ROLAND POV
The moment Roland stepped into the hospital ward, my heart stilled in surprise. His presence was both unexpected and, I hated to admit, strangely comforting.
But what made my heart falter wasn’t just seeing him, it was the look in his eyes as he stood there, holding a neatly wrapped gift box in one hand and a small bouquet in the other.
His gaze lingered on me, something tender and unspoken brewing behind his expression.
Before I could say a word, his lips curled into a half-smile. “Sasha,” he said softly, almost as if the sound of my name alone was enough to ease whatever nerves he might have had.
I didn’t have time to analyze what I was feeling. “Roland,” I replied quickly, my tone sharper than I intended. “What are you doing here?”
He didn’t flinch at my tone; if anything, his smile deepened, though his eyes betrayed a flicker of nervousness. “I came to deliver these,” he explained, holding up the gifts slightly as though to prove his point.
“Sebastian sent me. He wanted your father to have these since he couldn’t be here himself.”
The mention of Sebastian pulled me back to reality. Of course, this was about him. “Why didn’t he tell me?” I asked, folding my arms across my chest.
Roland stepped closer, closing the gap between us in a way that made the small hospital room feel even smaller. “He’s been… busy,” Roland admitted, his voice apologetic but earnest.
“Work’s been hectic for him lately, and he didn’t want to add more to your plate. He thought this would be easier.”
I stared at him for a moment, letting his words sink in. My frustration simmered, but I couldn’t exactly blame Sebastian for his absence.
Still, the fact that Roland was here, and the way he looked at me, like he saw something no one else did,
made the air between us feel heavy.
“Well,” I said finally, “thank you for bringing these. I’ll make sure my father gets them.”
Roland hesitated, as if waiting for me to say more, but when I didn’t, he nodded and placed the box and bouquet gently on the table beside the bed.
“I’m sorry if Sebastian didn’t let you know,” he added after a beat. “He didn’t mean to upset you. Things have just been…” He trailed off, searching for the right word.
“Hectic,” I finished for him, my tone softer this time.
He glanced at me, his lips curving into another small smile. “Yeah. Hectic.”
For a moment, neither of us spoke. The room felt impossibly quiet except for the steady hum of the machines monitoring my father’s condition.
Roland shifted his weight from one foot to the other, his hands falling awkwardly to his sides now that they were empty.
“Is there anything else?” I asked, breaking the silence.
Roland’s eyes met mine, and for a second, I thought he might say something-something important, something that would change everything. But then he shook his head.
“No, that’s it. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
I blinked, taken aback by the sincerity in his voice. “I’m fine,” I replied, though the words felt like a lie.
He didn’t press further, but his gaze lingered on me, studying me in a way that made me feel both exposed and strangely safe.
I cleared my throat, trying to shake off whatever strange tension had settled between us.
“Roland,” I said suddenly, my voice firmer than before.
He straightened, as if bracing himself for whatever I was about to say. “Yeah?”
“How good are your acting skills?”
His brows shot up in surprise, and for the first time since he walked in, a genuine laugh escaped his lips.
It was a rich, warm sound that caught me off guard. “My acting skills?” he repeated, clearly amused.
“Yes,” I said, crossing my arms again as I fixed him with a pointed look. “Can you act?”
He tilted his head, his smile still playing on his lips. “I think I’m decent,” he said slowly, as if unsure where I was going with this. “Why do you ask?”
I stepped closer, closing the gap between us until I was standing just a foot away. His breath hitched, and I could see the way his shoulders tensed, though he didn’t move back.
“Because,” I said, keeping my voice steady, “I might need your help with something. And if you’re going to be involved, I need to know if you can pull it off.”
His eyes searched mine, his amusement giving way to curiosity. “What are you planning, Sasha?” he asked, his tone both cautious and intrigued.
I didn’t answer right away. Instead, I let the silence stretch between us, watching as he waited patiently for me to explain.
There was something about the way he stood there, so calm and unwavering, that made me believe he could handle whatever I was about to throw at him.
“You’ll find out soon enough,” I said finally, a small smile tugging at the corners of my lips.
Roland’s smile returned, brighter this time. “Fair enough,” he said, his tone light. “But for the record, I’m pretty good at following directions. Just tell me what you need, and I’ll do my best.”
I nodded, my mind already racing with possibilities. Whatever came next, I had a feeling Roland would play his part perfectly.