I'm sorry (part4)

The words passed through the air thoughtlessly, but they felt heavier on his tongue than he had expected.

His desire to know the truth overwhelmed him, but Charlotte's fragility was enough to bring him down completely.

"I'm sorry..."

Leonid repeated his apology, this time in a softer voice, but the sincerity in his tone was unmistakable.

He remained in place for a moment, breathing slowly against her delicate skin, as if his burdened breaths carried all the guilt that was beginning to consume him. The weight of his body over hers filled him with self-disgust, yet he did not move away.

In truth, he did not want to.

He still chastised himself for his reckless actions, but Charlotte was not making it any easier for him.

Letting out a slow sigh, he ran his fingers gently through her chestnut hair, as if his touch alone could soothe her, though he knew it wouldn't.

He straightened up, then pulled her toward him, lifting her into his lap.

When he suddenly carried her, Charlotte bit her lower lip but did not push him away. Instead, she buried her face in his chest and continued crying silently.

She knew, more than anyone, that the blame was hers to bear. She was pathetic... and disgusting. But admitting to the disaster that had befallen her was far more terrifying than enduring it.

"I shouldn't have lost my temper."

Leonid whispered gently, his warm breath brushing her ear, his steady heartbeat offering solace to her turmoil. Finally, he pulled her close, as if trying to gather her shattered pieces within his arms.

His right hand traced slow circles over her back, while his other fingers combed through the strands of her tear-dampened hair.

Charlotte did not respond, but she clung to his shirt as if telling him that the fault was not his alone.

As she held onto him even tighter, a sharp ache clenched in Leonid's chest.

But he did not try to pull away or force her to speak this time.

He simply sat at the edge of the bed, holding her in silence because, at that moment, silence was the only thing he could offer her.

Time passed, and her tears gradually faded until only her trembling breaths remained.

When she finally calmed down, Leonid pulled her away slightly and lifted her face with his palm.

He studied her swollen eyelids and flushed skin before speaking softly.

"Look at me."

Charlotte didn't want to, but his hand was firm gentle yet unyielding, leaving her no room to escape.

"I didn't mean to hurt you… not like this."

Hearing his voice, feeling his restrained breath against her skin, finally made her open her eyes. She looked at him through the tears clinging to her lashes.

Between the dimness of the room and the cold breeze drifting in from the window, Leonid's heart softened when he saw his own reflection in her dark eyes. This was a far cry from the cruelty he had embraced since watching his mother die before his very eyes.

"I won't ask you now…"

He spoke quietly, wiping her tears away with his thumb.

"But I won't stop until I know everything, Charlotte."

His words were more of a promise than a threat.

She bit her lip slowly but said nothing.

She was exhausted… exhausted from herself more than anything else.

Leonid moved his thumb, grazing her full lips gently. Maybe it was a silent reprimand, or maybe a suppressed desire. He still remembered how her lips felt when he had leaned over her and kissed her suddenly.

Letting out a sigh, Leonid tilted her face slightly and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead before whispering against it,

"Sleep now… we'll finish this conversation later."

Smoothly, he laid her back down and pulled the blanket over her, as if afraid she would freeze under the loose dark shirt.

After a brief moment of thought, he didn't take off Kaiser's shirt from her. Perhaps there was a lingering sense of possession, but he wasn't obsessive.

Tomorrow, he would make her wear his clothes or go to her apartment to bring her own. Either way, she wasn't leaving his place or his sight. After everything that happened, it would be madness to let her disappear again.

He lay down beside her, wrapping an arm around her. Charlotte closed her eyes, feeling warm, then parted her lips as if to say something but held back, instead drifting into a peaceful sleep where she felt safe.

Leonid remained still, feeling her nestle into his body and arm.

Narrowing his eyes, he tightened his other arm around her and closed his eyes, falling asleep with her in his embrace.

The next day, Leonid woke to the morning light filtering through the curtains warm yet dim, as if mindful of the sleepers in the room.

