Chapter 111 - What happened?

She was trying to cover something up. Dissatisfied, he put his hand on the door handle.

"Can I...?" He asked before he pushed the door open.

His eyes slipped her head downwards. Had he asked too much of her? Hesitantly, she pulled herself away from the sink. Her posture seemed tense, almost uptight.

The first wave of the shock rolled over him mercilessly as his gaze met the red cheek. She only timidly exposed her wound. Red and swollen like a lump. Apparently, she had realized she could not hide anything from him.

He gasped for breath. Approached her in one step. Her face was pale. He reached out his hand, gently touched her chin, turning it towards him to see the full extent.

A deep growl freed itself from his throat. He forced himself to extinguish the fire within him. He had to stay in control.

"Are you all right?" Alexandre pointed at her cheek. Her gaze remained fixed on him. Defiant. He felt strangely uncomfortable. He didn't think he'd hit her.

But to his own astonishment, something like a guilty conscience stirred in him. Had this happened in the end because of him?

No. He was a capricious bastard. Even... even Lily! He clenched his hand to a fist, felt his nails dig into his skin. "Lily... What happened?" He dared to ask. He didn't expect it.

She turned back to the mirror, pressed the damp towel against her swollen cheek. "A little quarrel between Uncle and me." She explained it briefly. Forcing herself to smile. Tired. Sober. Like she didn't really care anymore. It's odd. Shouldn't she have been upset, scared or sad?

"What for?" He stared into her reflection, held his breath, waited in a daze. He was stiff as a poker, from one heartbeat to the next.

"Why?" She snorted. Her eyes were iron. "I think you should probably know better." The expression on her face was not to be misunderstood. "You know Uncle, don't you? He doesn't like you. I never saw such hatred in his eyes. He gave me an ultimatum. He wanted me to annul this marriage. But we both know that's not possible. Isn't it?"

"And that's why he hit you?"

"Mmm..." She wiped the air with her hand as if it didn't matter.

He swallowed. There was a ten-ton weight on his chest. It seemed to crush him, squeezing all the air out of his lungs. "What did he say?"

" I should annul our marriage. Pascal would still accept me as his wife despite my betrayal." She paused. Endless tiredness lay in her eyes. "Despite my betrayal on him, Uncle would forgive me if I would end this marriage and take Pascal as my husband. That was roughly what he had said."

Suddenly he was anything but comfortable in his skin.

She pulled her shoulders up. "But I don't get it. What is there to forgive? The only one I would have to ask for forgiveness in this matter would be Grandfather. But Grandfather supports this marriage."

He said nothing. For a long time. When he looked up again, he caught her gaze. Her eyes searched his. Before he knew it, he was standing very close to her. Her warmth drifted in fine waves against his skin. His heart was pounding. "What did you say in reply?"

For a moment she closed her eyes, turned her face away.

Then she smiled. Cute. Broken. "I told him I couldn't do that. Uncle didn't seem to wanna hear that." Demonstratively she held her cheek.

He immediately put his hand on hers. A stone fell from his heart. "Does it hurt much?" Suddenly he felt insecure again, as if he had been catapulted back in time. When he had no idea how to deal with women. His hands were sweaty.

Of course bitter mockery twitched around her mouth. But her hands stroked tenderly across his chest, he would have loved to lay his hands on her body. He remained stiff. The situation was too surreal. Yet he wanted to wrap his arms around her.

She suddenly took a step back. All of a sudden, the warmth left him. "You know it hurts when you get hit! But if you want to try it. I'm happy to offer my hand." With a smile she looked him in the eyes, grabbed his tie and pulled him down to her. Surprised, he looked her straight in the eyes. For a second she stared at him, almost giving him the impression that she wanted to wait for his reaction.

He couldn't swallow, couldn't breathe.

Her gaze pierced him.

He felt naked for the first time.