The night was exquisite, warm, and filled with tenderness.

Two shadows merged into one under the moonlight, their lips meeting in a passionate embrace.

Even William needed a moment to collect himself.

For what felt like an eternity, he let Elise explore his mouth with her lips and tongue, her movements hesitant and clearly inexperienced.

He swallowed hard, his large hands slowly rising to pull her delicate, warm frame firmly against his.

Then he leaned down, capturing her mouth with even greater intensity.

In that instant, everything else faded into insignificance. Their minds and bodies became one, completely lost in each other.

Elise's knees began to buckle, actually growing weak from William's kiss.

His powerful arms immediately lifted her from the beach as if she weighed nothing, and before she could process what was happening, he had placed her entire body on the dining table.

He leaned in again, his lips claiming hers relentlessly, leaving her no room to breathe.

The night seemed to grow darker as William swept everything else off the table, pressing her soft, petite form flat against the surface. The breathtaking woman now lay alone on the wide table, her devilish curves and thoroughly flushed cheeks after their kissing creating an irresistible allure.

Desire burned in William's eyes, igniting into a fierce conflagration that threatened to consume her completely...

Between adults, a single spark can set everything ablaze. Elise was definitely nervous, her breathing becoming rapid and shallow, her chest rising and falling dramatically.

That moment only made William even more captivated. He thought to himself that she had no idea how tempting that look made her to a man!

How difficult it was to restrain that overwhelming impulse.

William began to lean toward her gradually, moving inch by inch.

Elise pressed her lips together, acutely aware of his raging desire.

She couldn't help clenching her fists, suddenly remembering the nightmare she had experienced at eighteen.

A flash of panic appeared in her eyes, but just as William reached her, she chose to close them.

Her knuckles tightened even more, yet she made no move to push him away.

As if she was accepting him.

Or trying to...

Nevertheless, a long time passed.

What she anticipated somehow didn't happen, and the pressure above her disappeared.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw William had already jumped into the ocean.

His tall figure showed no hesitation as he dove into the water, creating violent splashes and waves.

Once submerged, he began swimming in frantic circles as if possessed.

Naturally, he was forcing himself to calm down completely.

Watching him, Elise felt a strange quiver in her chest.

She had no idea what would become of their relationship if they had actually gone through with it.

Maybe she would have accepted it—or forced herself to accept it—telling herself repeatedly that William was the man destined to spend the rest of her life with.

Even so, when she saw William earnestly suppressing his desire for her sake, she breathed a great sigh of relief.

She actually wasn't as brave or fearless as she thought. She had never truly escaped her trauma, let alone opened her heart enough to fully accept an intimate relationship. She was uncertain whether she would regret being with William, but she knew for sure her mind would have been burdened.

Nevertheless, William didn't force her to accept it.

As for the days she spent abroad with Samuel, even though he respected her, they never went this far or lost control like this. He was a restrained young man, and while there was genuine affection in their relationship, it was bound by strict morals. They were never intimate, and once they returned to Zidonia, it became impossible with Sophia getting involved.

Getting off the dining table, Elise walked toward the ocean.

William had been in there for so long she was worried he might drown.