[ARTEMY]
Stepping away, I walked towards the couch, my voice carrying as a declaration, “I don’t play fair when it comes to claiming what I desire.”
I lowered myself into the chair, positioning myself across from her. She met my gaze momentarily before redirecting her attention to the piano keys. We remained in this poised stance for what felt like an eternity.
And then, she played.
A solitary key, a solitary note.
In an instant, I was roused from my reverie, my eyes widening in anticipation. Leaning in, I strained to catch any further sounds.
But alas, that was the extent of it.
A grin of overwhelming joy spread across my face, so much so that my cheeks began to ache.
The sense of disappointment from earlier was overshadowed by the thrill of witnessing my Angel’s movement at last.
Rebecca’s eyes met mine, a small shift in her expression. It was almost imperceptible, or perhaps it was my imagination running wild.
Before I could fully register it, the trace of emotion vanished, fleeting as a shooting star. Rebecca’s gaze reverted to its vacant state.
Nonetheless, a slight weight seemed to lift from my chest.
Standing up, I approached her, her gaze tracking my movements. Beside her, her fingers still poised on the keys, the impact of that single note resonating as if it were a symphony in itself.
“Do you realize the sheer beauty you exude? You’re utterly breathtaking, my Angel,” I murmured, enfolding her in my arms once more. “Especially when your fingers grace the piano.”
Gently, I transported her back to our room, an unexpected lightness in my step.
Rebecca settled onto the bed, and I pulled the covers over her form. “Are you ready to sleep?”
Her eyelids fluttered closed in response. A content smile played upon my lips. I had my answer.
Slipping into the bed beside her, I held her close. The baby within her womb stirred, and I lovingly stroked the bump. “Calm down now. Your mother needs her rest.”
A kick followed, the tiny life within already displaying a strong-willed disposition.
Shaking my head in affectionate exasperation, I allowed my eyes to close. Eventually, both the infant’s restlessness and Rebecca’s weariness subsided into sleep. As drowsiness crept in on me as well, a soft knock at the door disturbed our peace.
I free myself cautiously from Rebecca’s embrace. Making sure she’s fast asleep, I approached the door and eased it open, revealing a sight that left me stunned.
“Lynda?”
Tears glistened in Lynda’s eyes as they met mine. “Can I see her, please?”
Her voice was frail, almost fragile. I blinked, struggling to comprehend the situation unfolding before me.
Lynda’s gaze dropped, tears tracing their paths down her cheeks. “I should have come sooner, but I don’t have the courage. Artemy, I’m sorry. Sorry for placing this burden on you. I… My God, abandoning her when she needed me the most.” Her frustration was palpable as she brushed away the tears with an air of self-reproach. “But may I see her now? Please.”
I nodded, stepping aside to let her get inside the room. Swiftly, Lynda crossed the threshold, and I shut the door behind her, observing as she approached the bedside. Silent sobs escaped her as she gazed at Rebecca.
As she nestled in beside Rebecca, my heart soared. At last, the connection they both wish for is now happening.
Walking even closer, I witnessed Lynda embrace Rebecca, whispering something that brought forth tears. Rebecca’s eyes fluttered shut, slumber overtaking her once more.
Lynda’s eyes closed as well. Her tears persisted, muffled by her determination not to rouse Rebecca.
I moved a chair closer to the bed, seating myself beside Rebecca. In a reclined posture, I watched as Lynda’s tears eventually led her to sleep. After a while, the door creaked open, and Leon entered. His gaze instinctively sought the bed, relief cascading across his shoulders upon spotting Lynda.
A nod passed between us, and he pulled up a chair beside Lynda. Side by side, we watched the two women sleep, the vulnerability of their shared moment palpable.
I couldn’t help but notice Rebecca’s subtle inclination toward Lynda’s embrace.
A wistful smile ghosted across my lips.
A glimmer of hope, delicate and barely discernible, yet undeniably present.
There was a chance.
***
“We’re about ten minutes away, Boss,” Avim’s voice resonated from the driver’s seat.
I emitted a contemplative hum in response.
Avim’s concern broke through, “What if it’s a meticulously laid trap?”
Doubt lingered in my mind briefly before I responded, my gaze shifting beyond the window pane, “Unlikely. Our recent actions, including my interrogation of their president and the decimation of half their forces within minutes, have sown deep fear. They’re paralyzed.”
The view outside blurred as my thoughts drifted back to Rebecca. The summons from the enigmatic Black Club forced me into this separation. They claimed knowledge of Raffaele’s possible whereabouts, leaving me with no alternative.
Two weeks had passed since Rebecca’s recovery, yet Raffaele had managed to slip back into hiding, revealing his cowardly disposition. On the very day we located Rebecca, he had fled the country.
Suppressing my frustration, I clenched my fists, channeling the anger into resolve. Raffaele posed a persistent threat that demanded immediate eradication. As long as he breathed, both Rebecca and the unborn child remained imperiled.
My gaze darted to my phone, torn between reaching out to Lynda or Brayden. This was the first time I had distanced myself from Rebecca since her rescue.
Rebecca’s state hadn’t improved significantly. The piano keys remained untouched, resisting my coaxing. The silence that enveloped her felt like an eternity, her voice lost to some unfathomable abyss.
