Chapter 16
At midnight, the Special Operations Unit camp was silent. Only the winter wind whispered against the tents.
I had just lifted the flap of my tent when I noticed a lone figure standing in the distance. It turned out that Jason was still waiting outside.
In the freezing night, frost had already formed on his down jacket.
When he saw me, he hurried over, his breath dispersing into white mist in the cold air. “Scarlet, everything back then was my fault. For three years I’ve done nothing but regret and reflect. Please, can you-”
Before he could finish, a hand gently but firmly pulled me backward. I hadn’t even realized Sean had stepped in front of me until his broad back blocked my view.
He tilted his head and spoke in a low voice, “I’ll take the night watch. You should rest.”
I opened my mouth to refuse, but his eyes stopped me. Those deep, steady eyes were now filled with a certainty that left no room for argument.
He shifted his stance slightly, blocking me completely from Jason’s sight.
Sean had always carried himself with a cool, mature restraint. This was the first time I had seen him act like this. Almost… childish.
And strangely, I found it a little cute.
‘All right,” I said lightly, turning back toward my tent. “I’ll leave it to you then, Captain.”
Jason rushed forward when he saw me leaving. “Scarlet! Don’t go!”
His voice broke through the wind, but I didn’t stop walking. I didn’t even turn around.
He glared at Sean, frustration etched on his face. “Who do you think you are, keeping her from talking to me? She’s my wife!”
Sean shot him a cool, mocking look. In the stillness of the night, his voice was sharp. “Ex-wife. Don’t get it wrong.”
The words sent Jason’s anger boiling over. He was provoked to the point of losing all composure as he started punching Sean.
‘I can tell you like her, don’t you?”
‘But she’ll never like you back, Stop wasting your time.”
Bean gave a short, cold laugh. “She’ll never like me back? What, you think she prefers a man like you?”
That was all it took for a fight to break out. Or rather, for Sean to effortlessly beat Jason.
The noise quickly drew other team members. Several rushed over and pulled them apart. In the end, Jason was “escorted” out of the Special Operations Unit’s camp.
Inside the tent, I dabbed antiseptic on the scrape along Sean’s cheekbone, where a thin line of
blood marked his skin.
“You always seem so steady,” I teased, swabbing the wound. “And now here you are, getting into a childish fight.”
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He sat quietly, letting me tend to him, but his eyes never left my face.
“And the funniest thing is, you’re the world-class captain of the Special Operations Unit. How could you actually let him land a hit?”
“Aren’t you afraid your reputation as the cold, untouchable Shadow Eagle will break if everyone finds out?”
He answered casually, as if my words meant nothing. “It was on purpose.”
I paused at his answer. “What?”
He lifted his eyes and his gaze cut straight to my heart. “I wanted you to feel sorry for me.”
At that moment, our eyes met and the silence in the tent was so deep that we could hear both of our heartbeats.
The only sound was the soft thud of the cotton swab falling into the medical kit. His gaze was serious, burning-there was no trace of joking.
“Sean…” I whispered his name without thinking, unsure what else to say.
“I need time.” After a long silence, it was the only answer I could give, my voice so soft it was almost lost to the air.
He gently took my wrist, his fingers warm against my skin.
“I’m not in a rush,” he said, his voice low and gentle. “I can wait.”
“I just… lost my patience tonight when I saw him chasing you like that.”
When I placed the last bandage over his wound, he spoke again, quieter now. “You have an early start tomorrow. Go get some rest.”
I nodded, putting away the medical kit and preparing to leave.
Just as I reached the tent flap, his voice stopped me once again. I turned slightly and found him still sitting there, watching me with a soft gaze.
“I’m not him. I’d never treat you that way.”
I paused, watching the moonlight spill across his earnest face. And then, I couldn’t help a small
smile.
“I know.”
And in that moment, I realized something inside me had begun to shift.
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