Salim moved to walk past, but Pierre blocked him.
"You don't get to walk away this time."
Salim raised a brow, his expression calm but guarded. "What's this about?"
Pierre's jaw tightened. "This is about you."
The hallway fell into silence. Just the muffled sound of waves outside, and the echo of tension stretching between them.
"You walk around like you're untouchable. Always calm. Always one step ahead. Always the Vance golden boy."
Salim didn't respond, but his eyes sharpened, shoulders squared.
Pierre stepped forward. "When I heard you were in the hospital... I shouldn't have felt anything." His laugh was dry, bitter. "But I did. I felt relief. For once, the great Salim Vance wasn't invincible."
He leaned in, voice dropping lower. "Do you know what it's like to grow up in your shadow? You got the best of everything opportunity, attention, the world cheering you on. Meanwhile, Selene, Red, and I? We were just your supporting cast."
Salim's lips parted slightly. "I never asked for that."
"But you never denied it either," Pierre snapped.
A long pause passed between them. Neither moved.
"And now Lian?" Pierre scoffed. "You want her too?"
Salim's expression shifted subtly. Something unreadable flickered in his eyes.
Pierre's voice cracked. "She doesn't belong in your world, Salim. You'll crush her without meaning to. That girl doesn't need someone like you… she needs peace."
Salim exhaled slowly. "If you're done"
"No, I'm not." Pierre stepped aside, just a little. "I gave you space this whole trip. Stepped back. Let you breathe. But not anymore. You had the luxury of falling from grace and landing on silk. Some of us hit concrete."I'm not like red or selene who can still face you"
Salim's gaze hardened. But he didn't respond.
Pierre gave a final glance toward the VIP suite.
"Stop pretending you're the savior in this story. You're not."
Then he turned and walked away.
---
Lian lay still.
The room was warm. Safe. Silent.
But inside her, a storm raged.
She'd heard everything.
Pierre's words echoed louder than the ocean ever could.
"You can't have her, Salim. She doesn't belong in your world."
"You'll wreck her."
"You turn people into dust."
Was that what people really saw when they looked at Salim?
Was she blind to something… or was Pierre blinded by something else?
She curled tighter into the blankets, but her mind wouldn't stop.
Memories surged: Salim leaning over her, giving her air. His trembling hand brushing her cheek. The silence in his eyes when he said, "Thank you."
That wasn't someone who wrecked people.
That was someone who had been wrecked and was still standing.
The door opened quietly.
Lian's breath hitched. But it wasn't Salim.
It was Red.
He stepped in, carrying a tray with a mug of tea and a small bag.
"Hey," he said gently. "Heard you're awake. Brought something warm."
She sat up, slow and stiff. "Thanks."
Red didn't sit. Just stood there for a second, watching her.
"You okay?"
Lian hesitated. "I don't know."
He offered a half-smile. "That's fair."
She looked up, eyes searching. "Was Pierre right? About Salim?"
Red paused. Then he sighed and sat at the edge of the bed.
"I've known them both since we were twelve. Pierre's always had a loud heart. Salim? He bottles it all in."
Lian stayed silent.
Red continued. "Pierre's not wrong about the pressure. We did all feel invisible at some point. Salim's world was always a spotlight, and we were just orbiting. But…"
He looked at her. "Salim never asked for that. And he never used it to hurt us."
"But he didn't stop it either," Lian said quietly.
"No," Red agreed. "He didn't. But he's trying. You just gotta decide what part of him you believe in."
He stood, handed her the tea. "And when you're stronger? Ask him the questions you're afraid to."
She nodded slowly.
The tea was bitter. But it warmed her all up
---
Meanwhile, Salim sat alone in the rooftop lounge.
A cold glass of water sat untouched before him.
His thoughts were loud.
Pierre's words replayed. Not because they hurt. But because, deep down, some of them were true.
He had always been the Vance golden boy. He had walked with silence while others screamed for recognition.
And Lian? She deserved more than that.
He closed his eyes, thinking of her laying still on the sand. The panic. The fear.
The way her body shuddered after the ocean gave her back.
He'd never been more terrified.
He wasn't used to needing anyone. But right now, needing her didn't feel like weakness.
It felt like the only thing that made sense.
---
Back in her room, Lian stared out the window.
The stars above felt too far.
But she didn't feel alone anymore.
Because somewhere, someone had finally chosen her.
Not for where she came from.
But for who she was becoming.
The next morning...
The sun spilled softly across the ocean, painting the sky in hues of lavender and peach.
Lian stood barefoot on the balcony of her hotel room, a robe wrapped around her. Her hair was still damp from her morning shower. Her mind, heavier than her body.
She didn't hear the knock. But she felt it.
A presence.
Salim.