Chapter 61: Chapter 61

No one talks until we get to his penthouse. We have competition now of who’s best fit for being mute.

And despite my gloating right now, I don’t have much choice but to follow wherever he drags me to since I didn’t have my wallet nor my smartphone with me.

Once we are inside, he confidently leaves me alone while he goes straight to the tub. He knows I can’t run since the elevator inside his room only recognizes his fingerprint. So I just go inside his study room.

I cry and cry until there’s no more left to cry. I blame myself for being such a whore. I blame myself for everything.

My throat hurts trying to suppress my weeping sound. I cover my mouth with my two hands and just lay down on the couch.

After half an hour, I hear Dmitri comes out of the comfort room, but I have no strength to stand so I just stay there.

When he realizes I am in the study room, he follows me. And there, sees the vulnerable side of me, lethargic, demotivated, wasted.

He doesn’t say a word and we avoid each other’s gaze, but he carries me to bed.

One by one, he removes everything from me. My sandals, my clothes, my undergarments.

I am wondering what he’s doing, and if he’s still in the mood for sex, well, I guess he doesn’t care much about how I feel.

But those doubts disappear, when I realize that all he wants is to change my clothes.

He lays me down to bed after clothing me. Then he lays down by my side and scooches me in between his arms and chest.

He uses his arms as my pillow and he cuddles me. He kisses me on my forehead and that night, only two words are heard from us, “I’m sorry.”

His voice shakes and trembles as he said those words. He hugs me tighter. And we spent the melancholic night together.

***

My head spins when I open my eyes. The curtain is closed so I don’t know what time it is right now. And I am too lazy to even peek at the hour on the other bedside table.

Speaking of which, he’s gone when I wake up. The other side of the bed is empty. Indeed, it feels empty.

Then, I hear the elevator dings, so he must have come back or he must have forgotten something.

I gulp. To be honest, I don’t know how to start a conversation with him, and I don’t even feel the slightest relief right now.

I just feel like moping and sulking. Still, I want to see his face even for a bit, so I wait for the elevator door to open.

I immediately hear Dmitri’s angry voice. He bolts out of the elevator and goes straight to the kitchen while still talking on the other line. He must not have noticed that I am already awake.

So I continue eavesdropping in his conversation.

“I want every possible lead whoever leaks that video. They are going to fucking pay. Now do it immediately!” he shouts.

Then he hangs up, “Fucking idiots!” he curses. Dmitri never curses in front of me, even when we are arguing, he rarely curses and loses his cool.

Then he goes back to the bedroom and finally notices my presence. We first look at each other, still finding the right words to say.

“Hey,” I greet him first, while I rub my forehead.

“You’re awake,” he weakly says and he walks to me and sits on the edge of the bed.

“Why, does your head hurt?” he worriedly asks while holding a glass of liquor in his hand.

I gulp seeing it. I suddenly feel thirsty. He raises his glass and offers me a drink, “Do you want one?”

“Yes, please,” I shortly respond.

So he goes to the kitchen and grabs another drink for me. He gives me a glass filled with liquor.

I smell the strong scent and I take a sip. I am about to climb off the bed when he stops me, “You should stay in bed for the day,” he says.

But it wasn’t a request nor a statement, it sounds like an order.

“Dmitri, I am okay now, I need to go to work, and I will be late if I don’t go now,” I insist, but his face tells me that what I want isn’t possible for today.

“Avery, believe me, it is best if you stay here. Just give me today, and I swear, I’ll fix it right away,” he reassures me. Well, his voice sounds reassuring but that doesn’t mean I would listen to him.

So I get off the bed and ignore his last sentence. I go straight to the bathroom and take a shower.

He keeps on knocking on the bathroom door, but I refuse to let him in. It is simply because I don’t want him to see me crying.

“Why the hell is this happening? Why is this my fault? Many people have sex, too. And they do it in the worst public place ever, then why me? Why us?” I cry while thinking of these thoughts.

When I calm myself, I finish my shower and go out of the bathroom.

He grabs my hand preventing me to move forward, “Avery, listen. Don’t be so stubborn,” he tries to convince me.

I remove his hand, “No, I didn’t do anything wrong. So I won’t hide here as if I’ve done something wrong. I didn’t!” I yell at him.

But he didn’t get angry. He just releases a deep sigh and talks to me in his calmest voice, “You’re not going to listen to me aren’t you?”

I shake my head while looking at him fiercely.

“Fine, you leave me no choice,” his remark sounds like more of a threat.

The next thing I know, he’s talking on the phone.

“Ms. Cullens, I won’t be going to the office today, forward all my urgent calls on this number. Let them know!” I heard him talking to his secretary.

His action pushes me to rage, “Are you crazy? If you do that, they will get more suspicious. Call her back, and go to the office!”

“Are you kidding me? Why would I listen to you, if you don’t listen to me?” he answers back.

“Dee!” I yell at him, but his reaction shuts me up.

He shouts at me for the very first time, “Enough, Avery!” then he calms down and speaks a little less aggressive,

“Just cooperate, will you? I am doing my best to handle the situation we are in, right now.”

My tears suddenly fall without any warning. And my sobbing makes him unsettled. He hugs me and tries to pampers me, “Shh, shh. I am sorry. I didn’t mean, too.”

He lifts my face and looks me in the eye, “Hey, look at me. I’ll sort this out, okay?”

I nod and he sends me off to bed again.

As I lay down, I can see him dialing and texting non-stop. I wonder who he’s talking to.

Then, he makes another phone call and brings up a very familiar name,

“Hey, Jeff! Any news there?” his tensed voice says.

Yes, right. He is talking to Jeff, the man whom I taught I had a chance with in the future. How could I face him, when he saw this sex scandal of mine, right after I denied to his face that I wasn’t Dmitri’s woman.

“Jeff, you are disappointed in me, aren’t you?” I thought while listening to him.

His face is furious, and so is his voice, “You already have the lead? Then why isn’t that person in your custody? I want you to teach that person a lesson. Do you hear me?”

It seems they already have suspects who spread the videos.

“Good, let me know once you caught them,” he says.

“Them?” asks me. Does it mean they are accomplices? But why? Could it be?

I already have someone in mind, but I didn’t expect and even see it as a reason to ruin someone’s life. “It couldn’t be,” I try to deny to myself.

Then Dee calls my attention. He is still talking to Jeff.

“Yes, she’s fine for now. And yes, she’s here. Do you want to?” he asks Jeff and signals me whether I want to or not.

But I don’t know what to tell him, and I feel ashamed of myself, so I simply shake my head, and Dee finally gets it.

I hear him make an excuse, “Oh, she’s asleep now Jeff. I’ll tell her to call you, instead. And call me again, hurry!”

Then he walks to me, “It was Jeff.”

“I gather,” I smile at him.

“I thought you might want to talk to him, you know, explain or something?” he gossips.

“What for? We never started a thing. And besides, how could I? After I denied I was your woman, our sex scandal spreads all over.”

He puts his hands on his pocket while looking at me, “Avery, they know who did it.”

“Jen Storm?” I weakly utter.

He seems surprised, “Yes, and right now, they are looking for her. It will be over soon.”

“You should go to work now, or else, it might affect your company,” I convince him but he doesn’t listen.

“Well, I guess I need a break, too,” he takes off his suit and changes his clothes into a comfortable one.

His face is more relaxed now, and he lays beside me, “I guess, I’ll just stay here with you, watch movies, play games, and eat a lot, speaking of which, what do you want for breakfast?”

I laugh with him and answer, “I want a heavy breakfast in bread, maybe American breakfast with lots of gelatos after?”