Lucian was about to knock once more when the door was finally opened and he saw Violette standing there a bit awkwardly.
He could tell with just a glance that he disturbed her sleep, so he quickly spoke with an apologetic tone. "I'm sorry. I wanted to call before coming over, but then I realized-"
He paused mid speech as he noticed Violette's pale complexion and her heavy breathing as she struggled to stand on her good leg.
"Violette, are you okay?" he asked as he took a step forward and grabbed her hand that was holding onto the door for support.
And as if all her strings were severed, Violette collapsed at once, almost giving him a heart attack. Lucian quickly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her up before lifting her off her feet and holding her bridal style.
Violette groaned in pain when he shifted her into his arms and kept her eyes closed as he carried her into the room. He gently sat her down on the bed and observed her pale face.
She had her eyes shut and was taking deep breaths to keep from voicing out her pain, but her agony was clearly visible.
"Are you okay?" He asked her with a frown as he took a quick glance at all the papers scattered across the room.
Seeing as Violette remained silent and didn't seem to want to answer, Lucian crouched down in front of her and spoke again in a soft voice, as if he was coaxing a stubborn kid. "What happened, Violette?"
Violette let out a defeated sigh and looked away as she answered. "Nothing. It's just… My leg has cramped up."
"Oh?" He glanced at her limp leg with a thoughtful look and slowly took it into his hands before gently applying pressure around her calf area.
Violette was startled and immediately grabbed his hand as she slowly pulled her leg away. "You don't need to do that. It'll pass in a while."
"I don't mind, Violette." replied Lucian, as he looked up at her with a smile but didn't insist. He then looked around and began to collect all the papers spread out on the floor.
"Let them be…" Violette tried to dissuade him but Lucian simply let out a low chuckle and continued as if he didn't hear her.
Lucian went around the bed, gathering all the loose documents and files scattered across the bed before placing them all neatly on the coffee table on the other side.
And when he looked back, he saw Violette wobbling on her feet and quickly rushed to her side. And just as he reached her, she stumbled forward and fell into his open arms.
"I got you." Lucian cooed in her ear and slowly steadied her on her feet. He then stood beside her and wrapped his arm around her waist as he supported her.
He slowly led her towards the bathroom, even without her mentioning anything about it. And as they reached the door, he pushed it open and let her go as he asked.
"I will step out for a bit. Will you be alright here?" he had a worried gaze, as if he was leaving a child alone in the house while the adult was going out for work.
Violette couldn't help but roll her eyes and slammed the door in his face as he began to chuckle at her reaction. But soon she also had a small smile brightening her pale face.
- -
As she finished her business and stepped out, she was greeted with a quiet room. Her eyes quickly darted around the room as she wiped her face with the towel in hand. But when she didn't see anyone else, she felt dispirited and inadvertently let out a sigh.
She didn't know what she expected or why she was suddenly feeling so down when she should've been more comfortable being alone. It was surprising to realize she was that affected by his momentary absence.
He sure has some mysterious way of messing her emotional state with his sweet smile and seemingly simple actions.
She shook her head clear and trudged towards the bed before pulling up her suitcase and placing it on top. She opened it and quickly grabbed a black top and white pajama pants and set them aside.
Taking off the jumper, she threw it on the bed and proceeded to remove the leggings as well. In the confines of the room, her bare back appeared dainty yet unyielding, with dull scars around her left shoulder area, and going down from her hip and thigh to ending below her knees.
She grabbed the top and pulled it over her head, but just as she grabbed the pajamas, the door was opened. She turned to the side and looked over her shoulder with a chilly gaze and saw Lucian standing there with a stunned expression.
"Ah, I'm sorry." he turned around and blurted out an apology with a flushed face before rushing out and closing the door behind him.
But on the contrary, Violette acted as if nothing happened as she calmly grabbed the pajama pants and sat on the bed. She seemed to be in no hurry and took her time putting her feet through the pajamas one by one.
Outside the room, Lucian stood beside the door with a hand over his face and a plastic bag in the other hand. His cheeks were warm but the gaze in his eyes was cold as he remembered what he saw.
Her back and side was marred with long scars that could tell a story of their own. But what was it? What exactly happened to her?
- -
Lucian sat back leisurely in the couch with his chin resting in his hand as he observed his wife on the bed, quietly enjoying her bowl of ice cream.
She sat at the edge of the bed with a bowl and spoon in each hand as she savored the cold treat with a pleased expression. He found himself staring at her in a daze as she looked so calm and peaceful, without a trace of the usual tense aura lingering around her.
At this point, it felt more like an enjoyment for him than for her, as found himself baiting her with ice-cream just so he could watch her relaxed figure.
The small coffee table in front was littered with plates and plastic containers that served for their dinner.
As Violette was struggling to move earlier on, Lucian made a quick decision about bringing their dinner down to their room. Although she wasn't in a condition where she couldn't even a take few steps out into the elevator, she didn't mind having a quiet dinner in the comfort of her cozy room.
Lucian stacked all the plates and containers on top of each other and slowly stood up, carrying them in one hand. He then turned to his wife and stretched out his other hand, asking for the bowl she just emptied.
When Violette raised her head, she saw him holding everything in one hand and quickly stood up with her hands reaching out to them. "Let me do that."
"Just sit." He quickly avoided her hand and slowly pushed her down to the bed with a smile before grabbing the bowl from her.
And as she looked on, he walked into the bathroom and soon came out with clean plates which he left on the coffee table.
Glancing at the watch on his wrist, he turned around with a sigh and gave an awkward smile. "I guess, I should leave now."
Seeing the reluctant expression on his face made Violette want to pat his head but she curbed the urge and nodded her head.
He began to walk to the door, with Violette following behind and stopped after pulling the door open. He stood there for two seconds in thought and turned around with a worried expression on his face.
"Will you be alright staying alone?"
That question caught her off guard, although it wasn't unexpected but because of what it implied.
She first looked away and then slowly lowered her head, wondering why she hasn't replied yet when the answer was obvious. Staying alone was the only constant thing in her life that she much preferred to be alone than.
Lucian carefully observed her every action and felt disappointed when he finally saw her nodding her head. He didn't know whether he was being concerned or clingy as he felt the sour feeling tainting his mood. However, he quickly shook off ideal thoughts and gave her a sweet smile.
At that moment, he remembered something and pulled out his mobile, unlocked it and handed it to her. "Put in your number."
Violette simply tapped in her number and gave it back without dialing it. But she soon heard the familiar ringtone coming from the phone on her bed.
"That's my number." Lucian gestured behind her and began to tap the screen of his phone with a bright grin.
Can he not be so obvious with his expressions? Violette reined in an eye roll and looked away as he put his phone back into his pocket.
"Call me if there's any problem, okay?" She heard him and simply shrugged in reply without even looking at him.
He didn't want to insist and appear overbearing so he could only sigh as he gently patted her head. "Good night, Violette."
That head pat and the weak sigh tugged at her heartstrings and she realized that she was once again letting him compromise, instead of her taking a step forward. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, steeling her resolve before grabbing the edge of his shirt.
"Lucian, wait." she blurted out in a hurry as she held him back just as he turned around and took a step.