Twisted Fixation

『 Chapter 84 』

She was already sleeping soundly when she felt light kisses on her shoulder. She slowly opened her eyes to see Giancarlo leaning over her with a gentle smile on his face.

She groaned and looked out the window, noticing that it was still dark outside.

"What time is it?" she asked, her voice still heavy with sleep.

"It's just seven in the evening. I know you wanted to sleep, but I can't let you go without eating dinner. I had the maids prepare it here, so would you like to have dinner in bed?"

She looked at the spread of food on the tray beside Giancarlo and felt her stomach rumble. "Alright."

Giancarlo nodded and helped her sit up in bed, arranging the pillows behind her back for support.

"Why is there only one plate? Aren't you going to eat with me?" she asked, a hint of disappointment in her voice. Giancarlo smiled and brushed a strand of hair away from her face.

"I already ate while waiting for you to wake up. I wanted to make sure everything was ready for you."

In other times, she could've appreciated his thoughtfulness, but knowing that maybe he even had dinner with Emilia is making her doubt his sincerity.

After three spoonfuls of the meal, she couldn't help but feel a knot forming in her stomach. She pushed the plate away, suddenly losing her appetite.

"Is the food not to your liking?" Giancarlo asked worriedly, even putting the back of his hand on her forehead to check for a fever.

"I just really want to sleep. If I end up being hungry later on, then I will just take care of myself," she answered dismissively, removing the pillows on her back so she could lay her body flat on the bed.

"I'm going back to sleep," she said, closing her eyes, not wanting to start a conversation with him. Giancarlo's concern deepened as he watched her retreat into herself, sensing that something more than just a loss of appetite was bothering her. He wanted to think that perhaps it's just the pregnancy hormones that are making Yuri feel this way, but he couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something else going on.

He let out a heavy sigh and kissed her forehead gently. He decided to give her some space for now, hoping that she would open up to him once she's ready.

***

Yuri hasn't totally woken up yet, but her hand automatically reached out to Giancarlo, only to be disappointed when she found the space beside her empty. She opened her eyes and glanced around the room, hoping to find him, but he was nowhere to be found.

She looked at the time on her phone and saw that it was already three in the morning. She doesn't want the paranoia that has started to creep in, but she decided to get out of bed and search for him.

It seemed like Giancarlo changed her clothes into a thin nightgown, so she put on a thick robe to protect herself from the cold.

When she has finished dressing, that's when she realizes that she doesn't know where to start looking for him or if he is even in the mansion.

Her attention was then averted to the balcony when a strong gust of wind blew through, causing the curtains to billow and a chill to run down her spine. She walked towards it and was about to close the balcony door when she noticed a faint sound coming from outside.

As she peered into the darkness, she could make out two figures standing a few meters away, their silhouettes barely visible in the moonlight.

Yuri's heart raced as she slowly recognized the familiar outline of Giancarlo and the woman standing next to him that she perfectly knew.