Dia’s POV

The drive to wherever Ekansh was taking me felt surreal. It was strange, this feeling of freedom that I hadn’t experienced in what seemed like forever. The mansion, with its towering walls and isolation, had become a sort of prison, and stepping out of it, even if only for a short while, felt like breaking free.

Ekansh had been quiet for most of the ride, but I noticed the occasional glance he would send my way—his eyes soft, his face unreadable, but there was something there, something I couldn’t quite understand. He wasn’t the same man I had met when I first came here. He was still powerful, but there was a gentleness in him now that I couldn’t ignore.

“Where are we going?” I asked, breaking the silence that had settled between us.

He turned his gaze toward me, a small, reassuring smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “You’ll see soon enough,” he replied, his voice calm, but there was a playfulness in his tone.

I leaned back in my seat, trying to calm the fluttering in my chest. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting from today, but it was hard to ignore the small stirrings of anticipation. There was a part of me that was curious about this side of him—the side that wasn’t all business and power, the side that could be tender and thoughtful.

After a while, we pulled up to a quiet, picturesque lake surrounded by dense trees. It was a place that seemed untouched by the world, serene and peaceful. The setting sun bathed everything in a golden light, and for a moment, I forgot about everything that had happened in the past. I just stood there, taking it all in.

Ekansh stepped out of the car and motioned for me to follow him. We walked along the water’s edge, the soft crunch of gravel beneath our feet the only sound that filled the air. There were small boats tied up nearby, and as we approached, Ekansh looked at me with a slight grin.

“Want to take a ride?”

I was surprised by the offer. The thought of getting into a small boat on the lake seemed both exhilarating and a little nerve-wracking. But there was something in his eyes, an invitation to step into the unknown, and for the first time in a long time, I felt a spark of courage.

“I’ve never been in a boat before,” I admitted, my voice hesitant.

Ekansh raised an eyebrow, amused. “Then today’s the day you break that streak.”

We both climbed into the boat, and he pushed us off the shore. The boat rocked gently as we moved further from the land, the sounds of nature surrounding us. The world felt so quiet here, so far removed from the chaos I had known. For a brief moment, I could almost pretend that everything was normal—that I was just a girl on a boat, enjoying a peaceful day with someone I had come to trust.

“Ekansh,” I said, my voice soft, almost hesitant. “Why did you bring me here?”

He didn’t immediately answer, instead guiding the boat gently along the water. After a few moments, he looked at me, his expression unreadable.

“Because I want you to know that there’s more to life than pain, Dia,” he said quietly, his voice carrying a weight of sincerity. “You deserve to experience happiness, even if it’s in small moments like this. You don’t have to carry the burden of your past forever. I want to show you that there’s more to living than just surviving.”

His words hit me in ways I wasn’t prepared for. I had spent so long buried under the weight of my own fears and trauma that I had forgotten what it felt like to simply enjoy life.

I glanced at him, the sincerity in his gaze making my heart ache. He wasn’t just offering me a distraction. He was offering me something deeper—a chance to heal, to move forward.

“You’re right,” I said quietly, more to myself than to him. “I’ve spent so much time being afraid, being stuck in the past. Maybe… maybe I can learn to live again.”

His hand reached out to gently take mine, and for the first time in weeks, I felt a sense of peace settle over me. It was fragile, this new hope, but it was there, a tiny flame that flickered with promise.

As the boat drifted slowly across the lake, I let myself feel the moment—the calm, the warmth, the connection between us. For once, I wasn’t thinking about the past. I wasn’t thinking about the fear or the pain. I was just… here.

And with Ekansh beside me, maybe—just maybe—I could find my way back to a life worth living.