Fire And Ice (Lost&Found Series)✔

46. DEATH OF THE BELOVED

XENIA'S POV:

5 months later

I was taking out the plates from a cabinet when I heard the front door slam close making me sigh.

He is back.

His footsteps echoed loudly in our empty penthouse as he neared the kitchen. Placing the plates on the kitchen counter, my eyes locked with his and a small smile tugged at my lips.

"Where is Vanessa?" I asked as he threw his car keys on the counter and placed the Chinese take out boxes next to them.

"Last minute duty calls." he sighed tiredly.

He was dressed in a royal blue button down shirt tucked inside his black slacks with a Rolex watch on his wrist.

"Oh." I nodded and took out a water bottle from the fridge and a wine bottle from one of the cabinets for him.

I was now seven months pregnant and of course could not consume alcohol during it so water was my best friend. Pulling a chair out, I settled opposite to him.

He looked worn out as he kept rolling his neck and shoulders to soothe his muscles but it did not seem to work.

"You are overworking yourself. Again." I said as a matter of fact and started taking the boxes out of the brown paper bags.

"You know how it is, Xenia. But, I have taken a much needed leave for a week." he smiled at the end.

We settled down to eat in a comfortable silence. Halfway through the meal, I felt his eyes on me and looked up raising a brow.

He gulped the last sip of white wine and cleared his throat to speak, "Well, the Mexicans have proven themselves." he started.

"How so?" I asked in a bored tone.

"They destroyed all the Russian bases both in Italy and Moscow. There is not much left of them now. Say, thirty or forty men." he informed.

I nodded uninterestingly and focused on my meal. I was eating for two and was hungry almost every minute of the day. My bump was huge and I could not look at my feet while standing now. Thankfully though, I have not put on much fat on any other part of body.

"Xenia." he sighed and I looked up to see him rubbing his hand down his face.

"What?" I asked swallowing the bite.

"You hav-need to get out of this penthouse and meet people. The business awaits you. Mariano and Angelina awaits you. You barely let anyone stay more than an hour and only meet me and Vanessa at dinner. Adrian and Veronica come here every single day yet you are always in a hurry to throw them out. Xenia, it is not good for your mental health as well as the baby's health. You barely talk and answer with one word replies. I know, I know it is not easy for you but this is for your own sake. And if not yours then your child's sake. Ever since Xan-"

That is enough.

I slammed my hand on the table cutting his speech short, "Don't. Just don't say that. Don't go there." I spoke quietly.

"I should go." he said and was about to get up but I was quick to stop him.

Grabbing his hand, I looked up at him with a broken look on my face, "I am sorry, Paul. I just... it is too much for me. Way too much." I whispered and released his hand.

He rounded the counter and enveloped his arms around my shoulder. I closed my eyes and welcomed the warmth but it was not the kind of warmth I required. This was different, the man holding me was different. I craved closeness and warmth, just from someone else. Someone who was gone.