Yelena's throat felt tight, her heart hammering so fast that she thought he could surely hear it against his chest. She had tried, truly tried, to push her feelings down, to swallow them and bury them under duty, under the comforting lie that nothing had changed.

But it was useless. Every word, every kiss, every touch from him only fanned the heat inside her until it was unbearable.

She also knew couldn't keep circling the same thoughts anymore; if she didn't speak now, she was going to explode.

So, with that in mind, slowly, almost timidly, she turned her head, catching his gaze with her own trembling eyes. Her lips parted, dry, and the words nearly stuck in her throat.

"Mika…" She whispered, her voice unsteady. "This...This might sound strange. Maybe it's foolish, maybe it doesn't even make sense. But after what happened last night...do you—"

She faltered, swallowing hard before forcing the rest out.

"Do you feel any changes? In you, I mean. In how you look at me...in how you see us? Not just as the one who raised you, who cared for you all your life, but...different."

"Do you see me any different than before?"

The silence that followed nearly broke her.

Mika just stared at her, his expression unreadable, his dark eyes searching hers as if weighing every word. She almost begged him to say nothing at all, because the weight of waiting was too much.

But then, with a sigh, he said,

"The truth is...yes. I do feel differently."

Yelena's breath caught. Her whole body jolted with a rush of anticipation and fear. For one dizzying heartbeat she thought, no, she hoped, that he meant what she did.

That he too was starting to see her as more than a maternal figure who had raised him, so they could work out their problems together and even seek therapy of some sort.

But then he went on, his gaze softening, his tone turning fragile.

"The truth is..." Mika said, eyes flicking aside. "I know I told you last night that I wasn't afraid of what you thought of me anymore. That after abandoning you for so long, I could finally face you without fear. But deep down...I still am."

"I still fear that you might look at me differently. That you might hate me for leaving you, for keeping you alone....I've tried to bury that feeling, but it never really goes away."

Yelena's eyes widened. Her chest ached at the naked vulnerability in his voice. She had never realized he carried such a weight inside him. Her lips parted, ready to reassure him, to tell him she had never once hated him for it.

But before she could speak, Mika's expression shifted, his lips curving in a small, tender smile.

"But right now." He murmured, meeting her eyes again. "I don't feel that way anymore."

"Last night...after we said everything, after we let out the secrets we'd kept hidden, after I admitted things I never thought I'd say out loud, like how much I admired your body…"

His cheeks colored faintly at the confession, but he pressed on.

"After that, I felt it all melt away. The guilt. The fear. It was gone. I just felt...closer to you. Closer than ever. Like we'd opened a new chapter between us."

Her eyes widened, her lips parting as his words sank in.

"This is what I meant..." He continued, earnest and steady. "That I don't feel like our relationship is the same anymore. It's deeper now. Stronger. I feel more at ease with you, more open, more...myself. And it's because of you."

Yelena's heart lurched. His sincerity was overwhelming. She knew, deep down, that his feelings were pure, untainted, that he only meant the closeness of trust—of shared truth.

Not the forbidden longing that clawed at her chest.

Still...she had to ask. She needed to know.

Her cheeks burned as she stammered. "But Mika...leaving aside all that, do you look at me in another way? You know...not the way a son would look at a mother."

"Something else. Something...different."

He blinked, tilting his head slightly as if puzzled by the question. Then he shook his head with a calm, almost innocent smile.

"No. Nothing like that. I don't feel any different way. I still see you as the same woman who raised me, my guardian, the person I owe everything to. Nothing more, nothing less." He paused, thoughtful, then added. "Was I supposed to feel something else? Are you feeling something different?"

Panic struck her like lightning. She shook her head rapidly, words tumbling out too fast.

"No! No, not at all! It's nothing like that. I was just asking, that's all. No meaning behind it." Her gaze darted away, face blazing, shame biting at her skin.

In that moment, she felt like the worst kind of woman. The worst kind of mother. He was so honest, so straightforward, pure even, in his feelings.

And she?...She was the one harboring forbidden desires, the one twisting every kindness into something else.

