CHAPTER EIGHT
1161 Words
The car moved smoothly down the road, the low hum of the engine filling the silence.
Adrian drove with steady precision, his eyes fixed ahead, both hands firm on the wheel.
Leonardo sat beside me in the backseat, his presence filling the space.
I stared out the window, watching the scenery blur past without really seeing it.
He hadn’t said a word since we left, and somehow, that was worse than his usual cold remarks.
I shifted slightly to glance at him and found him already looking at me, his eyes held mine for a second before he looked away.
“You’re not as careless as you pretend to be.”
I raised a brow. “That almost sounded like a compliment.”
“It isn't,” he replied.
“In that room,” he continued, “you noticed things most people wouldn’t, not that quickly.”
I shrugged lightly. “Most people weren’t being framed for trying to poison you.”
Before he could reply, a loud horn tore through the moment.
My head snapped forward, a massive trailer was heading straight for us at full speed.
The sunlight hit its windshield, blinding Adrian completely.
“Adrian, brake!” Leonardo snapped.
But it was too late, The horn blared again closer this time, Adrian swerved instead.
The tires screeched violently against the asphalt as the car veered sharply sideways, heading straight for a concrete roadside barrier.
The force threw me forward, the seatbelt snapping tight across my chest.
Leonardo grabbed me, his arm locked around me, pulling me against him, turning his body to shield mine completely.
The side of the car slammed into the concrete barrier with brutal force, glass shattered outward.
The airbags deployed with a violent burst.
Leonardo pressed my head into his shoulder, holding me down, protecting me from the impact.
The car scraped along the barrier, metal grinding against concrete, before finally jerking to a stop.
The car was enveloped with smoke and dust, and the smell of burnt rubber filled the air, thick and suffocating.
My ears rang, my vision dimming, and the last thing I felt was the steady, solid weight of him holding me in place.
When I woke up, the first thing I noticed was the way every part of me felt weighed down, like I was sinking into the surface beneath me.
Pain followed slowly, dull at first, then spreading through my limbs, settling deep in my bones.
My head throbbed, each pulse making it harder to think.
I tried moving and that was my mistake, pain shot through my side, knocking the breath out of me, a small sound slipped from my lips before I could stop it.
My eyes fluttered open, I blinked slowly, trying to adjust to the light filtering softly above me.
The room came into focus, and I knew this wasn’t my room.
I turned my head slightly, ignoring the protest in my body, taking in the space around me.
A large clean room, everything in it looked expensive, carefully arranged. Definitely not the maids’ quarters,
I pushed myself up slightly, pain flared again. I sucked in a breath, gripping the sheets instinctively.
“Careful, don’t move too quickly,” an unfamiliar voice said.
I turned my head towards the voice, a man stood a few steps away, in a doctor's coat,
Beside him Leonardo stood watching me, arms relaxed at his sides, gaze fixed entirely on me. “You’re awake.” he said simply.
I swallowed slightly, “what happened…?”
“You were in an accident,” the doctor said calmly “You hit your head, but it's only a minor concussion.
The doctor finished checking me and stepped back. “You’ll need a lot of rest,” he said “and do not move around for a while.”
He handed me medication then turned to leave “I’ll take my leave.”
Leonardo gave a single nod. The doctor left and the door clicked shut behind him, now it was just us.
I looked at Leonardo properly this time, his shirt had been changed, but there was a faint stiffness in the way he stood.
“You’re injured,” I said.
“I’m fine.” he replied
“You’re not.”
His eyes snapped to mine with a sharp warning look. “Don’t push it.”
I didn't look away, “You got hurt because of me.”
His jaw tightened slightly, “no,” he said coldly, “Whoever caused the crash did.”
That shut me up, because he was right.
I leaned back slowly against the headboard, breathing carefully.
“Adrian… is he okay?”
“He’s fine.”
And the address?”
His expression shifted slightlly “Damien will handle it.”
Before I could say anything else, he reached for the glass of water on the bedside table and held it out to me.
“Drink.”
I took it, my fingers brushing his briefly, My chest tightened slightly, though I wasn’t entirely sure why.
I looked at him over the rim of the glass.
“You don’t look like someone who just almost got killed.”
“I don’t look like a lot of things,” he replied.
I took a small sip, then another, before handing the glass back. “Thank you.”
He didn’t acknowledge it, but he didn’t ignore it either.
He set the glass down, then straightened slightly.
“You’ll stay here for now,” he said.
“In your room?” I asked surprised
“Yes.”
I raised a brow. “That doesn’t sound like a good idea.”
His gaze flicked to mine, unreadable. “It wasn’t a suggestion.”
I leaned back slightly, studying him. “You’re keeping me here because it’s safer… or because you don’t trust me?”
“Both.” he replied
At least he was honest, i exhaled softly. “Fair.”
A knock sounded on the door, Leonardo's attention shifted immediately.
“Come in” he answered.
The door opened, and Adrian stepped inside, his expression as composed as ever.
His eyes flicked briefly to me then back to Leonardo. “Everything has been taken care of.”
Leonardo gave a slight nod.
“But there’s something else you should know.” he continued
Leonardo straightened slightly. “let’s go outside.” he said reaching for his jacket.
“You’re leaving?” I asked.
His gaze flicked to me briefly. “you should focus on getting better," he said leaving no room for argument.
I let out a soft, humorless laugh, “so I should just stay here and do nothing.”
“Yes” he replied instantly.
I didn’t argue, I watched him leave with Adrian, the door closing quietly behind them.
And just before the door shut completely, I heard Adrian's low voice. “we have an inside betrayal.”
I stared at the closed door, my chest tightening slowly.
- Writer
