A Touch of Madness

Charlotte froze in place, not daring to open her lips to respond. She swallowed silently and closed her eyes for a moment, trying to ignore a sudden, crazy thought that crossed her mind.

What if her lips accidentally collided with his?

Heat crept up her cheeks as if she had already committed a sin that hadn't even happened yet. Just imagining it made her mind lose control. An indirect kiss... it wasn't a disaster at the time, but it had never been this close either. But now? If it happened directly, there would be no room for denial, especially since she was arguing with him over his irritating habit of poking her lips with his finger as if they were just a toy in his hands.

"Because, simply put..."

Leonid whispered in a low voice, moving his lips freely over hers, without hesitation, without fear of crossing the line.

In reality, he was eagerly waiting.

For that small mistake that would break the barriers between them, even for just a moment.

Leonid continued to relish the closeness, playing on Charlotte's fragile boundaries until he finally admitted, with a voice full of boldness and amusement,

"I can't resist your tempting lips... It would be unfair not to give them a poke every time."

"Huh?!"

Charlotte blinked rapidly as if her brain was trying to process the sentence again, but no... there was no mistake in hearing. Did he just say she deserved it simply because she… had nice lips? What kind of justification was that?!

"Hah? Is that all you've got?"

Leonid laughed heartily at her simple reaction. He had expected a loud scream or endless complaints. He shrugged his shoulders, then tilted his head to the side, giving her more space to move, but at the same time, he got a better view.

"My darling, are you that surprised~? That's adorable... Well, I'm surprised at myself too."

Leonid mocked her playfully. He didn't intend to hurt her feelings with his words, but he couldn't suppress his smile when he saw her shocked expression. He found her expectations amusing.

As for Charlotte, her cheeks turned even redder, and her body grew warmer. She opened her mouth to say something anything! To break the atmosphere that Leonid had created, but...

She found nothing to say.

"It's alright, take it easy."

Leonid raised his hand and gently ran his fingers along her cheek, as if trying to erase the redness from her face with his touch.

"Are you mad at me? Alright, I'm really sorry."

His hand froze for a moment when he felt her palm push his hand away from her cheek before she covered her face entirely. It seemed as if she was trying to hide her tears, even though she hadn't cried yet.

Leonid observed her actions the way she pushed his hand away, the slight tremble in her shoulders then he sighed quietly and stood up from the couch. He ran his fingers through his silver hair, messing with it a little.

"What do I do now...?"

He whispered to himself in a barely audible voice, then let out a deep sigh.

What he had done earlier… and even now… was far from the possibilities he had set for himself from the start.

But he couldn't resist. After all, being with Charlotte… made him the man he had always wanted to be.

Over time, he noticed her silence. An unsettling feeling crept into his chest. Guilt? He wasn't sure, but he felt he had crossed the line. He barely turned back to look at her before—

Poof!

A couch pillow hit him directly in the face.

The pillow bounced onto the floor while Leonid remained frozen in place for a full second. Then, he heard a quiet but clearly angry whisper reach his ears.

"Idiot."

Outside, under the pouring rain, Natalia raised her voice slightly, trying to overcome the street noise and the sound of raindrops.

"Thank you! ."

The driver had extended an umbrella for her, shielding her from getting wet until she reached the entrance of the apartment building.

"It's my duty, ma'am."

His response was firm and formal, as always.

"Alright, have a good day."

The driver gave a slight nod before heading back to his car.

For a moment, Natalia stared at the rain soaked streets, her breath condensing in the cold air, before she turned to head inside.

In the elevator, a shiver ran through her body. Maybe because her clothes had gotten slightly wet, or maybe because of the thought that had been repeating in her mind all day.

Should she apologize?

She stepped out of the elevator, walked down the hallway, and stopped in front of Charlotte's apartment. Her hand hesitated in the air, unsure whether to knock on the door or not.

Suddenly.

"You should apologize!"

Her hand froze in place, and her eyes widened slightly.

The voice came from inside. A man's voice.

Was Charlotte with someone?

Before she could even speculate, a furious, clear response came shaken with emotion.

"I will not apologize!"

Natalia narrowed her eyes and moved closer.

