The moment I had stepped into his world, I had been tested in ways I never could have imagined, at times longing for the safety and comfort of her family's paradise. For the first time in my life I was given a chance to experience something beyond my protective family.
And when I had first laid eyes on his image in the novel, I felt an awakening within me, igniting a connection that surpassed mere curiosity. As I journeyed through spending more time with him, each moment etched itself deeper into my heart, as if carved by the hand of destiny itself.....
My heart was in a bit of conflicting emotions as I was wandering through the winter garden. Although I had initially sought solitude, deep down, I harboured a secret hope of encountering Adrian. I am not sure if I wanted to see him or needed to see him, but the more I wandered around, my heart was aching to see him.
So, I decided to engage in conversation with the silent plants to divert my mind and heart, indulging in a bit of whimsy. I posed a question to my leafy companions.
"Do you love me as you do Juli?" I looked intently at them, awaiting their response. My eyes wandered around cursing the wind which is missing currently in the winter garden.
"If you move your leaves, I'll take it as a yes." I tried again.
"Who would dare to love you more than I?" A distant voice pierced through my ears. My heart froze for a moment, and in no time, I had turned into an ice-cold statue.
'I know that voice. Adrian, you sly fox, playing with my heart.' I knew he was mocking me, yet how could he....
"Why are you not looking at me, Sirin?" His voice broke through the quiet of the winter garden again.
'You are to blame, you sly fox.'
I could not move my body. No matter how many times this situation arises, I always find myself frozen. He waited patiently behind me, waiting for me to turn and meet his gaze.
Adrian moved closer to me until there was barely any space left between us. I stood still, feeling a rush of heat at Adrian's proximity. Yet, I remained still, like an icy sculpture slowly melting under the warmth of his presence.
He waited for me to acknowledge him, but when I didn't, he gently wrapped one arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him, eliminating a gap between them.
"Are you nervous?"
The warmth of his breath brushing my skin, started to give me goosebumps. My head was screaming, 'Why are you teasing me?'
His closeness was sending a wave of heat through my body. but I couldn't bring myself to turn and face him. His arm tightened around my waist evenmore, eliminating any space between us.
He whispered again in my ears, "Sirin, breathe, or else you might faint." he chuckled softly, his breath tickling my neck.
He was tilting more forward to see my face. But with my face which had already turned red, I finally mustered the courage to turn and bury my face in his chest, seeking refuge in his embrace, while silently cursing my inability to control my racing heart in his presence. I did not wish for him to see me like this.
We stood there in the stillness of the winter garden for quite some time, he did not speak a word neither teased me. In that absolute silence, enveloped by the scent of blossoms and by the lush greenery, the sound of his heart beats were getting clear to my ears.
All else faded away, and I was in ease with the rhythmic beat of Adrian's heart beneath my ear. It was a familiar cadence, as though I had known it all along, the sound of his heart beat. I placed my hand gently against his chest, feeling the warmth of his heart.
"I had no idea you were such a skilled temptress...,Sirin." a mischievous glint was playing in his eyes, while calling out my name.
'He is calling me a temptress again? When did I seduce him? He is the one.'
"I...I'm just t..t.trying to keep up with you, Adrian" My stammering started. I was trying to match his playful tone with my own stammering way, as I took a step back.
"Since when did you start calling me Adrian?"
His playful tone suddenly took on a serious expression as his eyebrows furrowed.
He pulled me back towards him, he tightened his arm around my waist and my both palms resting on his firm chest, trying to maintain some distance.
"I...I'm sorry, D..duke, I made a mis..take...."
"Does it hurt?"
His sudden question caught me off guard, shifting abruptly from one topic to another. His whole focus was now solely on the wound on my forehead, when he made a gap between us.
"No, not..." "Aooouch".... "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING ADRIAN?"
"I MEAN DUKE." His actions surprises me at the time.
He loosened his grip around me and out of the blue removed the large plaster from my forehead, which caused me considerable pain.
"Duke, j...just because I cal.. called you Adrian, you..you punished me like this. H..how cruel of you," I exclaimed.
