Episode 4 – A Kiss That Wasn’t Meant to Happen

Scene: Caspian Mansion | Evening | Art Gallery Wing

Nevaeh’s footsteps echoed through the long, empty corridor of the private art gallery

attached to the mansion’s east wing. She hadn't meant to end up here. She was just

walking, lost in thoughts that refused to let her rest.

This mansion had a soul of its own—cold, elegant, haunted by silence. Much like her

husband.

She glanced at the series of paintings hung in perfect symmetry. Most were abstract—dark,

heavy strokes of black and crimson, like bleeding rage trapped in color. But one canvas at

the far end of the hallway caught her attention.

It was different. Softer. Painted in watercolors—faded but warm. A child in a field of

dandelions, smiling at the sky.

Nevaeh’s breath hitched.

That smile. She recognized it.

The boy with the storm in his eyes and sunlight in his laugh.

It was him. Artemis. Or rather, Arsalan—the name she once whispered under the stars.

She reached out, brushing the edge of the frame when a low voice made her freeze.

Artemis: “Don’t touch that.”

She turned, startled. Artemis stood behind her, his tall frame cloaked in shadows, but his

voice carried that usual undertone of command… and something else tonight. Something

raw.

Nevaeh: “I didn’t mean to—”

Artemis: “That part of me doesn’t exist anymore.”

Nevaeh: “Then why is this still here?”

He didn’t answer.

Instead, he stepped closer, his eyes flickering between the painting and her face. There was

tension in his jaw, like he was holding back words that wanted to escape but couldn’t.

Nevaeh: “You painted this?”

A pause.

Artemis: “I used to paint. When I still believed in beautiful things.”

The words hit her harder than she expected. She searched his face, but the mask was

back—the one she couldn’t tear through no matter how hard she tried.

Nevaeh: “You still can. It’s still inside you, Artemis. That boy who saved me…”

Artemis (quietly): “That boy would never have survived in the world I live in now.”

Flashback | Nevaeh’s Memory | The Orphanage Fire

She remembered it like it was yesterday.

The screaming. The flames licking the wooden beams. The thick smoke choking her throat.

And then—his hand. Small, firm, trembling—but determined.

Arsalan: “Come on, Nevaeh! Don’t let go!”

He dragged her through the collapsing hallway, his own arm burnt, clothes torn, eyes filled

with a terrifying kind of courage no child should’ve known.

He saved her.

And then he disappeared.

Back to Present | Art Gallery

Nevaeh’s eyes stung with tears.

Nevaeh: “I searched for you for years. I asked the sisters, the police. No one knew where

you went. I thought you died.”

Artemis: “I did.”

His voice was a whisper, but it sliced through her like a blade.

He walked past her and stared at the painting. His hand touched the edge gently.

Artemis: “They took me that night. Men with guns. Said my family was powerful. Said my

name was Caspian now.”

She swallowed the lump in her throat. “You were kidnapped?”

He nodded slowly. “No. Rescued. Depends on whose side you’re on. My father—my real

father—was a mafia boss. I was the heir.”

Nevaeh’s world tilted slightly.

Nevaeh: “And… your mother?”

His silence told her everything.

She reached for his arm gently. He flinched. But didn’t move away.

Nevaeh: “I wish I could’ve been there.”

His lips curved bitterly. “You couldn’t even find me, Nevaeh. No one could.”

Scene: A Sudden Storm Breaks Outside | Mansion Terrace

A loud clap of thunder broke the moment, followed by a sharp breeze. Rain began lashing

against the tall windows of the gallery.

Without thinking, Artemis pulled her close. His arms around her shoulders were protective,

instinctive.

Nevaeh: “You always did that.”

He looked down at her.

Nevaeh (smiling softly): “Held me like the sky was falling.”

His jaw tightened.

Artemis: “Because it always was.”

Their eyes met. Neither looked away.

Scene: Terrace Balcony | Moments Later

They stood together under the arched terrace, rain pouring just a few feet away. The air was

electric, thick with memories and unsaid truths.

Nevaeh’s hair had begun to curl from the humidity, a few strands sticking to her cheek.

Artemis reached out.

Paused.

Then gently tucked the strand behind her ear.

She didn’t breathe.

Nevaeh (whispering): “Why do you keep pushing me away?”

His eyes burned.

Artemis: “Because if I pull you in… I won’t be able to let go.”

She stepped closer.

Nevaeh: “Then don’t.”

Her fingers lightly brushed his chest, over the buttons of his shirt, right above his heartbeat.

It was fast.

So was hers.

The silence between them grew thick with desire, longing, and heartbreak.

Then—he cupped her face.

Rough hands. Trembling.

Artemis: “I’ve dreamt of this moment for years. Every night. But now that you’re in front of

me…”

His thumb grazed her bottom lip.

Artemis (hoarse): “…it feels like a trap.”

She leaned into his touch.

Nevaeh: “Then trap me. I don’t want to escape.”

His head dipped. Lips inches from hers. Breath mingling.

And then—

He kissed her.

Soft. Shattering. Like the world stopped breathing.

A kiss full of pain, desperation, and promises broken by fate.

She kissed him back.

All of her.

All the years she cried thinking he was dead, all the prayers, all the longing.

Their hearts collided like two stars destined to burn.

But just as suddenly—

He pulled away.

His breath ragged. Eyes wild.

Artemis: “I can’t…”

Nevaeh: “Why?”

Artemis: “Because if I let myself love you, they’ll use you against me.”

She stepped forward, tears in her eyes.

Nevaeh: “I’m not afraid of your enemies.”

Artemis (darkly): “You should be. Because I’m the worst one of them.”

Then he turned, walking into the rain, vanishing into the shadows of his empire once more.

Leaving Nevaeh standing alone.

But her heart wasn’t broken this time.

Because now she knew—

He felt it too.

He loved her.

And no mask, no mafia, no vow would ever truly hide that.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***