Chapter 103: A Morning of Questions
He continued to watch her for some time before raising his hand to brush his fingers against her cheek, only to pause midway when he noticed droplets of blood on his hand.
Curling his fingers, he withdrew his hand and silently padded across his room to the other side of the bed, stepping inside the bathroom. He turned on the faucet, letting steaming water fill the tub. He then went to stand in front of the mirror and studied his bloodied face and hands with his hollow eyes. One by one, he shed his blood-stained clothes before sinking his naked form into the hot water.
Soon, the water turned a faint pink as the blood left his body. He rested his head back against the tub, as his thoughts went back to a couple of hours earlier, when he had been in the dungeon, questioning the woman named Kayla.
His blood boiled at the thought of how unnecessary that woman’s hatred was towards Evelyn, when Eve had never done anything to her. His face twisted in disgust as he reflected on how greedy humans could be and just how easily they could stray from their path at the slightest temptation.
His dark red eyes lowered to the water, now stained pink with blood. He thought dryly that this much was a given, considering the depth of his rage; the torture he had inflicted on those traitors was nothing compared to what they truly deserved.
If it were solely up to Ivan, he would have burned them to their very bones the day they were captured. Only the thought of his father held him back, so he’s been waiting. Waiting for when their time would come, he would relish their primal fear for touching someone they should never have.
Evelyn was the only woman who had ever moved Ivan’s dead heart. In his mind, she already belonged to him alone, and he would do anything to protect her fiercely. As his thoughts filled with her, he recalled their intimate moments a couple of hours back. She was so soft, so fragile under his touch. How her body trembled with pleasure. He wanted to make her feel more of it....only him. He wanted to see every expression and hear every sound she would make when he did.
Just thinking of her made his heart respond as if agreeing with his every thought. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair and whispered, "Eve.." thinking that only she could make him feel this way.
After some more time, Ivan stepped out wearing only loose blue pajama pants, leaving his upper body bare. He stepped under the blanket and turned towards Eve, who was lying on her side, facing him. Not liking the distance between them, he moved closer and gently wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her to him.
She stiffened slightly at the disturbance and muttered sleepily, "I... van?"
"Shh..it’s me. Go back to sleep, baby," he whispered.
At the sound of his voice, she instantly relaxed in his arms, snuggled closer like a kitten seeking warmth from his warm body, before drifting back to sleep. A soft smile curved Ivan’s handsome face as he watched her cling to him. He leaned down, pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead, and finally closed his eyes, falling asleep beside her.
When morning arrived, the sun had yet to rise, leaving the world outside the window dull and grey. Eve stirred awake from her slumber, shifting slightly to stretch, only to freeze when she felt the weight of warm arms wrapped securely around her form.
Her eyelashes fluttered open, revealing clear blue eyes that immediately focused on his beautiful face just inches away from hers. Unlike the previous morning, Ivan was still in a deep sleep; his breathing was soft and steady. Her eyes wandered in dim light, trying to make out his perfect features.
As the haze of sleep lifted, her gaze lingered, tracing his perfectly shaped brows to his long eyelashes, sharp nose, and chiseled cut of his jaw, down to the strong muscles of his neck. When her eyes drifted further to his bare torso and a thought slipped through her mind...it should be illegal to look like this.
Instead of getting flustered as she usually did, she continued to stare at him boldly, admiring his sculpted chest and abs that tapered down into the V shape at his waist.
Suddenly, she felt the urge to run her fingers over every line and contour, to know what it feels like beneath her touch, but she held herself back.
She remembered last night, everything that had happened between them before he had left. She had waited for him after that, even after telling herself to sleep again and again, yet it took a long while before exhaustion took over.
Later, when she felt the bed dip and his arms wrap around her, she remembered how his whisper had instantly soothed her, lulling her into the kind of deep, untroubled sleep she had never known. Usually, even the faintest sound could wake her, but with Ivan...it was different. With him, she slept like the most carefree person on the planet.
Everything with him felt so new, so different yet....never unfamiliar. Maybe it was the sense of security he gave her, but she knew it was more than that. The deep connection she felt with him was baffling. Even if they had met as kids, the level of belonging she felt towards him couldn’t possibly be explained by that alone.
Unable to hold herself back, she lifted her hand and lightly touched his cheek. As she tenderly caressed him, she heard him whisper faintly, "Sol..."
She froze as her eyes snapped to his eyes to see it was still shut, "Sol.." the word trailed off again, softer this time.
Her brows knit together in confusion as she listened to him mutter in his sleep. ’Sol? Who is that? Is it a man...or a woman?’ she wondered.
When he tightened his hold on her, her brain started to go into overdrive. ’Okay...what in the name of god is he dreaming about?
’Sol sounds like a man’s name... but what if it’s a woman? And...wait, would he even hold a man like this? No, no, stop imagining things!’
Then she remembered Ivan telling her that people have their preferences, and she pursed her lips, ’Oh! Oh no! What if he’s into that but was just embarrassed to say it out loud?’
Her thoughts went on a full loop, leaving her with zero clue about what she was supposed to feel.
Not wanting to let her mind wander in any negative direction, she slid her hand from his cheek and wrapped it around his bare waist before going back to sleep in the quiet room.
The next time she woke up, the bed was empty next to her, with Ivan nowhere in sight. She stretched like a lazy cat before she pushed herself up to lean against the headboard.
Her head snapped in the direction of the bathroom door opening, and there he was. Ivan stepped out in his impeccable regal attire. Three-piece tailored black suit with black shirt and a brooch glinting with his royal insignia pinned at his side. The very picture of authority and elegance.
His dark red eyes zoomed in on hers immediately, "Good morning, sleepyhead," he said, as the corner of his lips curled up in a slow, knowing smile when he noticed her gaze taking in his appearance.
"Good morning," she replied, still drinking his appearance, and added, "Are you going somewhere?"
Ivan put his hands in his pockets. "Hm, we are going somewhere." He emphasized ’we’ as he spoke.
"We?" Her deep blue eyes widened. "Where are we going?"
"Why don’t you get ready, and I’ll tell you? You might want to hurry if you want to join everyone for breakfast before we begin with our day."
"Everyone?" her brows pulled together in question, "You mean you’re father and Damien?"
"Well..not my father but others." Ivan replied coolly before adding with a hint of mystery, "Get ready and find out. Your clothes have already been arranged in the dressing room for today."
Without giving anything more, he stepped out of the room, leaving Eve blink, looking even more perplexed.
She hurried off the bed and went to get ready. After a bath and dressed in a fresh set of clothes, she made her way out of the dressing room to notice Ivan leisurely having a smoke on the balcony. As she stepped outside, he sensed her presence and slowly turned to face her. Blowing smoke out of his lips, he stubbed the cigarette in the ashtray.
He drank in her appearance with an intensity that made her pulse quicken. She was dressed in a light purple off-shoulder, flowy gown with feather-light, sheer long sleeves brushing against her arms. Her hair was pinned into two delicate braids on her head, with the rest cascading down her back in soft waves.
Ivan remained unmoving as if waiting for her to make her move towards him. Gathering her courage, Eve walked with graceful steps before stopping in front of his tall figure, "So, will you answer my questions now?" she asked in her sweet voice as she tilted her head slightly.
