The room fell into stunned silence.
Xie Mei's eyes were red, her chest heaving. "Young Miss, this man is dangerous. Powerful men like him don't love. They just like to capture. You're young. You have so many years ahead of you. Why stay with someone you barely know? Men like him only play with young girls' hearts."
Elena hesitated.
She turned her head and glanced at Jin Di.
That single pause shattered him.
The cold mask cracked, panic seeping through. "Baby…" he whispered, reaching out before stopping himself. His hand fell uselessly to his side. Insecurity coiled around him, heavy and sticky.
Elena turned back to Xie Mei.
"Xie Mei," she said softly, firmly. "Jin Di is important to me."
The words landed like thunder.
Behind her, Jin Di's heart slammed painfully against his ribs. Relief surged, followed by fierce joy. He wanted to pull her into his arms, to prove himself, to hold onto that sentence like a lifeline. He restrained himself. This moment wasn't about him.
