Silence filled the car as the rain pounded insistently against the windows, their breaths echoing in the confined space. Leonid drove steadily until he finally stopped the car and turned off the engine.
He turned to her in a calm tone:
"We've arrived. I'll help you get in first… then I'll go back for the bags."
Charlotte slowly unbuckled her seatbelt and nodded, without a word.
Leonid opened the door and then the umbrella, stepping out of the seat.
"Put on my jacket, alright?"
His eyes conveyed more concern than his words, and Charlotte obeyed, slipping into the dark blue, velvety jacket that hung loosely over her small frame.
As soon as he opened her door, the wind whipped her chestnut hair. She closed her eyes instinctively, then opened them to find him extending his hand steadily toward her.
He pulled her close, almost carrying her like before, but Charlotte shook her head:
"I can walk."
"And what if lightning strikes above us suddenly?"
Her body shivered, but she held herself together.
"I'll keep walking… that's all I can do."
He stared at her for a long moment before sighing, then helped her down. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to his chest, and she instinctively rested her hand on his shirt.
"Aren't you cold?"
"No."
She replied smoothly as he closed the door behind them and started walking.
The rain lashed his back mercilessly, yet he kept the umbrella over her alone, ignoring himself.
Luckily, the lightning didn't strike directly above them, though the thunder roared menacingly in the distant horizon, making Charlotte pause for fearful moments.
He led her to the lobby and instructed her to wait by the elevator until he returned with the bags. Charlotte complied silently, breathing slowly.
But the sudden sound of the elevator doors opening behind her forced her to break the silence as she turned around.
A few minutes earlier, Kaiser had been sipping a fine wine in his apartment, his eyes fixed on the stormy sky.
Three heavy days or maybe more had passed without catching a glimpse or sound of Charlotte.
His chest felt tight, as if something he had always possessed was being torn away.
Charlotte's absence did not create a silent void it created a deprivation that gnawed at his heart.
Suddenly, the sound of a car engine outside rivaled the storm's fury.
A wide smile spread across his lips as he saw his girl stepping out under the umbrella. But the smile quickly faded when he noticed Leonid's arm holding her close.
His amber eyes darkened for a moment before he grabbed a clean towel from the closet with urgency. He strode forward, thinking only of reaching her.
Inside the elevator, his thoughts raced. He had much to say, but the thought of touching her made him shiver.
When the elevator stopped and the doors opened, he saw her. She turned toward him with a brief look of surprise, which quickly gave way to a glare filled with hatred as her dark eyes met his amber ones.
He smiled arrogantly, as if her resistance was merely another source of amusement.
"Hi~"
He greeted her with a wave, running his fingers through his hair to push it back, but it rebelliously fell across his face again, enhancing the regal predator-like allure of his features.
Charlotte squinted at his tousled appearance, yet he remained impeccably stylish a style she deemed fake, a noble mask on a beast's face.
She stepped back as the smell of wine hit her nose.
Kaiser's smile vanished, replaced by a fleeting look of disappointment.
"Why are you stepping back, my sweetheart?"
"Don't call me sweetheart!"
He shook his head in mild annoyance and tossed the clean towel at her. Charlotte closed her eyes in shock as it hit her face, covering half her head and shoulders.
"What is this? What did you throw at me!?"
She yelled in frustration, about to remove it, but two strong arms caught her, pulling her roughly against his chest.
She froze, breathless, as the towel slipped down, revealing her trembling eyes.
Over his shoulder, Charlotte caught a reflection of the scene in the elevator mirror a trapped image of herself in his arms.
"Ah, it's wonderful to hold you again~"
His warm whisper reached her ear, leaving a sharp bitterness in her throat.
Tears welled up behind her eyelids, silently begging Leonid to return quickly, as she no longer had the strength to resist this captivity.
He raised his head and pressed his forehead to hers, his old smile returning to nauseate her.
"And it will be wonderful… to kiss you~"
"How…"
"Hmm? Wondering how that would be wonderful to me?"
His amber eyes gleamed with a dark intent, but Charlotte's trembling voice made the gleam vanish for a moment:
"How can you smile… after what you did?"
He tilted his head with cold curiosity, and she added, her voice quivering with firmness:
"And don't talk about kisses… there will be nothing between us."
With an unexpected burst of strength, she pushed his chest away.
But she immediately wondered why it seemed as if he had retreated first.
Kaiser stood a few steps away, staring at her in silence, his eyes piercing her very soul, before slowly shaking his head. His red hair fell over half his face before he turned and walked calmly through the emergency door.
Charlotte stood frozen, gasping. She hadn't realized she was holding her breath until his presence was gone.
She sank to her knees, stifling a bitter urge to vomit, while the towel slipped from her shoulders to the floor beside her. She stared at it with tearful eyes that glimmered in the lobby light, a false symbol of care. She didn't need it at all… Leonid had kept her dry and warm under his wide jacket and protection.
But thoughts attacked her mercilessly why, and what now? Thoughts she was not allowed to entertain after a moment like this.
"Charlotte?!"
Leonid's voice exploded as he rushed toward her, kneeling beside her in haste, his face full of concern.
"What's wrong? Why are you on the ground? …And why does your skin look so pale?"
He wiped his hands on his shirt in a hurry before reaching out to touch her cheek.
"Are you okay? …Wait, where did this towel come from?"
He noticed the dry cloth and reached for it, but another hand beat him to it.
Maxime appeared behind Charlotte, his voice low and steady, confident:
"I'm the one who gave it to her… but I think you're the one who needs it more."
He held the towel firmly, shook it out, and handed it to Leonid.
"You're soaked from head to toe. Dry yourself off before you get sick."
Leonid hesitated for a moment, the urge to refuse clear in his eyes, but in the end, he took it.
"This… is a kind gesture, thank you."
He muttered reluctantly, his voice tinged with unnecessary irritation.
Maxime gave a brief, tight-lipped smile:
"You're welcome. By the way…"
"What?"
It was only then that Leonid realized the source of his deep unease; Maxime wasn't just a man waving a towel he was a security officer, like a watchdog observing every detail with his narrowed eyes.
Leonid exhaled and withdrew his hand from Charlotte's cheek, but it was too late; Maxime had seen everything.
He said in a low, steady voice:
"I think I know what you want to talk about."
"It's fine. Forget it…"
Maxime replied very calmly, his eyes unyielding.
He stood slowly, his posture carrying the sternness of years.
His features, despite the wrinkles, had not lost their sharpness. He turned toward his office and added:
"Just make sure Miss Charlotte gets to her apartment safely, and throw the towel in the trash."
He left with quiet steps, not looking back. He no longer cared if they really separated or not… it was too late to change anything.
He entered and gripped the door handle, closing it firmly behind him.
"No one can do anything."
He whispered, barely audible, as if reminding himself alone:
"No one."
Leonid wiped the wetness from his skin and clothes with the towel, then folded it carelessly and tossed it into the trash.
"Alright, let's continue."
He lifted the two bags lightly and headed toward the elevator.
After helping her to stand, Charlotte remained beside him, staring silently at the floor. Then she slowly raised her eyes toward the reflective mirror of the closed elevator doors.
Her reflection shocked her: pale, almost lifeless skin. It had been a long time since she had seen her complexion this bad, as if she had glimpsed a ghost moments ago.
Even though Kaiser resembled a reaper, a person who finds delight in others' suffering until their last moments.
She let out a sharp breath and covered her face with her hands, disappointment choking her; how had she failed to stop him quickly?
What suddenly happened to her that her body didn't respond immediately?