Vanya's eyes fluttered closed as she drifted off to sleep, but her mind had other plans. The familiar sensation of fear and anxiety crept in, and she felt herself being pulled back into the nightmares of her previous life.
She was back in the grand estate, surrounded by the opulent decorations and the eerie silence. But it was the memories that haunted her - the memories of her husband, Emrys, and the unspeakable things he had done to her.But it was the memories that haunted her - the memories of the pain and the suffering she had endured.
Vanya's eyes snapped open, and she was gasping for air. She was sobbing uncontrollably, her body shaking with the force of her tears. She was begging, pleading with someone - anyone - not to touch her.
Nolan's eyes flickered open, and he was instantly alert. He had been struggling with insomnia for months, and the sound of Vanya's sobs was like a knife to his heart. He had finally managed to fall asleep after taking a cocktail of sleeping pills, but now he was wide awake.
"What's wrong?" Nolan demanded, his voice low and rough. He reached out to shake Vanya awake, but she just kept moaning and crying.
Vanya's eyes were closed, and she was thrashing about on the bed. Nolan's face twisted in concern as he realized that she was trapped in some kind of nightmare.
"Vanya, wake up!" Nolan shouted, shaking her harder. But Vanya just kept crying, her body shaking with the force of her sobs.
Nolan's face softened, and he pulled Vanya into his arms. He held her close, patting her back as he tried to soothe her.
"Shh, it's okay," Nolan whispered, his voice low and gentle. "You're safe now. I've got you."
Vanya's sobs slowly subsided, and she lay there in Nolan's arms, her body shaking with the aftershocks of her nightmare. Nolan held her close, his face twisted in concern.
"What happened?" Nolan asked, his voice low and gentle. "What were you dreaming about?"
Vanya's eyes flickered open, and she looked up at Nolan. Her eyes were red-rimmed from crying, and her face was pale.
"I...I don't know," Vanya stammered, her voice shaking. "I just had a bad dream, that's all."
Vanya stammered, her voice shaking. "My hu...he was...he was..."
Nolan's face twisted in concern, and he pulled Vanya closer. "Shh, it's okay," he whispered. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."
Vanya nodded, feeling a sense of gratitude towards Nolan. She didn't know what she would have done if he hadn't been there to comfort her.
Nolan's face twisted in concern, and he pulled Vanya closer. "It's okay," he whispered. "You're safe now. I've got you."
As they lay there in the darkness, Nolan's eyes never left Vanya's face. He was worried about her, concerned about the pain and the suffering that she had endured. He didn't know what had happened to her, but he knew that it was something bad.
"I'm sorry," Vanya whispered, her voice barely audible. "I didn't mean to wake you up."
Nolan's face softened, and he smiled. "You didn't wake me up," he lied. "I was already awake."
Vanya looked up at him, her eyes searching. "Really?" she asked, her voice skeptical.
Nolan nodded, his face serious. "Really," he said. "I was just lying here, thinking about things."
Vanya nodded, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. She was grateful that Nolan was being so understanding, and she knew that she could trust him.
As they lay there in the darkness, Nolan's eyes never left Vanya's face. He was watching her, studying her, and trying to understand her. And as he looked at her, he felt a sense of connection that he had never felt before.
It was a connection that went beyond words, beyond rational thought. It was a connection that spoke to something deep within him, something that he couldn't quite explain.
And as he looked at her, Nolan felt a sense of responsibility wash over him. He had to protect her, to keep her safe from harm. He had to make sure that she never suffered again.
As the night wore on, Nolan held Vanya close, his eyes never leaving her face. He was watching her, studying her, and trying to understand her. And as he looked at her, Nolan knew that he had to do everything in his power to help her heal, to help her overcome the pain and the suffering of her past.
Nolan lay in bed, his eyes fixed on the ceiling as he struggled to fall asleep. He had always been a light sleeper, but tonight was worse than usual. His mind was racing with thoughts of Vanya and her nightmares.
As the hours ticked by, Nolan finally gave up on sleep. He threw off the covers and helped himself to the wheelchair, carefully making his way to the bathroom.
"Ah, damn it," Nolan muttered to himself as he struggled to get out of the wheelchair and into the shower.
As he bathed and dressed, Nolan's mind kept wandering back to Vanya. He had been taken aback by her nightmares, and he couldn't help but wonder what had caused them.
Once he was dressed, Nolan made his way to his study, careful not to disturb Vanya as she slept. He settled into his chair and began to work, his mind focused on the tasks at hand.
Meanwhile, Vanya slept peacefully, unaware of Nolan's departure. When she finally woke up, she stretched and yawned, feeling a sense of disorientation.
As she looked around the room, Vanya realized that Nolan was gone. She muttered to herself, "He probably couldn't stand me," and rolled her eyes.
Vanya got out of bed and made her way to the bathroom, starting the water for a warm bath. As she undressed, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and felt a flush rise to her cheeks.
"Ugh, I look like a mess," Vanya said to herself, shaking her head.
Halfway through her bath, Vanya suddenly remembered snippets of what had happened the night before. She felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her as she recalled Nolan holding her and trying to comfort her.
"Oh no, oh no, oh no," Vanya muttered to herself, feeling her face grow hot with embarrassment. "What must he think of me?"
Vanya quickly finished her bath and settled onto the edge of the tub, starting her skin routine. She carefully applied a face mask, trying to calm her racing thoughts.
As she sat there, Vanya couldn't help but wonder what Nolan had thought of her the night before. Had he been disgusted by her tears and her weakness? Or had he actually been trying to comfort her?
Just then, Catherine knocked on the bathroom door. "Vanya, dear, are you okay? Hope you slept well ."
Vanya felt a surge of embarrassment. "I'm fine, Catherine. Just a little...overwhelmed."
Catherine's voice was warm and soothing. "Well, if you need to talk, I'm here for you. And don't worry about Nolan, dear. He's a good man, even if he doesn't always show it."
Vanya smiled, feeling a sense of gratitude towards Catherine. "Thank you, Catherine. That means a lot to me."
As Vanya finished her skin routine and got dressed, she made her way to the kitchen, hoping to find some answers. But as she entered the room, she was greeted by an empty space. Nolan was nowhere to be found.