The ride back was silent.
But not uncomfortable.
Just… heavy.
Diana sat beside Victor, her gaze fixed outside the window, yet her mind replayed everything she had seen.
The children.
His voice.
The way he looked… softer.
It didn't match the man she knew.
And that unsettled her.
"You're thinking too much."
She didn't turn. "You say that like it's a bad thing."
"It usually is."
Diana finally glanced at him. "You don't like being analyzed, do you?"
Victor's expression remained calm. "I don't mind. Most people just reach the wrong conclusions."
"And what if I don't?"
"Then you'll be dangerous."
That word again.
Dangerous.
It followed him everywhere.
The car stopped.
They stepped out together.
The night air wrapped around them, cool and quiet.
For a moment, neither moved.
"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked.
"About?"
"The foundation."
Victor loosened his cuff slightly. "It wasn't relevant."
"It was to me."
That made him pause.
Only briefly.
"Why?" he asked.
Diana hesitated.
She didn't even know the answer herself.
"Because… it showed something different."
Victor studied her now.
Carefully.
"You're trying to understand me," he said.
It wasn't a question.
"Yes."
The honesty surprised even her.
Silence.
Then
"That's not a good idea."
Diana frowned. "Why not?"
Victor stepped closer.
Not aggressively.
Just enough to make her aware of the distance shrinking.
"Because people who try to understand me," he said quietly, "usually get too close."
Her heartbeat quickened.
"And that's a problem?"
"Yes."
Diana didn't step back.
Instead, she tilted her head slightly. "You keep saying things like you're warning me."
"I am."
"From you?"
Victor's gaze darkened slightly.
"Yes."
The air shifted.
Something fragile.
Something risky.
"Maybe I'm not scared," she said softly.
Victor's eyes held hers.
"That's what worries me."
Diana took a small step forward.
Closing the distance herself.
Now they were closer than before.
Closer than they had ever been.
"Why do you push me away," she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, "when you're the one pulling me in?"
That question lingered between them.
Sharp.
Unavoidable.
Victor didn't answer immediately.
For the first time, his composure seemed… thinner.
"Because," he said slowly, "I don't mix emotions with decisions."
"And I'm a decision?"
"Yes."
The answer should've hurt.
But it didn't.
Not completely.
Diana shook her head slightly. "You're lying."
Victor's brows lowered just a fraction.
"I don't lie."
"You do," she insisted softly. "Not with words. With distance."
That hit something.
She could see it.
They were too close now.
Close enough to hear each other breathe.
Close enough for the tension to snap.
Victor's hand lifted slightly
Then stopped.
Again.
Just like before.
Diana noticed.
Her breath caught.
"You keep doing that," she whispered.
"Doing what?"
"Stopping."
Victor's voice lowered.
"Because crossing that line," he said, "changes everything."
Her heart pounded harder.
"Maybe it already has.
Silence.
Electric.
For a moment…
Neither moved.
Then Victor stepped back.
The distance returned instantly.
Cold.
Controlled.
"That's enough," he said.
Just like that.
The moment ended.
Diana felt the shift immediately.
And strangely…
She didn't like it.
"You're running," she said quietly.
"No."
"Yes."
Victor turned slightly. "I'm maintaining clarity."
"You're avoiding something."
He met her gaze again.
And this time…
His voice was firmer.
"I'm protecting you," he said.
That stunned her.
"From what?"
A pause.
Then
"From me."
And he walked past her.
Leaving her standing there.
Heart racing.
Mind spinning.
And one terrifying realization settling in.
She wasn't the only one losing control.