Episode 5: When Hearts Thaw

The safe house was barely lit, save for the dim glow of a single lamp that cast long shadows across Edith's unconscious form. Lin Yi's hands trembled as he cleaned the cut above her eye, his touch gentler than he knew he was capable of being. The storm continued to rage outside, but here, in this forgotten apartment his mother had left him, they were momentarily safe.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, though she couldn't hear him. His fingers lingered on her cheek, wiping away a mix of blood and rain. Something in his chest tightened as he noticed how fragile she looked, so different from her usual confident self.

The events at the mansion kept replaying in his mind. The way she'd tried to warn him, even while injured. The trust in her eyes when he'd carried her through the storm. He'd brought her to the only place he knew they wouldn't look – his mother's secret apartment, maintained through a trust he'd never understood until now.

Edith stirred, a small whimper escaping her lips. Lin Yi immediately reached for her hand, surprising himself with the instinctiveness of the gesture.

"Don't try to move," he said softly. "You've got some bad bruises."

Her eyes fluttered open, confusion clouding them before recognition set in. "Lin Yi?" She tried to sit up but winced in pain.

"Hey, easy..." His arm slipped around her shoulders, supporting her. "You're safe now. We're at my mother's old place."

Edith's fingers tightened around his, and something electric passed between them. "You saved me," she whispered, her eyes meeting his. "Why? After everything my family..."

"Because," Lin Yi started, then stopped, surprised by the emotion threatening to choke his words. "Because when I saw you there, hurt, all I could think about was protecting you. Not revenge, not the past, just... you."

A tear slipped down Edith's cheek, and without thinking, Lin Yi brushed it away with his thumb. His hand lingered there, and for a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath.

"Your mother's diary," Edith said suddenly, breaking the spell. "Did you bring it?"

Lin Yi nodded, reluctantly pulling away to retrieve the worn journal from his jacket. As he did, a folded paper fell from its pages – a letter, he realized, dated just days before his mother's death.

*My dearest friend Sarah,*

*If you're reading this, then my suspicions about the Foundation were correct. The painting isn't just art – it's evidence. Your husband must know by now that I've discovered the truth about Project Frost. Keep Edith safe. She and Lin Yi... they're more connected than anyone knows.*

*- Love, Ming*

Lin Yi's hands shook as he read the letter aloud. Edith had gone pale, her fingers clutching the blanket he'd draped over her.

"Project Frost?" she whispered. "Lin Yi, I... I think I know what this is about. The night my mother disappeared, I overheard her talking about a project with that name. She said something about 'the children being the key.'"

Lin Yi sat on the edge of the bed, his mind racing. "What children?"

"Us," Edith said softly, reaching for his hand again. This time, he didn't pull away. "There's something else you need to know. The day your mother died... it was also the day I was supposed to meet you for the first time. Our mothers had planned it for years."

Thunder crashed outside, but Lin Yi barely heard it. He was too focused on the way Edith's hand fit perfectly in his, on the strange warmth spreading through his chest despite the chill in the air.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" he asked, studying her face in the dim light.

"Because I was afraid," she admitted. "Afraid of what it might mean. Afraid of..." she hesitated, her eyes meeting his, "afraid of feeling something for someone I was supposed to hate."

The words hung between them, heavy with meaning. Lin Yi found himself leaning closer, drawn by something stronger than revenge or mystery.

A sudden bang from outside shattered the moment. They both jumped, and Lin Yi was instantly on alert, moving to the window. Through the rain-streaked glass, he caught a glimpse of a familiar black sedan crawling past.

"We need to move," he said urgently, but when he turned back to Edith, he found her trying to stand, her legs buckling beneath her.

Without hesitation, he caught her, pulling her close against his chest. Her breath hitched, and he became acutely aware of how perfectly she fit in his arms, how natural it felt to hold her.

"I won't let them hurt you again," he promised, and he meant it with every fiber of his being. The realization struck him then – somewhere between revenge and redemption, he'd fallen for the daughter of his enemy.

As if reading his thoughts, Edith raised a hand to his cheek. "We'll figure this out together," she whispered. "Whatever Project Frost is, whatever our parents were involved in... we'll face it together.

The storm raged on outside, but in that moment, something inside Lin Yi thawed, a warmth he thought he'd lost forever slowly returning As he helped Edith gather their things, he realized that his mother's last gift hadn't been the the diary or the safe house – it had been the chance to find love in the most unexpected place.

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