Silence swallowed the entire mansion.
Every gaze slowly turned toward Selina standing frozen on the balcony above.
Even Damian looked startled.
Because no one—
absolutely no one—
spoke to the Vale family that way.
Especially not a man powerful enough to make Damian himself cautious.
Selina's pulse quickened unevenly beneath the weight of those silver eyes.
He was still looking at her.
Not Elara.
Not Damian.
Her.
"Selina?" Livia called softly, confused. "Do you know Mr. Blackwood?"
No.
At least... she shouldn't.
But the memory of rain-soaked silver eyes and strong arms catching her while she fell still haunted her every night.
And somehow—
his presence felt familiar in a way that made her uneasy.
Slowly, Selina descended the staircase.
The mansion remained deathly quiet with each step she took.
Elara's expression grew tighter the closer Selina came.
Because for the first time in years—
someone important in the room was waiting for Selina instead of her.
The realization unsettled her immediately.
When Selina finally reached the bottom floor, she stopped a few feet away from him.
Up close, his presence felt even heavier.
Dangerous.
Controlled.
His black gloves rested calmly against the handle of his cane—not because he needed it, but because it somehow made him look even more intimidating.
And his silver eyes...
they watched her too carefully.
As if searching for confirmation that she was real.
Selina forced herself to speak calmly.
"Have we met before?"
A strange emotion flickered briefly across his face.
Gone too quickly to understand.
"No," he replied quietly.
The answer should've relieved her.
Instead, disappointment she didn't understand settled strangely inside her.
His gaze moved briefly toward the faint bandage near her forehead.
"You were injured."
Selina stiffened slightly.
How did he know that?
Livia smiled politely. "Selina had a minor accident recently."
The silver-eyed man's expression darkened almost imperceptibly.
"Minor?" he repeated coldly.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop.
Damian quickly intervened. "Thankfully it wasn't serious."
The man said nothing.
But Selina noticed it—
the subtle tightening of his jaw.
As though the thought of her being hurt irritated him deeply.
Why?
They were strangers.
Weren't they?
Elara stepped forward smoothly, reclaiming attention with a practiced smile.
"We're honored to host the Blackwood family tonight."
Finally, the man looked at her.
But the warmth disappeared instantly from his expression.
Polite.
Distant.
Nothing more.
Selina noticed the difference immediately.
And apparently—
so did Elara.
"I've heard a lot about your business achievements," Elara continued elegantly.
"Mm."
Just one sound.
Nothing else.
Rowan awkwardly cleared his throat. "Mr. Blackwood rarely attends social gatherings, so this is actually a big deal."
"Lucian prefers privacy," another man beside him explained calmly.
Lucian.
The name settled strangely in Selina's chest.
Lucian Blackwood.
He finally looked back at her again.
And for one dangerous second—
the rest of the room disappeared entirely.
Selina's heartbeat became uneven beneath his stare.
Because his eyes held something she couldn't understand.
Not curiosity.
Not attraction.
Something deeper.
Something almost possessive.
As though he had already lost her once.
"Selina," Damian suddenly said sharply, breaking the silence. "Why are you standing there? Sit beside Elara."
Automatically.
Instinctively.
The old Selina would've obeyed immediately.
But now—
"No."
The single word stunned the room.
Damian's face darkened instantly.
"What did you say?"
Selina calmly looked away from him.
"I'm tired," she replied softly. "I'd rather go upstairs."
Before Damian could speak again—
Lucian spoke first.
"Then let her rest."
The room fell silent again.
Because Damian Vale—
a man feared by investors and executives alike—
actually stopped talking.
Selina stared briefly at Lucian in surprise.
Why was he defending her?
Their eyes met once more.
And this time—
she noticed it clearly.
Relief.
As though seeing her alive and standing before him mattered more than anything else in the room.