Only when I fed her did sustenance meet her lips. And the truth was stark she ate only from my hands. Lynda’s attempt met vehement resistance, with Rebecca refusing even a bite.
Checking my watch, twenty minutes had passed since I departed the estate. Rebecca had been asleep, and my hope was that slumber would cradle her until my return.
Five minutes stood between me and the impending encounter. Extract information, exit swiftly, and expedite my return to Rebecca’s side.
Five minutes-
Abruptly, the phone rang, fracturing my contemplation. Brayden’s name lit up the screen, the urgency palpable. I accepted the call with haste, urgency resonating in my tone, “What’s the matter? What happened?”
“Artemy,” Brayden’s voice quivered, a sentence left unfinished as a piercing scream tore through the background, shattering the moment’s fragile peace. “No!”
A surge of panic shot through my veins, jolting me upright, my hands trembling uncontrollably. “What’s happening?” I demanded, my voice laced with a palpable fear that hung heavy in the air. My gaze caught Avim’s in the rear-view mirror, finding his reflection fraught with concern.
Amidst the chaos, more cries echoed, accompanied by the heart-wrenching sound of someone’s sobs.
Rebecca!
“Artemy, it’s Rebecca,” Brayden’s words rushed out urgently. “She woke up and didn’t find you there. She’s… she lost it completely. I don’t know on what to do.” His tone carried an unusual weight.
Did it tremble with tears? My chest tightened. Was he weeping?
“I tried to pacify her, but each time I approached, she’d erupt into screams,” Brayden continued with a tremor in his voice. “Even Lynda and Nona couldn’t calm her. She’s keeping everyone at bay, and we’re genuinely concerned she might accidentally harm herself.”
The distant sound of something shattering reached my ears, and I sat frozen, aghast, as the backdrop of Rebecca’s agonized screams and weeping engulfed me.
“Artemy, she wanted to see you. Nobody else seems to reach her,” Brayden’s voice wavered through the phone. “We’ve tried everything. The moment you left, she stirred. Lynda was by her side, and Rebecca just… she snapped.”
“Brayden, stop her somehow, please!” Lynda’s voice trembled through the receiver. “She’s on the brink of hurting herself.”
Brayden’s curse reached my ears, causing my heart to stumble in its rhythm. A pang of distress coursed through me. I shut my eyes, absorbing the wave of anguish that crashed over me.
“Can you handle getting close enough to pass her the phone?” I urged urgently. “Make sure she doesn’t inflict harm upon herself.”
Amidst more cries, a cacophony of pain-filled screams pierced the air, and I blinked back tears, helplessness gripping my chest.
What the hell did I do?
I should have never left her side.
As I reopened my eyes, Avim nodded understandingly. Without my uttering a word, he adjusted our course, executing a swift U-turn.
The Black Club and Raffaele could wait. Rebecca needed me now more than ever.
Through the phone, the sound of sobbing reached me, causing my heart to clench. “Angel,” I whispered tenderly.
Her response was a cascade of tears.
“I am sorry, Angel. I really am sorry. I’m on my way back, alright? I’ll be there in a minute. I never left you. I’d never forsake you. I had an urgent matter to address, and now I’m returning home to you,” I murmured, hoping the sound of my voice could somehow bridgethe distance. “You’re remarkably strong, you know that? The strongest individual I’ve ever met, and I’m utterly amazed by your strength. Don’t cry, my beloved Angel. I’m coming back, and this time, I won’t leave. I’m here to stay.”
My voice quivered under the weight of those words, and I closed my eyes as Rebecca’s soft cries persisted-a melody of heartbreak that resonated painfully.
“Hush, it’s alright. Everything will be alright. Once I’m back, we’ll visit the creek. We’ll spend time there, just the two of us, alright? How does that sound? Do you like that?” I asked, my grip on the phone growing tighter.
“Would you charm me with your presence tonight?” I whispered gently, my voice carrying a tender plea. “Or perhaps, would you indulge in a dance? Let your memory drift back to that enchanting moment we shared, where laughter and smiles painted our steps. You were an ethereal vision, my beloved Angel, stealing away the very air I breathed.” Clutching the phone with an urgency to convey the depth of my emotions, I continued.
“I’m drawing nearer to our home. Just a few more minutes, and I will be wrapped in your embrace once more,” I persisted in speaking, fully aware of the void that echoed on the other end.
Her sobs gradually transformed into soft, hiccupping sighs. Relief washed over me as the car eventually rolled to a halt before the house. With a sigh of release, I murmured, “I’m at the door of our home, Angel,” before ending the call.
Stepping out of the vehicle, I ascended the steps with haste. Yet, a sharp pang jolted through my wounded leg, halting my advance momentarily.
I limped my way indoors, the sound of sobbing guiding me upwards. Following the trail, I pushed open the door to my room.
The sight that unfolded nearly shattered my composure. The room lay in ruins, a testament to turmoil. Near the doorway, Nona and Lynda clung to each other, tears cascading. Leon paced the room in evident distress, while Brayden stood at the room’s center, facing a corner adjacent to the bed.
My hands clenched into fists, and I moved forward, my steps deliberate.