The first thing he felt was the warmth of Charlotte's body in his arms. She was still asleep, her breathing steady, her face buried in his chest.

He didn't try to wake her.

Instead, he remained still, watching her in silence observing the way her breath rose and fell in a steady rhythm, how her features, despite the exhaustion, looked more at peace than they had the night before.

But that tranquility didn't ease him.

If anything, it made the weight in his chest feel heavier.

Slowly, he shifted, trying to slip out of her arms without disturbing her. But as soon as he moved away slightly, he felt her fingers clutch onto his shirt.

He frowned slightly but didn't push her away.

Instead, he waited until she gradually let go, then sat at the edge of the bed, running a tired hand over his face.

He had no idea what to do now.

There were hundreds of questions circling his mind, but what unsettled him most was the thought that she was still hiding something from him, despite everything he had already seen with his own eyes.

He turned to look at Charlotte again.

Her face was half-buried under the blanket, her messy hair spilling across the pillow.

He let out a slow sigh, then reached out to brush a strand of hair from her face, but his hand hesitated in midair for a moment before he let it fall again.

He didn't want to wake her. He wasn't ready to face her gaze just yet.

Rising smoothly, he walked toward the living room, pulling the curtains shut before leaving, letting the room sink back into its soft darkness.

He headed to the bathroom and shut the door behind him. Taking his phone from his pocket, he called Vladimir.

Pressing the phone to his ear, he spoke the moment Vladimir picked up.

"Deputy Commander, I have a favor to ask."

There was a brief silence before Vladimir's calm voice came through.

"I'm listening."

Leonid explained his request while leaning against the wall, his voice low.

When he finished, he ended the call, took a deep breath, and moved toward the shower.

Stripping off his clothes as if shedding his thoughts, he stepped under the spray and turned the faucet.

A rush of warm water cascaded over his head, drenching his silver strands before sliding over his shoulders and down his tense body.

The silence was heavy, broken only by the rhythmic sound of water striking the tiles steady, relentless, as if trying to wash away the tension coiled in his mind.

He closed his eyes, but his thoughts didn't settle.

Overlapping images surfaced, Charlotte's quiet breaths, her desperate grip on his shirt, the exhaustion carved into her features, the footage from the grocery store camera, Hunter's death.

His lips pressed into a thin line. Running a hand through his wet hair, he tried to shake off the unease that had clung to him since last night.

He wasn't used to this kind of silence, the kind that didn't bring peace but carried something unfinished, something waiting to erupt at any moment.

Taking a deep breath, he let the water pour over his face, as if searching for a fleeting moment of clarity amid the chaos in his mind.

But he knew this feeling wouldn't last.

Slowly, he turned the knob and shut off the water. Reaching for a towel, he wiped his face before wrapping it around his waist.

Standing before the mirror, he stared at his reflection in silence, attempting to organize his thoughts.

It didn't last long.

A faint sound came from the hallway beyond the door, breaking through the stillness.

Leonid moved and opened the door, and at that moment, Charlotte froze in the middle of the hallway. Her eyes widened for a brief second as she saw him standing before her half-naked, water still dripping from his hair, with only a towel wrapped around his waist.

She looked as though she had just gotten out of bed her hair was messy, and her eyes were slightly swollen from sleep and tears. She had taken a few steps into the hallway, but Leonid's sudden appearance stopped her in her tracks.

He raised an eyebrow slightly before speaking in a quiet yet dry tone.

"You're awake?"

Charlotte swallowed, lowering her gaze slowly before murmuring shyly,

"Hmm…"

Kaiser's shirt, which she was wearing, barely reached the middle of her thighs. The sudden awareness of how she must look sent a wave of embarrassment creeping through her.

Last night, she hadn't fully grasped what was happening. But now, everything felt clearer, more overwhelming.

She followed behind him slowly, the heat on her face nearly burning her skin, while Leonid paid it no attention, simply striding toward his wardrobe with quiet confidence.