There was utterly no reaction from him. He was still fixated on my wound area with a serious expression. Meanwhile, I made all sorts of pained expressions as a result of the sudden removal of the plaster.
"Where did you treat your wound?"
'Is he not listening to what I had to say?' I remained silent, I protested for his rudeness.
He averted his eyes and looked straight into mine, raising one eyebrow in expectation. A familiar look that I knew all too well.
"Shouldn't you apologise to your girlfriend for causing her pain?" I asked, crossing my arms and raising one eyebrow like him in challenge.
"My girlfriend", Those words started to echo in the air, he took one step forward. Meanwhile, I instinctively took a step back.
With every repetition of "My girlfriend," he took each step forward, feeling like an intrusion into my personal space, prompting me to retreat further into myself.
Confusion clouded my thoughts as I tried to make sense of the situation. 'What is he trying to convey with his repeated assertion?
Caught in this intricate dance of words and movements, I found myself coming to halt.
There was nowhere else to retreat, with only plants behind me. Yet Adrian continued to advance, his demeanour serious and composed.
With a sense of urgency, I stretched out both hands in a plea for him to halt, my voice echoed "Stop"
He always finds his way. 'Typical Adrian move'
I recounted the events of my visit to Dr. Cavus clinic, explaining how Dr. Samuel Seth had treated me in Dr. Cavus's absence. I had no recollection of the treatment, having succumbed to sleep while under doctor care.
"I've t..told you every...thing, Duke," I pleaded, my eyes were averting from his intense gaze. "P..please, stop t...troubling me."
While looking at the corner of the winter garden, my mind drifted back to the painful memory of Mrs. Witlock's slap.
Before I could think further, Adrian approached me with a gentle touch, causing me to gain my attention back to him. He was laying the plaster on my forehead like the final brushstroke on a masterpiece.
I noticed a bandage on his hand. I took his hand gently in mine, "how did you hurt yourself?"
"Don't even think about taking it off," his smile dripped with honey while his eyes screamed "touch it and you'll regret it."
'Did he decide to ignore what I had to say today? and why did he have to remove it in the first place, if he was that concerned?'
I frowned and asked again, "What happened to your hand?"
"I'll dress it everyday for you, until it heals completely." Adrian replied.
It only frustrated me even more that he didn't tell me what happened to his hand. I'm so concerned about him, and it feels like he doesn't care.
Understanding him is like deciphering hieroglyphics trying to understand his enigmatic expressions!' Like challenging, decoding the secrets of the universe for a commoner like me.
"T..thank you, Duke," Going against him right now, is not my agenda right now.
Adrian escorted me to the cottage and from time to time, I kept glancing at him with curiosity.
"Don't be shocked, you're my girlfriend, after all. Being a gentleman comes with the territory." he explained with a friendly smile, reminiscent of a lion's gentle demeanour.
He instructed me to head inside while he remained outside, keeping a watchful eye on me. Before I entered, I glanced back at him. He stood there, unwavering. With a wave of goodbye, I disappeared inside the cottage.
As I lay beside Juli on the bed, my thoughts drifted to the complexities of our situation. I knew I had to tread carefully, guarding my heart against any misplaced emotions.
Adrian loves Juli, and I couldn't allow myself to forget that fact. Our relationship was merely a facade, a charade we maintained until Adrian understood the true meaning of love.
However, a subtle change in Adrian's demeanor caught my attention. The recollection of the novel remained vivid in my mind, the reminder of Adrian's character. In those pages, he rarely indulged in laughter or playful banter, especially not with his fiancée or Juli. He maintained his stoic behaviour with them and with almost everyone.
But now he appeared more thoughtful, considerate. It offered a glimmer of hope amidst our uncertain path. Watching Juli sleep peacefully in the subdued light of the room, I couldn't suppress a smile. Softly, I whispered to her in the quiet darkness, soon Adrian would treat you like a queen, the way you deserve.
After dropping me back to my place, Adrian stood on his terrace, gazing towards the path like a detective surveying a crime scene that led to the cottage.
He muttered, "Mrs. Witlock, Her wound and that doctor?'
"How is it that there is no trace of any wound on her?"
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