Chapter 56 IT HURTS
••Luciana••
I left the party early.
It wasn’t even long after Roman walked out on me. The party was still going on but none of it made sense without him there.
I scanned the hall one last time, hoping to spot Theo. I didn't see him, they must have left together.
Great. Just great.
I went back to my room, the black dress swaying around my legs like it was mocking me for even trying tonight. All that effort and elegance, just wasted. I stood in front of the mirror and stared at my reflection.
My hair was still perfect, my makeup still flawless.
I brought out my phone and took few selfies of my self. When i mean few, that was about 20 or more... I rarely take pictures but when I do I like to capture every angle.
Am I really that beautiful? The thought surprised me. Huh. What is wrong with me?
I sighed, tugged the zipper down, peeled off the dress, and tossed it over a chair. Then I flopped onto the bed in my pajamas and stared at the ceiling. Fine. I would enjoy the night all by myself.
Sleep had just started pulling me under when the door pushed open. My eyes fluttered. The room was dim, just how I liked it. I hated bright lights when I slept. Roman always complained about it whenever he stayed here. We would argue until he finally gave in and dimmed it for me.
“Roman… is that you?” I murmured.
A figure stood by the door. No answer.
He stepped forward. Slowly.
“Roman, what’s wrong?” I asked, sitting up.
Still no response.
He leaned one hand against the wall. His other hand pressed to his waist. His head hung low.
Something snapped inside me. I jumped out of bed and rushed to him, grabbing his hands. They were rough and covered in blood.
“Roman,” I whispered.
My hand brushed his waist. He flinched hard, sucking in a sharp breath.
I became scared. I reached for the switch and turned on the light. “Oh shit,” I gasped.
His clothes were soaked in blood. Not splattered, I mean soaked. His shirt was ripped down one side, the fabric hanging uselessly off his shoulder. His left eye was swollen and purple. His lip was split. Dried blood streaked his jaw. One cheek was bruised dark blue. His knuckles were scraped raw. His right arm trembled like it might give out at any second.
He looked… destroyed.
My vision blurred instantly.
“You need to go to the hospital, Roman,” I said, my voice shaking.
He lifted his hand weakly and waved it no.
“You are badly hurt,” I cried. “This is serious. You need proper care. Staying here won’t help you.”
“It was… a secret operation I can't make it public.,” he said through clenched teeth. “We were trapped."
The way he said it told me everything. There's no going to hospital.
“You need to get to the bed so I can help you,” I said.
He nodded.
I wrapped my arm around his waist to support him.
He whimpered.
“Oh my God, sorry,” I whispered, panicking. Every place I touched hurt him.
We shuffled toward the bed, step by step. His weight leaned heavier on me with each step. His breathing was uneven. Sweat beaded on his forehead. Somehow we made it.
I helped him lay down, then gently eased him back onto the bed, stacking pillows under his head and shoulders.
“Stay here,” I said.
I ran to grab the first aid box. My hands shook so badly I almost dropped it.
I came back and slowly unbuttoned his shirt.
He hissed when the fabric pulled away from his skin.
“I’m sorry,” I said again.
Under the shirt was worse. Dark bruises covered his ribs. A deep gash sliced across his side. His shoulder was swollen. Finger-shaped marks bruised his arms like someone had gripped him hard.
I cleaned my hands, poured antiseptic on a cotton pad, and touched it to his side.
He groaned. His fingers dug into the bedsheet. His jaw clenched.
“Breathe,” I whispered. “Please breathe.”
I cleaned every wound carefully, slow and gentle. He reacted to each touch. A low sound escaped his throat every time I dabbed a bruise.
Tears slid down my face and dropped onto his chest.
“Hey,” he murmured weakly. “Don’t cry.”
“Don’t talk,” I said, my voice breaking.
I wrapped the gash, applied ointment to his cuts, and pressed clean bandages over his bruises. He didn't hold back the pain, he was so vulnerable this moment. It must really hurts.
I grabbed pain relief tablets, held his head up, and helped him swallow them with water.
“Good,” I whispered. “They’ll help. Just give it time.”
After I was done with his upper body, he shifted awkwardly.
“Luci,” he said softly. “Can you help me pull off my trousers?”
Funny how life throws you into things you never thought you'll do in a long time.
I nodded, knelt down, and unbuckled his belt. My fingers fumbled but this is not just the time. I slid the trousers down his legs carefully.
He sucked in a breath. His thighs were bruised too.
I ran to the fridge and brought ice packs.
I pressed one gently to his side. He hissed and muttered something in Russian.
“Sorry,” I whispered, again and again.
“Don’t be,” he said weakly. “You’re saving my life.”
That nearly broke me. “Shouldn’t your family be sending men to deal with whoever did this?” I asked quietly.
He didn't say anything.
“Why?” I pressed.
His eyes shifted away. “Father said I was weak,” he said slowly. “He refused to send backup when things went wrong. He said it would make me stronger.”
Something snapped inside my chest. I stared at him, lying there broken and bleeding, still trying to be strong.
Rage flooded me.
The anger I once had toward Roman melted completely. Nothing mattered anymore except the fact that he almost died tonight.
“Can you sleep by my side?” he asked softly.
I climbed onto the bed and curled beside him. He rested his head on my chest.
“That’s better,” he murmured. “It hurts less like this.”
We lay in silence. His breathing slowly steadied. My fingers stroked his hair.
We shared the moment in silence. My circled around what he just told me. Just if I could take his pain away, he is in a very bad state.
“Are you asleep?” he asked.
“Not yet.”
“I need to tell you something, Luci.”
“It can wait,” I said. “You need rest.”
“No. Please.”
"Roman, you need all the rest you can get." I pushed further.
"I can't rest if I don't explain this, let me." He said.
"Okay," I finally gave in.
He then told me everything about the call I overheard. He explained he didn’t know the truth before and he was just getting the information from Theo when I overheard it. His father had known someone was watching Andrian and did nothing. He wasn't informed about it and he would still have told me if I didn't hear it.
"I'm sorry you had to hear it that way, Luci." He apologized.
By the time he finished, my chest hurt like it was being crushed.
Tears streamed down my face. I can't handle all these emotions at once, If this a dream I need to be woken up.