Even in her sleep, Arella could feel herself being held tightly in a strong embrace. The breath, vibration, touch, and comfort of her beloved were enough to lull her to a deep slumber. So, unsurprisingly, she slept well that night.
The next morning, when Arella opened her drowsy eyes, she found an unfamiliar ceiling above her. Startled, she woke up and took a minute to register the events of the last night. She was in the military compound now.
And last night…Arella pondered over the details. After a few minutes, she came up with only one conclusion. Something was wrong with Adrian!
It was not because the night of their union deviated from the expectations, rather it was because of the look in Adrian's eyes. There was something in it. Adrian was surely wary of something. But what exactly? That remained a mystery to her.
Habitually, she checked the other side of the bed, and to her expectations, it was cold. Adrian must have woken up sooner. She looked around and found that the window was securely covered by the curtains. The thick coverings did not allow any light to penetrate and disturb her peaceful slumber.
She checked the time. It was still early. Earlier than her waking up time. Blame it on the unfamiliar bed, or the absence of Adrian, Arella did wake up earlier than usual today.
She stood up, found the bathroom, and began her morning ritual. But as soon as she entered, her steps halted. The bathroom was luxurious. It was equivalent to a mini bedroom! But that was not what surprised her. It was the row of her usual cosmetics and bath essentials!
Why were these things here? Did her luggage get delivered? Were these things arranged by Adrian? Arella was once again touched by Adrian's thoughtfulness. She took a leisurely bath and came out in a bathrobe.
She took a cursory glance at the room to find her luggage, but the bags were nowhere in sight. She needed clothes, so she walked towards the wardrobe expecting her clothes to be hanging there.
But when she opened her huge wardrobe, the sight rendered her dumbstruck. Rows and rows of clothes occupied her vision. One glance, and she knew that these clothes were prepared especially for her. These were all new clothes! It was in her size, and the style was to her liking!
Astonished, she checked the clothes one by one. The wardrobe had every style one could possibly imagine. From the comfy wear to the luxurious ball gowns. From conventional conservative wear to provocative wear. From mature suits to cute girly skirts.
As if it was not enough, the wardrobe had matching accessories too! Jewellery, bags, and shoes, everything was properly stacked in front of her! For a moment, she thought that she had entered a shopping mall! What was all this? Wasn't it a little too much?
Adrian was trying his best to pamper her. And she could feel it in her bones. An overwhelming emotion covered her senses. Nobody had treated her this way. To her father, she was non existent. And to her stepmother and so called sister, she was nothing but a punching bag.
A mist appeared in her eyes. Tears threatened to fall out and reveal her vulnerable state. Adrian…he was the only one who had made her feel that she too was important! That her presence mattered. She felt sweet. And only one dominant presence remained amid the turbulent emotions, that was, Adrian.
She wanted to see him! As soon as possible! She grabbed a knee length, comfortable skirt, hurriedly put it on and then walked out to find Adrian. To her luck, as soon as she opened the door, she found him in the corridor. He was walking towards the bedroom.
She ran towards him and pulled him in for a tight embrace. Stunned, Adrian stopped and took a moment to react. And then, he slowly and mechanically moved his hands.
Arella was expecting his hands to securely tighten around her. But what Adrian did was in stark contrast to her thoughts. He held her shoulders and tried to gently push her away!
Flabbergasted, Arella looked at him, only to find that he was not looking at her! He had his head lowered and spoke in a small voice.
"I…I am sweating, I will go take a bath first." He voiced and then, left quickly as if he was running away from her!
Dazed, Arella kept looking at his back till it disappeared in the room. What was that? Questions filled her mind. She might feel a little overwhelmed by Adrian's gentleness, but she was not blind enough to ignore the changes. Adrian was trying to avoid her!
It was the same feeling that had covered her core last night when he refused her advances. Adrian was indeed avoiding her! Arella soon recovered from her emotions and calmly entered the room.
The noise of dripping water assaulted her ears. He was taking a bath. Other than the water, thanks to her heightened hearing, she could also hear his heavy breathing. He was almost panting!
Arella's eyes widened! What happened? Why was he acting like that? Was he injured? Did something happen? For a moment, she thought of entering the bathroom. She wanted to check his body herself! But her legs refused to move.
Using her sight to check upon him never crossed her mind. After all, she was not a pervert! So, she stood guard outside with a bathroom door separating, both Adrian and herself. As time passed, his pants and heavy breathing became normal. It looked like he was back to normal.
As his breathing bordered the range of normal, a thought struck her like lightning. Was Adrian bothered by her presence? Was her existence in the military compound troubling him?
As she was lost in her thoughts, she noticed some movements. The running water had stopped. Adrian was about to come out. Flustered, she swiftly moved away and ran out of the room! She needed time to calm her thoughts!
She made her way to the dining area. The cleaner, sweeper, cook, butler, and maids, everybody looked at her and greeted her mechanically. Their manners had an innate arrogance. No ounce of servility or politeness could be found in their mechanical ways, but it did not bother her. Right now, she was occupied with more pressing concerns!
She sat down and started reading a digital holographic magazine to divert her attention. A few minutes later, Adrian made his way to the dining area as well. The helpers, who barely showed any servility to Arella, were now brimming with admiration, politeness, and humility in front of Adrian!
Power, indeed was the only way to make others bow. It was a world where strength reigned. If she wanted to know the truth behind her origin, she had to become powerful as well. Thoughts swirled in her mind.
But as Adrian made his way to her, her thoughts diverted. Adrian still was not looking at her! He continuously looked at his watch, as if immersed in an important work related issue, but Arella could see that it was all a facade.
Adrian impassively took a seat next to her, wished her good morning, and asked the cook to set the table for breakfast. All the time, he never once looked at her. Arella did not know what to say either. She did not want to say much in front of the helpers, so, quietly, she began eating her share.
As she was eating, Adrian spoke lightly.
"I have a meeting, so I will leave after breakfast. Andrew would come later. If you need anything, let him know. He can take care of it." He explained calmly.
"Okay." Arella voiced in response to his words. She knew of the anomaly in his behavior but thought, that it was not a good time to speak to him. He might be preoccupied with urgent matters.
She had a lot of things she wanted to share with him. The Scott family's ancestors, Omar, Nicholas, Devon, and Anne, she had a lot of narratives to share. But for now, she kept them to herself.
She could share it later, but firstly, she needed to know what was wrong with Adrian!