And yet, behind her, Mika's lips curved into the faintest smirk. His eyes glinted, satisfaction hidden beneath layers of tenderness.

Inside, he thought, 'My acting really is flawless...I might as well become a actor in the future.'

Years of wearing masks, of burying truths, of deceiving even the closest ones...had honed him into this.

And now, Yelena was believing every word. Believing the lies he fed her.

Lies stacked on lies, woven so smoothly she could not see the cracks. And as she looked away in shame, Mika's heart thudded with silent triumph.

'Perfect. She'll never know what I truly feel. Not yet.'

Mika also wanted to seal the deal, wanted to make sure that whatever doubts still lingered in Yelena's heart would dissolve completely. So, in a tone that sounded almost casual, he tilted his head and asked.

"You know, I'm fine with things the way they are now, how open we've become with each other. But are you alright with it?" His eyes stayed on hers, steady, probing. "Because if you're not comfortable...if you'd rather we went back to how it was before, teasing, keeping distance, never really saying the things we admitted last night, then I don't mind."

"...I'll go back, if that's what you want. I'm fine with anything, as long as you're fine."

The words caught her off guard. For a moment, she simply stared at him, dazed, her lips parting without sound. Then, with a sudden rush of urgency, she turned fully toward him.

"No, no, there's no need for that, Mika." She blurted, almost frantic. "I'm happy with this, happy with what we have right now."

"Really?" He pressed, brows lifting, as though trying to be certain. "Is that true?"

"Of course it is." She breathed, and her hand, slender, trembling, came up to caress his cheek. Her eyes softened, a smile blooming through her nervousness. "Why in the world wouldn't I want to be close with my dear Mika? It all happened so suddenly, I never expected it...but now that I'm closer with you, closer than even with my sisters, it makes me so happy."

Her tone lightened, a playful edge curling through as she smirked faintly.

"So happy, in fact, that I want to show it off. Show the world just how close we are."

That was the truth. Whatever else was brewing inside her, whatever forbidden feelings she couldn't voice, the simple fact was that being this close to him filled her with joy.

It was her own problem to deal with the rest, Mika didn't need to carry it. So she masked it with a bright smile, choosing the safe path.

But then she fixed him with a glare, the elder tone slipping back into her voice.

"But still, that doesn't mean you can grope me whenever you like. I'm still the one who raised you, Mika. I'm not some random girl you spend the night with. I demand respect."

But Mika only grinned, leaning closer until his breath fanned hot against her ear. In one swift move, he turned her around, pressing her hips into the counter. His hands slid lower, claiming her ass, squeezing firmly.

"Mm, respect, huh?" He murmured, his voice a teasing drawl. "That's going to be difficult, Yelena. Because with an ass like this...it's impossible to hold back." His fingers dug in, spreading her cheeks shamelessly, his palms molding to the generous curves. "So you'll have to excuse my disrespect, just a little."

Her breath hitched, her lips parting in a soft gasp. She turned her head just enough to shoot him a look, half stern, half flustered.

"Y-You brat...you really can't take your hands off me, can you?"

He shook his head slowly, a grin plastered across his face even as his hands worked her flesh.

"Nope. Not at all." He gave a squeeze, thumbs spreading her plump cheeks apart, drawing a sharp whimper from her throat. "Maybe it's because I finally got a taste of this forbidden fruit. After that, holding back feels impossible."

Her face burned red, words fumbling in her throat. She wanted to scold him, to tell him how wrong it was, but her body betrayed her.

Against her will, her hips tipped back, offering more, craving the pressure of his palms. It was humiliating to admit, even silently, but she was already getting used to his touch, already yearning for it.

The worst part was how innocent he looked while doing it, like a playful tease, like family affection taken one step too far.

For him, it was just play.

For her...it was dangerous, intoxicating, and entirely too real.

Yelena's smile stayed in place, her mask of composure unbroken. But inside, her mind was spiraling, caught between shame and desire.

'What am I going to do?' She thought, heart pounding. 'How is this going to end?'

And yet...she still didn't tell him to stop.