In the living room, after checking the disturbing messages he had received due to his unexpected absence, Leonid gave a brief explanation, carefully avoiding any mention of the deep sleep that had surprised even him.
Once he finished responding, he turned off his phone and sighed lightly before heading to the bedroom to wake Charlotte.
The dark and slightly chilly room provided the perfect environment for Charlotte to enjoy a deep, day-long sleep. But that comfort was short-lived Leonid had decided to take it away from her entirely.
As soon as he entered, he quietly opened the curtains, letting sunlight flood in, followed by a cool breeze through the window he left ajar.
Charlotte stirred beneath the blanket, shielding her face with her hand to escape the light, then let out a soft groan, which brought a faint smile to Leonid's lips before he said:
"It's morning. "
At that moment, Leonid heard the sound of Kaiser's car engine outside. He approached Charlotte and sat on the edge of the bed, gently brushing the scattered strands of hair from her face.
He leaned down and whispered, barely audibly:
"You should get up, you lazy thing."
Charlotte moved slowly, frowning slightly, and opened her eyes halfway, staring at him with eyes lost between sleep and wakefulness.
"What time is it...?"
She murmured hoarsely, as an odd, uncomfortable sensation began creeping through her body.
Leonid didn't notice and replied with a faint smile, tapping her full lips lightly with his finger:
"Almost... eight."
Charlotte closed her eyes again and pursed her lips before trying in vain to bite Leonid's teasing finger, then sank back under the blanket.
"Fierce and bold…"
Leonid muttered in amusement as he pulled his hand away.
"All right, all right. I'll give you a few more minutes... I have an important call to make, and I'll be back to wake you up."
Charlotte exhaled in surrender, her body shifting under the blanket without a word.
Leonid sighed and shook his head lightly before murmuring:
"Even though I'd prefer to drag you out of bed right now… I'll be gentle, since you were cooperative yesterday. Hmm~ you were sweet—"
"Oh, stop annoying me and messing around! Just go already!"
Charlotte grumbled in irritation from under the blanket, kicking her leg toward him. Leonid dodged just in time and left the room, heading off to make a call to someone unexpected, leaving Charlotte frustrated.
Once she was sure he was gone, she slowly sat up, the blanket still covering her bare body.
Her dark eyes gleamed with a mixture of emotions: embarrassment, irritation, and a strange certainty rising from deep within a certainty about something she had expected... and feared.
She took a deep breath, then lifted the blanket hesitantly. She desperately hoped not to see what she was feeling.
Cramps in her stomach, a chill below, and a dull ache in her legs and lower back were growing more distinct.
Beyond the visible signs of intimacy on her body, she cast a quick glance at the bedsheet, then hastily pulled the blanket back over her chest, a tightness in her lungs.
"Oh, not now!... This is a problem. "
What she had feared… had already happened.
Leonid stood in the living room beside the window, holding the phone to his ear while staring at the street across from him.
He dialed the number of the secretary he had met two days earlier.
"Hello?"
As soon as Alex answered, Leonid spoke calmly, his tone devoid of emotion:
"It's me. Leonid."
He paused for a moment, then continued in a low voice:
"I'm calling about the killer... the one who murdered my puppy. What have you found?"
A moment of silence followed before Alex replied, his voice slightly hesitant:
"Ah, Mr. Leonid. Actually… I was hesitant to call you, because I couldn't get clearance from the police station."
Alex gave an awkward little laugh before adding:
"I tried, believe me, but they rejected all my requests. They said interrogation and communication with criminals are restricted to them alone."
Leonid was silent for a beat, then spoke in a quiet but sharp tone:
"Did you really try your best?"
His words were like knives cold and cutting. Alex felt his tension rise despite his effort to maintain a professional tone.
"I swear I did everything I could, but... the case is bigger than we thought. The police here are vague, and their demeanor is intimidating. I was firmly rejected, and there was no room to push further."
Alex swallowed hard, trying to steady his nerves:
"But we can compensate you, Mr. Leonid. Just tell us the amount, and we'll transfer it immediately."
