A beginning

Adeline's POV

An hour later I was back in Mikhail's office. He seemed to be in the middle of closing something and so I waited. We had a meeting with his PR manager and I was going to join him because of course this was all me.

Finally, he looked up. “Let's be on our way then" he smiled at me and led the way with me following behind him obediently.

We went into the empty elevator and once the doors were closed, he entered the seventh floor. “Aren't those your special surgery room floor?" I asked. He never took anyone there unless it was for surgery or inspection.

He looked at me, leaning against the shiny walls, his dark suit matched his eyes, giving him a suave look, “Yes, but my private conference room also resides there, so you'll have to see it" . He had a look on his face that made me smile.

“Well, I'm eager to see what it holds." I was about to add something else when the elevator suddenly stopped. My heart froze just as it did and I looked at him.

He looked back at me, walking closer to the controls. He pressed the buttons several times but nothing happened. He faced me, looking as if he knew something was very wrong but didn't know how to tell me.

"What happened?” I asked, I had unconsciously push myself against the wall. My heart had picked up it's rate and for a second I couldn't breathe. "Why did we stop”

"Calm down, take a breath. I think something went wrong with the function. My men will be fixing it right about now” his hand pressed the red button that had been there, holding it for a moment before releasing.

Even though I was sure they would fix it, it didn't help. I hated staying too long in enclosed spaces. Right at that moment, it felt like a struggle to breathe. My hands clutched my chest as I tried to get my breath back, "Please” I gasped.

A look passed his face but quickly disappeared, he was rushing towards me in seconds and pulling me into his arms. "I'm here, nothing is going to happen. I won't let it” he whispered, voice low and comforting.

I shut my eyes and pushed my body against his, savoring the comfort for as long as I could while still trying to catch my breath.

“Listen carefully, they've already begun to work on it" he told me as he brushed my hair, smoothing it with his hands. "We'll be out of here in seconds” his voice took me back to the past and for a second I wasn't in the broken down elevator anymore. I was in his arms as a teen, racing across the field to meet my favorite uncle - the one whom had occupied my dreams even then.

Unknowingly I looked up at him, meeting his grey eyes as he stared back at me. “Do you feel better" his voice was hoarse, deeper and the color of his eyes had darkened to almost black.

I could feel my body begging for something else. It wasn't just his hands I needed now, it was more. My body tilted towards his, reaching up to meet him halfway when a loud sound broke the silence and I dropped my head.

His hands loosened around my body before they dropped immediately. I missed the contact, the warmth it had provided but as the doors slowly slid open, I could finally breathe properly again. There was no hesitation as I rushed out of the elevator.

Mikhail wasn't far behind me, “That shouldn't be happening. I'm hoping this is the last time that it will" he said with warning in his voice.

Soon he was beside me, "I think we can use the stairs then.” He looked back for a second and then cleared his throat, "I don't think the elevator is working well”

There was no protest from me. We went up the stairs and finally arrived at the fifth floor. We stopped just short of the door when he placed a palm on the door for it to swing open and we were finally on his surgery floor.

The white and blue of the whole place stunned me. It didn't smell like antiseptic and detergent. My eyes scanned the clear walls.