Chapter 243
No.1
August's cold declaration hung in the air, freezing the tension in the room.
Elisa watched his broad back as he walked away. The suffocating pressure in her chest finally eased. She let out a slow, quiet breath.
She didn't say a word. She didn't offer a sarcastic reply. She simply turned away from the wall and walked toward the massive king-size bed in the center of the room.
She ignored the silk sheets. She walked to the heavy mahogany linen cabinet in the corner. She pulled open the bottom drawer and dragged out a thick,spare cashmere blanket.
She walked back to the bed. She didn't take off her sneakers. She didn't remove her hoodie. She climbed onto the mattress and laid down on the absolute furthest edge, inches from falling off.
She turned her back to the center of the room. She
pulled the heavy cashmere blanket up to her chin,wrapping it tightly around her body like a physical shield.
Across the room, August picked up a remote control from the side table. He pressed a button.
No.2
The bright overhead lights instantly clicked off. The room was plunged into shadows, illuminated only by the dim, warm glow of a single floor lamp near the sofa.
In the low light, August let out a harsh sigh. He picked up his whiskey glass and drained the remaining amber liquid in one aggressive swallow.
He reached down and pulled the white towel from his waist. He grabbed a set of dark gray silk pajamas from his open duffel bag.
He pulled the silk shirt over his shoulders.
The movement caught Elisa's peripheral vision. She shifted slightly under the blanket, her eyes opening in the dim light.
Her gaze landed directly on his bare back.
A long, jagged, white scar cut diagonally across his
right shoulder blade.
No.3
Elisa's breath caught in her throat. Her eyes locked onto the raised tissue.
It was from Santorini. Three years ago. They had been standing on a private dock when a reckless,speeding speedboat lost control and slammed into the wooden pylons. August had reacted instantly. He had grabbed Elisa by the waist and thrown her violently onto the safety of the beach.
The spinning propeller of the boat had grazed his shoulder as he fell, tearing the skin open.
For years, that scar had been Elisa's anchor. It was the physical proof she used to convince herself that beneath his cold, arrogant exterior, he cared about her. It was the memory she clung to every time he insulted her, every time he chose Allena.
She stared at the scar now.
She waited for the familiar ache in her chest. She waited for the sting of tears.
Nothing happened.
Her heart beat at a slow, steady rhythm. Her chest
No.4
felt completely hollow.
She looked at the scar and accepted the flnal truth.The man who had thrown her onto the sand in Santorini was the exact samne man who had ordered his driver to abandon her on a flooded highway in a thunderstorm.
The protective instinct wasn't love. It was just a reflex.
A cold, bitter irony washed over her. She squeezed her eyes shut. She forced the memory out of her brain, locking it away forever.
She pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders.Her breathing slowed down. Within minutes, the exhaustion of the day pulled her into a deep,dreamless sleep.
On the sofa, August sat in the dim light.
He listened to the room. He heard the soft, rhythmic sound of Elisa's breathing.
His jaw clenched. He stared at the dark shape of her body on the edge of the bed.
No.5
He expected her to toss and turn. He expected her to
cry, or to sit up and argue with him. That was how their fights always ended. She would always break the silence first.
But she was asleep. She was completely, genuinely asleep in a room filled with hostility.
A sharp, irritating sense of defeat gnawed at his stomach. He rubbed his temples, forcing himself to look away from the bed. He lay down on the leather sofa,staring at the ceiling.
The hours dragged on. The silence in the room was deafening.
Slowly, the dark sky outside the floor-to-ceiling windows began to turn a pale, bruised purple.
Elisa's eyes snapped open. Her internal clock woke her at exactly 6:00 AM.
She sat up. She pushed the blanket off and looked across the room.
No.6
The leather sofa was empty. The dark gray silk pajamas were tossed carelessly over the armrest.The fabric was still slightly wrinkled.
Elisa stood up. She walked to the bathroom door. It
was wide open. The marble floor was dry.
She walked to the heavy oak bedroom doors. She turned the handle. The lock had been disengaged from the outside.
She pulled the door open and stepped into the hallway.
Brenda was walking out of the kitchen, carrying a silver tray with a steaming cup of black coffee.
"Where is he?" Elisa asked. Her voice was flat and raspy from sleep.
Brenda stopped. She avoided Elisa's eyes, looking down at the tray.
No.7
"Mr. Chambers left an hour ago," Brenda said stiffly."He said he had an urgent overseas conference call at the office."
Elisa stared at the housekeeper. A cold smirk touched her lips.
An overseas call. It was a pathetic, transparent lie.August couldn't handle the suffocating tension in the bedroom.He had fled his own penthouse to avoid facing her in the morning light.
Elisa didn't call out the lie. She simply nodded.
She turned and walked down the hall toward the guest room. She needed to shower. She needed to change. August had run away, but they couldn't avoid each other all day.
Today was the FDA hearing.