Chapter 93 The Calm Before
❦ Rosalind ❦
The first thing I noticed when I slid into consciousness was the warmth of the morning sun kissing my skin. I knew last night had been the best sleep I’d ever had.
Nothing beats sleeping in a safe state of mind after a thoroughly satisfying session of lovemaking with your partner.
My arms stretched, searching for that warmth, only to meet empty but rumpled sheets.
I turned to my husband’s side of the bed, prying my eyes open to see that he was indeed not there. I understood that he might have had to go to work, but it would have been nice to wake up cocooned in his arms.
Stretching once more for good measure, my lips curved into a content smile as I reached for my phone to check the time.
11 a.m.
I could hardly believe I had slept this long. A loud rumble in my stomach reminded me that hunger waits for no one. I sat up, dutifully following the call.
After showering in the master bedroom, I ran my fingers over my reflection in the repaired mirror. I looked well, better than I had in the last month, and I owed it all to getting on the same page with Viktor.
I bounced on my toes, giddy. He loved me. He said so himself, and then he showed me.
I couldn’t wait to see him, so I dressed as fast as possible.
The house was eerily quiet as I left the bedroom, my running stomach nearly announcing itself in the silence. I decided to check his office before going down to the kitchen. I knocked a couple of times, and when I heard no answer, I twisted the knob, surprised it was unlocked.
I poked my head inside, beaming a sunny smile, expecting to meet his eyes, but the chair was empty.
I closed the door with a small frown and pulled out my phone. The first thing I did was add an emoji to his contact card to seal the deal.
To Vik💋: Next time, can I please wake up with you next to me?
I had reached the first floor when I heard a giggle. I looked up from my phone without sending the text.
Adrian sat on the couch in the living area, his white T-shirt standing out against the stark blue of his jeans. It was the most easygoing look I’d seen on him so far.
Isa, Enza’s red-haired assistant, sat next to him, both of them leaning over a few open books on a low circular stool in front of them.
They both looked up as I descended.
Isa beamed, a wide, bright smile that lit her eyes, and I smiled back.
“Good morning,” I chimed, walking over to them.
Adrian leveled me with an unreadable gaze. It was hostile, but I ignored it. I wasn’t going to let his grouchiness imprint on my day.
“Good morning,” he said gruffly.
Isa sidestepped him and hugged me, her head barely reaching my chest. Then she promptly released me and resumed her seat.
Adrian caught me watching her curiously. He leaned back against the sofa.
“She’s mute,” he said matter-of-factly.
“Oh,” my heart clenched. I had only just realized she hadn’t spoken a word to me, even when she could have. I felt a little guilty for not noticing sooner.
Fortunately, she seemed absorbed in the books in front of her, and I noticed they were math problems.
I glanced at Adrian, surprised. He was helping her with assignments. I shelved that to the list of surprising things I was finding out about him.
“Where is Viktor?” I asked, feeling my excitement return. My stomach grumbled, reminding me to prioritize my needs and wants.
“At the gym,” he replied.
My heart sank a little.
“Alright,” I said, making my way to the open-plan kitchen.
Isa shot up at my movement, but I held out a hand.
“No, no, it’s okay. You keep at your homework. I can handle it.”
She looked unconvinced.
“It’s fine, really,” I insisted with a smile.
She nodded, sitting back down, still unsure.
I stole glances at them while I cooked and we ate, watching him teach her with a level of patience I would have never associated with him. It was eye-opening.
Once again, I found myself thinking back to Juliana and her history of failed relationships with the bad-boy type. I settled on the fact that I was merely an outsider and might never truly know why it hadn’t worked out between them.
Viktor still wasn’t back, and I’d long since sent the text. His silence turned my excitement into a creeping dread. I didn’t even know why.
Why would he stay this long away from me, especially after yesterday?
When Adrian came up to the sink to wash the dishes he and Isa had used, I decided to seize the opportunity.
“That was nice of you, to put her through like that,” I said softly.
He responded with a grunt.
I inhaled deeply, bracing myself. He had his back turned, giving me a moment to steel myself before he turned and pinned me with that cold stare.
“I need to ask you something,” I blurted the moment he started to turn, after wiping his hands on the kitchen towel.
I was glad I’d gotten the words out before our eyes met. I couldn’t imagine what crimes I might have committed in my current and past lives to deserve such a withering look.
He tilted his head, urging me on.
“I would appreciate it if you had the answer to this, Adrian. Viktor was going to tell me, but then the accident happened and all…” I nearly choked on my own lie. Viktor was definitely holding it back from me.
“What did Darko have over my father? What secret did my father desperately protect with his life, and mine?”
The silence was palpable.
To his credit, he didn’t sneer or walk out.
“I don’t owe you any loyalty, Rosalind,” his lips curled. “Since he was already going to tell you, why don’t we wait for him to recover? Unless you don’t plan to be here by then?”
My shoulders slumped in disappointment.
We stood, staring each other down, until I realized why he was still standing there. I was in his way.
I moved aside, and he breezed past me without hesitation.
I glared daggers at his back, cursing the same loyalty to Viktor that I had praised earlier.
It was past noon. Viktor still wasn’t back. He hadn’t replied to my text, and the foreboding feeling only grew stronger.
I called Dante to confirm our plans for the auction in four days. He’d successfully liquidated over five hundred thousand dollars for it. That was almost double the selling price of the hotel.
I tried not to think about what would happen if Viktor ever found out what I’d done. But I was confident I would get it back before he even realized it had happened. With his attention occupied with finding the people who had run him off the road and tried to kill him, I thought it was funny how easily everything was falling into place.
Knowing Viktor and Adrian, they would catch the perpetrators. I would have the hotel, give him unlimited access to pursue the syndicate’s trail, and live as his happy, loving wife.
But if he ever discovered what I’d done before then… I shook the thought off.
I couldn’t afford to think about that now.