Chapter 26
As I open my eyes the first thing I see is Ruhi...in my arms sleeping peacefully, her arm wrapped around my waist and her legs over my body.
God I missed this.
I stay still for a moment, afraid that if I move even an inch, she might disappear again… like the last three years were just a cruel hallucination.
But she’s warm.
Real.
Breathing softly against my chest, her lips slightly parted—completely unaware of the way she’s destroying me just by existing.
My hand automatically moves to brush a strand of hair off her face. She snuggles closer.
I feel my throat tighten.
Three years without this. Three years without her touch, her scent, her voice… Three years of hell.
And now she’s sleeping in my arms like she never stopped belonging here.
Leo’s tail thumps on the floor, a loud thud thud thud as he notices I’m awake.
I glare at him, silently threatening him not to bark and wake her up.
He tilts his head and gives me the most judgmental ‘I-know-you’re-soft’ look.
I mouth, “Don’t.”
He lets out the tiniest whine anyway.
Ruhi shifts at the sound, her fingers tightening on my shirt.
My heart does a stupid flip.
She whispers my name in her sleep.
And I swear…
That one soft, sleepy “Lorenzo…” is enough to ruin me all over again.
I press a kiss on her forehead.
She belongs here. With me.
And I’m never letting anything or anyone keep me away from her again.
Not fate.
Not my past.
Not even death, if it comes to it.
Her leg slides down my thigh slightly as she moves, and I inhale sharply—because apparently my body remembers her a little too well.
“Trouble…” I murmur against her hair. “You’re already testing my patience first thing in the morning.”
She doesn’t respond. Just curls more into my chest like I’m her personal pillow.
I wrap my arm around her back, holding her just a little tighter than I should.
For the first time in years…
The world feels right.
I slowly untangle myself from her, careful not to wake her up.
But the moment the mattress shifts, her fingers curl around my wrist—tight, panicked, like she’s drowning and I’m the only thing keeping her afloat.
Her eyes open instantly, fear flickering there before she can mask it.
“Where… where are you going?” Her voice is so small that it punches straight through my ribs.
I sit back down beside her and cup her cheek.
“Just a walk, amore.” I run my thumb along her jaw. “I’ll be back before you even get out of bed.”
She swallows, her hand trembling slightly as she continues holding my arm.
“You left once,” she whispers. “I… I don’t want to wake up alone again.”
My chest tightens painfully.
I lean down and kiss her—slow, deep, reassuring—my hand sliding behind her neck so she feels every ounce of truth in that kiss.
When I pull back, her breath is uneven.
I rest my forehead against hers.
“I’m not leaving you,” I murmur. “Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever again.” A faint smile touches her lips, soft and relieved.
I brush a kiss on her temple before gently removing her hand.
“Sleep, trouble,” I whisper.
She finally lets go, though her eyes follow me until I step out of the room.
My steps echo through a different kind of silence the cold, concrete kind. The kind that has fear soaked into the walls.
The basement door shuts behind me with a heavy clang.
My men straighten as I walk in.
“Boss.”
My eyes flick to the centre of the room.
Kartik.
Tied to a metal chair, blindfolded, gagged, his breathing sharp and shaky.
Bruised.
Pathetic.
He stiffens when he hears my footsteps approaching recognizing the weight of them.
I stop right in front of him.
The softness I had with Ruhi vanishes like it never existed.
In its place…
cold, precise violence.
I take off my watch and hand it to one of my men.
He bows his head in understanding.
I crouch down in front of Kartik, my voice low, deadly calm.
He flinches.
“For three years she suffered.” My jaw clenches.
“For three years she waited for me, thinking I abandoned her… because of you.”
I remove his blindfold.
His eyes widen with raw fear.
“Good morning,” I say with a smile that isn’t a smile. “Let’s talk.”
I straighten up, cracking my knuckles slowly.
“After all…” I glance at the terrified man tied to the chair,
“…I promised Ruhi I wouldn’t leave her again.”
My men step back, giving me space.
“And to keep that promise…” I roll up my sleeves.
“…I need to finish what you started.”
I should get up. I swear I should.
But instead, I’m still tangled in the blanket, my body warm, my heart warmer, and Leo’s big fluffy body pressed right against my side like he’s my personal heater.
He lets out a soft huff and nuzzles closer to me, his tail thumping lazily against the mattress.
I smile unconsciously and scratch behind his ear.
“Good morning, baby,” I whisper.
He responds by licking my cheek, and I groan into the pillow.
And then… unfortunately… my brain decides to remember last night.
Heat shoots straight to my face.
Lorenzo’s fingers tracing my spine. His lips brushing my jaw.
The way he murmured “come here, sweetheart” in that low voice that turns my bones into pudding.
I bury my face into Leo’s fur, trying to hide from my own memories.
Leo lets out an offended grunt like why are you smothering me, woman?
“Don’t look at me like that,” I mutter, turning red. “It’s not my fault your father is… is…”
I choke on air.
There is no acceptable word.
Not one.
Every part of last night flashes again his warmth, his hands, the way he held me afterward like he couldn’t let go.
My stomach twists, my toes curl, and I pull the blanket over my head.
Leo climbs on top of it and sits squarely on my stomach like a judgmental little king.
“I know, I know,” I groan. “I’m being dramatic.”
He tilts his head, and I swear he looks like he’s smirking.
I flop back on the pillow, staring at the ceiling, cheeks warm with the kind of blush I can’t hide even from myself.
Three years of emptiness.
Three years of sleeping alone.
Three years of pretending I was fine—
And last night… Lorenzo touched me like he had been starving for me.
Held me like I was something precious.
Slept beside me like he had been waiting for this as much as I had.
Leo licks my hand gently, like he senses the shift in my thoughts.
“I’m okay,” I whisper, running my fingers through his fur. “Really.”
But the truth is… I feel full.
Warm.
Alive in a way I haven’t felt in years.
Lorenzo’s scent is still on the pillow. His warmth still lingers on the sheets.
And for once…
I don’t feel the ache of missing something.
Because last night, he promised he won't leave
And today, for the first time in forever, I woke up not alone.
I smile into Leo’s fur, letting myself enjoy the moment.
Just for a little longer.
Before the world starts again.