Chapter 64: A video call
Chapter 64: A video call
Izo’s video call came through just as the maid finished adjusting the pillow behind Audrey’s head, the soft rustle of cotton and feather was a bit disturbing to Audrey.
The screen lit up in Audrey’s trembling hand, and his face filled it instantly, tired eyes, familiar brows, a worried crease that disappeared the moment he saw her awake.
“There you are,” he said, exhaling like he’d been holding his breath for hours. “I thought they were lying to me. You look healthy enough to shout at me.”
Audrey gave a weak laugh and shifted slightly, the movement sending a dull ache down her spine. “You’re the one who made everyone shout,” she replied. “The whole house almost collapsed because you called every thirty seconds.”
Izo shook his head. “I don’t care if the roof flies off. If my wife falls down a staircase, I get to panic.”
The maid hovered at Audrey’s side, dabbing her temple gently with a cotton pad.
Izo glanced at her and softened. “Thank you for taking care of her,” he said.
The maid nodded respectfully and tucked a stray curl away from Audrey’s face before stepping slightly back but remaining in view.
The call stretched on, slow and warm, like they were trying to recreate the safety of the same room despite thousands of miles between them.
Izo began telling her stupid stories about meetings he’d nearly slept through, about assistants who confused north and south on presentations, exaggerating everything until Audrey found herself laughing despite the pain.
“One of them showed a map upside down,” he declared solemnly, “and argued with me that I was wrong.”
Audrey covered her mouth with her hand as laughter bubbled out. “You’re lying,” she said, her eyes shining.
“For real baby,” Izo replied, crossing his heart. “I almost resigned on the spot.”
The maid smiled quietly as she adjusted the blanket again, watching the way Audrey’s face softened with each small joke.
Slowly, Audrey’s eyelids began to droop. Her body, still bruised and sore from the fall, pulled her toward sleep, and her words began to slur. “You’re too noisy,” she murmured, already half gone.
“You’ll miss me when I’m quiet,” Izo answered gently. “I always miss you.”
When her breathing evened out and her hand loosened around the phone, Izo noticed first. “She’s asleep,” he said softly.
The maid stepped closer, reaching for the phone. “Should I end the call, sir?” she asked.
He hesitated for only a second. “No,” he said, his voice lower. “Leave it on.”
The maid looked uncertain. “Sir?”
“Keep the phone where I can see her,” he repeated. “I want to make sure she’s breathing, that she’s comfortable.”
The maid nodded, carefully propping the phone against a stack of books on the bedside table so the camera faced Audrey. She adjusted the angle until Audrey filled the screen, then she smoothed the blanket one last time and quietly left the room, closing the door without a sound.
In his hotel suite abroad, Izo shifted his focus back to the laptop in front of him. Files were open, contracts half read, emails waiting. His fingers moved over the keyboard, but every few seconds his eyes drifted to the corner of the screen where Audrey slept, her chest rising and falling steadily.
He felt calmer watching her like that, as if the distance between them shrank the longer he stared. He was halfway through typing a reply when he noticed a shadow move across the screen. His fingers paused. He leaned slightly closer, his eyes narrowing. Someone had entered the room back at the mansion.
The door behind Audrey opened soundlessly, and Tennessee stepped inside. He moved carefully, his body tense at first as though he wasn’t sure he was allowed to be there. Izo’s jaw tightened, though his face remained still.
Tennessee walked further in, glancing around the room with a kind of awe he didn’t bother to hide. The bedroom glowed softly in the dim light, the walls painted in warm creams, pink and pale gold, delicate patterns curling along the ceiling like something out of a fairytale.
The bed itself looked like something lifted from a dream, tall, wide, draped in layers of silk and soft fabric that fell to the floor. Light from a small bedside lamp shimmered across polished surfaces and mirrored panels.
Tennessee breathed out, shaking his head. “Wow,” he murmured to himself, his voice low but audible through the phone’s microphone. “Dad really outdid himself.”
He stepped further inside, his boots quiet against the thick carpet, and he turned slowly, taking it all in. “All those hotels, all those villas… this one beats them,” he said under his breath. “This is… crazy.”
On the other side of the world, Izo felt something cold twist inside his chest. He still didn’t move. He just kept watching.
Tennessee’s gaze finally fell on the bed. He walked toward it slowly, like he didn’t want to disturb the air. Audrey lay curled slightly on her side, hair spread like a dark fan across the pillow, her face relaxed in sleep.
He stopped at the edge of the bed and hesitated. “You scared everyone,” he whispered, though she couldn’t hear him.
He reached out and carefully pulled the blanket higher, covering her shoulders. His fingers lingered for a second longer than necessary, then he tucked the sides in gently to keep her warm.
He lowered himself into the chair beside the bed, moving slowly so it wouldn’t creak. He studied her face in silence for a moment before placing his hand lightly over her shin.
He began to massage her legs with slow, careful pressure, as if he were afraid even the smallest mistake might cause her pain.
He leaned forward a little, his elbows resting on the mattress, his head dipped as though he were in thought. “You should rest,” he added in a whisper.
Izo’s fingers curled slowly next to his laptop. He wasn’t angry. His face remained calm, controlled, almost blank. But something hot and sharp coiled inside him, a jealousy that burned quietly without smoke.
He watched as Tennessee adjusted the blanket again. He watched as Tennessee’s hand lingered for a moment too long before returning to Audrey’s legs. He watched the way Tennessee looked at her, the way his eyes softened.
Tennessee finally leaned back in the chair and exhaled slowly, still unaware of the eyes on him through the small, unseen screen. He ran a hand through his hair and shook his head faintly.
He stood up, smoothing the blanket one last time, his fingers brushing lightly against Audrey’s arm.