In that singular moment, he knew he had been in the wrong—disastrously, inexcusably wrong!
He had convinced himself that this year of absence had been a thoughtful window of respite, granting both of them ample breathing room to weigh the path ahead.
It had all been his own self-indulgent delusion.
From the very instant Weitian placed that letter into his hands, she had been waiting for his reply, yearning for the day he would finally stand before her.
Yet he had arrogantly assumed his course of action was the noble choice—telling himself they both needed time to clear their heads for the sake of their future.
Pure bull!
Through his own stubborn hesitation, he had subjected her to a full year of solitary, agonizing waiting!
And while he had masked it under the noble pretense of "letting their heads cool," he had spent those twelve months sailing the open seas, chasing thrilling exploits across the world!
Relishing the unbridled joys of absolute freedom with every passing day.
"You..." Drake found himself utterly struck dumb. In the end, a thousand unspoken apologies fell short against the warmth of his arms as he drew her tightly against his chest.
"I'm sorry... I kept you waiting for far too long!"
None of the composed scenarios he had rehearsed in his mind were of any use now. Her heart had harbored him from the very beginning.
Yet he had remained on guard.
Acting like a frightened boy terrified of being burned.
A grown man dancing around his feelings with pathetic ambivalence—driving her to endure a quiet agony she had never deserved.
To think he had felt a pang of pity seeing how exhausted she looked behind her desk, completely blind to the fact that he was the very culprit inflicting the deepest wounds upon her soul!
An overwhelming tide of remorse surged from his core, washing through every fiber of his frame. Without realizing it, he had failed her so profoundly...
Weitian slowly lifted her head. A radiant, delicate flush colored her exquisite features, and just as Drake blinked in mild surprise, those captivating, crimson lips closed the distance of their own accord.
Drake's heart rate hammered out of control, his mind blanking into a pure, breathless void.
Right at that razor's edge, a crisp knock rapped against the office door.
Startled like a frightened doe, Weitian tore herself from Drake's embrace in a blur of frantic motion.
Her reaction was so blisteringly swift that Drake didn't even have time to register it. In the blink of an eye, she was already back behind her desk, seated with commanding poise.
One slender, porcelain leg crossed gracefully over the other, her features reverting instantly to the icy, regal detachment of a sovereign commander. Parting her lips, she issued a cool summons:
"Enter."
Drake stood entirely frozen on the spot. She can switch gears that fast?!
Yet a warm current rippled softly through his chest. Though their tender embrace had been abruptly cut short, knowing her true feelings beyond a shadow of a doubt brought an intoxicating joy to his heart.
Tangled with that joy was a lingering pang of guilt.
Making a woman wait so long was truly disgraceful.
Compared to Weitian's fearless honesty, the resolve he had taken so long to muster was practically laughably hollow.
Though she hid her composure behind a professional mask, one detail gave her away completely.
Her porcelain cheeks—already blushing from tender intimacy—had flushed an even deeper shade of crimson, likely mortified at the thought of nearly being caught in the act.
The sight set Drake's pulse racing all over again.
Missing out on that sweet kiss when it had been offered right at his lips... this woman was truly an intoxicating sorceress!
Swallowing the breathless sigh lingering in his throat, Drake carefully set the mug of coffee on the desk before her and retreated to the comfort of the sofa.
He shot her a subtle, teasing nod. "Coffee loses its flavor once it gets cold."
Weitian offered a faint, stiff nod, not daring to meet his eyes. She feared that looking at him would only make the heat in her cheeks spiral out of control.
Internally, she scolded herself for being so reckless—how on earth had she thrown herself forward so brazenly...?
The heavy oak door swung open to reveal a crisp, capable woman sporting short golden hair.
She cast an astonished glance at Drake lounging comfortably on the sofa. Aside from the Marine admirals and Chief of Staff Sabo, this was the very first time she had ever seen an unfamiliar man inside the Fleet Admiral's private chambers.
Even Commander-in-Chief Dragon rarely visited in person these days, preferring to coordinate routine affairs via Den Den Mushi and dispatching Sabo to relay high-priority directives.
Whenever Marine officers entered this room, they stood stiffly at attention with absolute deference. Over the past year, Drake was the solitary soul who had ever dared sprawl out so casually across the leather cushions with unbothered nonchalance!
"Xiaoguang, what brings you here?" Weitian inquired smoothly.
