Confusion and curiosity about Rey's subtly shifting behavior kept swirling in Aluna's mind like relentless waves crashing against the rocks. Those intense hidden gazes, unexpected brief smiles, and now, a lingering fleeting touch — all felt like fragmented pieces of an unsolved mosaic, forming a picture that was vague yet tempting. She sensed a deeper emotional layer hidden beneath the cold mask Rey wore — a vulnerability perhaps even unknown to Rey himself, buried under thick layers of ice.
On a bright morning that still felt cold and formal inside the grand mansion, Rey, in his usual flat tone and expressionless face that brooked no argument, asked Aluna for help finding an important document in his study. That room, with its solid mahogany door and strong masculine scent mixed with the smell of old paper and ink, had always been a forbidden territory to her — a place soaked in power, secrecy, and Rey's hidden ambitions. A strange nervousness clenched at Aluna's stomach as she stepped into his private domain. Stacks of neatly bound important files and old leather-bound books filled the tall shelves that stretched to the painted ceiling, creating an atmosphere that was masculine and slightly intimidating, as if the room itself held countless untold stories — whispers of the past trapped in dust.
"The document is on the top shelf, inside a dark brown box with a small carving on the front," Rey said curtly, without even glancing away from the large and cluttered desk in front of him, where cold graphs and figures glowed from the computer screen. He sat upright in his tall leather chair, fingers typing swiftly across the keyboard with efficient, emotionless motions, consumed by a battlefield of scattered papers.
Aluna tiptoed, trying to reach the box Rey mentioned. It sat at quite a height, and her relatively short stature made it difficult to grasp, even as she stretched with all her might. She reached once more, her fingertips brushing the rough edge of the box — frustratingly close. Suddenly, without a sound, Rey rose from his seat and approached, his movements quick and calculated like a predator approaching its prey with light and deliberate steps.
"Let me help," he said briefly, still expressionless. He stood very close behind Aluna, and she could feel the warmth of his body radiating toward her back even though he didn't touch her directly. His distinctive masculine scent — a mix of expensive cologne with a spicy undertone and something raw and natural from his well-maintained athletic body — filled Aluna's senses, making her slightly dizzy and sending her heart into an irregular rhythm, strange signals firing throughout her entire being.
Rey reached out with his large, strong hand and long fingers to retrieve the box from the high shelf, and at that same moment — clumsily and unintentionally — Aluna reached up again, hoping this time she'd succeed. Their fingers brushed.
The touch lasted only a split second, yet it felt like a powerful electric jolt surged through Aluna's body, from her fingertips down her spine, awakening sensations she'd never experienced before. Her skin burned where they'd touched, and her heart pounded in her chest like a bird trapped in a golden cage. Something unfamiliar stirred inside her — confusing, slightly terrifying, yet so irresistibly magnetic.
She noticed a shift in Rey's expression too, subtle but unmistakable. His previously focused, cold eyes flickered with surprise, his pupils widening as if caught off guard by sudden darkness, his jaw tightening as if to restrain something unexpected and untamable. A strange flicker appeared in his dark gaze — an emotion Aluna couldn't quite decipher, but it was intense and bewildering, like fire suddenly erupting in the cold of night. He seemed just as stunned by the brief, lingering touch.
The air between them turned awkward and tense, like a silken thread stretched too tight, ready to snap at any moment. They quickly withdrew their hands, as if the touch had been something forbidden — a violation of the boundary that wasn't meant to be crossed in their loveless, contract-based marriage. Aluna felt her cheeks flush, and she was sure Rey felt the same, though he quickly masked it behind his flawless, stoic expression — like a soldier returning to battle with his shield raised.
After that bewildering and unforgettable touch, Aluna and Rey began to keep more distance. They tried not to interact more than necessary, their communication retreating to formal and essential matters, as if the touch had carved an even deeper chasm between them. Ironically, though, the tension between them only intensified. Whenever they were in the same room — even without words or eye contact — Aluna could feel Rey's powerful presence, his dominating aura filling the space like the calm before a storm. A strange energy pulsed between them — a subtle but strong magnetic pull that was hard to ignore, like opposing poles that couldn't help but gravitate toward each other no matter how much they resisted.
Aluna couldn't stop thinking about that touch. The strange sensation that coursed through her when their skin met haunted her like a recurring dream. It hadn't been just a casual brush. There was something different, something that stirred deep within her — awakening emotions that had long slept in the cold corners of her guarded heart. She could feel the seeds of something new beginning to grow, something dangerous given the foundation of their marriage built on revenge and pretense, yet irresistibly alluring, like the forbidden fruit she secretly wanted to taste.
She began to wonder — did Rey feel it too? Did those hidden glances and fleeting smiles mean something more than she had assumed? Aluna knew she was playing with fire, walking a tightrope over a dark abyss — but she couldn't stop the growing curiosity. She needed to uncover the truth behind it all, even if she feared what she might find at the end of her search. That fleeting touch had opened a door within her that had long been shut by the coldness of their arrangement, and Aluna knew she could no longer pretend she felt nothing. Something had changed inside her — and whether it was for better or worse, one thing was certain: her life would never be the same again after that electrifying touch.