"Forget it... I don't want compensation. Especially not from you."
"Oh God, is this hostility toward compensation? Mr. Leonid, is this your pride talking? Please, we're speaking about your right as a victim! This isn't about your dignity it's about our responsibility."
Leonid exhaled slowly, deciding to end the call. His voice was as cold as ice:
"I don't care. Thank you, and goodbye."
"Mr. Leonid, plea—"
But Leonid ended the call before Alex could finish his sentence, leaving him in heavy silence.
Alex sighed, then set the phone aside with a dramatic gesture and returned to his desk to continue working on a stack of confidential documents.
He had to finish them before any employees arrived, because the truth hidden within those papers was far from legal: forged numbers and meticulously fabricated schemes.
The entire file was designed to deceive the family head and other employees so that no one would suspect anything, and nothing would interfere with the eldest son's plans.
Alex, like his young master, had no other option... Control demanded deception.
And what happened with Leonid was no exception.
Alex had never dared contact the police, nor had he ever considered meeting the killer. All he did was quietly bury the case and try to silence the victim.
On the other end, Leonid calmly closed his phone, his thoughts beginning to drift toward what he needed to do before returning to wake Charlotte, just as he had warned.
What kind of embarrassing situation had she gotten herself into?
Charlotte covered her flushed face, unable to come up with a quick solution.
Yesterday, she had been swept away by a passion she'd never experienced before and today, she found herself in an awkward battle with her menstrual cycle.
"How could I forget something as simple as its timing?"
She muttered in a barely audible voice, wishing with all her heart that she was wrong. But after a second quick check, the horror returned to her eyes.
She wasn't wrong.
So what was she supposed to do now? How could she face him?
"You're awake?"
Leonid's voice broke into her thoughts, snapping the fragile thread of her nervous tension.
She quickly pulled the blanket up to her chest, trying to stay composed despite the fiery blush on her cheeks.
"If you really are awake... then why don't you get up?"
Leonid sighed, shaking his head lightly with a flicker of disappointment in his expression. Then he began walking slowly toward the bed.
His steps were soft but completely at odds with the rapid pounding of her heart.
"Wait! Just for a moment!"
"Huh?"
Leonid stopped immediately, raising his eyebrows in surprise and folding his arms across his chest.
He looked at Charlotte intently, while her dark eyes darted around the room, avoiding his gaze in embarrassment.
He didn't miss the shy look on her face, especially the flush spreading across her cheeks.
"Are you... shy? Now?"
He raised an eyebrow, amusement and disbelief coloring his voice.
"After how bold you were yesterday… and now you're shy? Ah, I get it."
Charlotte's eyes widened, her heartbeat doubling but the real surprise wasn't his words.
It was his sudden departure from the room.
She froze for a few seconds, staring at the door Leonid had exited through.
Charlotte blinked slowly, as if returning to reality, and the tension inside her eased slightly.
Did... did he understand? Or was he just...
Charlotte tilted her head gently, and the strands of her chestnut hair slid softly over the pillow behind her.
After a few moments of silence, she sighed and tried to get up. At the very least, she could make use of his absence. But that thought quickly vanished.
"Here..."
Suddenly, Leonid returned, holding a towel in his hand. Charlotte's body tensed under the blanket, and she didn't dare to move.
He approached with calm steps, stopped beside the bed, then raised an eyebrow and said in a composed tone:
"No need for the blanket if you're going to get out of bed. Here… use the towel."
He extended his hand toward her, waiting for her to take the towel but she remained still. After a pause, Leonid leaned in slightly, his voice close to her ear:
"You're really shy... why is that?"
Charlotte shook her head gently, trying to deny it without words.
Leonid smiled faintly, and said in a quiet but piercing voice:
"But your actions say otherwise, Charlotte."
Despite the softness of his tone, his words slipped into her like a cool breeze disturbing the stillness. She could no longer hold back the truth. After a short silence, she muttered in a shy confession:
"It's just... it's that time of the month."
She didn't lift her eyes to him, but the flush on her cheeks and ears blazed against her pale skin like a mark of embarrassment.