Chapter 46 Selective Silence
Roman’s heart skipped the moment he saw her lashes flutter and her eyes slowly open.
For a second, he couldn’t breathe.
‘Did she hear me?’ He stared at her face, wondering.
Evelyn blinked slowly, like she was trying to wake from a deep, heavy sleep. Her eyes were hazy and confused, her heart beating fast even though her body still felt heavy. She turned her head slightly, trying to make out the face in front of her.
Roman’s hand lifted on its own. He patted her head gently, then leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.
“Darling… are you okay?” he asked quietly.
His face looked calm, but his mind was a mess. Too many thoughts were crashing at once. The biggest one was fear—fear that something today might have triggered her. Fear that her mind might have picked up something she wasn’t supposed to remember.
“Roman?” Evelyn called out hoarsely.
He stood up immediately and poured water from the dispenser. He placed the cup on the bedside table, then slid an arm behind her shoulders and helped her sit up carefully.
He brought the cup to her lips and made her drink slowly, one sip at a time. His palm rubbed her back gently the whole time. To soothe her.
Evelyn drank until her throat stopped burning. Then she turned her face away from the cup.
Roman set the glass aside and gathered her into his arms, holding her close against his chest.
Evelyn frowned, still confused. “W… where are we? Weren’t we…”
Roman’s arms tightened around her. He couldn’t let her chase that thought. “Shh, it’s okay,” he murmured into her hair, placing another kiss on her crown. “You got really stressed. I’m sorry. It’s my fault.”
Evelyn’s brows pulled tighter. Her mind was hazy. It was as if her head had gone empty and completely blank. She tried to remember anything that happened, and what he was talking about. But she couldn't remember anything at all.
‘What happened?’
‘Why am I here?’
‘Why does my head feel empty?’
She was left completely confused. It was as if a huge part of her had been detached. Her head buzzed.
“Hiss…” she hissed softly, pressing her fingers to her temple. She didn't want to think too much about it again, since it's making her head buzz.
Feeling her discomfort, Roman quickly replaced his hand with hers. He massaged her head gently with his fingertips, in slow circles.
“Mmm,” she moaned softly, the pain receding under his touch. Comforted by his warmth and the soothing circles on her skin, she asked again,
“Roman, what happened? I can’t seem to remember anything. Where are we?”
She pulled back slightly to look around the unfamiliar, cozy room.
Roman’s expression didn’t change, but something dark flickered behind his eyes.
‘This wasn't their bedroom,’ She tried to piece things together. ‘and… Wait… the last thing that happened was—’
Roman immediately pressed two fingers to a sensitive point on her neck, applying precise pressure.
And like that, she slumped back into his arms again. Breathing steadily.
He held her, watching her peaceful face. ‘Since she remembered nothing. It'd be better this way.’
Roman held her close, stroking her hair gently.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. A dark, obsessive glint flickered in his eyes before being swallowed by a wave of profound guilt.
—--
A few hours earlier, across town, the air in the fancy restaurant was still filled with whispers. People kept sneaking glances at their table.
Lena shifted uncomfortably in her seat, acutely aware of the stares. Across from her, Rhys was busy typing on his phone, seemingly unaffected.
Since no one was ordering, Lena grabbed the menu and placed an order herself.
When the food arrived, she was about to dig in when Rhys suddenly lifted his face.
“What did you do?” he asked calmly.
Lena froze, then dropped her fork with a pout. “What did I do?”
Rhys stared at her, narrowing his sharp gaze slightly. Then as if resigning to his fate, he let out a deep sigh.
He checked his wristwatch. “Do I need to educate you on what you did wrong, young lady?”
Lena’s lips twitched slightly. “Here I was thinking you were cool. Just a sharp-tongued, good-looking, boring lawyer—”
She hadn't finished muttering under her breath when Rhys cut her off.
“If you want to do something, do it right.”
Lena blinked, confused. “…Meaning?”
He leaned back slightly. “If you want to blackmail someone, do it properly.”
Lena’s brows lifted.
Rhys continued, in a steady tone. “In a case like this, you can sue him for more money. He harassed you in public. That is, if you didn’t leave traces.”
Lena’s face lit up. “You’re soooo cool.” She leaned forward, eyes sparkling. “Can I hire you as my lawyer then?”
Rhys gave her a deadpan, slightly irritated look. “You can’t afford me.”
Her smile dropped.
“…Then enjoy your meal alone,” she muttered, standing up. “Thanks for the advice and the help earlier. But you can’t afford my time either.”
She picked up her bag, then stormed out, with her cheeks puffed in frustration.
“So rude,” she mumbled, kicking a stone as she got out. Then she sighed. “He’s right though.”
Behind her, Rhys watched her go. A faint smile touched his lips.
\---
Lena was barely halfway down the road, lost in thought, when a deafening sound ripped through the air.
HONK!!!
The blaring horn was followed by the horrific screech of tires fighting for traction.
CRASH!!!!
Everything happened too fast.
Lena’s whole body froze. She shut her eyes, waiting for impact.
But nothing hit her.
Only silence… and the faint blaring of a car alarm.
Her heart pounded in her ears. Shakily, she turned.
A red sports car had crashed into the roadside lane. Long tire marks cut across the road. It was obvious the driver had swerved to avoid hitting her.
Her legs felt like jelly. Every instinct screamed run, but she was rooted to the spot.
The driver’s door flew open. A young man erupted from the car, with tousled light blonde hair. He looked angelic but wild at the same time.
He stared at the wrecked front of his car and cursed.
Then he turned to Lena, furious.
“What the fuck is your problem?!” he bellowed. “Can’t you keep your fucking legs at home if you don’t know basic traffic rules?!”
He checked his watch and cursed again.
“I don’t have time for this!”
He turned away, walking off to hail a cab like she didn’t exist.
Lena stood there rooted, getting stares from passing strangers, shame and shock mixing in her throat.
After a while, she finally muttered, “Well… what a series of escalating events.”
And walked home, still shaken.
\---
Hours later, Lena was in her bedroom, fresh out of a warm shower.
She sighed, towel-drying her hair, her mind still replaying the crash.
After thinking for way too long, she made a decision.
She sat at her laptop and hacked into the street CCTV where the incident happened—just in case the owner of that sports car came looking for compensation.
Her fingers moved fast. Lines of code flashed.
Within moments, the CCTV system loaded. She pulled up the exact time frame.
Then deleted the footage.
The screen refreshed—clean.
“No record. No evidence,” she muttered with a satisfied smile.
She was about to close her laptop when a system notification popped up.
Lena frowned. She rarely got that kind of alert unless it was important.
She clicked it.
The moment the headline loaded, Lena gasped, eyes widening in shock.