After a quiet 45 minute drive, the silver SUV pulled into a parking lane in front a huge, vintage style building.
Lucian parked the car into position and shifted the gear into neutral before he turned off the engine and removed the keys from ignition. He opened the door and got out as he took out his mobile from his pants pocket.
He was stunned by the number of missed calls and messages displayed on the screen. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry at his brother's persistence. He decided to ignore them all for now and closed the door as he turned to walk around the car.
Meanwhile, Violette also got out of the car and took out her walking stick from her handbag. She unfolded it to its full length and slid her arm through the forearm cuff as she gripped the handle before turning around and proceeding to walk.
She saw Lucian standing at the back of the car with a smile on his face and raised a brow at him questioningly.
"Uh… I'll walk you to your room?" he said, as if asking for permission and because of her rude behavior earlier, Violette didn't want to reject his good intentions again so she agreed with a nod.
They walked towards the huge building in front – with big letters reading 'ROYAL GREEN' on top of the entryway arch.
It was a twelve floor stone and brick building with too many arches, large windows, extended balconies, and intricate designs similar to that of Victorian architecture. The building was surrounded by bushes and trees, small and large on every corner, giving it a lively, serene vibe.
The couple walked under the archway and entered the lobby. There were a few people at the reception area, inquiring the details of their stay and some were waiting by the lounge at the side with their phones in hand.
The interior was a mix of dark rustic wooden flooring complementing the furniture and contrasting the grey brick stone walls with wide canvases of abstract art hanging on them. There was a beautiful crystal chandelier hung down from the high ceiling and a large custom made carpet lined the floor from one end to the other.
Lucian quietly walked beside Violette, matching her pace as he admired the differing elements coming together with harmony to create such a unique aesthetic. They entered one of the elevators and rode it to the 4th floor. Then they walked down the long winding corridor and stopped in front of room 423.
Violette took out a key card from her bag and unlocked the door as she stepped inside. She dropped her bag on the chair and switched on the lights before turning around to look at Lucian who was still standing at the door.
Was he waiting for her permission?
No that wasn't it.
He just stood there with both of his hands in his pockets while his eyes scanned everything in the surroundings from left to right as though he was assessing the safety of the place.
Then he looked at her with a smile on his face, and gave her a firm nod. "I'll see you later."
Violette lowered her head, as she tried to say something – anything, but couldn't find the words to express herself. She at least wanted to thank him but ended up with a blank, unable to get the words out.
Lucian noticed her inner struggle and had a vague idea about what was going through her mind. But he didn't want to push her if she didn't feel comfortable to do so.
And since she didn't speak any further, he turned around and proceeded to walk down the corridor, leaving Violette mulling over things on her own.
Violette felt the shadow over her disappear and raised her head as she looked ahead into the air where just moments ago a man stood, smiling at her. She sensed a lonely feeling building inside her but she quickly shook it away. She then let out a tired sigh and closed the door as she went back into her room.
It was a small room with tan walls and white ceiling with grey carpeted floor and a queen size bed draped with covers in the middle. There was another door at the other end, presumably leading to the bathroom. There were two bedside tables with a night lamp on both sides of the bed while a single sofa with a coffee table in the corner of the room.
The room was quiet and clean with very minimal traces of anyone living there. There was a laptop placed on top of the coffee table and a black laptop backpack lying in the sofa.
A dull ringtone broke the stillness in the room and Violette first put her elbow crutch aside before grabbing her bag from the chair. She pulled out her mobile from inside and checked the Caller ID before accepting the call.
"Jake?-"
"Violette, where are you?" Jake shouted from the other end, his voice eager and nervous. "I think something happened to your husband!"
What?!
Violette felt as if a thunderbolt struck her head. She went blank for a second and immediately turned around, opened the door and stepped out.
"Hello? Violette?" Jake's voice echoed from the phone but the only thing she could hear was her heartbeat thumping loudly in her ears.
She looked at the direction Lucian left, hoping to find his silhouette but all she saw was the empty corridor. Disregarding her own condition and not even bothering to grab her walking stick, Violette began running down the long corridor without a second thought.
A lot of buried memories began to resurface, along an unknown sense of dread, and not even the sharp pain rising from her leg could distract her from them. She clutched her phone tightly in her hand and held on to the wall for support as she limped her way.
And as soon as she rounded the corner, she saw him – just a few feet away, waiting for the elevator. She felt her heart settle down at the sight of him, standing there with his hands in his pockets, safe as can be.
She slowed down to a stop and leaned herself onto the wall, panting heavily while trying to regain her breath. And with that, her adrenaline wore off and she slowly slid down to the floor as she closed her eyes and cringed with pain.
Her heartbeat was yet to return to its regular pace and her leg was cramping up with the stress and pain but she found an odd sense of peace. And with that, came the rational thoughts.
He was with her until couple minutes ago, why did she jump to conclusions and rush out like that? What did she expect to happen to him in such a short time?
Now that she thought back, her actions were silly and impulsive. Not like her at all. She wondered why she reacted that way. What caused her to act without thinking?
"Violette?!" Lucian's deep voice pulled her out of her reverie. She opened her eyes and saw him crouching in front of her, his face just mere inches away.
"What happened? Are you okay?" he asked, the concern in his voice and the anxious gaze directed at her made her heart skip a beat and then two.
She felt a warm, fuzzy feeling spreading through her chest but it also made her feel conflicted. A part of her wanted to embrace and cherish the feeling while the other part warned her to push it away and never let it close.
"Violette, are you hurt?" he asked her again, carefully observing her for any signs of distress.
She took a deep breath and shook her head to clear all the unnecessary thoughts. Then she handed him her phone and turned away.
Lucian looked questioningly at the phone and then her before he took it into his hands and answered it with a serious expression. "Hello?"
"Luci?" came a surprised reply from a familiar voice.
"Huh? Jake?" asked Lucian incredulously as he turned to Violette who still refused to look his way.
"Oh my god! You two are together? No wonder you weren't answering my calls. And here I thought something bad happened to you since you haven't called me back. But it looks like I was worried for nothing. Tsk tsk, not even a day and you are already ditching your brother for your wife huh?"
What the… was this déjà vu? Or some kind of karmic retribution?
Lucian felt his brows twitching in frustration. He didn't know what to do with that overenthusiastic brother of his.
"Wait, does that mean you spent the night together too? Ohh… how sneaky. C'mon now, tell me everything, I need all the-" Lucian couldn't listen anymore and abruptly ended the call.
He let out a defeated sigh and looked helplessly at Violette before realizing where they were.
"Let me help you up." He said and before she could answer, he took one of her hand and put it on his shoulder while he held onto her other hand. He then wrapped his free hand around her waist and slowly pulled her up to her feet.
He let go of her waist and took a step back to give her some space to regain her footing. But just as she put weight on her right leg, she gasped in pain and stumbled forward. Lucian quickly held on to her and kept her steady but as he saw the pained look on her face, he felt his heart ache.
He looked left and then right to make sure no one was around before he bent down and literally swept her off her feet as he scooped her into his arms.
"Kyaaa." Violette was taken aback by his actions and the sudden loss of balance made her let out an uncharacteristically high-pitched squeal.
Lucian was stunned by her scream and looked down at the women in his arms who was pretending to be an ostrich by closing her eyes and hiding her face with her arms. He tried hard not to burst into laughter but her behavior made it impossible.