The sun had set, and night had fallen, yet Leonid was still lying beside Charlotte, who had gradually stopped crying.
The atmosphere around them was perfectly quiet, as if the world had distanced itself from them at this moment.
Leonid's fingers continued playing with Charlotte's chestnut locks as he breathed near her ear. In contrast, Charlotte remained silent, staring at the ceiling with swollen eyes, while Leonid's right arm rested on her chest.
"By the way, I have something to ask you."
Leonid whispered softly near Charlotte's ear without lifting his head or opening his eyes.
Since he had expressed his feelings in an uncharacteristic way just moments ago, it was now time to ask Charlotte about the presence of her heel in Sophia's apartment.
"Have you, in the past few days, visited or passed by apartment number 353?"
It might have been a direct and suspicious question, but it wouldn't raise any doubts in an innocent person like Charlotte.
"Apartment 353?"
Charlotte searched her mind for who lived in that apartment. After some internal investigation, she finally remembered who resided there.
"You mean Sophia's apartment~?"
Upon hearing Charlotte's cheerful tone, Leonid raised his head to look at her features. It was merely a whim he wanted to indulge in at that moment.
Although Leonid's only source of light had already departed, the darkness was no obstacle to his sudden impulse.
After raising his head, Leonid gazed at the warm sparkle in Charlotte's eyes. Was she happy at the mention of a woman who was already dead? If so, it meant only one thing: Charlotte hadn't seen anything.
She hadn't seen the victim murdered in the bathroom yet.
"Yes."
Leonid replied quietly and sat up straight on the bed. He adjusted his shirt sleeves, covering his forearms and prominent veins, and then asked:
"Do you know that woman named Sophia well?"
"Of course, who doesn't know Sophia? She's a wonderful woman. For me, she was like a mother."
Charlotte clasped her hands over the blanket and played with her fingers as she spoke about Sophia, recalling the days when Sophia generously helped her.
"But I haven't seen Sophia in a while."
Charlotte tried to hide the sadness in her expression under the darkness, but Leonid ruined her plan when he pressed the small light switch on the bedside table.
The small lamp illuminated part of the room but delivered a direct blow to Charlotte's eyes, which were used to the darkness.
"Uh!"
Charlotte shut her eyes as a reflex to the light hitting them directly. As she rubbed her eyelids to ease the pain, she heard Leonid stifling a mocking laugh.
"There's nothing funny. Stop laughing at me."
"Okay, I apologize. Can you continue talking?"
Charlotte stopped rubbing her eyes and opened them, slowly regaining her sight. She glanced at Leonid for a moment before looking back at the ceiling, returning to playing with her fingers.
"Yesterday, Natalia told me that Sophia attended the party held three days ago… or was it two days ago? Oh my, I don't even remember which day…"
Leonid suppressed a sarcastic smile at Charlotte's failed attempts to remember. He raised his hand and waved it as if he understood.
"I can understand you."
Leonid said confidently.
"I know exactly which day you mean. You can just continue; no need to worry about the details or your bad memory."
"My memory isn't that bad."
She scowled, then crossed her arms instead of playing with her fingers.
"Okay, listen then! Natalia also told me that Sophia had a fiancé, and she was proud of him all the time."
"A fiancé?..."
Leonid controlled the widening of his eyes and reconsidered.
Previously, when the police raided Sophia's apartment, it was said she was completely alone, with no signs of a man around her.
And, of course, nothing had been reported until now.
As usual, the killer chose a victim who met his requirements.
"Yes, a fiancé!"
Charlotte impatiently repeated the information, not believing that Leonid's rigid mind couldn't handle such a gentle word.
"Isn't it wonderful for a great woman like Sophia to have a fiancé~?"
"Well... I suppose so."
Leonid's mind drifted for a moment due to Charlotte's soft voice, but he quickly regained his composure.
"I'm happy for her!"
Charlotte smiled and lay on her right side, staring at Leonid with her head still on the pillow.
"Hmm."
Leonid hummed as he picked up his phone from the table and turned it on.
Charlotte watched him silently before asking curiously:
"By the way, why are you asking about Sophia all of a sudden?..."
She thought for a moment and added:
"I mean, it's not like you to ask about someone."
"Just curiosity."
Leonid smiled smoothly after checking the messages on his phone and added:
"I saw her near your apartment once, so I wanted to know if you knew her."
He turned off his phone and turned his gaze back to Charlotte.
"That's all."
Of course, it was a lie, but Leonid needed an excuse now.
"Did Sophia really try to visit me? That's great news~"
Charlotte clasped her hands, unable to hide the joy in her refreshing expression. Leonid looked at that beautiful smile on her full lips and turned away.
