Fall for My Face? Or My Soul?

Chapter 6 To an End

Orlando awoke with a dull ache throbbing in his head. His surroundings were unfamiliar, a modest yet tidy room that smelled faintly of lavender and dust. He glanced around, noticing the faded floral curtains and the delicate dried flower sachet hanging above the bed. This was a woman's room.

He tried to recall the events leading up to this moment, but his memories were fragmented. All he could recall was being bitten by a snake at the cemetery and then everything going black.

'Had it been Emilia? Had she brought me here?'

A strange thought flickered in his mind, something about a dream he'd had... he thought he'd seen his late wife.

Her face, unchanged, still radiated the same innocence and beauty, her scent still lingering on her skin.

Orlando couldn't help but feel a twinge of madness at the thought. 'How could I still be thinking of her?'

He tried to sit up, only to realize his shirt was hanging loosely, barely clinging to his shoulders.

Just as he reached up to button it, the doorknob rattled.

The moment Donald's and Orlando's eyes locked, it felt as though the blood in Donald's veins had frozen.

'What had I just seen? Orlando, half-naked, lying in the bed of a servant in my house!'

The thought of this news spreading through his household was enough to make his stomach churn. What kind of disaster could this lead to? He couldn't even begin to imagine.

After everything that had happened with Layla, he had already made an enemy of the Field family. If this were to get out... he might as well be signing his own death warrant.

"I..."

Donald struggled to steady himself. Forcing a sycophantic nod toward the expressionless man before him, he swiftly shut the door.

The tension radiating from Orlando was almost suffocating as if he was the one caught in the act of betrayal.

Layla's POV:

I watched the odd expression on Donald's face, my heart pounding faster and faster.

'What will he do about this?'

Orlando's current state inside was probably anything but dignified.

In my rush to get out of there, I'd even forgotten to cover him with a quilt.

If we were falsely accused of an affair at this very moment, how could we possibly explain ourselves?

The sheer absurdity of it, a legally married couple caught in infidelity! It was the kind of ludicrous drama one would only expect from a cheap romance soap opera.

"I knew it!"

Melanie, picking up on Donald's strange behavior, seemed to take it as confirmation of her suspicions. Her belief that she'd caught us red-handed only seemed stronger.

She sneered with a look of contempt, her eyes shooting daggers at me. "She's a tramp. Keeping her lover hidden right under our nose!"

She was practically itching to barge in, but Donald stepped in front of her, blocking her path.

"There's no man in there. Enough of this nonsense."

He grabbed her arm, his eyes cold and warning, trying to pull her back.

I exhaled deeply in relief. 'Thank goodness he feared Orlando's power enough to keep this under wraps.'

But Melanie, oblivious to her father's intent, stubbornly pressed on.

"Why won't you believe me, Daddy?" she cried, turning to the nearby maid. "Teresa, tell them what you saw!"

"I swear, sir, I saw Emilia with a man..." Teresa quickly chimed in. Her words rushed as if afraid of Melanie's wrath if she hesitated.

I looked up to meet Teresa's eyes. She looked away the moment she caught my gaze.

I racked my brain. 'Had I ever wronged her? Why is she targeting me? Is it simply to curry favor with Melanie?'

"Teresa," I said, stepping forward, my tone calm but razor-sharp. "If you don't have proof, I'll sue you for slander!"

My confidence grew, knowing Donald would handle this. I decided to go on the offensive.

"You're welcome to search the room! I expect you to resign and leave if you don't find this man. If you find him, do whatever you want with me!"

I stepped closer to Teresa, my sharp gaze cutting into Teresa. She instinctively stepped back, visibly unnerved.

Clearly, she wasn't ready to gamble her job over it.

"That's enough!" Donald barked, his voice tight with urgency, likely fearing the commotion would attract Orlando's attention. "This ends here!"

"Daddy, are you defending her?" Melanie snapped, her finger pointed accusingly at me, her defiance unabated.

But the next moment, Melanie was slapped across the face by Donald.

Everyone froze. Even I was stunned by his sudden move.

Melanie, who had never been humiliated like this in her life, stood still for a heartbeat, clutching her cheek before her eyes filled with tears. She ran off, sobbing uncontrollably.

Donald, visibly seething, turned toward Teresa. "You're not getting paid for the next three months," he snapped, his voice laced with fury. "And if you stir up any more trouble, pack your bags and leave."

"Yes, sir," Teresa muttered, her head bowed in fear.

Donald shot me a glance, his gaze dark and unreadable, but he didn't say anything. Without another word, he turned and led the group away.

Orlando and I made our way to an open area near the estate. Carl, his assistant, was already waiting for us.

It was clear that Donald had ordered the guards near the back gate to stand down because we encountered no one on our way.

Carl opened the car door respectfully for Orlando and then pulled a check from his pocket and handed it to me.

"Ms. Pattinson, Mr. Field wanted to express his gratitude for your help. Please take this."

I waved my hand immediately, shaking my head. "Actually, Mr. Field was the one who saved me," I replied, my voice softer than I intended. "You don't need to do this."

Though I was in desperate need of money, and I could feel the weight of the money in his hand, tempting me, Orlando's money... I couldn't take it, not like this.

Not from a man I had hurt, someone I had failed even when he was barely conscious, still trying to pass judgment.

Carl hesitated but persisted, his tone gentle but firm, "Forgive me for pressing, but I believe you should take it. Mr. Field and the Glen family no longer wish to be involved with this matter. Do you understand?"

The words struck me cold, even though his voice was calm and polite.

For a moment, a pang of regret slipped through me.

No matter the reason, I was the one who had broken the agreement. This was the price I had to pay.

I had a small, bitter smile and took the check, only to slip it into his pocket again.

"Don't worry," I said, trying to sound casual, "I don't want any trouble either."

I stared at my reflection in the car window, seeing only a blurry face, mine or his. It didn't matter. I tried to act carefree, though my heart wasn't in it.

Carl gave me a rueful smile as if he understood the conflict inside me. "Well, if you insist," he said, though he didn't look convinced. "But I think you might need this."

He pulled out a small box of band-aids from another pocket and offered it to me, his eyes lingering on the scrape on my knee.

It struck me then that it seemed obvious now. Orlando must've told him to bring this.

It was a thoughtful gesture, one I hadn't expected from the cold, distant man I knew. For a moment, it made me see him in a different light, more human, more tender than I'd realized.

I accepted the band-aids silently, watching as the car pulled away.

And just like that, everything between Orlando and me came to an end.

Strangely, I couldn't explain it, but I felt an unexpected sadness settle in my chest instead of relief.