CHAPTER 18 ~ RUNNING INTO HIM

FLAVIA'S POV

Three days, that’s how long I have managed to evade Louis Frederick under the same roof. It was a delicate dance, listening for the echo of his shoes in the hallway, the low murmur of his voice on a call, the sound of the engine pulling out of the driveway. Only then would I emerge from my room, moving like a shadow from the top floor to the kitchen, careful not to leave a trace.

I timed my mornings like a military operation, only when I am certain he has left for work did I come down, grab breakfast in a rush, and disappear to my new office.

The office, the fight over the flowers and everything in between all swirled in my head like a storm I couldn’t escape. I don't hate him, I am not sure I have ever hated him but I don't want to feel whatever it is I am starting to feel, not for him. Not for a man who has made it abundantly clear that I am temporary, an accessory to be worn to galas and meetings. A placeholder bride with a contract and an expiration date.

And yet… His cologne lingered in the hallways, clean, fresh, and expensive, every time I caught a whiff of it, it clung to my senses longer than it should have.

His voice, rich, deep, low when he muttered to himself, traveled through the vents sometimes. His laugh, rare but disarming, haunted my thoughts at night, especially that day at the office complex, when he handed me my own space and said, in that matter-of-fact way of his, that a billionaire’s wife should have nothing but the best.

He confuses the hell out of me, one minute he is storming around the house like I was an infestation. The next, he is acting nice and sweet and making me feel… seen.

And now, I am running, hiding because being near him made me feel things I am not ready to feel but on day three, my luck ran out.

I stood at the top of the stairs, clutching my tote bag, listening carefully but I was met with silence, I peeked down the landing. No keys jingling, no heavy footfalls. I counted thirty more seconds, then moved quickly, taking the steps as lightly as possible.

I reached the bottom floor, rounded the corner toward the door, and froze.

Louis stood leaning casually against the sideboard near the foyer, arms folded, dressed in charcoal slacks and a steel-blue shirt that clung to him in all the unfair places. His watch gleamed under the soft light. His hair was still damp from a recent shower, and he looked like he has just walked out of a luxury magazine spread, looking handsome as always.

"Shit." I muttered to myself.

"Going somewhere?" His tone was neutral, but his eyes were sharp.

I blinked, trying to keep my face composed. "I thought you left already."

"Obviously," He said dryly, "I haven’t."

He pushed off the wall and took a step toward me.

My breath caught.

"Have you been… avoiding me?" He asked curiously.

I shifted, adjusting the strap of my bag on my shoulder. "No." His eyebrow lifted.

I sighed. "Okay, maybe a little."

He didn’t say anything, he just looked at me, waiting.

I crossed my arms. "You made it pretty clear you don’t like sharing your space. I figured it's best I get out of your way."

He squinted his eyes, perusing me like he didn’t quite believe me. "You have been acting like I have the plague." He clarified.

"Well, you did bite my head off over a flower."

His jaw tensed. "That wasn’t… I shouldn’t have..."

"Forget it," I said quickly. "It’s fine." I said but it isn’t but at the same time, I don't want to unpack that in the hallway like some melodramatic soap opera wife.

I took a step toward the door, but he held out something in his hand. A set of keys.

I frowned. "What’s that?"

"Your car."

I stared at him, shocked. "My what?"

"I don’t appreciate you using public transport, it's an insult on my personality. I am a fucking billionaire and it's not a good look." He said, casually. "And I don’t like the idea of you waiting on my driver, so from now on, you go when you want to with your car."

He held the keys out to me again.

I didn’t move. "Louis…"

"It’s just a car."

"But I don’t..."

"I’m not taking it back, Flavia. Don’t make it weird."

Weird? You giving me a car after I have been ducking you for days isn’t weird?

Still, my fingers closed around the keys like they had a will of their own, my throat felt tight. My heart was all over the place.

"I can pay you back." I said, too quickly.

His brows flicked up. "Seriously?"

"I mean it." I stated.

He shrugged. "You can't afford all the debts you are unnecessarily incuring even if I give you forever to pay up but If that makes you feel better, suit yourself."

He was unreadable, calm, coldly generous. Like he doesn't realise what this gesture meant, like he has no idea that this is the first time anyone has done something so… thoughtful for me.

My eyes burned but I blinked fast. I can't afford to cry in front of him.

Instead of crying, I did the stupidest thing imaginable... I dropped my bag, closed the space between us, and threw my arms around him.

He tensed, just for a second, like he didn't expect it or like I caught him off guard again but surprisingly, his arms came around me too. Slowly but firmly and everything in me stilled.

He is warm and solid and smelled like mint, cedar and safety, he is so comfortable and I can stay right here, in his arms forever. His hand curled against my back, my cheek rested against his chest, and I felt his heartbeat, a calm, steady rhythm that only made mine race faster.

I don't want to let go but I did, eventually. Too soon, maybe but there is no way I can hold on to him forever without making things weird.

"Thank you." I whispered, stepping back.

He nodded, but his gaze lingered on me. Something unreadable flickered in his eyes, then he turned and gestured toward the garage.

"Top right slot. It’s the black one." He explained.

I nodded, biting my lip to stop from smiling too widely. I grabbed my bag and hurried to the garage like a woman on a mission.

There are a lot of beautiful cars here, so it's a good thing he told me exactly where to go because it made it easier to locate. When I saw the car, a sleek, jet-black Mercedes coupe with soft leather seats and my initials stitched on the dashboard, I nearly screamed.

"Holy shit." I said excitedly. "He did this, for me?" I don't understand why he will do this.

It's one thing for him to get me a car for mobility but to go this far and get me something this expensive and perfect is just so crazy and confusing. Why will he give me something this perfect?

I slid into the seat, started the engine, and grinned like a lunatic. "Okay, it's official, I am in love. I am in love and not just with the car but I think with Louis as well." It's just so unfortunate that I can't have him, so I have to figure out a way to get him off my mind.

As I pulled out of the driveway, my fingers clenched the steering wheel tightly. I can’t wait to show Jazmine, her voice echoed in my head again.

"He likes you, I think he has fallen for you."

Has he? I don't know and that scares me more than anything and to avoid getting hurt, I need to figure out a way to get him off my mind. He is too complicated and I don't think things can work out between us, I am just is contract wife.

He has made it really clear, plus he also said his nice gestures are nothing personal. The office, card, and car are probably just for his reputation, just for show, for the media and nothing more, nothing personal.

The car still smells like him.

Leather, luxury, and that subtle note of cedar and mint that seems to follow Louis everywhere, it's embedded into the seats, the steering wheel, the damn air. I try not to inhale too deeply as I pulled into the lot, but who am I kidding?

I’m grinning like an idiot.

The car glides into the space like a whisper, so smooth it’s almost arrogant. I park near the back corner, where Jazmine usually parks, and quickly grab my phone to call Jazmine.

"Hey girl." I said as soon as she picked up the call.

"Wow, someone sounds excited." She noted.