"I'm so happy~ So happy!"
Charlotte continued expressing her happiness, as it had been a long time since she last saw Sophia, and she was glad Sophia had remembered her first.
"Wait, after thinking about it…"
Charlotte suddenly stopped, her smile fading as she lay on her back again, staring at the ceiling.
"Why do I feel like I've forgotten something?"
"You forgot what?"
Charlotte looked at the ceiling and said softly:
"I think I was curious about something yesterday…"
"What do you mean by that?"
Leonid planted his right hand on the bed and leaned on it, staring down at Charlotte.
"Can you explain this a little more so I can help you?"
"Well, I don't know how to explain… but actually, I barely remember anything about what happened to me yesterday."
"You barely remember anything?!"
Leonid narrowed his eyes and was about to think again when his train of thought was interrupted as Charlotte suddenly sat up and pushed the blanket off her body.
He barely managed to pull back in time so their faces wouldn't collide.
His eyes blinked several times before he combed his hair and looked away. Leonid hid the faint redness in his ears under strands of his silver hair.
He no longer really knew what was wrong with him. He had always been a strong-willed man, unaffected by temptations.
Yet just looking at Charlotte's body in her short pajamas had become alluring.
Leonid sighed quietly and rested his elbow on his thigh.
"I find it strange, especially since I have a good memory."
"You?"
He turned to Charlotte in surprise, staring into her eyes incredulously.
He pointed at her with his index finger and asked:
"You have a good memory, are you sure?!"
Charlotte frowned, then grabbed the pillow and smacked Leonid's pointing finger.
"Okay, I know the truth! So stop checking."
Leonid smirked and let Charlotte deliver several strikes to his hand with the pillow.
He was sure she was tired of his behavior toward her. Yet no matter how hard she hit, he would never budge.
"Oh, come on. I've always said your memory was bad, so why are you mad at me now?"
"Why am I mad? Because you're not just anyone to me anymore!"
"I'm not just anyone..."
Leonid's smirk faded, replaced by a serious expression. He lowered his hand to the mattress and leaned on it as he slowly leaned toward Charlotte, maintaining a safe distance between them.
"You're finally taking my confession seriously. I like that."
Leonid spoke softly, gradually closing the distance between himself and Charlotte.
"Now…"
He paused for a moment, a smile forming on his lips.
"Can I leave my mark on you?"
"Huh?"
Charlotte's eyes widened, and a faint red blush spread across her face instantly.
"What do you mean…?"
Charlotte felt her heart pounding wildly in her chest, so much so that she thought the loud drumming sound was actually reaching Leonid's ears.
"We're in a relationship, aren't we? So can I touch you… with my lips?"
Leonid stopped moving closer when he reached a point where he could feel the heat radiating from Charlotte's face against his own.
"Stop messing around..."
Charlotte hugged the pillow to her chest, turned her gaze away, and retreated slightly to avoid accidentally brushing Leonid's face.
"This isn't nice..."
"What's nice behavior then, Charlotte?"
Leonid asked gently, continuing to press on Charlotte's sensitive strings.
"Better be ready when we start a serious relationship between us because I won't accept a platonic one with you."
"A serious relationship? A platonic one?"
"Yes. Of course, I won't remain the gentleman you've known once we officially start our relationship."
With a calm expression, Leonid stood up from the bed, then reached out his hand toward Charlotte, tilting her chin up so she would look at him.
"Until then, I'll allow myself to leave my mark on you so you won't forget me with every step you take outside."
"Huh?"
With her eyes widening in surprise, Leonid leaned over her and placed a soft, pure kiss on the top of her head. Charlotte froze, her body stiff and out of control, as Leonid's lips lingered for a few moments before he pulled back to look into her eyes.
Under Leonid's intense gaze, Charlotte remained motionless.
She could feel his hand gently caressing her cheek, his breath brushing against her face, making her melt even further.
Suddenly, a knock on the door broke their moment.
The sound of the wheels of a medium-sized food cart disrupted the room's quietness. A nurse entered, pushing the cart after switching on the room's overhead lights and parked it in front of the hospital bed where Charlotte was lying.
The nurse didn't seem to notice the intimate atmosphere in the room. She lifted her head and, unfortunately, locked eyes with Leonid, who stared at her coldly, just as he had done before.
Forcing a smile, she assumed he hadn't forgiven her for the misunderstanding that had occurred between them just hours earlier.
"Miss Smith, it's time for dinner."
Ignoring Leonid, the nurse arranged the dining table next to Charlotte's bed and carefully placed the dishes.
"Miss Smith, this meal will make up for the malnutrition you've been experiencing today. Please finish all the dishes so you can recover quickly."
"Hmm…"