“Don’t die on me.”

The next morning, the Velvet Orchid was quiet. Only the sound of distant traffic and the soft clink of glass from the kitchen filled the air. Linh stood at the edge of the hallway, gripping the handle of a tray of coffee, his chest still echoing with the words he had whispered to himself in the rain.

I love him. He saved me.

He hadn’t slept. Not really. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Lee’s face again — the way he looked up at the sky last night, that strange vulnerability. Linh didn’t know if it was real, or if he just wanted it to be.

He stepped into Lee’s private room quietly. The curtains were drawn halfway, letting in a soft golden light. Lee was sitting at the low table, still in his black shirt, sleeves rolled to the elbow, going through a stack of reports. He didn’t look up.

“You’re late,” Lee said without emotion, but not harshly.

Linh placed the tray on the table and bowed slightly. “I had to check the perimeter.”

Lee nodded once, still not meeting his eyes. But Linh could feel it — the awareness. The way Lee’s presence always pulled something out of him, something fragile and raw.

“Sit,” Lee said, after a beat.

Linh blinked, unsure. “Sir?”

Lee finally looked at him. His gaze wasn’t cold. Just quiet, unreadable. “Sit with me.”

Linh hesitated, then lowered himself onto the cushion across from Lee. His hands sat tense in his lap.

“I have to make a decision tonight,” Lee said, eyes back on the papers. “One of the clans has been crossing into our territory. If I don’t strike back, they’ll think I’ve gone soft.”

“You haven’t,” Linh said quickly.

A faint smirk tugged at the corner of Lee’s lips. “No. But the world needs reminders.”

He flipped a page. Silence stretched.

Linh watched him closely. “Do you ever get tired?”

Lee paused, then leaned back, folding his arms. “Of what?”

“Of this. Of always having to be strong.”

Lee’s gaze found his. For a moment, neither moved. The quiet between them wasn’t empty — it was full of something tense and delicate.

“Yes,” Lee said softly. “But I don’t have a choice.”

Linh’s chest tightened. “You saved me, you know. That night. I was no one. Just a stray. But you saw me.”

Lee’s expression shifted, just a flicker, but it was enough to make Linh’s breath catch.

“I didn’t do it out of kindness,” Lee said, voice low. “You were useful.”

“I know,” Linh said, but his voice trembled.

Lee stood suddenly, crossing the room to the window. Rain clouds were gathering again, grey and slow.

“You think you feel something,” Lee said, back turned. “But you don’t understand me. You shouldn’t.”

Linh rose, his heart racing. “Maybe I don’t. But I still feel it.”

Lee didn’t respond. For a moment, it was like the entire city held its breath.

“I’m not weak,” Linh said, stepping closer. “But I’m not a machine either.”

Lee turned slowly, his eyes darker than before. “Feelings get people killed.”

“I know,” Linh whispered. “I’ll keep mine quiet. I just… wanted you to know.”

Lee stared at him for a long time, then moved past him toward the door.

“Come with me tonight,” he said without looking back. “If things go wrong, I need someone I trust.”

Linh nodded, his hands clenched. “Always.”

Lee paused, then added, almost too quietly: “Don’t die on me.”

Then he was gone.

Linh stood alone, the storm brewing outside now mirrored inside him. He had crossed a line, and there was no turning back. Whatever came next, he would face it — not just as a bodyguard.

But as someone who loved a man carved in silence and shadow.

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