Then she pressed her ear against the door.

"Oh, really?!"

Leonid crossed his arms over his broad chest, scanning her with an examining gaze before adding in a semi serious tone,

"I must admit, my darling, despite my frustration… I'm still drawn to your stubborn spirit."

"Then be nice and back off."

"I won't."

His words were firm, and in the next moment, he rested his hands on the back of the couch and leaned in slightly, staring straight into her eyes.

"I never took you for the stubborn type!"

Charlotte grumbled, but she didn't lose focus. She was like a cornered cat looking for the nearest escape route. One wrong move, and she would be caught, no doubt.

And then… no one knew what Leonid might do to her.

"Apologize, and it will all be over."

Leonid repeated his request patiently, his determination only growing after taking that pillow to the face. He had no intention of staying quiet anymore.

"I will never apologize!"

"Then come here!"

Leonid suddenly shouted, and with a swift movement, he jumped to the other side of the couch.

At that moment, Charlotte didn't wait to be caught. She ran at full speed across the room, letting out a dramatic cry.

"Hunter, help me! Your owner is terrifying!"

Charlotte called for help from Hunter, who simply sat and watched. He was utterly useless, leaving Charlotte to fend for herself as she threw multiple pillows at Leonid.

Outside, Natalia froze for a moment upon hearing the distress call, before quickly moving. She reached out her hand and pressed the doorbell.

Once.

Then twice.

Then several times in succession until the door finally opened.

"Charlotte, what... is going on here?!"

Natalia's eyes widened in shock at what she saw before her.

"This is painful and embarrassing! Put me down!"

"I won't."

Charlotte was wriggling in Leonid's grasp, her legs dangling in the air as she tried to break free, like a child trying to escape their father's grip, or perhaps it was a briefcase he was carrying as he wished. Meanwhile, Leonid seemed to be in a state of chaos; his hair was disheveled, the buttons on his shirt were undone, but despite that, he remained calm, leaning against the door with a satisfied look.

"Natalia! Help me! Get me out of this evil man's grasp!"

Despite her desperate attempts to escape, Charlotte realized it was futile, so she called out to her friend for help.

"Evil man?"

Natalia furrowed her brows, disapproving of Charlotte's description, then glanced at the two of them with a scrutinizing look. Perhaps she hadn't expected to see them in this state, but judging by the chaos around them, it seemed like the atmosphere between them had been heated for a while.

She sighed, raised her hand, and pointed at Leonid, saying,

"He was your boyfriend yesterday, how did he become evil today? Then... what happened between you two?"

"She's right."

In the blink of an eye, Leonid agreed with Natalia's words, then turned his gaze to Charlotte, who was still struggling unsuccessfully to break free. With a cold smile, he said,

"You're so fickle, Charlotte. What's happening to you right now is nothing but the consequence of your childish actions towards me."

"My actions aren't childish! I didn't do anything to you!"

"Oh, really?"

Leonid gave her a mocking look, disbelieving her stubbornness.

"And here I thought you two were lovebirds..."

Natalia muttered as she rubbed her temple in despair. What kind of pair suddenly confesses love and then fights in such a ridiculous way?

"Anyway, please, Mr. Leonid, put Charlotte down. Actually, I'd like to speak with her alone, if you don't mind?"

Leonid raised an eyebrow in surprise at Natalia's formal tone but didn't comment. Instead, in one swift motion, he loosened his grip on Charlotte's waist, letting her fall to her knees without warning.

"Uh! You crazy! How could you drop me like that?!"

"Crazy, huh?"

Leonid repeated her word mockingly, as he slowly buttoned his shirt. He shot her a quick glance before heading toward the door.

"We'll talk about this later."

He said coldly, then left for the hallway, leaving Natalia and Charlotte at the door of the apartment.

Leonid stood by the window, took out his lighter and a cigarette, and lit it with a quick motion. He exhaled the smoke slowly onto the closed glass window, where his icy blue eyes reflected on the misted surface of the glass, speckled with raindrops. Only then did he realize that it was raining.

Was he so worked up that he didn't notice something as simple as this?

He wondered to himself before exhaling again, enjoying the addiction that kept him from losing his composure.