Leonid left the apartment to dispose of Hunter's belongings, leaving Charlotte alone in the heavy silence. She sat on the couch, wrapped tightly in a blanket, hugging her knees to her chest as if trying to shrink into herself, searching for a sense of security that no longer existed.
The living room was engulfed in silence, with only her faint breaths audible, as if the entire place was holding its breath with her. From the outer hallway, she could hear Leonid's muffled voice speaking to someone. Thankfully, she couldn't make out the other voice; otherwise, she might have choked or fainted.
Time passed slowly, each minute stretching endlessly, until the apartment door finally opened with a soft creak, breaking the silence that had almost swallowed her whole.
Charlotte clung to the blanket covering her from head to toe and slowly turned to look at Leonid. Her long, thick lashes fluttered as she watched him move toward the dining table, setting his keys aside before beginning to clean up and dispose of the empty paper cups.
She watched him in silence, her mind occupied with a single question: What had he been discussing with Daniel? She had wanted to ask ever since the latter had left, but Leonid, seemingly avoiding her, had stuffed Hunter's belongings into trash bags and left in a hurry.
Did he know the truth? Or did he simply no longer wish to speak to her, especially after her reckless actions?
Her thoughts drifted back to that moment when she had decided to take a cold shower, thinking it would clear her mind. Instead, she had only put herself in an embarrassing situation in front of Leonid. Just remembering how he had dried her off and scolded her was enough to make her skin flush with embarrassment.
"Are you okay?"
Her eyes widened in surprise when Leonid's calm voice suddenly rang in her ears before he reached out and pulled the blanket away from the top of her head.
"Or are you feeling cold?"
He continued, gazing into her eyes for a moment before shifting his attention to her appearance while reclining against the couch.
"You know, if you want to go to your apartment to collect your clothes, I can accompany you."
"Collect my clothes?"
Charlotte murmured softly, furrowing her brows as she asked,
"What do you mean by that?"
"I mean what I said. Take what you need, pack it in a big bag, and I'll help you move it to my apartment."
"That… goes against the rules…"
Leonid raised an eyebrow at her response.
"Against the rules? What do you mean?"
Charlotte's lashes fluttered as she recalled something before answering,
"I think it was clause four or seven… I don't remember exactly, but it stated that tenants aren't allowed to stay together for more than a night or two."
"Was there such a clause?"
Leonid narrowed his eyes, his brows lowering slightly as he tried to recall. In truth, he hadn't bothered to read the terms when he signed the contract.
"Yes…"
Charlotte replied softly, her dark eyes meeting his for a brief moment before she looked away. Then, in a quiet voice, as if confessing a secret, she added,
"I remember it because it was my favorite clause."
"Your favorite?"
"Yes."
She answered quickly, as if being interrogated.
"Why was it your favorite?"
Her swift response piqued Leonid's curiosity. He hadn't expected to see Charlotte react so naturally, especially after everything she had been through. A small smile played on his lips as he observed her expressions, as if he were reading hidden lines in her eyes.
"Tell me~"
His voice was soft, yet it carried a subtle challenge. Leonid slowly leaned toward her, resting his head on his hand while his chest inched closer to the couch.
His warm breath brushed against her ear, close enough to unsettle her. A faint prickle of tension crept into Charlotte's body, but her features remained calm, as if unaffected by his proximity.
She didn't respond immediately. Swallowing silently, she tried to mask any hint of unease in her voice. Her eyes met his for a fleeting second before she shifted her gaze into the empty space ahead, as if escaping from something unseen.
"Because I…"
Charlotte hesitated for a moment, searching for the right words as if afraid of choosing the wrong ones.
"Because… I never intended to get to know anyone."
Leonid raised an eyebrow, as if her answer was unexpected. Then, he let out a quiet chuckle a short laugh tinged with faint amusement.
"You never intended to get to know anyone."
He repeated her words slowly, as if savoring them or perhaps testing their weight on her. Then, he leaned forward slightly, his voice growing warmer yet more teasing at the same time.
"And yet… here we are."
The corner of her lips twitched, as if she was about to say something, but she stopped at the last moment. Instead, she pulled the blanket around herself, as if seeking refuge from something unseen or perhaps, from the emotions that were beginning to betray her.
A soft blush crept onto her cheeks, warming her fair skin, while her lashes fluttered in a futile attempt to calm the tangled thoughts racing through her mind.
Leonid's smile never left his lips. He reached out calmly and pulled the blanket away again not to take it from her, but to stir her emotions further. In his eyes, this was the perfect moment to make her lower her guard.
"My presence this close to you… is proof enough that you didn't stick to that intention of yours."
He paused for a moment, his eyes silently watching her features. Then, with a slow motion, he played with a strand of her chestnut hair a seemingly idle gesture, yet beneath it lay something far deeper than mere toying.
"Well, we still have one more night."
Despite Vladimir's firm orders that Charlotte wasn't to return to her apartment, Leonid had no choice but to allow it. But not alone. And not tonight.
"We'll pick up your bag of clothes, you'll stay the night, and tomorrow, you can sleep in your apartment. Agreed?"
He knew, deep down, that she was agreeing despite her outward calm. Maybe today, but tomorrow, she might be forced to face what she had been running from all this time.
Charlotte stared in silence, her eyes shifting between his hand combing through her hair and the thoughts resisting the effect he had on her. Finally, in a low voice, she answered:
"Agreed."
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go now."
He lifted his hand effortlessly and walked toward his bedroom.
As Charlotte rose from the couch, standing on her feet, she hesitated. Going out like this, dressed in Leonid's clothes, felt improper in her eyes. So, she decided to take the light blanket with her, wrapping it around her body.
But Leonid was faster. Before she could react, he draped his coat over her shoulders, the black fabric cascading around her in an unexpected wave of warmth heavy, yet oddly comforting.
Charlotte quickly pushed the coat away from her face and turned to him, her gaze locking onto his. His eyes held a soft smile as he casually gestured toward the door.
"Put on the coat quickly, and let's get going. By the way, don't forget, I'll be carrying you too."
"Why are you doing this? I can walk. I'm not a child."
She lowered her head quickly, trying to evade his perceptive gaze. Then, resigning herself, she properly wore the coat, slipping her arms into the sleeves. With every movement, a sense of embarrassment seeped into her, but she was acutely aware there was no escaping this situation, nor the way his eyes never left her.
"I know you're not a child, and I know you can walk on your own."
Leonid stated indifferently, brushing off her protest as he moved toward the door, preparing to leave with her. As she approached him, he turned slightly and added in a calm yet firm voice:
"It's just that I can't allow you to walk on the cold floor with bare feet."
She raised her brows for a moment before responding swiftly,
"You don't have to do that. In fact, I like walking this way."
She had barely finished her sentence, just about to step forward, when Leonid suddenly bent down. Without warning, he lifted her effortlessly into his arms, as if she weighed nothing at all.
"What are you doing now?!"
She shouted at him, instinctively clinging to him, while he gazed at her with utter indifference, watching her frustration as if it amused him.
"As I told you, my darling, you don't get to walk as you please."
Smirking arrogantly, he strode toward the door and pulled it open. The moment he stepped into the hallway, Charlotte stopped resisting. She stiffened in his arms, her hands unconsciously wrapping around his neck.
Charlotte wanted to keep resisting, but something mysterious finally made her stop, accepting Leonid's gentle gesture with grace. She rested her head on his shoulder, silently and calmly inhaling his familiar scent.