Love was a double-edged sword. Love made you the happiest person in the world, floating on cloud nine. Love brought you to an all-time high, only to drop you from the sky and flat on your face. Love shattered your joy as quickly as it made you smile.

  Lina didn't know what hurt the most. His question or his expression. Atlantis, like every other man in her youth, appeared powerful. He always did. Even when people called him an illegitimate son. She never cared. She was never bothered by it. Atlantis in all of his glory was on his knees for her.

  Lina slowly blinked and remembered something that Rina, her grandmother once said. "My dear girl, you have such a pretty face, you'll make me proud someday." Was that day today?

  Lina was married to Kaden, one of the most powerful men in this entire country. And now, she had one of the wealthiest men in all of Ritan on his knees for her. Some would call her a player. A collector of bachelors. Or maybe, male lead magnets. But she was just a normal girl in a normal world. As normal as guns, bloody business empires, and questionable morales could be.

  "Get up." Two words came out of Lina's mouth, but her own voice felt foreign in her ears.

  Lina could hear her heart pounding erratically. The blood rushed to her head. All she could hear was thump, thump, thump. By now, she could feel a heart attack coming. His question shattered her completely.

  For some reason, Lina couldn't remember why she didn't choose Atlantis. Her brain had been foggy since a few nights ago. Was it because he came too late? Was it because she fell for Kaden first? If Kaden had never shown up, would she belong to Atlantis?

  "Tell me what you feel," Atlantis pleaded, tossing the invitation to the ground. He clutched her hands as if she were a saintess and he was a sinner. He peered up at her with desperation, his heart at his feet, and his love for her to abuse.

  "Tell me that if I had come before Kaden, the ring on your hand would've been my family heirloom. Tell me the truth, Lina. Tell me that you've never once considered me as a lover!" Atlantis begged her, the urgency in his voice undeniable.

  Lina yanked her hands back like he had just poisoned her. She could feel her fingers trembling when she rested them on her lap. Shooting him an aggrieved look, she could only gesture with her chin.

  "Stand up," Lina said.

  "Lina!"

  "I said to get up!" Lina shouted at him, her eyes wide with disbelief. "What are you doing kneeling before a married woman? Have you no shame?"

  "No."

  Lina was baffled. In her youth, Atlantis was always Prince Charming with an iron fist. He pummeled her bullies to the ground. He risked suspension for her. Everyone that got in her way, he'd catch them with his fist and beat them into a pulp. She had lost count of how many times the teachers dragged him off a bloodied kid. She hadn't forgotten the mischief in his eyes as he winked at her in reassurance. She also remembered the bruises his father gave him whenever the school called home about yet another fight.

  Not once did Atlantis come to claim the payment of his protection. Not once. Until now. He never said it, but Lina felt the weight of his pressing eyes. She could feel his desperation weighing her down. She was used to desperate men. Everett was one of them. But now she was close to another one of them.

  "I won't get up, not until you give me an answer," Atlantis told her. "Not until you tell me the truth."

  Lina didn't know what the truth was. But her heart did. And dear God, it was too loud.

  "The truth is," Lina managed to say after a moment. She held his gaze. "The truth is—"

  "I still have feelings for you," Atlantis blurted out, almost as if he knew what she was going to say. "I've loved you since the very first day we met, with your white ribbons and pig-tails. I've loved you despite the people that ridiculed you, despite the warnings that came my way. I've never stopped loving you, Lina, not even when I went off to college."

  Lina was floored.

  "I never wanted to be a business major. I wanted to travel the world, to learn its wonders, and capture the beauty with my eyes. But my status as an illegitimate son could never stand close to your title. You were the pearl of the Yang family, the precious treasure that the great beasts guarded. You were out of reach," Atlantis explained.

  "I had to change. I had to get away from you. In order to reach where you stood, I have forsaken everything. I abandoned my passion to study business. I did everything I could until one day, we'd be on equal standing. Until one day, no one would dare to tell me that I do not deserve to stand by your side!"

  Lina released a shaky breath. She had made up her resolution before coming to this living room. She was going to hear Atlantis out and then chase him away from her life. For good. She had gotten rid of all of her obstacles.

  No more controlling parents. No more deceptive grandparents. No more meddling Priscilla. Atlantis was the last obstacle, but proved he was the Final Boss guarding her gates to happiness.

  "And now, as Chairman of Medeor Conglomerate, I can finally stand by you and protect you. All my life, I've wanted to do nothing more than protect you. I want nothing from you, Lina, nothing but you. That is all," Atlantis begged.

  "I'll do anything," Atlantis pleaded. "I'll change to become your ideal man."

  Lina tried to pull away from him, but his grip only tightened on her. She saw the water in his eyes, like water under the bridge. They threatened to pull her into the river. She was frightened and confused by his confession, as daring and bold as Kaden's for her.

  "All I want is you. All I yearn for is you. My heart beats for you. Only you, Lina," Atlantis whispered…… "No one else."