hungry. An urge to seize her waist, crush her to him, and kiss her until she trembled.
His jaw clenched, restraint cracking like glass.
Nari's voice shattered the air. "Hana, let me see—"
The spell broke. Hana jolted forward, spinning toward her friend.
Kai's hand fell away, his face unreadable again. Only his eyes betrayed him—dark, stormy, as if he'd just been caught drowning in a sea he swore he'd never touch.
And Hana? She was still burning.