11. The world had seen enough...

ALEXANDER

She titled and suddenly she started falling before the words left her mouth, or even before I realised it.

For a second, the sound of her knees hitting marble almost broke the silence—almost. But my reflexes were faster. I caught her before gravity could humiliate her again.

It never happened—a woman fainting on me? Never. Or, perhaps I never cared, but…

I gazed at the woman in my arms—Warm, Fragile, broken by this world. Even in unconsciousness, she was still angry, her jaw was clenched, fingers trembling.

A tempest she is. Tempest—the name suits her perfectly.

“Ryder!” I barked at the top of my lungs, calling for my assistant. I picked her up in her unconscious state and put her down on the sofa in my office.

“Lucky you tempest, no woman ever had been picked up by me.” I muttered, imagining her fuming glare throwing in my direction at the scene, that twitched my lips slightly.

“Director, you called…! My God! What happened!?” Ryder, who entered my room hastily, paused, stunned, before rushing to my side.

“What happened to Miss Corvella?” He gasped. “How did she faint?”

I didn’t answer his question, I'm not inclined to do so.

“Get Dr. Vale to my office,” I said, my tone flat, unshakable. “Now.” I ordered him to pause for a second, before returning to the usual state.

“Yes, sir.” His tone turned unreadable, back to his usual professionalism. Good, I prefer that way.

He turned around and strode out of the room, closing the huge double door, behind.

And once again, silence swallowed the entire room, just as it was before her arrival…

I sat on the opposite sofa, my arms spread wide on the headrest, and right leg on top of the left thigh.

My eyes fell on her unconscious state—fragile, broken, yet still fighting.

Elowen Adreya Corvella—Indeed, I know her name, and perhaps, things she never expected me to know. I have known her for years, that she can never count, or imagine…

The heiress of Corvella House. The princess who was never meant to see the flames of this world, yet here she is, painted as a criminal and given names.

The tabloids had their claws deep in her skin: From Millionaire’s Wife to Billionaire’s Mistress.

A headline written by cowards who needed blood to stay relevant. But the woman lying fainted on my couch wasn’t a mistress. She was a flame—one that refused to die even as the wind turned cruel.

One wonders why accept this suffering when she can just open up about who she is? Everyone would go silent. I wonder the same, and I admit, this intrigues me.

I loosened my tie, my eyes never leaving her. Her perfume clung faintly to the air: sandalwood and lavender—fresh and magnificent, I must say.

Slowly, my eyes landed on her face. There was no makeup on her face, completely raw and natural. Her long lashes were almost touching her face, and those luscious lips were slightly parted. She looked completely ethereal; even her dark circles and lack of care couldn't diminish her beauty.

I truly wonder what was wrong with Adrian Hale. Seems like, not everyone deserves what's best for them.

Slowly, my eyes slid down to her open wrist, and my eyes stuck on the faint scar she had, a scar she got in her teenage years, a scar she had no idea was related to me in a way she could never imagine…

The knock on the door snapped me out of my thoughts as my eyes slowly moved toward it.

The door opened and Ryder stepped in, followed by doctor Vale.

“Mr. Veyrek.” Dr. Vale greeted me, “you called me…” Her voice fell as her eyes shifted to Elowen Corvella.

“Hmm,” I hummed quietly. “A little disturbance, Dr. Vale. Please, check on her.” I said.

She gave a cart nod and immediately went beside her and started checking on her.

Dr. Vale was a widow with two children, our family doctor, and trustworthy. She is in her late forties. She's a woman who talks less and concentrates on her work more, which is why I never bothered to change her.

After a while, she stood straight and turned to me. “Initially, it doesn't look anything serious, not for now at least. She’s dehydrated, Stress shock and exhaustion, I'm guessing.” Dr. Vale said.

“She needs to rest and eat properly.” She added after a short pause.

I didn’t say a word and rose to my feet. Walking over to her, I picked her up in my arms, and directly gazed in Ryder's direction. "No one should know she's here.”

Ryder nodded. “Yes, sir.”

"Also—" I glanced at her cell phone that was lying on the office floor. "—Miss Serena was perhaps calling her continuously to inform her of the situation and assure her.”

“Sir…” Ryder spoke, probably hesitating a bit. “should we notify her family?” He asked.

I didn’t even look up. “No. She’s had enough eyes watching her burn.” The words came out colder than I intended. But truth doesn’t need warmth.

And then, I walked out of the office and went straight to my private executive room on the top floor. The place where I mostly crash on busy days.

The place, where no outside was allowed.

“Seems like, you're twice the lucky one to get in my private space, Corvella.” I mumbled. “And I truly hope, this is the first and supposedly the last…”