Chapter 17 The midnight watch
The transition from dreams to reality was a slow, disorienting crawl. In my sleep, I had been back at the bakery, the scent of warm cinnamon rolls filling the air, but as my eyes fluttered open, the aroma was different—crisp, expensive, and distinctly masculine. The basement was dim, lit only by the soft, ambient glow of the floor lamps, casting long, dramatic shadows against the glass walls.
I blinked, my vision clearing, only to find Victor sitting in his chair mere inches from the sofa. He hadn't changed out of his clothes from the doctor's visit; he was still in a dark charcoal sweater that made his pale features pop against the shadows. He was perfectly still, his chin resting on his hand, his dark eyes locked onto my face with an intensity that made my heart lurch into my throat.
"Ah!" I gasped, bolting upright and nearly Tangling my legs in my yellow raincoat. "Victor! Oh my god, you scared me!"
He didn't move, a slow, lazy smirk spreading across his lips—a look I hadn't seen on him before. It was teasing, almost playful. "Easy there, Rainbow. I didn't mean to cause a heart attack."
"How long have you been sitting there?" I asked, breathless, pushing my messy hair back from my face. "How long have you been back?"
"Long enough to hear those delicate snores of yours," he chuckled, his voice a low, gravelly vibration in the quiet room. "And long enough to appreciate that beauty of yours while it’s at rest. You look much more peaceful when you aren't worrying about the rest of the world."
I felt the heat rush to my cheeks, turning my skin a shade of pink that matched the sunset I had clearly missed. "Stop it, Victor! I don't snore. And you shouldn't stare; it’s creepy."
"It’s not creepy if I’m the one paying for the sofa you're drooling on," he countered, his eyes dancing with a light I hadn't seen since the cinema.
I let out a mock huff and scrambled for my phone, which had slipped into the crevice of the cushions. The screen lit up, blinding me for a second. My stomach dropped.
"9:30 PM?" I shrieked. "Oh no. No, no, no. I fell asleep for five hours! Victor, I have to go. The buses stop running to my neighborhood at nine. I’m stranded."
"The buses are unreliable anyway," Victor said, his tone turning casual, though his eyes remained fixed on me. "You’re safe here, Elena. The mansion has plenty of rooms."
"I can't just stay the night! My parents... Liam..." The mention of his name felt like a cold splash of water. I quickly dialed Maya’s number, my hands shaking. She picked up on the second ring.
"Girl, you are literally acting like a teenager in love," Maya’s voice crackled through the speaker, loud enough for Victor to hear. "Mr. Grinch is really getting to your head, isn't he? Where are you? Mom is asking why you aren't home to help prep the dough for tomorrow's brunch."
I winced, looking at Victor, who was now leaning back in his chair, visibly enjoying the conversation.
"I... I was with Victor and Vane for his check-up," I stammered, turning away toward the kitchenette for some semblance of privacy. "We got back much later than expected, and I fell asleep on the couch. Maya, I missed the last bus."
"Then tell them to bring you home!" Maya barked, followed by a giggle. "They have a garage full of every kind of car imaginable. Pick a Porsche, a Bentley, a tank—anything! Just come back before you also come back completely 'Grinched.' You’re starting to sound like him, you know."
Victor let out a soft, delighted huff of laughter behind me. I glared at the wall.
"No, Maya, I can't ask for that. Listen, tell Mom and Dad I’m staying over at a friend’s house—or just tell them the truth, that the shift ran over and it’s too late to travel. I’ll be back very early tomorrow morning, I promise. Please cover for me."
"Girl, you’re turning me into a professional liar," Maya sighed, though I could hear the smirk in her voice. "You better tell your Grinch to give me a massive gift for all this stress. I’m tired of you two and your nonsense. Anyway, fine. I’ll handle the parents. But look—don't do anything nasty there! Goodnight!"
She hung up before I could even sputter a protest. I stood there, staring at the blank screen, my face feeling like it was on fire.
"Your sister is quite a character," Victor said, his eyes gleaming. "A 'piece of a job,' as they say so I'm the Grinch."
"Maya is just... she’s crazy. Don't listen to her," I muttered, tucked the phone away.
The reality of the situation began to sink in. I was staying the night. At the Blackwood estate. With the man who made my heart do things it shouldn't. I tried to pivot back to my professional role to regain my balance.
"Anyway, the doctor. How did it go? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Elena. Better than fine," he said, his voice softening. "The surgery is a real possibility now. But let’s not talk about doctors. I’ve had enough of them today."
I spent the next hour moving through the familiar routine, though it felt heightened, more intimate in the late-night silence. I prepared his evening bath, ensuring the water was the perfect temperature, and helped him through the grueling process of getting ready for bed. There was a quietness between us now—not the heavy, awkward silence of the early days, but a comfortable, shared space.
Once I had him settled in bed and had administered his evening meds, I reached for a spare pillow and the plush throw blanket from the sofa.
"I'll sleep on the couch," I said, pointing toward the living area. "I’ll be up at 5:00 AM to get out of your hair before the staff arrives."
"Elena," Victor called out as I turned to leave. "Stay. Just for a bit. Can we chat? I’m not quite ready for the darkness yet."
I hesitated, the pillow clutched to my chest, but then I nodded and sat on the edge of the large bed. The moonlight was beginning to pierce through the rain clouds, casting a silver glow over his features.
"Tell me about before," I said softly. "Before the accident. Who was the man in the fast cars?"
Victor leaned back, a nostalgic, somewhat rueful smile touching his lips. "He was a nightmare, mostly. Arrogant, loud, obsessed with things that didn't matter. I thought the world was mine because I had the right last name and a fast enough engine. I was definitely the 'charmer' you see in the tabloids only I didn't have much of a soul underneath the charcoal suits."
"Mmm, so you were definitely an arrogant boy," I teased, nudging his arm.
"Yeah, I was," he admitted, his gaze drifting to the window. "But honestly? I’m almost glad I had this accident. If it hadn't happened, I never would have stopped long enough to meet someone like you. You’ve changed the entire narrative for me, Elena. My life used to be about three things: money, power, and girls who didn't know my middle name. Now..."
He reached out, his hand covering mine on the duvet.
"Now, life is about the way the light hits your yellow coat. It’s about waiting for the elevator to open. You gave me a reason to want to see tomorrow."
I looked down at our joined hands, the weight of his words crashing over me. This was the man Liam was afraid of. This was the man my mother wanted me to stay away from. And as I sat there in the quiet of the Blackwood basement, I realized that I didn't want to be anywhere else.
"I'm glad I found you too, Victor," I whispered.
The storm outside continued to rage, but inside the glass walls, it was the first time in a long time that everything felt perfectly, dangerously still.