A Woman's Empire

LXI

CHAPTER SIXTY ONE

Audrielle had never been to London. She went to Paris when she was young, her mother took her to a very fancy fashion show but for some reason, she had never heard of her parents even going to the UK. There was a chilling distance between Audrielle and Leo and while Leo tried to have somewhat of a conversation with her in the car to the hotel, Audrielle just sat there, gazing out of the window ignoring him.

"Booking for Mr. Amour." Leo asked as he stood in front of the check in counter. Audrielle was waiting patiently from afar, taking in the architectural and interior design of the hotel. It was a dark, modern hotel with features of Art Deco that Audrielle thought she didn't like but strangely she did. It was well and truly night and people flocked inside the hotel heading straight for the bar and restaurant.

When Leo approached Audrielle, he didn't look happy. Audrielle knew why. He was holding two different keycards for two different rooms. "Why did you book a separate room? Was the penthouse not enough?" Leo growled low so people around him couldn't hear.

"You think I'm suddenly going to pretend that we're a newly wed couple again? I've gone five years without sharing a bed with you, I think I can handle a couple of nights in a hotel." Audrielle smirked, snatching the keycard from Leo's hand and wheeling her suitcase to the elevator.

Unfortunately it didn't take long for her to realise that both rooms were on the same floor, right across from each other actually. When the elevator slowly opened, Leo muttered, "I'll meet you downstairs in the lobby for dinner in an hour. We have some things I need to discuss."

Audrielle had fifteen minutes to put on an outfit and do her hair. According to her suitcase she didn't have many options of clothing that were suitable for a fancy dinner. She had two pairs of jeans, a pair of shorts, some pajama shorts and a couple of shirts. She was still sitting on the floor half wet from the shower and wrapped in a towel when there was a knock at the door. Jumping on her feet, she went to answer it knowing exactly who it was.

"Are y- what the fuck are you wearing?" Leo asked when he took in Audrielle's appearance in just a towel and complimentary hotel slippers.

"Nothing really. I didn't really bring many nice clothes. I actually didn't keep a lot of my dresses." Audrielle replied.

Leo pulled back his sleeve and looked down at the Rolex on his wrist. He sighed loudly. "Well by the time we find you something to wear and it gets here, our reservation will be well and truly cancelled. I can call room service and we can just eat at mine? It will be more casual." Audrielle grinned and nodded her head at the idea.

"I'd like that very much. Let me just get changed." She closed the hotel door on Leo's face and scurried over to her open suitcase. Pulling out the pajamas she had packed, Audrielle pulled the fluffy pants on and chucked Ben's baggy shirt that she had been using as her pajama shirt for the last three weeks. Opening the hotel door, she was surprised to see that Leo wasn't waiting for her. Instead, there were two bodyguards dressed in all black attire standing outside his room. It was an odd feeling seeing them again; body guards. While she may sometimes feel safe in Leo's arm, they were just a constant reminder of just how dangerous Leo's life was.

Leo had given Audrielle the spare keycard to the penthouse so she didn't need to knock. She waltzed into the room, immediately taken back by the interior design of the room. It was beautiful-mesmerizing. Leo stood in the kitchen, pouring two glasses of soda, as if they were teens that weren't allowed to drink alcohol yet. The fire in the living room crackled and popped as the warmth it provided bellowed through the large open space. The aroma from the food flooded her senses and her stomach growled. Pizza. Just two ordinary pizza's that came in a branded pizza box and weren't garnished with fresh herbs or basil leaves.

There was this feeling of simplicity. As if the scene in front of her was just a fever dream that she would cherish forever. When Leo noticed her presence, he smiled softly at her and nodded his head, offering her a seat at the counter. She silently took a seat and willingly took the glass of clear liquid. As she took a sip, the zesty bubbles of carbon dioxide tickled her nose.

"Pizza?" Leo offered.

"Yes please." Audrielle replied and Leo handed her a piece of the hot, greasy goodness. For the remainder of the night they sat and ate pizza. Sipped away on soda and then they sat and watched a movie. A cartoon movie while they shared a pot of ice cream. Their conversations were carefree and light, nothing like the life they were born with. For once in Audrielle's life she felt somewhat normal. Like she was in her late teens and was hanging out with her boyfriend. Eating junk food and being oblivious to the world around them. The fancy penthouse or the bodyguards or the fact they had a child together was the least of Audrielle's worries. She grinned when Leo would laugh. A proper one too. Not just a chuckle, a deep and shoulder lifting laugh that came so carelessly from his chest. She felt the muscles in her jaw tighten and her eyes wrinkle from how much she laughed and smiled at the things Leo would say. Whether they were small jokes or stories that felt like normality.

The movie had ended and a new one began to play. Leo was fast asleep on the couch, quietly snoring away and Audrielle realized that she was leaning into Leo. Sharing the same small blanket and the feeling of his strong arm resting against her body. While he had fallen asleep a while ago, Audrielle was wide awake. Because when the laughter had died down and their eyes began to droop due to tiredness, Audrielle's thoughts emerged from their darkness and ran wild in her mind. The feeling of warmth and forgiveness was diminished, a thick coating of steel and security coated her heart.

What if this...

What if that...

These feelings she had were no strangers, they were constants, they were tenants that would go on holiday or sleep mode and then reappear, energized more than ever and screaming at her until she doubted everything.

Audrielle lied in Leo's embrace wide awake. What if she just gave up on the thought of him? Maybe she should've declined the dinner with him and stayed with Ben? What if she stayed in Canada and forced herself to completely fall in love with Ben? No more lingering thoughts of Leo?

What if she forced herself to love Ben the same way she loved Leo...

While her and Leo's marriage was something that was forced upon and arranged for them, the love wasn't. Audrielle wasn't forced to love Leo, all she had to do was take his last name in order for the two families to be bound together. The marriage was a business deal and love wasn't part of the agenda. But they made it to be. They formed something so intoxicating and that was the love she had for him. Audrielle wasn't forced to fall in love with Leo and the realization made her nauseous.

And she only had herself to blame for the feelings she still had for him.