"It concerns that recent development, Fleet Admiral. Commander-in-Chief Dragon has formed a deduction regarding the matter and requests your presence immediately," Xiaoguang reported, stating her business.
Only then did she notice the warm mug of coffee resting in Weitian's hand. She was well aware that while the Fleet Admiral drank coffee regularly, her skills at brewing it herself were an absolute disaster.
A rather memorable precedent existed in the archives to prove it.
Ever since that culinary catastrophe, Xiaoguang had remained at her superior's side practically around the clock—not merely to assist with clerical duties, but to guarantee that Weitian always had freshly brewed, scalding coffee on hand.
Yet right now, Weitian held a steaming, immaculate pour!
Judging by the color and aroma, it rivaled Xiaoguang's own recipes down to the drop. If someone tried to claim Weitian had brewed it herself, she wouldn't believe it if she were beaten to death.
That left only one plausible conclusion!
It was him!
Xiaoguang's heart hammered in shock. Her austere Fleet Admiral was casually sipping coffee brewed by this unknown visitor! Who in the world was he? What kind of relationship did he share with their supreme commander?
"I have already deduced the underlying cause of that anomaly. I intended to confer with Dragon in person regardless," Weitian said, rising from her desk and turning her gaze toward Drake. "Come along. Let us meet with Mr. Dragon together."
Xiaoguang: "!!!"
The Fleet Admiral is taking this man to confer directly with Commander-in-Chief Dragon!
"Sounds good," Drake said, stretching his arms casually. "It's been quite a while since I last saw Uncle Dragon; I've missed him a bit. How is Sabo holding up lately? Is he stationed here as well?"
"Chief of Staff Sabo is currently deployed on an active mission. You just missed him, unfortunately."
"Is that so? Ah well, that can't be helped. Let's move," Drake said, flashing a warm wave toward Weitian. "I still have plenty to say to you, but we can talk after we finish with Uncle Dragon."
Pausing at the threshold, Drake glanced over his shoulder, offering Weitian a dazzling, meaningful smile before stepping into the corridor.
Weitian froze for half a heartbeat. A deep crimson rush instantly painted her cheeks once more. Not daring to look Xiaoguang in the eye, she hurried past the doorway, only managing to steady her voice once she crossed the threshold: "Xiaoguang, let's go."
"A-Ah, yes, ma'am!"
Xiaoguang forcibly swallowed her mounting disbelief and fell in behind her commander.
What on earth did I just witness?!
The Fleet Admiral smiled—she actually blushed like a maiden in love!
What was more, she had just downed the remaining half-cup of scalding coffee in a single, unhesitating draught—a breach of decorum that felt utterly unthinkable for a woman of her stature.
In Xiaoguang's memory, the Fleet Admiral carried herself with pristine elegance and sovereign authority at all times, radiating an imperial aura so commanding that subordinates dared not meet her gaze.
Yet today, she had practically chugged her coffee like a common sailor, when she usually savored it with slow, measured sips.
Wait a moment!
Treated with such intimacy by Fleet Admiral Weitian... casually addressing the Chief of Staff by his first name... speaking of Commander-in-Chief Dragon with such familiar warmth...
Could that man be—!
One of the Legendary Four Brothers—the God of War, Vale D. Drake!
The mythical figure rumored to share a profound, unspoken bond with their Fleet Admiral!
The trio traversed the polished corridors, arriving swiftly before Dragon's command office. "Uncle Dragon, long time no see."
Drake casually voiced a greeting the moment he crossed the threshold. The roomful of staff officers and intelligence analysts snapped their heads around, staring at him in thunderstruck disbelief.
Catching sight of Drake's signature, confident grin, Xiaoguang felt every lingering doubt evaporate. She was no stranger to his visage, having studied his bounty poster time and time again.
That grin was an exact mirror of the portrait on the wanted slip!
It dragged the memories tucked deep within her mind straight into the light of day.
"Drake! You've arrived!" Dragon's stoic features broke into genuine delight. He swept an authoritative hand toward the assembled officers. "All of you, dismiss yourselves. We will resume our briefing later."
"Understood, sir!"
Once the heavy double doors clicked shut, leaving only their inner circle within the room, Dragon turned toward Drake, his gaze layered with wry, profound amusement.
"Brat... aren't you a little late in showing your face around here?"
The remark carried a razor-sharp, unmistakable edge of double meaning.