Unspoken

Silent Affection

The next morning, Eiden woke early, the soft light of dawn filtering through the curtains, casting a gentle glow over the room. He dressed in his usual formal attire, the crisp lines of his suit a sharp contrast to the softness of the bed where Maevie still lay sleeping. Each button he fastened, each tie he adjusted, was part of the ritual that prepared him for the day ahead-a day that would be filled with meetings, negotiations, and the relentless pursuit of power.

But before he could immerse himself in the world of business, he found himself drawn back to the bed, to her. She was still asleep, her features relaxed and peaceful, a stark difference from the composed and sometimes anxious woman she was when awake. He knelt down beside her, the firmness of the floor grounding him as he reached out to move a lock of hair that had fallen across her face.

His fingers brushed against her skin as he gently tucked the hair behind her ear, revealing her face fully. She looked so serene, so untouched by the worries that plagued him day and night. It was in these moments when she was lost in her dreams, that he felt a clarity he seldom found in his waking hours.

He leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, as he did every morning. It was a simple gesture, but to him, it held a world of meaning. It was his way of connecting with her, of grounding himself before stepping into the world outside-a world where emotions were liabilities and affection was often seen as weakness.

As he lingered there, his thoughts drifted to the day ahead. The business deals that needed to be closed, the endless negotiations with clients and partners. His mind raced with the strategies he needed to employ, and the calculated risks he would have to take. In his world, success was measured in profits, power, in the control he could exert over others. But here, beside her, those measures seemed hollow.

He wondered how Maevie would fit into that world if she truly understood the weight of it. She was his wife, but she was also so much more-a beacon of something purer, something untouched by the cynicism that had come to define his life. When he looked at her, he saw everything he was trying to protect, everything that made his relentless pursuit of power seem worthwhile. She was the calm in the storm, the anchor that kept him from drifting too far into the darkness of ambition.

In the quiet of the morning, with the world still asleep around them, Eiden allowed himself to admit what he seldom could in the light of day: she was his tether to something real, something human. Without her, he feared he might lose himself entirely in the relentless drive for success, in the cold, calculated world he had built.

As he pulled back, standing to leave, he glanced at her one last time. He knew the day would be long and exhausting, filled with the challenges of running an empire. But the thought of her-waiting for him at the end of it all, with her warmth and her quiet strength-gave him the resolve he needed. She was the reason he fought so hard, the reason he endured the pressures and the endless demands.

With that thought, Eiden straightened his tie, feeling a renewed sense of purpose. The world outside was ruthless, but in this room, with her, he found a rare clarity. She was his balance, the piece of his life that made everything else make sense. And as he left the room, he carried that thought with him, a silent vow that he would return to her, always.