Boss's Runaway Queen

Chapter 7 - Leo's P.O.V.

I slouch on my office chair, pinching the bridge of my nose.

How am I supposed to handle this? There's no book called ‘getting your wife's memories back 101’.

How did she lose her memory? Was it from the accident? Was it caused by trauma? Did Alexander do something to her?

The creaking of my office door makes me straighten up.

“Daddy?” Claire says, peeking her little Dowey eyes around the door.

I gestured for her to come and sit with me.

For some reason, now that Mallory is alive and safe, my heart feels lighter and a lot more receptive to Claire. There are so many things I’ve done wrong in the last five years. A lot I need my princessa’s forgiveness. And I will start by giving her the attention and the love she needs.

“What is it, little princessa?” I ask, sitting her on my lap.

She fidgets a little and wrings her fingers nervously.

“Claire?” I ask gently, making her look up.

“Is it true?” She finally asks.

“Is what true?”

“Is mommy really back home?” She asks, her cheeks crimson.

“How did you know about this? Who told you?”

Who dared open their f*****g mouths before I got a chance to speak to my own daughter?!

“No one really. I overheard it in the hallway. Some of the staff were talking about you bringing a woman home. I know you would never bring a stranger here, so it can only be mommy. Am I right?”

My sneaky little clever girl!

“Look, Claire, I know you want to see her, but I am begging you to wait for a little while. Mommy isn’t herself at the moment.”

“I know. I guess she didn't recognize you either,” She says, lowering her eyes to the floor, her voice meek.

“I know this is hard, but I’m sure she’ll eventually remember us both. I promise you, I’ll do anything to make her herself again.”

I squeeze her tightly in my arms, trying to comfort her as best I can at that moment.

“Do you think she’s hungry?”

“She might be. Why don't we get her something ready and I’ll bring it over to her?” I say, lifting her up and heading out to the kitchen.

“Why can’t I bring it to her?”

“Didn’t I just ask you to give her time until she recovers?”

“Oh! Right. I forgot. Sorry” She mumbles, her cheeks crimson.

❀

I carried the tray of food carefully to Mallory’s room. Knocking once, I open the door.

Mallory jumps up from the bed and stands nervously.

She’s looking at me as if I’m here to hurt her. The sight is breaking my heart.

What could she possibly have gone through for her to react to me like this?

“I’ve brought you lunch. The doctor will be here in about fifteen minutes.” I say, placing the tray on the bedside table.

“I’m not hungry. And I won’t see a doctor.” She says, a little venom in her words.

She sounds a little more feisty than earlier. What changed?

I kind of like this.

Smirking, I walk closer, making her demeanor change drastically. She no longer has that spark glistening in her eyes. The only thing I see is fear. Soul, deep terror that eats you at the core.

“Mallory,” I sigh. “Please eat something. You’ve had a long day and must be famished,” I say, trying my best to guide her toward her food without touching her.

She recoils and tries stepping back, only for her back to hit the wall.

“If I back up from you, will you go sit down and eat?” I tentatively ask.

She looks at me for a long while before nodding her head.

I back away until I am at least six feet away.

She eyes me, slowly walking to the other side of her bed. She looks at the food and then back at me.

I give her a small nod, trying to coax her gently to take a bite, but she just stares at the food.

“You might want to eat it now before it gets cold and before doctor Sam gets here,” I say, making her angry for some reason.

“I really don't want to see or talk to your doctor,” She says, puffing out her cheeks.

It seems a lifetime ago since I’ve seen her do this. She would do this every time she couldn’t get her way, and I found it so goddamn cute. Every single time.

I smile at the thought, but it seems I angered her by doing so. She picks up the lemon pudding Claire made and throws it at my head.

It narrowly missed me and hit the wall behind me.

“I don’t want to see your doctor! I don't want your food! Get away from me!” She screams, frightening me a little. I have never seen her react like this. In any situation. I’m at a loss as to how I can make this situation better.

I don’t want her to be nervous around me. I want her to feel safe again. But I have failed her twice. Maybe it’s part of the reason she doesn’t recognize me. Maybe she doesn’t want to because of my failures.

“I will give you some time to calm down. And I will reschedule doctor Sam for tomorrow. Maybe by then you’ll have come to your senses and will act civilized.”

“Civilized!? Says the one who f*****g kidnaped me! How am I supposed to be civilized in a situation like this?” She yells, throwing another plate at me.

“I had no choice! You don’t even recognize me! You didn’t even recognize our Claire at the ice creme parlor! How was I supposed to react? Tell me. I have looked for years to find you, and our daughter. And once I found our daughter, I lost you. I thought you were dead. But after all of that, by some f*****g miracle, you’re still alive, but you can’t even recognize the people that love you the most in this life. You know what, f**k this. I need to cool down and so do you!” I yell back, storming out of the room, and closing the door with a loud bang.

I practically run down the stairs and down to the basement. Opening the firing ran door, I opened my gun case and load my gun.

Taking in a few deep breaths, I clear my head and my heart of all and every emotion.

Have I lost her?

I lift up my arm, aiming my gun toward the target that is twenty feet away from me.

How can I help her remember if she won’t even see a doctor? I need to know what’s wrong with her!

I shouldn't have lost control with her. She was just so goddamn infuriating. I only want to help her, but she sees me as an enemy.

Am I pushing her too much too fast? Am I making things worse?

Questions after questions storm in my head with each pull of the trigger.

“What’s gotten you all worked up?” Lorenzo asks from behind as I pull the trigger on my last bullet.

“Mallory,” I say, inhaling deeply.

“Figured. I saw Rose stepping out of her room with a pretty messy tray. What happened?”

“She threw it at me,” I casually say.

“What’d you do?” He snickers.

I glare at him, making him chuckle.

“I didn't do anything. She wouldn’t see doctor Sam, and decided to throw her plate at me when I was trying to persuade her to change her mind!” I say, placing my gun back into its box.

“Ah! Now I get it,”

“Get what?” I ask, irritated.

“You do realize that she’s in an unfamiliar place,”

I’m about to argue, but he cuts me off.

“Let me finish. She didn't recognize Claire the other day, nor did she recognize you this morning. You, to her, a total stranger, kidnapped her and brought her to a fully guarded mansion. She must feel lost and confused. And in addition to all of that, we don’t know yet what happened to her while she was with Alexander. Was she being well treated? It is unlikely from the information Marcello gave us. Which is probably why she doesn’t trust seeing a doctor. If she was ill-treated over there with people she knew, What must she think of people she doesn't know?”

Taking the time to take in everything Lorenzo just said, I have to say, he makes a lot of sense. How could I have been so stupid?

“Don’t be so hard on yourself. It must be hard for you to finally have her back and have her so far away at the same time. I know she is your rock, but be patient with her. Give her time and she’ll come to you herself when she is ready, brother.”

“I hate that you’re right,” I say, shaking my head.