Devilish secretary-Chapter 334 A silent promise

His fingers slid up, tracing the line of her waist, then her ribcage, slowly like he was memorizing her.

And she didn’t stop him.

He leaned in and pressed his lips softly to the side of her neck, letting them linger there. The warmth of his breath and the slow, deliberate touch made Lilith close her eyes, her lips parting slightly as a shiver ran through her again.

His arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her gently but firmly into his chest. She could feel his heart beating steady and close, a rhythm that calmed her even as it stirred something deeper inside.

Her fingers reached for his arm, holding onto him as if grounding herself.

Gray didn’t rush. He kissed her again, lower this time, right where her shoulder met her neck, slow and full of meaning, like he was sealing a promise against her skin.

"You’re the only warmth I ever needed," he whispered into her hair.

And there in the quiet steam of the hot spring, with nothing but the soft sound of water and heartbeats between them, Lilith leaned fully into his hold... and didn’t want to let go.

***

After their time in the hot spring, the two returned to their room, where a quiet lunch had been set up by the resort staff. It was warm and cozy inside the wooden-themed room, and the soft aroma of herbs and freshly baked bread filled the air.

They ate slowly, laughing a little at how relaxed they both looked, and Gray kept sneaking glances at Lilith like she was a dream he didn’t want to wake up from.

Later, the snow fell softly outside the wide glass window, and the sky had turned a dull silver.

Lilith sat cross-legged on the bed with one of the mystery books from his gift stack in her hands. Gray was beside her, his head gently resting on her shoulder. His eyes were half-closed, not quite sleeping but completely peaceful.

"...And then the detective finally opened the box," Lilith read softly, her voice slow and pleasent, "only to find a single white feather inside... not the weapon they expected."

Gray smiled against her shoulder, his breath warm on her skin. "You read well," he murmured.

"I know," she whispered, not looking at him, but her lips curved in a tiny smile.

Gray’s arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her just a little closer. "I don’t care what happens in the book. I already found what I was looking for," he said, voice so soft it almost melted into the quiet of the room.

Lilith paused, her heart thumping once, and then continued reading. But the corners of the page blurred just a little, because in that moment, everything felt perfect.

Gray had fallen asleep on her shoulder.

His breathing had slowed into a soft, peaceful rhythm, his hand still resting gently on her waist like he didn’t want to let go even in sleep.

Lilith lowered her head, her dark lashes trembling, and quietly... a single tear slipped from her eye. It fell onto his hand, soaking into his skin, unnoticed by him, but heavy enough to make her chest ache.

She pressed her lips together, trying not to let the sob rise from her throat. Because she knew.

She knew Gray had come only for a while.

She knew he was going to leave soon, too...giving up his time again to let Darkness take over.

It was fair, wasn’t it? She told herself that.

But it didn’t feel fair. Not to her.

It felt like... torture.

She wanted all of them Gray’s gentle calm, Ray’s sunshine warmth, Alexander’s steel strength, even Darkness with his silent devotion.

She wanted every piece of him, every layer of his soul that shared this one fragile body.

But she couldn’t have them all at once.

And now, as she sat still, with Gray breathing softly on her shoulder, she realized just how precious...how fleeting each moment truly was.

Her fingers quietly moved to brush his hair back, her touch light, almost reverent.

"...Sleep well," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I’ll miss you again tomorrow."

And as Lilith slowly drifted to sleep, her head resting softly against the cushioned headrest, her breath steady and warm beside him, the room fell into a hush of quiet winter light.

Moments passed...

Then—

Gray’s eyes opened.

But they were no longer filled with the gentle calm from earlier.

His gaze was sharp now. Dark. Cold.

His jaw tightened and his lips pressed into a firm line, as if trying to hold back a storm inside him.

He slowly turned his head and looked down at his hand.

The same hand where her tear had fallen.

A small wet mark remained, soaking into his skin like a silent bruise.

His fingers curled tightly into a fist. He hadn’t been asleep. Not truly.

He had felt it. The way her shoulders trembled just before she broke. The way she buried the pain...

She thought he didn’t know But he did. And that knowledge burned through him like ice.

Because no matter how calm he was...

No matter how much he pretended...

He hated seeing her cry.

Especially because of them.

With careful hands, he adjusted her posture, lifting her just enough to lay her more comfortably on the soft bed. He slid a pillow beneath her head and pulled the blanket over her slowly, making sure it covered her shoulders. She didn’t stir, but her brows eased slightly, as if even in sleep she recognized his presence.

Gray knelt beside her and leaned forward.

For a long moment, he just stared at her face. The curve of her cheek. The soft lashes brushing her skin. The same woman who made him feel peace in a body that wasn’t always his to control.

Then, he gently pressed his lips to her forehead.

A silent promise.

A kiss that held all the words he couldn’t say aloud.

When he pulled back, he didn’t lie beside her. He sat at the edge of the bed instead, hands clasped loosely, eyes never leaving her sleeping face.

He stayed like that for a long time watching her.