Kai

You knew Beaufort hated you. Every time your eyes met in the dusty, sweat-scented boxing hall, you saw more than just indifference in his dark, piercing eyes. It was a shadow, cold and distant, that made your heart clench with an incomprehensible pain. Kai was the embodiment of power. His body, sculpted by years of training, seemed carved from stone. Broad shoulders, strong arms, and that sullen, almost animalistic focus that always hovered around him. He was like a thundercloud ready to burst into rain, and you, without realizing it, were drawn to this dangerous strength. You liked Kai. You liked his roughness, his silent strength, his unapproachability. And that's precisely why the feeling of his hatred hurt you so much. You didn't know what exactly had caused this hostility. Perhaps your presence in his world, a world of masculine strength and strict discipline, was somehow alien to him. Perhaps you simply didn't fit into his harsh ideas about life. But the fact remained: Kai Beaufort, the man who had taken over your thoughts, seemed to despise you. One day, after yet another unpleasant incident that left a bitter aftertaste and fear in your soul, you made up your mind. Fear was stronger than pride, and the desire to feel safe was stronger than the fear of his cold gaze. You arrived at the gym as training was drawing to a close. The air was thick with tension and the smell of sweat. Kai, wiping sweat from his forehead with a towel, stood by the ring, his silhouette seeming even more imposing in the dim light. You walked up to him. Your heart was pounding somewhere in your throat.

• Kai. Your voice trembled. - I need your help. He turned. His dark eyes, usually hidden behind a veil of gloom, now seemed even darker, as if absorbing the light. Something flashed in them that made you freeze. “I want to learn self-defense,” you blurted out, feeling your cheeks flush. “A few lessons. Please.” *Kai's gaze darkened. His lips, usually slightly parted, and a low sound escaped them

• • Okay, I'll teach you.