Chapter 31 - Tonight

 As they stood there in that intimate moment, the world seemed to fade away around him. His eyes lingered on her lips, thin, thick and inviting, which were just inches away from his own. The air between them crackled with tension, palpable and charged.

He could hear the soft sound of her breath, feel it brush against his face. Every rational thought in his mind urged him to maintain his composure, to step back and regain control. Yet, there was a magnetic pull drawing him closer to her, an undeniable attraction that seemed to override his usual restraint and he didn't realise his face inching closer to hers.

"Damien…" she called and his thoughts were interrupted.

"I don't feel too good," she said again, as her eyes suddenly felt heavy. Her body went falling but he was quick to wrap his hands around her waist. 

"Hey…" he called but she didn't reply.

"Princess", he called, but still no reply. Her heartbeat was normal and her breathing was fine. He placed his hand on her head but she felt warm, no increase in temperature. She was fine but dormant.

He lifted her up, carrying her towards her bedroom. He recalled the unknown person had said something about Kelly being poisoned, and he should have guessed; he used a slow-killing poison. 

"Lord Damien? What's going on?" Ivy called out as he passed by her but Damien was too upset to reply. He needed to meet that nitwit immediately.

"Stay with her" 

Damien rushed into his study to get the letter and maybe look a little closer to see if there'd be any other clue to finding this person but there was none. 

His eyes turned red from rage and he was ready to kill anyone. He brushed off the stationeries from the table, angry as he ran his hands through his hair, frustrated. The slow-killing poison wasn't something to overlook. It never gave obvious warning signs and when the person died, they were gone forever.

He just had to wait till night time and he didn't have that patience.

Kelly's pov 

   I held my head, unable to recall how I got to my room. I had been with Damien and his hands were on my face. We were so close that I could feel his breath on my face. Was he about to kiss me? My mind wandered and I covered my face in embarrassment.

Nah, he was just teasing as always.

I looked around and spotted Ivy on the couch. 

"Ivy?" I called and she rushed to me. 

"Oh, thank goodness, you're okay; what happened to you?" She asked, her hands on my face and I was forced to smile. It felt like I had an older sibling.

"I'm okay, Ivy, and honestly, I don't know what happened..."

   I really didn't know. One moment, I was inhaling Damien's sweet, spicy cologne, and the next thing, I was on my bed without him. 

"Did he hurt you? By mistake…" Ivy asked and I frowned.

"No, why would you say that?" I asked

"If he didn't, then it's fine, I'll go tell him you're okay" 

"No, no, no," I said, catching her by her hand.

My eyes turned over to the window and it was almost past sunset. 

"I need some rest. Besides, I don't wanna disturb him", I said, and she nodded. 

"You should go too," I said

"I need to keep an eye on you," Ivy said, folding her hands. 

"I'm fine…Besides, I can't fall asleep with you watching me," I pouted, and she shook her head, turning away from me. I thought she was going to leave but she just sat on the couch.

"When you say you're fine or act stubborn, something terrible always happens, so I'll wait till you fall asleep", Ivy said, crossing her legs comfortably. 

I couldn't have her around when I decided to follow Damien so I just decided to pretend to fall asleep.

"You're so difficult," I said, laughing a little. I just hope my pretend sleep doesn't turn into a deep sleep. 

Shutting my eyes with my back facing her, I patiently waited for her to check up on me. 

After a while, my eyes were really starting to drift close and Ivy seemed to be comfortable reading a book from the mini shelf at the corner. 

Urgh, this could take a while and it was already past sunset. I decided to grab her attention by making some silly noises as though I was talking in my sleep. 

"...yes, gimme that," I said, turning on the bed. It worked and she walked up to me, as a chuckle escaped her throat. 

"She sleep talks…" She said and after a while, I heard the sound of her receding steps; then the doors were closed.

I smiled to myself as I got up. Going through my closet, I picked more comfortable clothes so I could run when the time came; I opted for a sleek black body-fitted jumpsuit, reminiscent of those worn by daring spies in action-packed movies. The thought brought a playful smile to my lips. Making my way out, I tiptoed towards Damien's room which wasn't too far from mine. Not wanting to open the door as he might be in his study, I listened in and I could still hear footsteps coming from inside. I couldn't tell what he was doing but I could guess from his constant movement that he wasn't getting ready for bed. I just had to wait. 

As the moments stretched into minutes, as I stood behind one of the large curtains a couple steps from his room door, waiting; the rhythm of my heartbeat seemed to echo the suspense of the moment, each pulse underscoring the gravity of the situation at hand. 

The sound of the door opening jolted me to reality, and I peeked through to see Damien, his hands in the pocket of his long coat as he made his way towards the stairs leading down the stairs. I waited till he had gone far enough before leaving my safe space. I could hear his footsteps, but they were faint, which I believed was far enough, and he wouldn't notice me.